- India Escorted Tours
- India's Tigers and Wildlife with Delhi and the Taj Mahal Extension
An in-depth tour into Madhya Pradesh, the undisputed heartland of Tigers in India spending extended time at two of the finest reserves in the country, exploring a wide range of habitats and seeking India's most iconic animals and colourful birdlife
Explore the wonderful sites of Delhi and marvel at the incredible Taj Mahal on a 3-night extension.
Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Nagpur via Delhi.
Lunch & Dinner
On arrival in Nagpur, you will be met by your local guide and transferred north to Pench National Park. During a pleasant drive, of around two hours, look out for a variety of Indian birds en route, including Black Kites, Laughing and Spotted Doves, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Little Swifts, Little Green Bee-eaters and Black Drongos, you may also see cheeky Rhesus Macaque monkeys along the road. Arriving at the jungle camp late morning, you'll have some time to relax after the long flight and to enjoy lunch, before departing mid-afternoon for your first safari and opportunity for a tiger encounter If you'd prefer some more time to recuperate after your flight, you can skip any safari and relax in the stunning surroundings of your jungle camp. Pench National Park is a rugged landscape of almost 2000 square kilometres, marked by the Pench River and cloaked in deciduous forest. Gaur, Wild Boar, Common Langur, Sambar and Spotted and Barking Deer are all common here. Dhole, Sloth Bears and Leopards are also present, though less rarely seen, as they avoid tigers. Return to the camp for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Wake early for a sunrise safari into the park and another opportunity to discover the wildlife and tigers that call the area home. Return for an early lunch and time to relax until mid-afternoon, possibly to explore the grounds with their resident birds and mammals, or maybe even for a siesta. In the afternoon, enjoy your final safari in Pench National Park.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Join an early morning safari before departing Pench National Park for a drive across the scenic Vindhya Hills to Kanha National Park. The Kanha Tiger Reserve is one the largest in India, covering almost a thousand square kilometres of varied habitat on a plateau in the Maikal Range and made up of hills, undulating grasslands, and clumps of bamboo and Sal forest. The hills are coated in deciduous forest, and small pools and lakes provide year-round watering holes for the animals. The reserve is most famous for Swamp Deer which have been driven almost to extinction and may exist nowhere else. The wide meadows and grasslands make this an ideal location for Tiger viewing, and it is also home to Sambar, Muntjac, Spotted Deer, Rhesus Monkeys, Common Langurs, Gaur, Wild Boar and Asiatic Jackals. Dhole, Sloth Bears, Leopards and Chousingha and Buckland Antelopes are also present, though they are harder to see. After you check in at your accommodation, enjoy an afternoon walk for another chance to spot some incredible wildlife within Kanha Reserve.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Each day will contain an early morning and afternoon game drive to view the wildlife and if you wish to opt out of any drives then you can relax in the jungle camp.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy an early morning bird watching stroll around the lodge, or have a lie-in and relaxing morning, before leaving Kanha late morning for the drive to Nagpur. Check into your hotel for your last night before an early morning flight.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer to Nagpur airport for your flight to Delhi. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in time for lunch. After this, a short tour of the beautifully planned city of New Delhi will follow. Offering you a taste of its imperial glory, you'll drive past the India Gate, President's House, Parliament Building and visit the Birla Temple, made purely out of 2,000 tons of Rajasthani white marble. Continue on to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial and the 12th century Qutab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you will be driven to Agra, arriving at your hotel in time for lunch. Despite being a small city, Agra was once the capital of the mighty Mughal dynasty whose strength manifested itself in the huge forts and buildings built to maintain its power. During this magical afternoon, you will tour one of The Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. Words do not do this remarkable palace justice; it really must be seen to appreciate its stupendous beauty. Taking 17 years to build, the heartbroken Mughal Emperor Shahjahan dedicated this monument of love to his deceased wife to enshrine her mortal remains.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This day starts after breakfast with a visit to the vast red sandstone Agra Fort, which was built in 1565 and boasts grand palaces, gigantic pavilions and spectacular courtyards. After lunch return to Delhi to spend the evening.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your return flight.
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Wildlife viewing is excellent with very knowledgeable naturalists. The pace is quite full on but worth it to maximise wildlife viewing opportunities. There is a lot of long road travel. Cannot fault the accommodation or service at any of the hotels, particularly in the jungle camps. All of the people from the manager, restaurant staff, and naturalists were excellent.
Jacqueline Hobson
05 DecemberThis was an intensive safari experience and the staff at both camps gave us as much of an experience as possible. Spending 20 minutes within yards of a Tiger virtually on our own likewise with Leopards, Dholes, and many other Indian animals. I enjoyed seeing lots of different birds and both taught the guides and learned from them. Their knowledge of the trees and forest was excellent. They organised for us to do an extra game drive to see Blackbuck in a separate section of the park.
Robin Hemming
29 NovemberThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
Important: Please note that all mobile phones are banned from India’s National Parks and Tiger Reserves. Phones will need to be left at the hotel when you are on safari. You will still be able to bring cameras into the parks and reserves to take photos.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is required for entry into India. British Citizen Passport Holders will need to obtain a tourist visa. You can apply for an E-visa no more than 30 days in advance. Your E-visa must be valid for your whole trip so please ensure the expiry date is for the whole duration of your stay. Alternatively you can visit The Indian Visa Application Centre in London: 142-148 Goswell Road, London, EC1B 7DU. We also work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. Additionally, you will need to complete an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before your arrival. This can be done on the Indian visa website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you enter India. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed e-ticket or boarding pass, along with your passport, is required for entry into Indian airports. Ensure you print your tickets before travelling, as digital copies on mobile devices are not accepted. It's also recommended to carry your invoice with flight details for reference.
Please note we will require your APIS/Passport information at least 2 months in advance to pre purchase your Safari passes, this can be uploaded via our website on "Manage My Booking".
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of India’s Tigers and Wildlife is rated Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary. Early morning trains and flights depending upon the schedule and some early morning sightseeing’s are also in this tour.
The currency in India is the Rupee or Rs. The Rupee is a closed currency and officially you are not allowed to take any cash out of India. US Dollars and GBP are also widely accepted in India should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are restrictions on taking Indian rupees into India. Visitors, including tourists, are not permitted to take any amount of Indian currency into the country. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £4-£5 for each guide and £2-£3 for each driver per person per day. It is asked that you tip in pounds and not local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. Your guide will also ask you for £1 or £2 a day to add to a kitty this is for the porters, waiters etc throughout your tour.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 16. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour. A national guide will meet you on arrival and accompany you throughout your trip. In certain cities, local guides will join you to provide expert insight based on the sites visited.
For private tours, you will travel with either a Driver Guide or a Driver plus local guides. They will accompany all sightseeing. Private tours can depart any day of the week, subject to transport schedules and attraction opening times. These tours follow the brochure itinerary unless otherwise advised and include all listed meals, sightseeing, and excursions.
Your extension is fully escorted, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities that you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.
Safari Vehicles
Your safari will be taken in a canter, this is a large open roofed truck that seats up to 20 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and India. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a fold away bed for the 3rd passenger.
Tents
During this tour you will have a two night’s stay at the Pench Jungle Camp. Your stay will be in a comfortable tent with en suite facilities. There will be some activities arranged in the evenings.
Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning (sometimes a packed breakfast depending on train journey). Lunch and dinner where applicable will be taken in hotel/wayside restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way, so to ensure your comfort and well-being, two bottles of drinking water will be provided on touring days.
There are some dry hotels in India, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting to the hotel then we will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Dry days are when the sale of alcohol is not allowed. Most of the Indian states observe these days on major national festivals/occasions such as Republic Day in January, Independence Day in August and Gandhi Jayanti in October. Dry days are also observed during elections in India.
During visits to Churches/Temples please note long trousers or skirts should be worn to cover knees, Long sleeved tops should be worn to cover shoulders and ladies should bring a scarf to cover your head. In the Golden Temple and any other Gurudara visit it is also mandatory for men also to cover their head with a scarf.
Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.
Please note that all mobile phones are banned from India’s National Parks and Tiger Reserves. Phones will need to be left at the hotel when you are on safari. You will still be able to bring cameras into the parks and reserves to take photos.
On your arrival in Nagpur you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Jayasree Travels and Tours, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree Travels and Tours representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.
If you need to contact Jayasree Travels and Tours, during your stay the details are:
F 341-Ground Floor, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, 110030.
Contact number: 0091 9526188860/ 0091 995 898 8719
Emergency contact information
Telephone number 24 hr:
Biju Unnikrishnan 0091 952 618 8860, Ms Jayasree Vikraman 0091 974 700 5888, Mrs Samitha Azhar 0091 974 471 3380, Mrs Rekha Anil 0091 9744813380, Mr Amit Bhardwaj 0091 995 898 8719
E-mail: biju@jayasreetravels.com
