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India is a country of staggering variety — snow-dusted mountains, golden deserts, palm-fringed backwaters and some of the most breathtaking architecture on Earth. Narrowing it down is almost impossible, but these are some of the most beautiful places in India to inspire your next journey.
No list could begin anywhere else. The Taj Mahal in Agra is the most famous building in India and, for many, the most beautiful in the world — a vision of white marble raised by the emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Seen at dawn, when the marble blushes pink and gold and the crowds are thinnest, it lives up to every expectation. Nearby stands the mighty Agra Fort, a red-sandstone stronghold with its own poignant view across the river to the Taj.
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The desert state of Rajasthan is India at its most romantic, a land of forts, palaces and colour-washed cities.
Camel rides across the dunes and nights under desert stars complete the picture.
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The south offers a gentler, greener kind of beauty. In Kerala, the tranquil backwaters are a maze of palm-lined canals, lagoons and rice paddies best explored by traditional houseboat, drifting past village life at walking pace.
Inland rise the misty tea hills of Munnar, while the coast strings together spice gardens, Ayurvedic retreats and the historic port of Kochi. It is a world away from the deserts of the north — languid, lush and soothing.
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For sheer grandeur, head north to the mountains. The high desert of Ladakh is a moonscape of ochre peaks, Buddhist monasteries and prayer flags snapping in the wind, while the Spiti Valley offers similar drama with even fewer crowds.
Further east, the Darjeeling hills roll green with tea gardens beneath the snows of Kanchenjunga, reached by the beloved toy train. And on the Ganges at Rishikesh, the sacred river tumbles clear and cold out of the mountains — a place of yoga, ashrams and evening prayer ceremonies.
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Some of India's most moving places are its spiritual heart.
These are places where India's beauty is as much about atmosphere and meaning as scenery.
From the marble of the Taj at sunrise to the lakes of Udaipur and the backwaters of Kerala, India's most beautiful places are best savoured slowly and in good company. On our small-group trips we bring these highlights together into thoughtfully paced journeys, with local guides who know when to arrive, where to look and how to find the quiet moments. Come and see the most beautiful side of India with us.
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