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Rhododendrons and red pandas

Through the Heart of India

The Deep South offers dramatic landscapes and world-class monuments. You’ll need at least three weeks to cover this route comfortably, or two at a rushed pace with your own transport.

1 Chennai

The old colonial hub of Fort St George is the standout sight of the Tamil capital, but there’s also a wealth of succulent southern cuisine on offer.

2 Mammalapuram

Sculpted by the Pallava kings, Mammalapuram holds a tempting combination of ancient stonework and breezy tropical beaches.

3 Puducherry

Soak up the lingering Gallic ambience of France’s former colony on the Coromandel coast, ideally from the confines of a heritage hotel.

4 Thanjavur

The mighty Brihadishwara temple and collection of Chola bronzes make Thanjavur the perfect springboard for the Kaveri Delta region.

5 Tiruchirapalli (Trichy)

Gaze from the summit of Trichy’s exotic rock fort across the Kaveri River to the largest temple complex in India.

6 Madurai

The shrine of the Fish-Eyed Goddess is Tamil Nadu’s greatest living monument, renowned for its multicoloured, deity-encrusted gateway towers.

7 Periyar

Scale the Western Ghat range to enter Kerala’s Cardamom Hills, where the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary offers the chance to sight elephants.

8 Alleppey

This former colonial trading port provides the entry point for trips into the surrounding backwater region of Kuttanad – a watery world like no other in Asia.

9 Fort Cochin

The heritage hotels, arty cafés and funky boutiques of Kerala’s historic harbour town are the ideal end point for a tour of India’s far south.

You’ll need at least a month to really do  justice to India’s dazzling desert state, Rajasthan, or three weeks at a pinch.

1 Jaipur

The Pink City, with its hectic streets and flamboyant Rajput architecture, is a real baptism of fire.

2 Ranthambore

If sighting a tiger is a priority, aim to spend at least a couple of nights at a camp near this world-famous reserve.

3 Pushkar

Ringed by the white domes and sacred ghats of Hindu shrines, Pushkar makes a perfect base for leisurely desert walks and souvenir hunts.

4 Udaipur

Dine by candlelight on a haveli rooftop for the ultimate view of the Sisodia Maharanas’ fairytale palaces.

5 Jodhpur

Rajasthan’s most spectacular medieval fortress, Meherangarh, towers above a warrenous old city painted a hundred shades of sky blue.

6 Jaisalmer

A long trip across the Thar is rewarded by the sublime vision of Jai Sigh’s yellow-stone citadel floating above the sandblast.

7 Bikaner

Quirky architecture and a temple where thousands of rats run free are two vestiges of this city’s former prominence on the trans-Thar caravan route.

8 Nawalgarh

After a succession of big cities, this small town on the fringes of the desert makes an enjoyable base for trips to nearby adobe villages.

No other region of India packs in as many awe-inspiring monuments as the so-called “Golden Triangle” connecting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Allow at least a week to complete the circuit, with a diversion south to the tiger reserve at Ranthambore if you’ve time to spare.

1 Delhi

Start out at Shah Jahan’s mighty Red Fort in the Mughal Old City, then work your way south through the medieval monuments of the southern suburbs.

2 Agra

Cross the Yamuna River by boat in the early morning for an unforgettable view of the Taj just after sunrise, then spend the rest of the day ticking off the city’s other Mughal splendours.

3 Fatehpur Sikri

Overnight at a guesthouse below the deserted capital of emperor Akbar to see its deep red sandstone architecture at its most ethereal, in the diffuse light of dusk and dawn.

4 Keoladeo National Park

Bicycle safaris along the dirt tracks and banks that crisscross this teeming bird reserve offer a perfect antidote to the noise and traffic of India’s northern cities.

5 Jaipur

Approach the ochre-walled palace of Amber Fort on elephant back, before spending a day in the textile and gemstone bazaars of the Rajasthani capital – a riot of quintessentially Indian colour.

6 Shekhawati

Set on the fringes of the Thar Desert, the painted havelis (walled mansions) in the market towns of this once rich area make the ideal stopover on the journey back to Delhi.

Experience the contrasting landscapes of the world’s greatest mountain range with this two- to three-week journey from the northern plains to the fringes of the Tibetan Plateau and idyllic Vale of Kashmir.

1 Shimla

Trundle on the toy train from Kalka through the foothills to this quintessentially Raj-era hill station.

2 Manali

Lush forests of deodar cedars, apple orchards and giant, ice-dusted summits flank the hill resort of Manali, in the Kullu Valley.

3 Leh

A breathless, two-day journey across a vast desert of scree and dizzying passes brings you to the capital of Ladakh, marooned in the high Indus Valley.

4 The Ladakhi lakes

Charter a jeep for the trip southeast to the hypnotically beautiful altitude lakes of Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.

5 Kargil

Fairytale Buddhist monasteries and stupendous mountain scenery characterize the long haul to the mid-point on the journey to Kashmir.

6 Srinagar

Laze on the deck of a houseboat sipping spiced tea while the shadows lengthen on the surrounding mountainsides.

Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, is the launch pad for this classic trip through the tea estates around Darjeeling to Sikkim, a beautiful, predominantly Buddhist region in the lap of the Himalayas. You could cover the route in a fortnight; with an additional week, consider a multistage trek into the high country further north.

1 Kolkata

Join the flood of commuters crossing the Howrah Bridge, admire the spectacular monuments of the British Empire and discover one of India’s tastiest regional cuisines.

2 Darjeeling

Amazing views of distant Kanchenjunga, a quaint Raj-era vibe and the famous Toy Train ride up from the plains account for the perennial appeal of India’s principal tea hub.

3 Rumtek

A quiet alternative to nearby Gangtok (the Sikkimese capital), Rumtek is also the site of a spectacular Buddhist monastery.

4 Maenam Sanctuary

Tackle the lung-stretching, 1000m ascent of Maenam mountain from Ravangla town for a tantalizing panoramic view of the snow peaks to the north.

5 Pemayangtse

The poster boy for northeast Himalayan monasteries, Pemayangtse offers the added bonus of spectacular vistas of Kanchenjunga.

6 Varshey Rhododendron Sanctuary

Travellers with a botanical bent shouldn’t miss the chance to trek through this tract of pristine rhododendron forest, home to red pandas and black bears.

Despite its extraordinary wealth of historic monuments, the Deccan region of central India sees comparatively few visitors, but the rewards for those who do make it are considerable. Allow at least three weeks for this unforgettable trip.

1 Hyderabad

The convoluted ruins of medieval Golconda followed by a climb of the Charminar mosque and a slap-up Hyderabadi feast are the perfect preamble for what lies ahead.

2 Bidar

Resembling a town on the central Asia Silk Route, Bidar’s rambling fort-palace, madrasa, tombs and metal workshops recall this region’s medieval Persian roots.

3 Bijapur

For three centuries, Bijapur served as the capital of the Deccan and an unparalleled crop of monuments survive from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

4 Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal

The Deccan’s ancient Hindu heyday is represented by this trio of wonderful sites – a feast of enigmatic rock-cut caves, monkey-infested temples and tumbledown forts.

5 Hampi

Rent a bicycle to explore the beautifully carved remains of medieval India’s most splendid city, set amid a dreamy landscape of banana groves and boulder hills.

6 Gokarna

This compact pilgrimage town on the Konkan coast holds plenty of traditional atmosphere, and a crop of gorgeous beaches around the headland to the south.