3 Asian Cats Safaris – Gujarat to Aravellis Mountains

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi

Arrival in Delhi. Meet at the airport and transfer to the hotel by air-conditioned coach.

Reception at the hotel.

Depending on your arrival time, possible visits in Delhi.

Walk in the old market, visit the great Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest mosque in India, facing the Red Fort or visit the tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun or the Qutab Minar, the tower of victory. Return to the hotel and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Delhi – Ranthambhore (by train)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. In the morning: travel to Delhi station to take the train to Ranthambore: 350 km (about 5h30).

Day 3: Ranthambhore

Ranthambore National Park is a vast nature reserve located near the town of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. The park is also home to the imposing 10th century hilltop fort of Ranthambore, the Ganesh Mandir temple and the Padam Talao Lake, known for its abundance of water lilies.

Formerly a royal hunting ground, tigers, leopards and swamp crocodiles abound.

Safari in 4×4 for this day.

Overnight in Ranthambore.

Day 4: Ranthambhore – Udaipur (about 7 hrs drive)

En route to Udaipur; 400km / 7h

Late afternoon discovery of Udaipur, a picturesque and romantic city surrounded by five lakes.

Udaipur was founded by Prince Udai Singh in 1537 and ruled by the royal family until 1947. One of the most beautiful cities of Rajasthan, situated on a hill to the east of an artificial lake (Lake Pichola) and also surrounded by the lakes Fateh Sagar and Swaroop Sagar, Udaipur is a veritable oasis of greenery in the midst of the arid lands of Rajasthan, with its marble palaces, gardens and tranquil lakes. The Lake Palace, a good example of Udaipur’s cultural tradition, was built on Jagmandir Island in Lake Pichola. Its construction was initiated by Karan Singh and continued by Jagat Singh in the 17th century. It is a city proud of its heritage as a center of arts.

Day 5: Udaipur – Bera (about 150 km / max 3h30)

In the morning: Continuation of the visits of Udaipur, the City Palace, built in 1710, located on the banks of Lake Pichola with its beautiful courtyards and magnificent rooms like the “Dilkush Mahal”, “Karan Mahal” and “Moti Mahal” built in white marble.

In the afternoon: departure for Bera by surface road, about 150 km / 3 h 30.

Night in Bera.

Day 6: Bera

Bera is a small town in the Pali district with a considerable number of leopards but very few tourists, although it is gaining popularity recently.

A picturesque safari among the Aravalli hills dotted with scrub vegetation: cactus and keekars which constitute with its caves a perfect habitat for leopards.

Near the village, there is also the Jawai River and the dam with its water body. This picturesque place among the hills is home to some of the largest crocodiles in the region as well as resident and migratory birds.

Overnight at the hotel in Bera.

Day 7: Bera – Udaipur (by surface) – Mumbai (by air)

Drive back to Udaipur and its airport to fly to Mumbai.

Overnight in Mumbai.

Day 8: Mumbai – Diu (by plane) – Gir (about 70 km / 2 h)

Departure for Mumbai airport for a 1h10 flight to Diu, a former Portuguese colony located on an island in Gujarat on the shore of the Arabian Sea.

The city still holds traces of the colonial period: the church of Saint Paul, the fort and the museum with its statuary and objects from archaeological excavations. From Diu, drive by land to Gir, about 70 km / 2 hours.

Night in Gir.

Day 9 : Gir

Gir National Park, the only place in the world where you can still find Asiatic lions, is also home to leopards.

We can also observe the chital, the sambar, the nilgault, the chousingha or four-horned antelope, the mongoose, the hyena, the ruby cat, and more than 300 species of birds among which the Indian or crested eagle as well as numerous reptiles: swamp crocodiles, monitor lizards, star turtles, pythons along the banks.

Day of safari.

Night at the hotel in Gir.

Day 10: Gir – Diu – Mumbai (by evening flight)

Departure from your hotel to Diu for a walk and a visit in this historical city with various centers of interest: the Zampa gate, Nagarseth haveli, its beaches. 

At the end of the day: travel to the airport for the evening flight to Mumbai.

Night in Mumbai.

Day 11: Mumbai

Morning: Heritage walk: Churchgate and Heritage Mile walk: places covered: CST station, BMC building, D.N. Road; Khadi Bhavan: JN Petit Library; Kalaghoda area: Watsons Hotel, Army building, David Sasoon Library, Elphinstone College, University of Mumbai, Rajabai clock tower, Bombay Highcourt, Churchgate station, Marine Drive.

Then observation of the Dabbawala (packed lunch service), typical of Mumbai.

After lunch, departure for the “Dharavi Slum Tour”.

Dharavi, “Asia’s largest slum”, home to nearly one million people. In spite of the dirt and misery, Dharavi is an area animated by economic activity, with a turnover estimated at 500 million dollars per year, and thus many trajectories of social ascension.

Return to the hotel after a “city tour”. Night at the hotel.

Day 12: Departure from Mumbai

Drive to Mumbai airport for the departure flight.

Hotels: Selection of charming hotels with the best quality / comfort ratio for the region. Please send us a program request for more information.

Included : Full board, superior hotels, tour guide, transportation by air-conditioned bus and entrance fees

Not included : international airfare, visa to enter India, insurance, drinks and tips for driver and guide