Luxury Yoga & Spiritual Journey Through North India

A private yoga and meditation session at the hotel opens the day. Then the contrasting faces of Delhi — the early-MughalMughalRelating to the Muslim dynasty of Central Asian descent that ruled most of the subcontinent from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century.Read in the glossary grandeur of Humayun's Tomb, India Gate and the government district, and the vivid life of Old Delhi around Jama Masjid. Later, Raj GhatGhatA flight of steps leading down to a river or tank, used for bathing, worship and cremation.Read in the glossary, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, and his philosophy of non-violence, with an optional Hindu temple to observe the daily rituals of Indian life.

Drive to Jaipur, the elegant Pink City, and settle into Rambagh Palace. A gentle orientation walk through the old city's markets and pink architecture, and at dusk the white-marble Birla Mandir, where the evening AartiAartiA Hindu act of worship in which lamps of flame are circled before a deity or a sacred river, accompanied by bells, conch and chant.Read in the glossary — lamps, incense, music and prayer — offers a first meaningful introduction to Hindu devotional tradition.

A private yoga and pranayama session, then the magnificent Amber Fort in the Aravalli hills, the City Palace of Jaipur's royal family, and Jantar Mantar, the extraordinary royal observatory where astronomy, mathematics and traditional thought meet. The afternoon is free for an AyurvedicAyurvedaA traditional Indian system of medicine that treats health as a balance between three bodily humours, or doshas.Read in the glossary treatment, and a private Rajasthani dinner with music in the evening.

A private yoga and meditation session, then the drive to Agra, pausing at Fatehpur Sikri — Akbar's remarkable abandoned capital, with the SufiSufiRelating to Sufism, the mystical tradition within Islam that seeks direct experience of God, often through music, poetry and devotion to a saint.Read in the glossary shrine of Sheikh Salim Chishti. In the late afternoon, the Taj Mahal itself, introduced not only for its architecture but for the ideas of love, devotion and remembrance it embodies, with sunset views before returning to Oberoi Amarvilas.

An optional sunrise visit to the Taj at its most peaceful, then a transfer to Delhi and a flight to Dehradun, continuing by road to Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganges. Here the royal cities give way to India's ancient traditions of yoga and meditation. Check into Ananda in the Himalayas and rest by the river.

A private Hatha yoga, pranayama and meditation session overlooking the Ganges, tailored to the group. Then the spiritual heart of Rishikesh — ashramsAshramA residential community organised around spiritual practice and a teacher, ranging from an austere hermitage to a large institution.Read in the glossary, temples and riverside ghats, and the city's long association with yoga. A private Ayurvedic experience in the afternoon, and in the evening the spectacular Ganga Aarti, hundreds of lamps offered to the river in music and prayer.

Sunrise yoga, pranayama and guided meditation, then a private introduction to the philosophy of yoga — how the practices relate to balance, mindfulness and everyday life. The afternoon is free for wellness treatments, meditation or an Ayurvedic consultation, with an optional gentle walk along the Ganges into the Himalayan foothills, and the peace of the river again at evening.

After morning yoga, visit the famous Beatles Ashram, where the band stayed in 1968 studying Transcendental Meditation — now an atmospheric, forest-wrapped site of meditation cells, murals and quiet ruins. A private exploration of Rishikesh's temples, suspension bridges and riverside follows, the afternoon free for yoga, Ayurveda or time by the Ganges, and a special farewell dinner.

Morning yoga and meditation, then the drive from the Ganges towards the Himalayan foothills to Chandigarh. Explore the extraordinary Rock Garden, a vast sculpture landscape built from recycled materials, and the city's planned gardens and modernist architecture — the vision of Le Corbusier, a striking contrast to the ancient cities and spiritual centres of the journey so far.

Morning yoga, then the drive up through Punjab and Himachal Pradesh into the Himalayan foothills — pine forests, mountain valleys and distant peaks — to McLeod Ganj, the centre of the Tibetan community in India and the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Settle into The Oberoi Dharamsala, and an evening introduction to Tibetan Buddhism and the story of the community in exile.

Morning yoga and meditation in the Himalayan landscape, then the Tsuglagkhang Complex — the principal Buddhist temple, its prayer wheels and monastery — and Namgyal Monastery, one of the most important Tibetan monasteries outside Tibet, where, subject to availability, a conversation with a Buddhist monk can be arranged. The afternoon is free among McLeod Ganj's Tibetan markets and cafés.

A slow, contemplative day — sunrise meditation and yoga, then a gentle guided walk through pine forests and traditional villages, adapted to the group. Lunch at the hotel and an afternoon for wellness: private meditation, massage, a Tibetan healing experience, or simply the peace of the mountains, closing with sunset over the Himalayan foothills and a chance to reflect on the journey.

Morning yoga, then the drive down through the fertile Punjab countryside to Amritsar and Taj Swarna. In the late afternoon, the Golden Temple, the spiritual heart of Sikhism — the temple complex and the sacred Amrit Sarovar, luminous as the building is lit at dusk. A visit to the Langar, the community kitchen that serves free meals to thousands daily regardless of faith or background, is a powerful expression of equality, humility and selfless service.

Rise early for a final, serene visit to the Golden Temple at dawn, pilgrims quietly circling the sacred pool as prayers are recited within. Return for breakfast, then Jallianwala Bagh, the memorial to India's independence struggle, before a private transfer to Amritsar airport for your onward journey — the sacred, the royal and the Himalayan carried home with you.