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Golden Triangle India Holidays Delhi Taj Mahal Jaipur Rajasthan Tigers

Birding Holiday, India + Tiger Reserves (Satpura + Pench + Kanha) + Taj Mahal

Birding Holiday, India: Taj Mahal + Bharatpur + Satpura
Birding Holiday India Tiger Reserves Satpura Pench Kanha Taj Mahal
13 NIGHTS FROM:
$4,858
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
7IPP12D
• Birding Holiday, India
• Delhi
• Taj Mahal, Agra
• Bharatpur
• Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary
• Chambral River
• Satpura Tiger Reserve
• Birding Walk & Boat Ride
• India Tiger Reserves
• Pench, Bharatpur & Kanha options

This birding holiday in India starts in Delhi with a visit to Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, before continuing to the famous Taj Mahal in Agra. Then enjoy birding with a specialist guide in Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary and along the Chamral River. Afterwards discover the birds and other wildlife on an India Tiger safari at Satpura (or Pench, Bandhavgarh or Kanha on request). English speaking birding guide, all transfers, jeep safaris & park fees included.

Day 1
You will be met at Delhi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this ancient capital of kingdoms and empires that is now a sprawling metropolis.
 
Delhi's strategic location was one of the main reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power and today it is a conglomerate of seven cities. The division between the old walled city and New Delhi marks a division in lifestyles, with the old city retaining its past traditions whilst New Delhi strives to match the pace of the 21st century.
Day 2
Today enjoy a full day excursion with a birding guide to Sultanpur National Park Bird Sanctuary.
 
Situated 1.5- to 2-hours west of Delhi and Gurgaon, this bird sanctuary is home to over 150 different resident species including the Painted stork, Spotted owlet, Paddyfield pipit, Purple sunbird, Little cormorant, Gray francolin, Black francolin, Indian roller, White-throated kingfisher, Spot billed duck,  White ibis, Black headed ibis, Little egret, Great egret, Cattle egret, India crested lark, Eurasian thick-knee, Red vented bulbul, Rose ringed parakeet, Red wattled lapwing, Shikra, Common hoopoe, Eurasian collared dove, Red collared dove, Laughing dove, Rock pigeon, Magpie robin, Greater coucal, Weaver bird, Bank mynah, Common mynah and Green bee eater.
 
During the winter months bird numbers swell as the park accommodates over 100 migratory species from Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan. These include the Siberian crane, Black tailed godwit, Greater flamingo, Ruff, Black winged stilt, Common teal, Common greenshank, Northern pintail, Yellow wagtail, White wagtail, Northern shoveler, Rosy pelican, Gadwall, Wood sandpiper, Spotted sandpiper, Eurasian wigeon, Spotted redshank, Starling, Bluethroat and Long billed pipit.
 
In the summer months there are also a few migratory species including the Eurasian golden oriole, Asian koel, Comb duck, Blue cheeked bee eater, Blue-tailed bee-eater, Black crowned night heron and Cuckoo.
 
Note: The bird sanctuary is closed every Tuesday.
Day 3
Today enjoy a full day private tour of modern New Delhi and the 17th century walled city of Old Delhi, which came to prominence when Shah Jahan moved his capital here from Agra.
 
In Old Delhi enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through 300-year old Chandni Chowk market, a maze of lanes crowded with noisy shops selling an extraordinary variety of items and foods, and past the Jama Masjid (or Friday Mosque), the largest in India, and drive past the imposing walls & battlements of the Red Fort, once the most opulent palace in the Mughal Empire. We continue to the Raj Ghat - the simple but moving memorial on the site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
 
In the afternoon our tour of New Delhi starts with a visit to the Qutub Minar, an ancient victory tower built of red sandstone and marble in 1199 and still the tallest minaret in India. With its imposing cylindrical towers and surrounding ruins, it is today a World Heritage Site. Our next stop is Humayun's Tomb, the beautiful mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, that inspired the Taj Mahal.
 
We drive along the Rajpath - the capital's broadest avenue - where you will see the imposing arch of the India Gate war memorial, Parliament House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential residence built for the Viceroy of India, and the government buildings on Raisina Hill.
 
Note: The Red Fort is closed on Mondays.
Day 4
This morning we drive 3.5-hours from Delhi to the ancient city of Agra, set along the banks of the Yamuna River and originally the capital of the Mughal Empire.
 
Agra is world renowned as the home of the Taj Mahal - that great symbol of love built by emperor Shah Jahan in the 16th century as a memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.
 
On arrival we visit Agra Fort, a massive structure with walls over 70-ft high and 1.5-miles long that encompasses an astounding collection of well preserved buildings, many of them completed during the reign of Shah Jahan. After he was deposed by his son, he was imprisoned in this fort where he remained until his death - spending the rest of his life looking out along the river to the final resting place of his beloved wife.
 
In the late afternoon, we visit the Mehtab Bagh Gardens that are located across the river from the Taj Mahal, to enjoy your first views of this magnificent edifice at sunset.
Day 5
Rise early to visit the romantic Taj Mahal at sunrise, a truly magnificent white marble mausoleum that took 22 years to build. Apart from its stunning design and perfect symmetry, it is noted for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best marble inlay work ever done. Sunrise and sunset are particularly good times to visit and see the dome subtly change its colour.
 
After returning to your hotel for breakfast, we drive 1.5-hours south to Dhaulpur, where we enjoy an afternoon boat ride on the Chambal River which is known for its bird life.
 
We then continue 1.5-hours to Bharatpur. This is the home of Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, the most famous bird sanctuary in India and a Ramsar World Heritage site. Birding is at its peak from December to February, when many migrants visit.
Day 6
Today enjoy birding in Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary with your birding guide, including a morning birding walk and 2-hour afternoon cycle rickshaw ride deeper into the park.
 
This sanctuary consists of a combination of dry grasslands, woodlands, swamps and wetlands that in winter (December/March) attract huge congregations of water-dependent migrants. Birding here is outstanding, except during May/June when the wetlands dry up. It is home to over 360 different species including:
 
Water birds: painted stork, cormorant, egret, asian open-billed, black-headed ibis, darter, shoveller, teal, bronze-winged and pheasant-tailed jacanas, ruddy shelduck, demoiselle and sarus cranes, gadwall, pintail, mallard, coot, purple moorhens.
 
Raptors: king vulture, white-rumped vulture, marsh harrier, pied harrier, crested serpent eagle, ring-tailed fish eagle, short-toed eagle, black-shouldered kite, Pallas's fish eagle, tawny eagle, collared scops owl, spotted owlet, dusky horned owl.
 
Others: lark, pipit, kingfisher, dove, myna, bulbul, blue jay, oriole, plum-headed parakeet, hoopoe, shrike, bee-eater, wagtail, finch.
 
Migrants: steppe eagle, pale and marsh harriers, osprey, common teal, Indian little ringed plover.
Day 7
Rise early this morning and drive 2-hours to Dhaulpur for a birding boat ride on the Chambal River.
 
Afterwards we return to Bharatpur and enjoy an afternoon of birding in the fields outside Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary.
Day 8
Today enjoy another morning of birding in Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary.
 
Afterwards you will be transferred 5-hours to your hotel situated near Delhi Airport.
Day 9
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight to Bhopal.
 
You will be met at Bhopal Airport and transferred 3.5-hours to Satpura National Park. Named after the Satpura Range, this rugged reserve with its sandstone peaks, narrow gorges, ravines and dense forests preserves over 850 square miles (2,200 sq.km) of the central Indian highlands eco-system - together with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries. With an altitude ranging from the level plains of Churna (984 ft / 300 m) to the Dhoopgarh Peak (4,430 ft / 1,350 m), this park sustains a wide diversity of birdlife, animals and plants.
 
In the afternoon enjoy birding on foot with your guide in the Satpura Buffer Zone.
Days 10 To 11
Rise before dawn and transfer 20-minutes to the Denwa River, which you will cross by speedboat to reach the entrance to Satpura National Park, with a boxed breakfast included.
 
Here you will enjoy a 5-hour private jeep safari in this decidous and teak forest that is one of the most beautiful reserves in India. The tiger population here has increased considerably in recent years and you can also hope to see sloth bears. In this sanctuary you can also hope to see sambar, nilgai, chital, gaur, Indian muntjac, four-horned antelope, chinkara, wild boar, black buck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer and Indian giant squirrel.  Leopards also live here but are rarely seen.
 
Birdlife is excellent with over 300 species that live in these lowlands, wetlands and mountains. During the winter months many build their nests and roost here, making this a particularly rewarding time to visit for birders. You can hope to see the Peacock, Grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Black shouldered kite, Treepie, Shikra and many more. The flora is also very interesting, consists of mainly deciduous forest with teak, tendu and mahua trees. You will also find bamboo, Indian gooseberries, bel fruits and many grasses and medicinal plants.
 
After the park gates close at 11.30 am, return to your lodge for lunch and some relaxation. Around 2.30 set out again for a 3-hour afternoon game drive. This park has the great advantage of having fewer jeeps  (around 15 per gate), allowing you ro enjoy less crowded tiger viewing,
 
Note: You will need to take a copy of your passport with you to enter the national park. In the winter months wear warm clothes, including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
 
This reserve is closed every Wednesday, as well as during the Holi & Diwali festivals and during the monsoon season (July to September).
Day 12
Enjoy a final early morning private jeep safari in Kanha National Park.
 
Afterwards transfer 4-hours to Jabalpur Airport for your flight to Delhi,  where you will be met and transferred to your hotel situated near the airport.
Day 13
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight home.
Day 14
This morning enjoy birding on foot in the Satpura Buffer Zone.
 
Afterwards transfer 3.5-hours to Bhopal Airport for your flight to Delhi, where you will be met and transferred to your airport hotel.
Days 15 To 16
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight home.