Varanasi

Settled over 4,000 years ago, Varanasi is perhaps the world’s oldest city. And in that time, it has become the spiritual heart of India. It is the epicenter of Hindu devotion, where pilgrims come to bathe in the Ganges, offer prayers, and cremate their dead. But it is also here that Buddhists believe that Buddha gave his first sermon. For visitors of any faith, it is a powerful thing to witness the aarti ceremony at night, when sadhus show their devotion by raising flaming lamps and swinging incense, a ritual as majestic as it is mystical. Enjoying a boat ride on the sacred river, during the cooler morning and evening hours, is a perfect way to witness the ordinary ebb and flow of daily life here in this timeless city.

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Taj Mahal

One of the world’s most famous structures—and arguably its most romantic—the Taj Mahal was famous as a testament to Shah Jahan’s enduring love for his queen Mumtaz Mahal after her death. Made of the finest marble and inlaid with gemstones, it would be a masterwork alone simply based on the materials. But it is also famous for its symmetrical design, the depth of perspective created by the long pool approaching it, the way it is framed by its quartet of minarets. Mughal territory sprawled across 2.5 million miles at its peak, and the Shah brought in the best masons, stone-cutters, calligraphers, painters, sculptors, and dome-builders from across the entire empire and into Persia, so that his monument would be unparalleled in its perfection. Finished in 1653, the “Monument of Love” has become one of the greatest architectural treasures on Earth and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

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Delhi

India’s capital is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, and has had at least eight incarnations over the past 3,000 years, from the ruins of ancient Indraprastha to the seat of the British Raj. Home to countless historic and architectural treasures, Delhi is a cosmopolitan blend of India’s many cultures—with sights as diverse as men in magenta turbans spreading out blankets laden with snake oil and silk saris; worshippers streaming to and from Hindu temples, Jain shrines, Sikh gurdwaras, and Islamic mosques; spice stalls heaped with coriander, saffron, cumin, and tea; and narrow alleys aglow with gold jewelry. Highlights of Old Delhi—the 17th-century city built for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan—include Raj Ghat, a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi; Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India; and Chandni Chowk, the city’s bustling 300-year-old bazaar. Treasures in New Delhi, the section of the sprawling city laid out in the early 20th century by the British, include two towering symbols of the city: India Gate, a memorial to members of the Indian Army who died in the First World War; and the world’s tallest brick minaret, Qutab Minar, a soaring tower of victory begun in the twelfth century that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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• Post Trip:India’s Sacred Cities of the North: Amritsar & Dharamsala on Nepal & the Mystical Himalayas

Jaipur

Jaipur is known as the “Pink City.” Capital of India’s romantic state of Rajasthan, the entire city of Jaipur was cut from massive blocks of sandstone and painted a distinctive rosy tone. Surrounded by crenellated walls and dotted with towers and palaces, Jaipur is one of India’s first examples of urban planning. The city was founded just as the Mughal Empire was falling in the early 18th century, by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, an avid scientist, architect, and astronomer. Singh laid out his city in a grid pattern of broad, tree-lined avenues, and neat squares—and ensured that each aspect of his design was based on geometric harmony. One of the city’s highlights is his observatory, Jantar Mantar, a brilliant collection of sandstone sculptures in geometric configurations. Some are nearly 30 feet high, and all have specific functions—to measure the sun’s angle from the Earth, fix the position of planets, and measure time. Samrat Yantra, the highest structure in the compound, acts as a giant sundial. Its shadow displays the time of day and remains accurate to two-tenths of a second.

There is a famous Rajasthani proverb that asks, “Je na dekhyo Jaipario, To kal men akar kya kario?” It means, “What have I accomplished in my life, if I have not seen Jaipur?”

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