India, Sri Lanka & Maldives: The Grand Indian Ocean Arc

Your flight arrives in Delhi, where our representative meets you in Arrivals and transfers you privately to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to rest and adjust after the flight. This evening, an unhurried welcome dinner where Sophie's India colleague talks you through the days ahead.

A full but gently paced day in the capital. Old Delhi's Jama Masjid and a cycle-rickshaw ride through the Chandni Chowk bazaar in the morning; the calm of Humayun's Tomb and a drive past the colonial avenues of New Delhi in the afternoon, with the India Gate and the Presidential Palace.

A morning drive on the Yamuna Expressway to Agra (about 3.5 hours). After lunch and check-in, your first sight of the Taj Mahal in the soft light of late afternoon — the marble shifting from white to honey to rose as the sun lowers. Your guide explains the love story and the astonishing craftsmanship behind it.

An early return to the Taj Mahal for sunrise, when the crowds are thin and the marble glows. After breakfast, the great red-sandstone Agra Fort, then the drive to Jaipur via the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri — the perfectly preserved Mughal capital abandoned after just fourteen years. Arrive in Jaipur in the early evening.

The hilltop Amber Fort in the morning, with its mirror palace and elephant-gate courtyards. In the afternoon, the Pink City itself: the City Palace, the astronomical instruments of the Jantar Mantar, and the honeycomb facade of the Hawa Mahal. Time in the bazaars for block-printed textiles and gemstones.

A morning drive back to Delhi airport and a flight south to Colombo (via a short connection). Our Sri Lanka representative meets you on arrival and transfers you to your Colombo hotel. The evening is free to rest after the travel day.

A scenic drive north into Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle, stopping at the cave temples of Dambulla — five caves of golden Buddhas and ceiling frescoes dating back two millennia. Continue to your resort near Sigiriya, set among paddy fields and jungle.

An early climb of Sigiriya — the fifth-century "Lion Rock" fortress, with its frescoes of celestial maidens and water gardens, before the heat of the day. In the afternoon, a jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park, where wild elephants gather in herds of dozens around the receding reservoir — one of Asia's great wildlife spectacles.

A drive south to Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, stopping at a spice garden and the cave-painted monasteries en route. In Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic — Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine — and an evening of traditional Kandyan dancing and drumming.

A gentler day. The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, with their avenue of giant bamboo and orchid house, in the morning. A walk around Kandy Lake and time in the town's markets in the afternoon. The hotel's riverside setting invites an early evening at rest.

A long but beautiful drive down out of the hills to the south coast and the walled town of Galle. After checking in, a stroll along the seventeenth-century Dutch ramparts as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean — the lighthouse, the old churches and the cobbled lanes of the fort glowing in the evening light.

A free morning to explore Galle Fort's galleries, jewellers and cafés at your own pace, or simply enjoy the hotel. An optional afternoon visit to a sea-turtle hatchery or a tea estate can be arranged. A gentle day before the journey to the Maldives.

A morning transfer to Colombo airport and a short flight to Malé. On arrival, a scenic speedboat transfer across the lagoon to your island resort. The rest of the day is yours — the first toes in the warm shallows, the first swim, the first sunset from the beach.

A full free day on the island. Snorkel the house reef, swim, read in the shade of a palm, or take an optional sunset dolphin cruise. The pace is entirely your own.

Another unstructured day in the lagoon. Optional diving, a spa treatment over the water, or simply the rhythm of swim, shade and sea. Half-board dining each evening.

Your fourth day in the Maldives. An optional excursion to a sandbank picnic or a neighbouring local island can be arranged, or continue to do gloriously little.

A final full day in the lagoon to make the most of the island before the journey home. Sunset from the beach for the last time.

A speedboat back to Malé in good time for your onward flight, with the help of our airport representative. The end of a journey across three of the Indian Ocean's greatest destinations.