It's hard to believe that this enormous, bustling, hot, heaving, magical city was part of Catherine Braganza's dowry when she married the British king, Charles II, in 1661. Must-visit sights include the towering Gateway of India (come prepared for hundreds of touts), Marine Drive, the Queen's Necklace (the main avenue linking Malabar Hill with the rest of the city), Mani Bhawan (the Mahatma Gandhi museum), Kamla Nehru Park, Dhobi Ghat (an amazing outdoor laundry), Elephanta Island, and the Prince of Wales Museum. One of the best ways to soak up the city is on foot, especially if you don't have long to visit Mumbai. Find a cafe, bar or restaurant and watch the colourful world go by.

Udaipur is like no city you will have ever seen. Arriving from the airport you see white, white buildings adorned with the miniature style painting and frescos that Udaipur is famous for. You have got to make time for the enormous City Palace, on the edge of Lake Pichola. Its façade, paintings, carvings, armour, weapons, and mosaics offers a fantastic insight into Mughal culture. Udaipur is also famous for its horses, and going on a half day ride is a wonderful way to see some of the surrounding countryside. You will ride on indigenous Marwari horses, with their distinctive crescent shaped ears. They are the traditional battle horses of Rajasthan, so can be quite spirited!

On your way to Jodhpur (if you drive) make a stop at Ranakpur, a village famous for its 15th-century, marble Jain temple, and for an ancient temple to the Sun God. The Jain Temple at Ranakpur has 29 halls and people come to see its intricate friezes and sculptures. Make sure you see the carving made out of a single marble rock that details 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails. The Temple of the Sun God is known for its sculptures - some erotic and others of warriors, horses and the Sun God in his mighty stallion driven chariot. Once you get to Jodhpur, the "Blue City", visit the stunning Mehrangarh Fort and its neighbour, the white-marble Jaswant Thada cenotaph. If you visit Mehrangarh Fort don't bother with a guide, instead get the audio tour, which is really excellent and tells you everything you could ever want to know in vivid detail.

Prepare to be staggered... Not only will Pushkar be heaving with people during the Pushkar Fair, but camels too, and they are adorned, painted and raced to attract top buyers. The best way to get around the Pushkar Fair is by camel cart - it gets you places (relatively) quickly and is (relatively) comfortable. Truly, this is an incredible sight and you'll come home armed with amazing photos, wonderful memories and (probably) some tacky camel baubles too - just what you always wanted!

Jaipur, the "Pink City", is teaming with wonderful forts, palaces and temples for you to visit. Oh, and the shopping.... Incredible! Make sure you see the Amber Fort, the Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal), and the City Palace. In a city as big as Jaipur there is a lot more beyond this, but make time for retail therapy in between sightseeing - the shopping is second to none.

En route between Jaipur and Agra make a stop (1/2 day) at Fatehpur Sikri. Built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century, Fatehpur Sikri is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic city served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned for reasons that no-one has ever really got to the bottom of, but most likely because the water sources dried up. Apparently, there are underground tunnels that stretch from Fatehpur Sikri to Delhi, to Lahore, and to Agra.

Get up before dawn and make sure you beat the majority of tourists to the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, and is famous as the ultimate monument to love. The Emperor Shah Jahan described the Taj as follows: Should guilty seek asylum here, Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin. Should a sinner make his way to this mansion, All his past sins are to be washed away. The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs; And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made; To display thereby the creator's glory. After you have visited the Taj and Agra fort flee! Make haste to Delhi.

There's so much to see and do in Delhi, but on top of the "Must-See Delhi" list should be: The Red Fort, one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. Jantar Mantar, an observatory built in 1724 by Jai Singh, the mathematician and astronomer king. The Qutub Minar, made of red sandstone and rising to 72.5m, Qutub Minar is an architectural marvel of the 13th century. Raj Ghat, on the banks of the river Yamuna is the Raj Ghat where Mahatama Gandhi was cremated in 1948. Chandni Chowk, one of Delhi's main markets.