Compare Mystical India by Odysseys Unlimited vs Highlights of Northern India - Summer itinerary by Exodus Travels
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 17 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 4,587 | $ 1,515 |
| Price Per Day | $ 270 | $ 168 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Airfare included | No |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
32 Meals: 14 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 10 Dinners |
All breakfasts, one lunch and one snack dinner are included in this trip. India is famous for its food and there is ample opportunity to try various curries such as the familiar tandoori, biriyani and rogan josh. If you are a vegetarian, India is a great destination. There are wonderful desserts and excellent beers, soft drinks and Indian specialities such as lassi, a refreshing yoghurt drink. Allow at least 1,400-2,400 rupees (US$16-US$28) per day for lunch and dinner. In most towns we visit, there is a good selection of restaurants and a choice between Indian and Western food. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. A (large!) bottle of beer is approximately 300 rupees (approximately US$4). Mineral water is widely available, but drinking water is provided in a large container in the bus to reduce our use of plastic, so please bring your own refillable water bottle. |
| Description |
Mystical and spiritual, chaotic and confounding, India overflows with riches. While staying at excellent hotels, we travel the classic Golden Triangle: bustling Delhi; Agra, home of the sublime Taj Mahal; and Jaipur, a great city of the Rajput. We also search for elusive Bengals at Ranthambore Tiger Preserve and absorb the holiness of Varanasi. |
Discover the best of northern India on this highlight-packed adventure. Led by an expert tour leader, we marvel at the always-impressive Taj Mahal, a New Wonder of the World, and explore the Pink City of Jaipur. We also have an early morning boat ride along the mist-shrouded ghats of Varanasi, an experience only equalled by wildlife spotting in Sariska National Park. Add to that the everyday wonders – smiling locals, whizzing rickshaws and flavoursome curries – and you will see why North India is such a favourite with our groups.From the Taj Mahal to the wildlife of Sariska National Park, explore a land packed with culture and excitement |
Day 1
Depart U.S. for Delhi, India
Day 2: Arrive Delhi
We arrive in India’s hyperactive capital late evening and transfer to our hotel.
Day 3: Delhi
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
After a morning briefing with our tour director, this afternoon we tour Delhi, including the 16th-century Tomb of Humayun; Qutb Minar, the 379-step tower dating to 1192; and India Gate, honoring the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel.
Day 4: Delhi
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Today we explore Old Delhi, beginning with the Gandhi Memorial, the simple black marble slab honoring Mahatma Gandhi; and Gandhi Smriti, a museum dedicated to the Indian icon. Next, two renowned 17th-century landmarks: Lal Qila, the Red Fort palaces where we stop for photos; and the red sandstone and marble Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. Then we ride rickshaws through Chandni Chowk market and later visit a Sikh temple.
Day 5: Delhi/Jaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today we travel by coach to the “pink city” of Jaipur, one of the great cities of the Rajput, with historic forts, palaces, and gardens. We reach our hotel late afternoon.
Day 6: Jaipur
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Our first stop is the stunning Hawa Mahal, the elaborately carved pink sandstone “Palace of the Winds.” We continue on to Amber Fort, built by the Kachhawah Rajputs as their capital from 1037 to 1728; Jantar Mantar, the open-air observatory; and City Palace Museum, housing the magnificent art collections of the Maharajahs of Jaipur.
Day 7: Jaipur/Sanganer
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning we visit the village of Sanganer to see traditional block printing and handmade paper industries. Later we see local life up close as we explore an outdoor market. Tonight we are dinner guests in the home of a multi-generational Rajasthan family.
Day 8: Jaipur/Ranthambore
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We travel today to Ranthambore National Park, the former hunting ground of the Maharajah of Jaipur and now a 512-square-mile natural preserve that is home to hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and of course, Bengal tigers. This afternoon we take our first game drive through the park.
Day 9: Ranthambore
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We take both morning and afternoon game drives today to see not only game (though tiger and leopard sightings are not guaranteed), but also picturesque ruins of forts and palaces.
Day 10: Ranthambore/Kalakho
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We depart early for Kalakho, where we embark on a camel cart safari to meet local Meena tribespeople in their homes: huts of mud, with walls decorated with floral and animal designs. Tonight we enjoy a traditional folk dance performance.
Day 11: Kalakho/Agra
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
En route to Agra today, we stop in the ancient village of Abhaneri to see the fortified Chand Baori step well (c. 800), whose 3,500 steps descend some 13 stories into the ground. Continuing on, we reach the ancient Mughal stronghold of Agra early this afternoon. After lunch on our own, we visit Itimad-ud-Daulah, the two-story marble “Baby Taj” that inspired the Taj Mahal. Dinner tonight is at our hotel.
Day 12: Agra
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning we visit the Taj Mahal, the magnificent tomb built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz. Then we take an Indian cuisine cooking lesson and enjoy the results for lunch. Later: imposing Agra Fort.
Day 13: Agra/Delhi/Varanasi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We depart by coach this morning for Delhi, where we board a late afternoon flight to Varanasi, the holiest city in Hinduism. We dine tonight at our hotel.
Day 14: Varanasi/Sarnath
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Before breakfast today, those who wish can join in a private yoga session. Then we visit nearby Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught after achieving enlightenment. One of Buddhism’s four holiest sites, Sarnath draws pilgrims from the world over. We see some of the temples and stupas then tour Sarnath Museum, housing a superb collection of Buddhist artifacts from excavations here. Mid-day we return to our hotel; lunch is on our own. Late afternoon we attend a traditional aarti ceremony: as we cruise along the Ganges, we watch as devout Hindus offer their lit lamps to the deities. We dine tonight at our hotel.
Day 15: Varanasi
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Early this morning we return to the Ganges where Hindu pilgrims perform their rituals along the ghats (steps) leading to the river. We visit several ghats by boat as we experience for ourselves the spiritual aura of the hallowed Ganges waters. Then we return to our hotel with time to rest before this afternoon’s walking tour and private performance of classical sitar. Tonight we celebrate our journey at a farewell dinner at our hotel.
Day 16: Varanasi/Delhi
Meals: Breakfast
We fly this afternoon to Delhi, where the evening is at leisure
Day 17: Return to the U.S.
Very early this morning we transfer to the airport for our return flight to the U.S.
Day 1 Start Delhi; transfer to Sariska National Park
Our adventure begins in Delhi, a thrumming city chock full of architectural masterpieces. Meet the group either at a named meeting point (normally the Florence Inn) or Delhi Airport – see the Joining Instructions for more information. We than drive to Sariska National Park, which may take between three and four hours depending upon traffic. If you don’t want to do this journey straight after your flight, we recommend spending a pre-tour night in Delhi – speak to your sales representative to book. Accommodation: Sariska Tiger Camp (or Similar)
Day 2 Morning game drive around Sariska National Park; drive to Jaipur in the afternoon
Sariska National Park was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and is home to nilgai, wild boar, jackals, hyenas and chowsingha (four-horned antelope). The game drive will be in the buffer zone, mainly on sealed roads (there will not be an opportunity to see tigers during summer). Although these departures operate during the rainy season, the crowds are reduced and those with an interest in bird life will find an abundance in Sariska. In the afternoon, we drive to Jaipur and transfer to our hotel. Accommodation: Fort Chandragupt (or similar)
Day 3 City tour of the Jaipur landmarks, including the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Amber Fort; free time to explore
Built in the late 18th century, Jaipur is a planned city of broad avenues constructed of sandstone and later painted pink. On our city tour led by a local guide, we visit the City Palace in the centre of Jaipur, formerly the residence of the Maharaja, now a fine museum containing rare manuscripts, paintings, royal garments and weapons. Close to the palace is one of the most intriguing sights in India, the observatory of Jai Singh. This is an assembly of immense astronomical instruments made of marble and brass set in a pleasant garden. We also see the impressive landmark, the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). We then visit the hilltop Amber Fort, which sits above a lake a few miles from the main city. The grand 16th-century palace complex combines Hindu and Muslim design and is made from pale yellow and pink sandstone. After, the tour leader generally takes the group to a large shop, where a co-operative of local families sells their wares. Jaipur is a centre of many handicrafts, including durries (woven rugs), carpets, printed cloth, semi-precious stones and leatherwear. It will be difficult to leave a workshop without buying anything! Accommodation: Fort Chandragupt (or similar)
Day 4 Drive to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri
Today we drive to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri, Emperor Akbar’s deserted royal city. This impressive and well-preserved citadel became his capital in 1571, after the blessing of a local Moslem holy man correctly predicted the birth of a longed-for son: his successor, the Emperor Jehangir. The mosque, designed to hold 10,000 worshippers; the palaces; residences; and halls of audience are all made of decorative red sandstone. But this magnificence only lasted 14 years. In 1584, Akbar left Fatehpur Sikri to secure his outlying territories, leaving this city much as we see it today – in perfect condition. We arrive in Agra early evening. Accommodation: Hotel Avalon Palms (or similar)
Day 5 Visit the incredible Taj Mahal and Agra Fort; overnight train to Varanasi
Today we wake early to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, which was built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The Taj is serenely beautiful and never fails to amaze a first-time visitor; the white marble exterior changes colour according to the position of the sun and is matched by the rich interior detail. Within striking distance is the imposing Red Fort of Akbar, whose mighty sandstone walls enclose the beautiful white marble Pearl Mosque and the palaces, halls, courtyards and fountains of Emperor Akbar’s sons and successors: Jehangir and Shah Jahan. It is here that the latter spent his last years, imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb. Later in the day, we transfer to Agra train station and join the overnight sleeper train to Varanasi. Accommodation: Sleeper train
Day 6 Relax and enjoy the wonders of Varanasi
We arrive in Varanasi in the morning and transfer to our hotel. For information about hotel check-in times please see our "Worth Knowing" section within the Trip Notes. On the river Ganges, Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India and stands at the centre of the Hindu universe. As such, the city lives and breathes Hinduism: there are thousands of pilgrims, wandering holy men (Sadhus), religious elders and casual visitors. It is a city to immerse yourself in: explore the maze of narrow lanes and many temples and watch the Hindu ceremonies that take place around the clock. There is time to visit emporiums specialising in silks and brocades or maybe take a massage by the riverbanks. In the afternoon, we can take an optional visit to nearby Sarnath Temple. Sarnath is as sacred to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus. The main monument at Sarnath is the Dhamekh Stupa, the very spot where Buddha is believed to have given his first sermon. There’s also an archaeology museum, which exhibits Buddhist artefacts and houses the findings of excavations from the Sarnath site. Your tour leader can organise various optional sightseeing trips during your two days here. Accommodation: Hotel Surya (or similar)
Day 7 Dawn boat ride on the Ganges visiting the bathing ghats; afternoon train to Delhi
Just before dawn, we take a boat ride on the Ganges to witness the extraordinary spectacle on the ghats, the steps leading down to the river. Every day, thousands of Hindu pilgrims come to this 3mi (5km) stretch of riverbank to soak in the holy waters. This afternoon, we board the Vande Bharat Express train back to Delhi, a great opportunity to see and experience more of India as you pass through rural villages, towns and cities. A light snack dinner is provided, which usually includes a soup and light meal with rice and vegetables. You may wish to pick up some additional snacks/fruit prior to boarding. We arrive in Delhi late evening and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation: Florence Inn (or similar)
Day 8 Delhi free day or optional sightseeing
Today you are free to relax or explore the sites of New and Old Delhi (an optional sightseeing trip will be organised if you wish). Recommended sites include the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in India), Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) and Raj Ghat. For last-minute shopping, visit the market area of Chandni Chowk or Karol Bagh. Accommodation: Florence Inn (or similar)
Day 9 End Delhi
Our adventure through northern India ends today. If you’ve still a few pages left in your travel diary, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Delhi. Alternatively, catch your free transfer to the airport and begin your return journey home – remember to provide your details at least two weeks prior to arrival to secure your seat.
