Mystical India
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Overview
Highlights
- Tours of Old Delhi and New Delhi
- Home-hosted dinner with Jaipur family
- Magnificent Taj Mahal
- Two-night stay at Ranthambore Tiger Preserve
- Kalakho camel safari and tribal home visit
- “Pink City” of Jaipur
- Holy city of Varanasi
- Pilgrimage site of Sarnath temple and museum
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within India
- 15 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe, Superior First Class, First Class, and unrated hotels
- 32 meals: 14 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 10 dinners
- Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
- Luggage handling for one bag per person
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
- $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)
Itinerary
Depart U.S. for Delhi, India
We arrive in India’s hyperactive capital late evening and transfer to our hotel.
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.
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 R...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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.
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 t...
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 Gang...
Meals: Breakfast
We fly this afternoon to Delhi, where the evening is at leisure
Very early this morning we transfer to the airport for our return flight to the U.S.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Odysseys Unlimited.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Odysseys Unlimited Reviews & Ratings
worth going again to see more of this awesome country and five star service
Fascinating country that you must visit using Odyssey Travel as they truly have amazing tour guides, fantastic hotels, courteous and safe bus drivers, and great itin...
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It was a dream come true trip!
We just finished our Tanzanian Adventure tour to Tanzania and Zanzibar. It was a dream come true trip! On safari, our guide Augustine, was stellar, and our driver, M...
Great Trip
The limited size of the group, meeting interesting other travelers, great accommodations, superb guides, fun and active agendas, and have someone else sweat out the ...
Excellent, experiences interesting and worthwhile.
Just finishing up my first tour with OU...Insider’s Japan. We experienced 2 typhoons during this trip (we purposely went the later part of October because typhoon se...
Tour Operator
Small Groups: Our Only Focus
Small group travel is all that we do – just 12 to 24 guests on our own custom-designed tours. And it’s all we’ve ever done, from the day we opened our doors in 1998.
We design and operate our tours specifically for small groups, rather than adapt a conventional tour to take fewer guests. And while you’re sure to find tours with fewer guests, or lower prices, or labeled “Deluxe” (with the prices to match), you won’t find the combination of value, quality, superior accommodations and amenities, and guaranteed small groups that we offer.
We do this by creating and operating our own tours, and offering them to you without any middlemen. We work closely with our airline, hotel, and other travel partners to secure the lowest rates possible. Then we put those rates to good use by offering our tours at an excellent value – not necessarily the lowest price, but the best ratio of price to experiences, quality, and service.
We invite you to compare our tours with those of other travel companies and see for yourself. You’ll find that Odysseys Unlimited offers the best package of small group travel and premium quality – at an excellent value.
The Small Group Experience
The small size of our tour groups allows us to move about more flexibly and efficiently; enjoy more spontaneous encounters; and experience a degree of freedom and independence simply not available to travelers on conventional group tours of 40 or more.
Traveling on your own you’d see the major sights, but chances are you’d stick close to the traditional tourist routes. Our goal is to show you the major sights and take you behind the scenes: into private homes and traditional villages, to local schools and neighborhood restaurants. And you’ll travel in the company of experienced, knowledgeable tour directors and guides who share their countries – and their lives – with you, bringing destinations alive in a truly personal and meaningful way.
Not only do these opportunities enhance your travels, but someone else makes the arrangements and manages all the details – leaving you free to savor the small group experience.
Extensive Included Sightseeing
Our small group tours include a great deal of thoughtful and engaging sightseeing and activities, from camel-back rides, rainforest walks, and scenic excursions to guided museum tours, home visits, cultural performances, and wine tastings. In major cities there’s usually free time to explore on your own after a guided city tour.
Respect for Your Freedom and Individuality
If you’ve avoided taking group tours, preferring to travel on your own, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by our level of service, independence, and value. And if you’re a veteran of traditional group tours, we’re confident you’ll be impressed by the many advantages of small group travel, as well as by the high quality and outstanding value you’ll enjoy with Odysseys Unlimited.
We offer the best of both worlds: the value, ease, and comprehensive itinerary of a group tour, and the freedom, quality, and service that sophisticated travelers demand, and deserve. Should you choose to sit out an included tour or two and go off on your own, you’re entirely welcome to do so. And we think you’ll appreciate having the occasional lunch or dinner on your own, away from the group.
Our Tour Directors Make the Difference
We believe personal attention is key to an outstanding travel experience, so we’ve ensured that it’s a hallmark of Odysseys Unlimited. It starts with our travel counselors when you reserve your trip, then continues on the road with your tour director. Our professional tour directors rank among the best in the business; their love of travel is surpassed only by their desire to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with others. And traveling in a small group means your tour director will have more time to spend with you and to share the personal insights that can add so much to your experience.
A Variety of Accommodations
We know that hotels aren’t the main reason for traveling. But good accommodations can enhance your overall tour experience, and great accommodations can contribute to a great trip. So we select hotels that we believe are best for a particular trip and experience – those that offer the best combination of quality, value, and atmosphere for each destination. Our hotels in major cities are usually centrally located so guests can get around easier; our unique lodgings are often out of the way, offering our tour members a local ambiance larger groups never experience.
Our lodging options are divided into three segments:
Excellent Hotels
These are the Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class accommodations we use in major cities, including well-known chain hotels and independently owned properties. You can expect excellent service and amenities in these well-located properties.
Unique Lodgings
Perhaps our most interesting lodgings, these properties cater to small groups and independent travelers, and generally are not available to conventional groups of 40 or more. From the historic paradores of Spain, to a French farmhouse, to a Japanese ryokan or a Tuscan villa, these accommodations often are destinations in themselves.
Small Ships
We leave the mass-market big ship cruise experience to others, and instead focus on the smaller, more intimate ships that ply distinctive waterways. As you cruise along the Yangtze River, the Turquoise Coast, or through the Patagonian ice fields, among others, your small ship is as much a part of the journey as the places you visit. These vessels let you see the life of a country up close, and allow you to disembark frequently to explore. And while they may vary from simple and comfortable to truly deluxe, these ships generally feature a casual onboard atmosphere, single-seating dining, and amenities such as lounges, boutiques, and plenty of open deck space.
Most Gratuities Included
Experienced travelers know that tipping is an expected element of worldwide travel; but at times it can become a nuisance or inconvenience. For that reason, we’ve eliminated the worry by including in your tour price all gratuities for local guides and drivers, hotel and airport porters, and dining room servers. Gratuities for your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and shipboard personnel (if your tour includes a cruise) are not included and should be extended on a voluntary basis, in recognition of truly excellent service.
What Your Tour Price Includes
We design our tours to be highly inclusive, while still making it possible for you to exercise some personal preferences. So we include all the essentials – airfare, accommodations, most meals, extensive sightseeing – but leave some room for you to explore on your own or to enjoy a few meals away from the group.
In general, every Odysseys Unlimited trip includes:
- Travel in a small group of just 12 to 24 guests – guaranteed
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; plus all flights within your tour
- Accommodations
- Many meals: all breakfasts, many lunches and dinners – and you’ll also have the opportunity to dine on your own, without the group
- All advertised sightseeing (plus all entrance fees and admissions)
- Singular activities and more intimate cultural encounters possible only with a small group
- The services of an experienced, professional Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
- Luggage handling for one bag per person
- $100 frequent traveler credit toward your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours; $300 after 10 tours)
Fully Refundable Deposits
A deposit of just $375 confirms your reservation, which you can make with a personal check or major credit card: American Express, MasterCard, Discover, and VISA are all accepted. Best of all, your deposit is fully refundable up to 95 or 125 days before departure (depending on the tour). It’s easy to reserve your tour with us; simply call toll-free, 1-888-370-6765, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Six-Time Honoree Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Tour Operators” Award
We are honored that Odysseys Unlimited has been named six times as one of the “World’s Best Tour Operators” by readers of Travel + Leisure in the magazine’s prestigious annual poll. Based on surveys completed by thousands of readers and travelers, the “World’s Best” list judges tour operators on their staff and guides, itineraries, activities, destinations, accommodations, food, and value.
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Logistics
Accommodation
You will receive a full refund for any cancellations made up to 95 days before departure (125 days for In the Wake of Lewis and Clark). If you must cancel your tour, the effective date of cancellation will be upon our receipt of your notification. Refunds for cancellations are subject to the following per person charges:
For all tours (except as noted)
Prior to departure
Charge
95 days or more
Full refund
94–65 days
25% of tour price
64–45 days
50% of tour price
44–30 days
75% of tour price
29–0 days
No refund
32 Meals: 14 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 10 Dinners
Post-Tour Extension Nepal
5 days/4 nights for $995 total price
Single Supplement: $295
Absorb the beauty of the Himalayan kingdom – and the warmth of its people – on this special journey featuring sacred shrines, royal cities, and indigenous lifestyles.
Your Tour Price Includes
- Air transportation Varanasi/Kathmandu inclusive of airline taxes and fees
- 4 nights’ accommodations: 2 nights in Kathmandu at Crowne Plaza Soaltee (Superior First Class); 2 nights in Nagarkot at Club Himalaya Nagarkot (Superior First Class)
- 8 meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
- Extensive sightseeing, including Pashupatinath shrine (UNESCO site); Boudhanath monument; colorful Bhaktapur, “city of Devotees;” Swayambhunath Temple; royal city of Patan; and Kathmandu and environs
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Private motorcoach transportation
- Gratuities for dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
Please note: This trip involves considerable walking, as well as some lengthy coach rides. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy this tour to the fullest.
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