India Experience

India Experience

Experience the real India on this comfortable introduction to the cultures of the north and the natural beauty of the south. Travelling from Delhi to Kovalam, see what that India has to offer on a 21-day adventure. The country’s highlights and hidden jewels are revealed against a backdrop of green through the Western Ghats and in the vibrant towns of Rajasthan. Visit India’s lively cities contrasted with the quiet repose of tiny fishing villages, along with tea gardens, tribal homes and colonial enclaves. This wonderful introduction to the magic of India includes lavish palaces, vibrant bazaars, Bollywood blockbusters, and the incomparable Taj Mahal, so take time to discover its beating heart.

Activities

• Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
• Delhi – Leader-led Old Delhi walking & rickshaw tour
• Delhi – Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque
• Delhi – Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple)
• Agra – Taj Mahal
• Agra – Agra Fort
• Jaipur – Bollywood Movie at Raj Mandir Cinema
• Abhaneri – Chand Baori stepwell
• Jaipur – Orientation walk with a local guide
• Jaipur – Amber Fort
• Jaipur – Cooking class in a local home
• Varanasi – Leader-led Old City walking tour
• Varanasi – Sunset candle flower ceremony
• Varanasi – Sunrise Ganges boat trip
• Mamallapuram – Shore Temples guided tour
• Puducherry – Leader-led French Quarter walking tour
• Karaikudi – Havelis
• Karaikudi – Leader-led village walk
• Madurai – Sri Meenakshi Temple guided tour
• Madurai – Leader-led walking tour
• Madurai – Cooking class
• Periyar – Spice plantation visit
• Periyar – Guided nature walk
• Kochi – Leader-led Fort Kochi walking tour
• Kochi – Kathakali performance
• Kochi – Jewish Synagogue
• Kochi – Dutch Palace
• Kochi – Ferry to Mattancherry
• Kochi – Ayurvedic cooking demonstration with lunch
• Kumarakom – Backwaters boating excursion
• Kumarakom – Leader-led village walk
• Kovalam – Leader-led walking tour

Highlights

• Explore the Taj Mahal – one of the most recognisable buildings in the world – and learn of its lesser-known poetic history from a local expert

  See behind the scenes of local cuisine during hands on cooking classes in Jaipur, Madurai and an insightful ayurvedic cooking demonstration in Kochi.

  Take a nature walk in the acclaimed Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, looking out for tiger tracks with your local village guides.

  Soak up the unique atmosphere of a candle flower ceremony at dusk on the Ganges River in Varanasi, then wake up early for a sunrise boat ride, where you can watch the light gradually illuminate the many ghats and temples along the river as you pass

  From exploring a bustling bazaar to hanging out with the locals at a cinema showing a Bollywood blockbuster, feel the magic of India that runs through everything