India Experience
Overview
Highlights
- Visit the Taj Mahal - one of the Seven Wonders of the World - and learn of its lesser-known poetic history from a local expert among the surrounding gardens.
- 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'll watch the light gradually illuminate the many ghats and temples along the river.
- See behind the scenes of local cuisine during cooking classes in local homes, an insightful ayurvedic cooking demonstration in Kochi and lovingly made Keralan favourites at a restaurant that provides training and employment to local women.
- Explore Puducherry and discover its colonial French Quarter and colourful multi-tiered temples, and cruise along the dreamy palm-lined waterways of the Kerala backwaters.
- Take a nature walk in the acclaimed Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, looking out for tiger tracks with your local village guides.
- By travelling on this trip, you'll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Eden Reforestation Projects. Donations help them provide local employment opportunities and tackle climate change one tree at a time as they restore forests across 10 different countries.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Complimentary Arrival Transfer
- Varanasi - Leader-led Old City walking tour
- Varanasi - Sunset candle flower ceremony
- Varanasi - Sunrise Ganges boat trip
- Jaipur - Orientation walk with a local guide
- Jaipur - Amber Fort
- Jaipur - Cooking class in a local home
- Abhaneri - Chand Baori stepwell
- Agra - Agra Fort
- Agra - Taj Mahal
- Delhi - Leader-led Old Delhi walking & rickshaw tour
- Delhi - Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque
- Delhi - Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple)
- 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
- Periyar - Spice plantation visit
- Periyar - Guided nature walk
- Periyar - Home-cooked meal
- 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
- Kovalam - Leader-led walking tour
Popular Trips
Itinerary
Namaste! Welcome to India. Your adventure begins in Delhi, where you’ll have a complimentary airport transfer to the hotel. Tonight, meet your group and trip leader at a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, get out and explore at your own pace. Filled with hi...
Early this morning, you’ll take a train to Varanasi. This holy city is awash with shrines and temples and is the ultimate destination for Hindu pilgrims who travel from far and wide to experience the spirituality of this haven. When you arrive this afternoon, you’ll h...
Today starts early, but it’s very much worth it – you’ll take a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges, where you can watch the light gradually illuminate the many ghats and temples along the river. After, there’s the option to take a trip to nearby Sarnath – one of the four...
This morning, take a flight back to India’s buzzing capital. When you arrive, check in to your accommodation, freshen up and then enjoy a free afternoon to spend how you wish. Maybe visit Swaminarayan Akshardham, set on a vast 100 acres of gardens. Maybe just go searching for the perfect street food snack or go on a photo-taking walk.
Today you’ll head to Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, by private vehicle. Arrive in the Pink City and discover its trademark pink hues on a walking tour with a local guide. Navigate crowded streets packed with cars, camel carts, rickshaws, trucks and bicycles, past tradit...
An optional early morning hot air balloon experience is the perfect way to start the day – wake early for a breathtaking overhead view of the Pink City bathed in early morning light. Later, climb the twisting roads of the Aravalli Hills and round the final bend to see...
Leave the Pink City behind and travel by private vehicle to Agra. Along the way, stop at Chand Baori stepwell – built over 1000 years ago, this is one of the largest stepwells in India. The architectural wonder was once a gathering place for locals and royals alike. T...
This morning is a real treat – bright and early, you’ll pay a visit to the spectacular Taj Mahal, one of the famed Seven Wonders of the World. Best known as a monument to love and loss, the 17th-century wonder is a beautiful example of Mughal architecture and is surro...
After breakfast this morning, your leader will take you to the city’s historic heart with a guided walking tour of Old Delhi. Set off on the city's modern metro system, then get a taste of India's famed public transport with an optional cycle rickshaw ride through cha...
Today, take a flight from Delhi to Chennai to join the second stage of your trip. This flight is unaccompanied, but your leader will provide you all the details, plus where to meet a representative on arrival in Chennai to be transferred to your accommodation. Chennai...
From Chennai, drive along the scenic East Coast Road to the fishing village of Mamallapuram. Join a local guide for a tour around the town’s laidback beaches and temples, keeping an eye out for the sculptures and carvings dotted around the place. Visit the incredible ...
Explore Puducherry, which was under French rule until 1954, and the European style of the town extends from beautiful colonial architecture right down to the uniforms of the police. Enjoy a walking tour to see local temples, the French Quarter, and the spiritual commu...
Drive to Karaikudi today. On arrival, check into your heritage property accommodation, an elegantly decorated mansion built in 1902. After settling in, take a walk around the village with your leader to learn about the lives of the local communities. Along the way, yo...
Continue on to Madurai. Here you will wander through the colourful markets and bazaars, then visit the Sri Meenakshi Temple in the city’s centre. Still in use today, this ancient temple is a maze of lamp-lit corridors leading to shrines where traditional rituals take ...
The day is yours for your own explorations of one of India’s oldest cities. Madurai has a wealth of treasures to uncover, from buzzing bazaars and tailors’ markets to roadside stalls selling cold glasses of jigarthanda and savoury idli rice cakes. Perhaps visit the Ar...
Drive through rubber and pineapple plantations to Thekkady. Your accommodation here is on the outskirts of Periyar National Park, perched lakeside in the ranges of the Western Ghats. The sanctuary surrounds a picturesque lake, which was formed as a result of a dam tha...
In the morning, take a guided nature walk in the acclaimed Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (approximately 3 hours). If you’re lucky, you could spot tiger tracks, spotted deer, Indian elephants and gaur – the world's largest species of buffalo. You may also have the chance ...
In the morning, drive to Kochi, aka Cochin. Today is a long driving day, but your journey will be broken up with plenty of stops, and the fantastic scenery is sure to keep your occupied. Kochi is a veritable melting pot of Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and British influences. On arrival, you may like to stretch your legs and wander along the beach at sunset.
Visit the Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace), which was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese before the Dutch renovated it. Then check out the oldest functioning Jewish synagogue in India, the Paradesi Synagogue. For lunch today, you’ll meet a local expert and ...
Drive from Kochi to Kumarkom to your resort along the riverside. This sleepy village is quintessential Kerala backwaters, with its shady palm trees, winding waterways and traditional houseboats. On arrival, get out on the water and take a short cruise around the backw...
In the morning, drive to Kovalam via Kerala’s capital, Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). Kovalam was once a quiet coastal village known for its export of fresh fish and coconuts, but is now one of India’s more popular beach resorts. Visit the ancient temple of Attukal ...
Your trip comes to an end after breakfast and you’re free to leave the accommodation at any time.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.
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.
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