The Four Big Cats of India

Meals: On Own
Accommodation: Hotel Shanti Palace

Your adventure begins as you touch down in New Delhi, a center of civilization for millennia, and now the capital of India! You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. If time permits, perhaps a little birding in Sultanpur National Park can be done to prepare you for the journey ahead, or maybe take in some historical sights like Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, or Lodhi Gardens.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast in Delhi, Lunch and Dinner in Leh
Accommodation: Hotel Lotus

Start on the first leg of your quest as a morning flight takes you to your first destination: Leh. This must be one of the most sensational flights in the world. On a clear day from one side of the aircraft can be seen in the distance the peaks of K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum and on the other side of the aircraft, so close that you feel you could reach out and touch it, is the Nun Kun massif. Arrive in Leh, where you will be transferred to your hotel. You have the rest of the day at leisure. You may choose to stroll along the main bazaar, observing the varied crowds. Looking into curio shops is an engaging experience. When tired of strolling, one can step into any of the several restaurants, some of them located in gardens or on the sidewalks and serve local, Tibetan, Indian and Continental cuisine.

Overnight stay
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp

This is where the main part of your adventure starts. Zingchan is the entry point to the Rumbak Valley, the home of the Snow Leopard. The bleak landscape may look incapable of supporting life but look closer and you will be proven wrong. Even here, there are animals and birds uniquely evolved to handle life in a region like this, not to mention many people whose cultures and traditions have been shaped in some way or the other by the harshness of this land.

Key species: Snow Leopard, Asiatic Ibex, Blue Sheep, Red Fox, Golden Eagle, Bearded Vulture, Robin Accentor. 

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp

Continue on your quest for the mysterious Snow Leopard. Follow in this predator’s footsteps as you explore the area on foot with your amazing guide. But part of attaining a goal is the journey you take to get there. Don’t miss out on the enthralling insights into local folklore, learning about customs and traditions. In addition, there’s always some amazing birdwatching to be done

Key species: Snow Leopard, Asiatic Ibex, Blue Sheep, Red Fox, Tibetan Wolf, Red-billed Chough, Himalayan Snowcock, Tibetan Partridge.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp

Another day will not only increase your chances of spotting the Ghost of the Himalayas, but also give you a chance to see the other wonderful creatures that share its home. The open landscape, stark stunning vistas, and unique wildlife make for amazing photographic opportunities, made better with the help of a skilled and experienced guide.

Key species: Snow Leopard, Asiatic Ibex, Blue Sheep, Red Fox, Tibetan Wolf, Red-billed Chough, Himalayan Snowcock, Blyth’s Swift, Streaked Rosefinch.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp

Like any intrepid explorer in search of treasure, your quest for the Snow Leopard will continue today with some exploration of the valley on foot.

Key species: Snow Leopard, Asiatic Ibex, Blue Sheep, Red Fox, Tibetan Wolf, Mountain Weasel, Red-billed Chough, Himalayan Vulture

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Lotus

Bid adieu to the beautiful Rumbak Valley and the warm and friendly locals as you trek back to Zingchan. With any luck, you have made some new friends in a new part of the world. Take some time to reflect on your adventures in the Rumbak Valley on your drive back to Leh

Key species: Kiang, Chukar Partridge, Northern Raven, Eurasian Magpie, Red-billed Chough, White-rumped Snowfinch, Horned Lark

Overnight stay
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Shanti Palace

It’s time to say goodbye to the mountains and beautiful landscapes as you fly back to Delhi from Leh airport. Relax in your hotel or go sightseeing.

Overnight stay
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast in Delhi; Lunch and Dinner in Ranthambore
Accommodation: Ranthambhore Heritage Haveli

From the mountains of Ladakh, the next mission on your quest takes place in the land of the Maharajas. Search for the magnificent Tiger in the Ranthambore National Park during an afternoon safari. Ranthambore is considered to be among the top tiger reserves in the country, the ideal place for you to spot the king of the Indian jungle.

Key species: Tiger, Leopard, Golden Jackal, Sloth Bear, Rufous Treepie, Indian Eagle-Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Scops Owl, Indian Peafowl, Crested Bunting, White-browed Fantail

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Ranthambhore Heritage Haveli

Explore this amazing and unique landscape with the help of morning and evening safaris. The beautiful jungle and wildlife, with the unique backdrop of the Ranthambore Fort, make for amazing photographic opportunities, made better with the help of a skilled and experienced guide.

Key species: Tiger, Leopard, Sambhar, Chital (Spotted Deer), Nilgai, Striped Hyena, Langur, Grey Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Mugger Crocodile

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Ranthambhore Heritage Haveli

Continue your journey in Ranthambore with another round of morning and evening safaris. Don’t forget to ask your guide and driver about Ranthambore and all the beautiful birds and animals you see. They are highly knowledgeable and their expertise is invaluable to your experience.

Key Species: Tiger, Leopard, Oriental Turtle Dove, Red Collared Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Brown Crake, Purple Swamphen, Painted Sandgrouse, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, Spotted Redshank

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Umaid Mahal

After a morning safari, we may be leaving Ranthambore today but the land of the Maharajas is not done with us yet. From Ranthambore, we move to Jaipur, where an afternoon at Jhalana Leopard Reserve awaits us. This small yet promising wildlife sanctuary has one of the highest leopard densities, great for you in case you did not see this ghost of the forest in Ranthambore.

Key species: Leopard, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Spotted Owlet, Red-wattled Lapwing, Jungle Nightjar, Crested Bunting, Eurasian Hoopoe, Indian Pitta

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Umaid Mahal

Continue exploring Jhalana with two safaris, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. One may think that being so close to a bustling city would mean there wouldn’t be much wildlife here, but Jhalana is wild in the true sense of the word, a destination worthy of your quest.

Key species: Leopard, Spotted Deer, Striped Hyena, Grey Langur, Large Grey Babbler, Jacobin Cuckoo, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Spotted Dove

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Gir Birding Lodge

It’s time to move on to our next big cat: the Asiatic Lion. From Jaipur, we continue onwards to Ahmedabad and further on to Gir, last bastion of this mighty cat. These magnificent predators once ruled from western India all the way to eastern Europe, but hunting and habitat loss have restricted their habitat to Gir and some of the surrounding areas.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Gir Birding Lodge

Explore the Lion’s domain, and learn more about the big cat, its fellow forest dwellers, and the unique habitat that it lives in, with morning and afternoon safaris. Apart from being home to this regal predator, Gir is also a delight for birdwatchers. The area hosts a variety of habitats, including forest, grassland, cliffs, and ponds, which are home to a wide variety of bird species both resident and migratory.

Key species: Asiatic Lion, Sambar, Indian Pitta, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Indian Thick-knee, Woolly-necked Stork, Egyptian Vulture, Spotted Owlet, Indian Scops Owl.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Gir Birding Lodge

Another round of morning and afternoon safaris will help you explore Gir better. Learn about the history of the place, the relationship the people share with the animals, and enjoy spotting the beautiful wild animals and birds. If time permits, visit Kamleshwar Dam, a great place to watch the sun set before you leave the park in the evening.

Key species: Asiatic Lion, Nilgai, Marsh Crocodile, Oriental Darter, Western Osprey, Woolly-necked Stork, Mottled Wood Owl, Spotted Owlet, Indian Scops Owl, Oriental Honey Buzzard.

Overnight stay.
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Shanti Palace

After a morning safari, bid adieu to Gir and proceed to Rajkot, where you will catch a flight back to Delhi. After your adventurous odyssey, a rest in Delhi is well-earned.

Overnight stay
This tour can be customized for you.

Meals: Breakfast

Sadly, all journeys have an end, and this is the conclusion of your magnificent adventure in search of India’s big cats. Transfer to Delhi airport to connect flight back to home.
This tour can be customized for you.