Signature Series: India Exclusive Foodie Tour with Matt Preston & Gary Mehigan, Luxury Oberoi Stays + Singapore Airlines Flights

After breakfast, meet with your fellow travellers in the hotel lobby for a day of exploration, moving from pavement to palace in search of Delhi’s most delicious eats.

Start the morning with a visit to the magnificent Jama Masjid, a cherished oasis of calm in the heart of raucous Old Delhi. When the mosque’s construction was ordered by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the mid-17th century, the city was already named Shahjahanabad in his honour. The ‘Friday Mosque,’ constructed out of red sandstone and marble, was the last of his architectural triumphs.

Later, hop on an e-rickshaw and explore some of Delhi’s oldest streets in Chandni Chowk, an ancient market district that’s been trading since Shah Jahan’s time. Take a brief stop at Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest spice market, and take in every extraordinary sight and smell, from massive sacks of herbs and spices to gleaming bronze pots filled with lentils and giant glass jars stuffed with chutneys, pickles and tea.

Signature Experience: Old Delhi Foodie Walking Tour

Old Delhi’s always had a serious reputation for good food and today you’ll discover the local flavours that make it great. Your walking tour introduces you to many of Delhi’s most famous street foods. Expect to graze your way through nankhatai (Indian shortbread biscuits), daulat ki chaat, aloo subzi, kuremal’s kulfi (Indian Ice-cream), Jain fresh fruit sandwiches and plenty of parantha, Punjabi flatbread stuffed with everything from fragrant mashed potato and herbs to flavour-packed paneer cheese and lamb.

Your tour finishes with lunch at Dharampura Haveli, a one-of-a-kind haveli – or traditional Indian mansion popularised during the time of the Mughals – recognised by UNESCO for its tremendous historical worth. Dining here is like stepping back in time – everything from the intricate interiors to the spectacular central courtyard looks as if it’s been transported from a time long ago. Surrounded by the haveli’s exquisitely furnished interiors, savour a specially curated chef’s tasting menu inspired by Chandni Chowk’s long and passionate romance with exceptional street food.

After lunch, it’s back to Old Delhi’s action-packed streets for a visit to the Raj Ghat, a memorial complex built in memory of Mahatma Gandhi. After your explorations, enjoy a few hours of leisure back at your hotel.

Signature Experience: Dinner at Bukhara

Tonight, you’ll be joined by Matt and Gary for a once-in-a-lifetime group welcome event, celebrating your extraordinary India adventure during a group dinner at Bukhara. Considered one the best restaurants in India – and nabbing a spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants longlist for 2023 (at #52) – Bukhara has consistently dazzled throughout its illustrious 45-year history. A veritable temple to tandoor cuisine, Bukhara specialises in regional favourites from the country’s northwest, kissed by smoke and fire in the restaurant’s massive tandoor ovens. Expect skewered naan bread bigger than your head, dal topped with rich slabs of butter and the world’s best Indian kebabs. While the theatrics of Bukhara’s kitchen are doubtlessly an important part of the experience, take one bite and you’ll realise it’s the real deal. The best part? It’s all as authentic as it comes – this was once the cuisine of sultans and kings.

Please note: Day 2 and Day 3 itineraries may be swapped. Travellers who follow the Day 3 itinerary on Day 2 will follow the Day 2 itinerary on Day 3, but all will dine at Bukhara on Day 2

After breakfast at the hotel, meet in the lobby for a day exploring New Delhi’s best.

Separating into groups, you and your fellow travellers will set out on each of the following guided experiences in a rotating order:

• Spirit of New Delhi Tour: Witness some of the city’s most iconic sights by coach bus – including India Gate, Parliament House and President’s House – before arriving at one of Delhi’s most enduring architectural marvels, the Qutab Minar. Raised by sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak in the late 12th century to commemorate his victory over the Hindu Tomar Rajput dynasty, the minaret soars high above Delhi’s oldest walled city, Lal Kot, and today stands as a wonderful example of medieval Persian design. Spend some time walking the grounds surrounding the ruins and marvel at the site’s extraordinary history.
• Cooking Class at Saffron Palate: Learn to cook like a local. Saffron Palate’s emphasis on traditional, home-cooked Indian cookery has led it to become a long-time favourite for travellers seeking a greater understanding of the country’s cuisine. Held in the chef’s family home, today’s 90-minute hands-on demonstration is a casual and approachable introduction to a few of India’s favourite plates that you can easily replicate at home. Menus vary by season, but commonly include butter chicken, tikka masala and biryani.
• Lunch at Cafe Lota: Head to Delhi’s historic National Crafts Museum for lunch at one of the city’s true hidden gems, Cafe Lota. The restaurant’s menu celebrates a sheer diversity in India’s culinary heritage, from Himachal Pradesh’s lesser-known micro-cuisines in the snow-capped far north to yoghurt and cashew-based curries from palace-peppered Rajasthan. A special lunch menu, exclusively curated for this Signature Series, means that you’ll be in the perfect position to taste your way across the subcontinent.
• Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple: Visit New Delhi’s magnificent Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, one of the country’s most famed Sikh gurdwaras (houses of worship), known for hosting a langar, or community kitchen, that freely feeds up to 40,000 pilgrims a day. Built of white marble and topped with gleaming golden domes, it’s an extraordinary sight. Within, watch in wonder as thousands of Sikh cooks work tirelessly to prepare and serve the meals.

Signature Experience: Dinner at INJA or Indian Accent

INJA: Since opening in 2023, INJA has quickly risen to become one of Delhi’s hottest new restaurants. Equal parts ‘irasshaimase’ and ‘namaste,’ INJA seamlessly blends Japanese technique with Indian tradition to craft plates supercharged by reinvention. Dancing around your expectations, menu highlights include shrimp tempura served with fermented mango achar pickles, katsu sandos slathered in vindaloo curry sauce and maki sushi rolls stuffed with fried gobi cauliflower and crispy curry leaves. Precise, audacious, subtle and sensational, if you dine here tonight, it’s guaranteed to rock your world.

Indian Accent: Despite holding a legendary reputation as one of the country’s best fine dining restaurants – bolstered by a constant presence on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list and an incredible three years as India’s #1 Restaurant from the Condé Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards – Indian Accent nevertheless startles new diners with its commitment to sheer excellence. Subtle flavours, sumptuous ingredients and an impeccable sense of timing promise an unforgettable evening at one of Delhi’s best.

Matt Preston or Gary Mehigan will be heading the dinner table at each restaurant, each eager to reveal why these are some of their favourite spots in the city. Travellers will be split into two groups and dine at only one of the two selections.

Please note: Day 2 and Day 3 itineraries may be swapped. Travellers who follow the Day 2 itinerary on Day 3 will follow the Day 3 itinerary on Day 2.

After a lavish breakfast, meet your fellow travellers in the hotel lobby for your journey south to Agra – approximately 4 hours southeast by coach bus.

Welcome to Agra! Nowhere is the legacy of the Mughal Empire more visible than here. Let Agra’s magic whisk you away to an era of princes and palaces, sultans and servants. Though the royal court was shifted to Delhi in 1658, the city’s echoing glory is still admired today.

Signature Accommodation: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra

Sitting just moments from the unmistakeable ivory-white dome and freestanding minarets of the Taj Mahal, every room at The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra offers uninterrupted views over one of the most iconic sights in the world. Truly more palace than hotel, every element of The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra’s design pays loving homage to the splendorous courts of the Mughal dynasty that once called the city home.

Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. It’s worth noting that your accommodation is also home to the only bar in the world that offers sweeping views over the Taj Mahal – if you’re feeling a little weary from travel, head up to sip signature Oberoi iced teas and specialty coffees, or enjoy hours by the hotel’s oasis-like central pool, set beneath striking Moorish archways.

Alternatively – and at no additional charge – enjoy a sunset tour of Itmad-ud-Daulah, the first Mughal tomb to be built entirely out of marble and known locally as ‘The Baby Taj’, and then head to the Taj Mahal viewpoint to admire the dramatic setting of the sun. Afterward, join your group for a wonderful evening meal hosted by The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra.

Signature Experience: Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

Awaken before dawn and set out to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Widely considered the world’s greatest monument to romantic love, this extraordinary tomb was built by Shah Jahan as a testament to his love for his favourite queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Constructed entirely out of white marble, it took 20,000 craftsmen twelve years to complete. Today it’s considered the single greatest achievement across the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture. Watch in awe as the sun rises above the horizon, draping the Taj Mahal in a thousand shades of pink, orange and gold.

Return to The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra at approximately 9am for breakfast, departing at approximately 11am for the journey westward to Jaipur (approximately 4 hours), with bathroom and lunch stops along the way.

The capital of a desert state, Rajasthan, Jaipur is often called the ‘Pink City’ due to its countless rose-coloured buildings. It’s the result of Maharaja Ram Singh ordering most of the buildings painted pink – long considered the colour of hospitality in India – to honour the arrival of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1876. (He was pleased!) Today Jaipur is famous for its sprawling bazaars – considered some of the finest in the country – and extraordinary Rajasthani architecture.

Signature Accommodation: The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur

Here, in the heart of the Pink City, the legendary spirit of Rajasthani hospitality lives on. Spread over more than a hundred thousand square metres of meticulous gardens, torch-lit walkways and reflective pools – with a centuries-old, restored temple to Shiva at its centre – The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur offers a true taste of Maharaja majesty. Distinguished guests have ranged from US presidents to Hollywood royalty, each spellbound by the hotel’s unassailable reputation as one of the finest luxury resorts in the world.

The afternoon and evening is at your leisure. Slow things down and take a long walk through the hotel’s gardens or make an appointment at the exceptional Oberoi Spa. Dinner tonight is at your own expense, and both of the onsite restaurants are highly recommended. Head to Surya Mahal for al fresco courtyard dining beneath the moon, featuring a menu of Mediterranean and Asian favourites. Alternatively, seek out the hotel’s grand dining hall for a meal at Raj Mahal, specialising in cuisine plucked from the Rajasthan’s old royal courts. A suppertime sip at the Rajwada Library Bar – whose creed, taken from author Robert Louis Stephenson, is ‘wine is poetry’ – is the perfect way to round out the evening.

After breakfast, meet in the lobby for a day exploring Jaipur city, ancient and modern.

Separating into groups, you and your fellow travellers will set out on each of the following guided experiences, one by one:

• Soul of Jaipur Walking Food Tour: Enjoy a walk through Jaipur’s old city, beginning with a visit to a local vegetable, fruits and flowers market. You’ll have a chance to sample some of the city’s most revered eateries, including the original Lassiwala – serving clay mugs brimming with lassi, a yoghurt drink now beloved across India – and taste kota kachori, or sweet and spicy deep-fried snacks. Allow the morning to organically diverge into a street food tour, with frequent stops for jalebi, traditional slow-cooked carrot halwa (a popular North Indian dessert), bright paneer and street-poured chai.
• Lunch at Dera Mandawa: Dera Mandawa, a heritage hotel originally built to house royal emissaries when they came to attend court in Jaipur, offers the perfect place to stop for lunch. Peek behind the curtain as you join a hands-on cooking class, learning about authentic family recipes with ingredients and techniques that are growing rarer in modern-day Rajasthan. Learn about traditional Indian masalas (spice blends), bake bati buried beneath the earth and try a local delicacy – jungli maans, a centuries-old mutton curry developed for stranded hunters.
• High Tea at Dzurt Patisserie: Savour a decadent French patisserie high tea at Dzurt Patisserie and Cafe, with macarons and petit fours aplenty.
• Patrika Gate Photo Stop: Stop for a photo opportunity at the iconic Patrika Gate, built in modern times to honour the seven original gates that led to the walled city of Jaipur.

Return to the hotel for time at leisure before dinner this evening.

Signature Experience: Dinner at Samode Haveli

An oasis of quiet in the heart of bustling Jaipur, Samode Haveli is a traditional Indian mansion arranged around a series of intimate, garden-filled courtyards. Originally built centuries ago as a residence of the rulers of Samode – once a small town on the outskirts of Jaipur – it is still occupied by their descendants, who have converted their one-time palace into a boutique luxury hotel. Traditional Rajasthani plates given a fine-dining spin star in this meal. Accompanied by Matt or Gary, it’s an experience that will take you back to Jaipur as it once was.

Please note: Day 6 and Day 7 itineraries may be swapped, but all travellers will dine at Samode Haveli on Day 6.

This morning, optionally wake up bright and early for Aarti – the traditional Hindu ritual of offering prayers by fire. This ceremony is held daily at The Oberoi’s 18th-century temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Nestled upon a small island and surrounded by a tranquil lily pond, the temple is an oasis of calm. Ceremony starts at approximately 7.30am.

Enjoy a lavish breakfast at the hotel before another day of wonder and discovery, starting with a tour of Jaipur’s mesmerising Amber Fort, perched on a small hill just outside city limits. Comprising of an extensive palace complex built almost entirely out of red sandstone and marble, the fortress stands as a spectacular example of combined Mughal and Rajput architectural genius and offers wonderful views over Maota Lake’s glasslike waters.

Continue to Jal Mahal, the Floating Palace, for a more traditional insight into Rajput design. Set amidst a sprawling garden estate, the palace holds a priviliged position at the centre of Man Sagar Lake, its foundations dipping deep beneath the surface. When admired from land, its symmetry is startlingly beautiful.

Signature Experience: Lunch at The Johri

Tucked away in the heart of Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar (Jeweller’s Market) – surrounded by stone-setters, carvers, textile houses and master craftsman – The Johri offers an ideal place to stop, sit and savour the moment. Lunch is a delicate affair, with a seasonally focused menu of organic vegetarian dishes ranging from watermelon salads topped with tandoori-spiced fruits and fresh mint to decadent pan-fried potato croquettes served with lashings of parmesan cream. Be sure to sample the restaurant’s extraordinary cocktail menu – for the perfect midday aperitif, go for the Nazariya, a negroni riff spruced up with a splash of watermelon. You’ll be dining with Matt and Gary.

After lunch, stop for a quick photo at Hawa Mahal, called The Palace of Winds, built to allow ladies of the royal court to observe processions without being seen by the public.

Your final sightseeing stop for the day is at the extraordinary Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory built at the turn of the 18th century. It’s a shining testament to the astronomical knowledge of the Mughal prince Jai Singh II. The observatory was used to accurately calculate the time of day – in effect, it is the world’s largest sundial.

On your return from the observatory, enjoy a few hours at leisure in your hotel before dinner.

Signature Experience: Dinner at the Raj Palace

Tonight, join Matt and Gary and the rest of your tour companions for one final farewell dinner together, celebrating with a royal thali at the historic Raj Palace. Set in the Swapna Mahal, a grand dining room originally built to imitate the grand houses of the French and English nobility, you’ll be served the Maharani Thali (queen’s platter), consisting of authentic royal cuisine from across all of India. Traditionally consisting of various small dishes designed by the empire’s best Ayurveda-trained chef-doctors, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate your odyssey through India’s Golden Triangle.

Please note: Day 6 and Day 7 itineraries may be swapped, but all travellers will dine at Raj Palace on Day 7.

Rise early and enjoy breakfast in Jaipur before your return to Delhi (approximately 4 hours).

The rest of the day is at leisure. Each of the onsite restaurants at Trident, Gurgaon are top-notch – head to Konomi for ultra-fresh sushi flown in directly from Japan, Saffron for a spice-filled gastronomic adventure through India’s rich hinterland or Cilantro for a relaxed meal with dishes from across the world. A visit to the hotel’s al fresco cocktail bar, Lyrah, promises high-concept mixology supported by indigenous and local ingredients.

Alternatively, we recommend making a reservation at one of three acclaimed restaurants (additional cost):

• Indian Accent, featuring authentic Indian flavours elevated with modern techniques and ingredients
• INJA, one of Delhi’s hottest and most innovative new restaurants, fearlessly blending Japanese and Indian cuisine
• LOYA, for another taste of North India’s spectacular, fire-kissed cuisine, served with all the drama and gusto it deserves

Bid goodbye to your fellow travellers as your once-in-a-lifetime Indian culinary journey comes to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Delhi International Airport (DEL) for your flight home.