Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
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Eight nights for couples, at the most romantic addresses in north India: The Oberoi Amarvilas facing the Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal Lucknow for Awadhi dinners, then BrijRama Palace on the Ganges and Taj Nadesar Palace in its gardens. Slow mornings, private boats and moonlit terraces.
This journey is built for two. It starts with the Taj Mahal, seen from your balcony at The Oberoi Amarvilas and at sunrise from inside the gardens, continues along the expressway to Lucknow for its courtly food and architecture, and ends with four nights in Varanasi, two on the river at BrijRama Palace and two in the gardens of Taj Nadesar Palace.
The pace is gentle: one main outing a day, long lunches and time in the hotels. Private boats on the Ganges at dawn and dusk, a candlelit dinner on a palace terrace and a spa afternoon are built in. If your dates fall near a full moon, we can add the night viewing of the Taj, which is limited to five nights a month and closed on Fridays.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Delhi airport for the drive to Agra on the Yamuna Expressway. Check in at The Oberoi Amarvilas, where your room looks across the gardens to the Taj Mahal. Spend the afternoon by the pool and watch the dome change colour from your balcony at sunset. Dinner at the hotel's Indian restaurant.
A short buggy ride takes you to the east gate as it opens before sunrise. Walk with your guide through the gardens and onto the marble platform as the light turns from grey to pink to white. Breakfast back at the hotel and a slow morning. In the late afternoon, cross the river to Mehtab Bagh for sunset over the Taj from the Mughal garden opposite, often with almost nobody else around.
After breakfast, drive east on the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, about 5 hours with a break. Check in at Taj Mahal Lucknow in Gomti Nagar. In the early evening, your food guide takes you into Aminabad and Chowk for galouti kebabs, a little biryani and kulfi in a clay cup, at a gentle pace with small portions.
Morning at the Bara Imambara, with its vaulted hall and the rooftop maze of the Bhool Bhulaiya, then the Rumi Darwaza and the Chota Imambara with its chandeliers. After lunch, visit a chikankari workshop to watch the embroidery and choose a piece. In the evening, a private Awadhi dinner with a family cook, or a quiet dinner at the hotel.
Drive south-east to Varanasi, or take a morning train if you prefer, arriving in the afternoon. A private boat carries you along the ghats to BrijRama Palace on Darbhanga Ghat. At dusk, a short walk brings you to Dashashwamedh for the Ganga aarti, then dinner on the palace terrace above the river.
Step down from the palace before sunrise into a rowing boat, with tea in a flask, and drift along the ghats as the city comes to the river. Land near the old city and walk the lanes with your guide to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, with breakfast of kachori and jalebi. Afternoon at leisure. At dusk, a private boat for the aarti, and a floating lamp of marigolds for the river.
After breakfast, move to Taj Nadesar Palace, a former royal guest house in quiet gardens. In the late morning, visit a family of Banarasi silk weavers at their handlooms and, if you wish, choose a sari or stole at a trusted showroom. Spend the afternoon in the palace gardens or the spa, with a private dinner laid in the gardens in the evening.
A slow morning. In the afternoon, drive to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, for the Dhamek Stupa and the calm of the deer park, and stay for the evening chanting at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara. The museum is closed on Fridays. Return to the palace for a final dinner.
Breakfast in the palace gardens, then transfer to Varanasi airport for your onward flight. In December and January we prefer midday departures, as fog can delay early flights.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
The closest luxury hotel to the Taj Mahal, about 600 m from the east gate, with views of the monument from every room. Its Mughal-style terraces, …
Lucknow's leading luxury hotel, in Gomti Nagar near the river, with spacious rooms, a pool and a kitchen known for Awadhi cooking. It is a calm …
A restored early 19th-century palace on Darbhanga Ghat, directly above the Ganges, a short walk from the evening aarti at Dashashwamedh. It is the best place …
A small former royal guest house of the maharajas of Benares, set in large gardens in the Varanasi cantonment. With only a handful of suites, it …
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Questions travellers ask
Yes, for couples who value beauty, history and atmosphere over beaches. Waking to a Taj view at The Oberoi Amarvilas, a private boat on the Ganges at dawn and dinner on a palace terrace above the river make this one of India's most memorable journeys for two.
Every room faces the Taj Mahal, but premier rooms and suites on higher floors give fuller views, and balcony rooms let you watch sunrise and sunset in private. For a honeymoon, we usually recommend a premier room with balcony or a suite.
Yes, if your dates fall on the full-moon night or two nights either side, except Fridays and during Ramadan. Groups of about 50 enter for 30 minutes and view from the sandstone platform. Tickets are limited and sold a day ahead. Check current status before you travel.
In its own way. It is intense and spiritual rather than conventionally romantic, but a private boat at dawn, the lamps of the aarti and a palace on the river are deeply memorable. Two nights at Taj Nadesar Palace balance the energy of the ghats with quiet gardens.
Yes. Goa and Kerala both connect by air from Delhi, and Varanasi has flights to several cities. A popular combination is this journey followed by four or five nights on a Goa beach or the Kerala backwaters. We plan the connections.
October to March. November and February are ideal, with clear skies and comfortable days. December and January are cold and foggy at dawn, but atmospheric. April onwards is hot, and July to September is monsoon. February is our favourite month for couples, with clear skies and warm afternoons.
Yes. Several express trains take about 5 to 6 hours in air-conditioned classes, and some couples enjoy the change from the car. In December and January fog can delay trains, so we may suggest the car instead. We arrange porters at both stations.
We let each hotel know you are on honeymoon and include a private garden dinner at Taj Nadesar Palace. Other touches, such as flowers, a cake or a spa treatment for two, can be added on request. We never charge for surprises that hotels offer themselves.
Yes. It covers the Taj Mahal, Lucknow and Varanasi with private cars, guides and the best hotels, so the logistics are handled for you. The pace is gentle, with time to rest. Varanasi can be intense, and your guide helps you navigate it.
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