Arrive in Rajkot and proceed on a drive to Gir National Park, 160 km approximately. On the way, stop at Gondal to visit the Naulakha Palace, an architectural marvel with a museum exhibiting textiles, brassware, royal wardrobes and more. Lunch will be at Orchard Palace, the heritage family residence built to host the personal guests of the royal family. Continue your drive to Gir.

Morning and afternoon safaris with expert naturalists exploring the forests of Gir National Park seeking the Asiatic lions and other wildlife.

Morning safari inside Gir National Park, after lunch spend the afternoon visiting the Maldhari and Siddhi tribal villages to learn more about their way of life.

Drive for 6 hours to Velavadar, for 250 km approximately. Arrive and check-in to your hotel. Relax or enjoy a nature walk with the resident naturalist.

Morning and afternoon safaris inside the spectacular grasslands of the Blackbuck sanctuary to spot wolves, hyenas, blackbuck, bluebulls and many incredible bird of prey.

After breakfast, a 5 hour drive from Velavadar to the vast saltpans of the Little Rann of Kutch.

Morning and afternoon safari inside the Wild Ass Sanctuary. A fantastic habitat of flat saltpans, scrub forest and grasslands, look out for the unique wildlife that live in these harsh conditions.

After a morning safari in search of waterbirds inside LRK, drive into Rajasthan to the hill station of Mt. Abu. A 4 hour drive through transitional habitats with the increase in altitude.

After breakfast visit the Dilwara temple, an exquisite 11th century Jain temple made entirely out of marble. After lunch, opt for the fantastic nature trail assisted by the lodge naturalist.

Start the morning birdwatching in the nearby forest patch with chances of spotting leopards, sloth bears and barking deer. After breakfast, drive for 2 hrs to the Jawai Conservation Reserve. Spend the afternoon on a safari in the nearby landscape in search of leopards and other wildlife.

Morning drive inside the reserve, a habitat of ancient rocky hillocks from the pre-Cambrian period surrounded by two ancient mountain ranges, The Aravallis and Kumbalgarh. Spend the afternoon cycling or walking to a Rabari village and learn about how this shepherd community live in such close quarters with leopards.

After a morning drive to the Jawai dam, depart for Shahpura Bagh. A 5 hour drive along the Aravalis. Arrive at Shahpura, a veritable water world with over 250 lakes, most of them man-made with legendary lore that you will learn about at Shahpura Bagh, the palatial homestay by the lakeside.

After a morning session of birdwatching among the many lakes of Shahpura, we prepare to depart for our final destination – Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. A 4 hour drive through fascinating ancient landscapes dotted with humongous boulders. Spend the rest of the day familiarising yourself with the property and naturalists.

Early morning and afternoon safaris inside the tiger reserve in search of the holy grail of Indian wildlife – The Bengal Tiger. Over the last two decades, as a result of strict preservation, the tigers here have become habituated and are totally unperturbed by human presence. Due to this reason the park is one of the best places to photograph the big cats. Owing to their extroverted behaviour and the nature of the habitat here, one can see a lot of interesting behaviour that is generally difficult to see in other reserves. Ranthambore has rich traditions and culture, certain NGO’s and foundations have set up centres training local women and men to create interesting handicrafts using traditional methods such as block printing, stitching and painting. This is a community initiative where the money goes directly to these skilled artisans, many of whom come from extremely underprivileged backgrounds. In between safari’s we will visit some of these centres.

Depart from Ranthambore to Jaipur, 4 hours’ drive for your onward journey.