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India by Rail Photo Expedition
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Capture sunrise and sunset over the Taj Mahal, and go on photo shoots at five other UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- Photograph the fairy-tale marble palaces of Udaipur's Lake Pichola by boat, and take a sunset camel safari among the sweeping dunes of the Thar Desert.
- Search for tigers in Ranthambhore National Park, and for rare birds and other wildlife in Keoladeo National Park.
- Document the dazzling energy of the Jaisalmer Desert Festival, a celebration of color, music, and Rajasthani folk culture
Short Description
In India, everyday life plays out in bright colors, a vivid juxtaposition of ancient and modern against a backdrop of intricate architecture. Traveling aboard the Palace on Wheels train, document this enchanting land on photo shoots in rural villages, at the Taj Mahal, and amid evocative dunes. Focus on birdlife at a wildlife sanctuary, and snap action shots of dancers at a private performance. Then revel in the visual feast of Jaisalmer's Desert Festival, where snake charmers, puppeteers, and gymnasts vie with dancing camels for your attention.
Destinations
IndiaAttractions & Cities Visited
Agra Amber Fort Fatehpur Sikri Jaipur Jama Masjid Jodhpur Rajasthan Ranthambore Tiger Reserve Taj Mahal UdaipurItinerary
Days 1 & 2: U.S./Delhi, India
Accommodation: The Taj Mahal Hotel
Depart on an overnight flight to Delhi, arriving the next day. Check into our hotel upon arrival.
Day 3: Delhi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: The Taj Mahal Hotel
Set out on a photo tour of New Delhi, the capital established by the British in 1911, and fill your viewfinder with architectural details of the India Gate and Parliament buildings. Then delve into Old Delhi, a patchwork of eight different cities built by a succession of rulers and a center of Muslim India between the 13th and 19th centuries. Take a bicycle rickshaw ride through the old city's busy, narrow lanes, and stop at a local spice market to capture the colorful bustle. Frame the golden spiked minarets of Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India and the final architectural achievement of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This evening, gather for a welcome reception and dinner.
Day 4: Jaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Jai Mahal Palace
Travel from Delhi to Jaipur in Rajasthan. Known as the "Pink City" for its rose-colored buildings, Jaipur is protected by high fortifications and multiple gates. The afternoon is free to explore the city on your own. If you wish, join a photo excursion to a traditional fruit and flower market, or relax and enjoy the beautiful gardens of the Jai Mahal Palace Hotel, a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic architecture dating back to 1745.
Day 5: Jaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Palace on Wheels
Begin the day with a morning photo shoot at Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds, a stunning five-story sandstone building designed to allow ladies of the court to watch life on the streets below. Zoom in on the delicate latticework and honeycombed windows, and capture vibrant images of local men and women in traditional dress. Continue to Amber Fort, a 16th- and 17th-century hilltop complex that offers a treasures trove of photographic inspiration. Document its exquisite and well-preserved palaces, temples, gardens, and pavilions. Later this afternoon, take a guided tour of the 18th-century royal observatory known as the Jantar Mantar, and examine a variety of precise astronomical tools. In the evening, settle into your cabin aboard the Palace on Wheels.
Day 6: Ranthambhore National Park/Chittaurgarh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Palace on Wheels
With your camera in hand, set out on a morning game drive in Ranthambhore National Park in search of the elusive tiger, as well as hyenas, wild boar, spotted deer, and sambar. After lunch back on the train, arrive in the city of Chittaurgarh. Trace a turbulent history of siege, valor, and sacrifice at Chittaurgarh Fort, one of the largest forts in India.
Day 7: Udaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Palace on Wheels
Known as the City of Lakes, Udaipur is most celebrated for the fairy-tale marble palaces that appear to rise from the waters of Lake Pichola. Venture into a spectacular labyrinth of courtyards within the City Palace, a soaring creation of marble and granite perched on the lake's edge. Incredible photographic opportunities abound at this palace complex, the largest in Rajasthan, which blends medieval, European, and Chinese architecture and is richly decorated with inlaid mirror-work, mosaics, and frescoes. Later, explore the narrow streets of the old city by rickshaw, and stop to photograph a local market before visiting the 17th-century Jagdish Temple, adorned with fantastic carvings. This afternoon, a scenic boat ride on Lake Pichola provides an opportunity to capture the luminous white marble facade of Jag Niwas, now the Taj Lake Palace, and its shimmering reflection on the water.
Day 8: Jaisalmer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Palace on Wheels
Today the train carries us into the heart of the Thar Desert to magical Jaisalmer, founded by Rawal Jaisal in A.D. 1156. Rising above the city, the imposing turrets and bastions of the golden sandstone fort conceal a lively town within. Photograph the magnificent fort and discover the havelis, once the mansions of wealthy merchants, decorated with elaborate facades. Cap off our day with a sunset camel ride across the sand dunes of Sam, stopping for a traditional tea in the desert. Enjoy an outdoor dinner and special photo shoot with folk dancers and music unique to the Thar Desert region.
Day 9: Jodhpur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Palace on Wheels
Jodhpur's blue-hued old city lies at the foot of the massive Mehrangarh Fort, perched on a rocky outcrop some 120 meters high. Visit the 15th-century fort and learn about its colorful history. Shoot sweeping panoramas of the city below, and explore the museum that houses a spectacular collection of miniature paintings, ivory artifacts, and weapons. Later, in the heart of the old city, hone your portraiture skills during a photo shoot with local Rajasthani men displaying traditional handlebar moustaches. Enjoy lunch at a royal palace hotel before returning to the Palace on Wheels for the final leg of our rail journey.
Day 10: Keoladeo Ghana National Park/Agra
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: ITC Mughal
Disembark the train in Bharatpur after an early breakfast and head into the wetlands of Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a renowned bird sanctuary. Keep your camera ready while searching for egrets, flamingos, and many other bird species and wildlife. Later, during a photo walk around Bharatpur village, meet with and photograph local residents engaged in daily life. Then stop at a hotel near the park for a cooking demonstration and lunch. En route to Agra, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1569 to 1585, where elegant carved sandstone palaces remain incredibly well-preserved.
Day 11: Agra
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: ITC Mughal
Rise early this morning to photograph the Taj Mahal as it sparkles in the dawn's light. Constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, the Taj Mahal is often described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love. Today is Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, which welcomes spring and celebrates the triumph of good over evil with song, feasts, and the “play of colors,” in which celebrants douse each other in colored flour with radiant pigments. Get into the spirit and join the festivities or capture the brilliant colors with your camera. This evening, return to the Taj for a sunset photo shoot before gathering for a festive farewell dinner with a traditional sitar musician.
Days 12 & 13: Agra/Delhi/U.S
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: The Taj Mahal Hotel (Day rooms)
Rise early and cross the Yamuna River to photograph the Taj Mahal at sunrise from the beautiful Mehtab Bagh gardens. At a specially arranged photo shoot, capture the Taj's reflection on the water with camels in the foreground. Then drive to Delhi and relax in day rooms at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Later, transfer to the airport for your overnight flight, arriving home the next day.
Availability
28 National Geographic Expeditions Travel Reviews & Ratings
India by Rail Photo Expedition
Company Reviews
TOO MUCH TOO FAST
We arrived in Luxor, were taken to the hotel, deposited our luggage (the room wasn’t ready), had breakfast, and then met our tour guide at 10:00 AM for our first tour. We were exhausted, but mustered our energy for the occasion.
Is there a good reason why Cairo wasn’t the first city on our tour? In retrospect, it should have been for many reasons, not the least of which was the logistics described above.
All right, so now we’re in Luxor, and by afternoon we’re ensconced in a luxurious hotel with a magnificent view of the Nile River. There’s a swimming pool that we’re looking forward to relaxing by the next day during some much needed down time during the free time described in the itinerary; exactly what we expected from National Geographic. But instead, that evening we were told by our guide that we needed to have our luggage ready to check out of the hotel the next morning to relocate to the Nile River ship Minerva (coincidentally, owned by the same company as the hotel). We obliged, and in the morning we were taken on a tour with the luggage in the car, and then brought to the ship in the early afternoon. Our four suitcases were put in a room that was barely large enough to contain the bed, but the view of the river from our room was good enough to overlook this inconvenience, at least for the moment. I looked forward to resting in our cabin in the afternoon because I was exhausted. In fact, I was so tired that I have little recollection of that morning’s tour until I look at the photos to affirm that I was actually where the itinerary said I would be.
We went to lunch in the ship’s dining room and returned to our cabin to find that our view of the Nile was obliterated by a ship that had tied up alongside our own. This is now our view (see photo) and the blackout drapes that were drawn to hide it made the small cabin a crowded, dark dungeon.
Furthermore, that ship’s bunker oil fumes were now in the air conditioning system of our ship and flowing freely into our cabin making me nauseous and giving me a headache. I complained but there was nothing to do about it.
And if this wasn’t bad enough, the sound of the neighboring ship that accompanied the smell was intolerable.
Other issues I had with our cabin on the ship included;
- The bypass closet door wouldn’t stay shut
- There was a leak under the bathroom sink
- The carpet in the area near the bathroom was wet
- The toilet seat lid came off repeatedly
- Wifi on board the ship was only in the main lobby area, and was poor at best
I talked to the ship’s desk clerk, and he assured me that things would be taken care of shortly. They never were.
This doesn’t take into consideration that the buffet style food served on board was repetitive if you didn’t take the offered main course, which was usually meat (I don’t eat meat).
Oh, and I didn’t yet mention that our ship wouldn’t be leaving its mooring until the next day! We had traded a luxurious hotel for this!
With that said, it begs the question of why we were taken out of a luxurious hotel 24 hours in advance of the ship sailing away from Luxor? No pool to sit by, no view of the sunset over the banks of the Nile, no quiet room in which to sleep, and no dinner of delicious food. Certainly not what we expected from a Nat Geo Private Tour for which we had paid a premium price!
Unrelated to these issues, NatGeo’s survey asked if we felt that our health was well-protected. “No” is the short answer. A fuller reply is that we both got Covid on this trip; my husband first, then inevitably, myself three days later. We had avoided catching it for more than 2.6 years, and now we had it. I realize that one takes risks when going out in the world, and I certainly don’t blame NatGeo for our getting sick. But their people weren’t wearing masks until I asked them to, mostly to protect themselves from us. One agent who met us at the airport when we arrived back in Cairo from Aswan, now openly sick with Covid, disappeared for 10 minutes to purchase a mask when I told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to wear one around us.
Overall, NatGeo profited from our illness as we were too unwell to utilize the dining allowance at the Cairo Ritz Carlton or to go to out for most meals offered with our guide. The one restaurant I was taken to for dinner without my husband was a touristy place with fake grapes leaves hanging from fake arbors. When a 35 person tour group trouped in past us it told me all I needed to know. My bowl of pasta with a tomato sauce not much thicker than tomato juice certainly couldn’t have cost more than $10, if that much. Then, the next day I was too sick to go out at all, my husband, who was feeling better by then, went out alone with the tour guide for the day, but it’s my understanding that they skipped all meals.
All in all, there were many aspects of the trip that were memorable for all the right reasons, but also memorable for the above mentioned wrong reasons. For us to have paid as much as we did begs the question, “Was it worth the expense for this private tour experience?” As seasoned world travelers, I’m hard pressed to reply in the affirmative.
Best Part of Trip was Cancelled
Cancel my trip but no refund
DO NOT BOOK WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - LOST MY TRIP MONEY
They have not refunded any portion of my money. They said the airfare was non-refundable and that I couldn't even have a flight credit. But they are the ones that canceled the trip. However Delta told me that a refund check was sent to the agency. Then they said they would refund the other portion of the trip expense, but it may take 6 months. It is completely unacceptable. The entire 100% of the trip should be refunded and should have been refunded the day they canceled the trip.
The business is not responsive to this. I filed a complaint with the BBB and they did not respond. I sent a 30 day demand letter in preparation of filing in court against them. So far no resolution.
I expect a 100% refund AND I share this story to strongly advise against anyone ever booking a national geographic trip of any kind.
I will be posting this review online in every spot I can find.
Highly recommend! It was a trip of a lifetime!
Not worth the money very disorganized and didn't pat attention to details
Details
Optional Activities
Khajuraho and Varanasi - Post-Trip Extension, 5 Days
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Intimate Group - 12 max
Trip ID#:
indrainat
What's excluded
- Air transportation and related fees (except as indicated in the itinerary)
- Activities noted as optional in the itinerary
- Passport, visa, and permit expenses
- Medical expenses and immunizations
- Baggage, accident, cancellation insurance
- Personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone calls, and alcoholic beverages
- Any other items not specifically noted as included
Meals Included
10 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 10 Dinners
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