Arrive in Mumbai and check in to one of India’s most iconic hotels, The Taj Mahal Palace, overlooking the water. For lunch try a local Gujarati thali, known for its satisfying flavors and tasty sweets. Mumbai is a great place to shop for fine hand-woven fabrics, clothing and crafts, so save time to go to Colaba Causeway and to shop the streets of the Kala Ghoda Arts District. Take a tour to nearby Elephanta Caves, containing a collection of temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Travel first-class by train to Hampi, a 14th-century Hindu settlement and World Heritage site containing royal and sacred sites like temples and shrines, forts and memorials. Spread out over 16 square miles, it can be beneficial to hire a guide and take a few days to explore the area.

Next travel farther south into Karnataka, Kerala or Tamil Nadu states to spend a week at one of India’s Ayurvedic wellness centers, where you can experience this ancient and specialized form of health care. Rest, eat simple Indian fare and receive a hot oil massage and other treatments to reduce stress and cleanse the body.

Hire a car to Mysuru, known as the City of Palaces (and also called Mysore). Visit the Mysore Palace, now a museum, to see ornately painted murals, silver doors and mahogany. For a taste of the spiritual side of this city, visit Ranganathaswamy Temple to see a traditional South Indian temple with ornate carvings. Mysuru is also an excellent place to take an ashtanga yoga class; or sign up for a retreat to learn more about this rigorous, flowing and meditative style of the ancient art.

Next, hire a car to Bengaluru (also called Bangalore), the capital of Karnataka state, known for its delicious South Indian food, modern art and green spaces. Head to Cubbon Park for a walk in well-manicured gardens, or to Lalbagh Botanical Garden, which claims to have the world’s most diverse species of plants. For art, head to the National Gallery of Modern Art, housed in a mansion formerly inhabited by the raja of Mysuru, or to one of the many art galleries selling contemporary art and furniture.

Next on your journey, fly to the Andaman Islands to relax on white sand beaches with turquoise water, or to scuba dive to see coral and colorful fish. If you are certified, practice deep sea diving off Havelock Island, where you can also take a boat out in the evening to see bioluminescent phytoplankton light up the sea. Here you can also see a variety of species of butterflies and birds at Mount Harriet National Park, as well as South Asia’s only known active volcano, on Barren Island. You can also head to Port Blair for water skiing and other water sports at the jetty at Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex.

Wrap up your tour with a return to the sub-continent and a stay in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. Visit the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in the charming neighborhood of Mylapore, where a festival in January celebrates the best of Tamil Nadu. See the English-built Fort St. George from the late 1600s, which houses a museum containing artifacts from the colonial era, and visit Kalakshetra arts academy, dedicated to teaching Indian art forms like vocal and instrumental music, traditional crafts and textile design.