A Portrait of India 2023

18 days
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4.2/5 Great
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USTOA

Small Group Tour
Make your way through India and explore the country's amazing diversity from lavish palaces in the north to canal-laced nature sanctuaries in the south – featuring special cultural connections and accommodations at some of the world's most renowned hotels!
From$9,390
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Live like a maharajah at some of the world's top-rated hotels – including a two-night stay at the award-winning The Oberoi Amarvilas
    • Agra
    • featuring views of the Taj Mahal
    • and three nights in Udaipur at The Oberoi Udaivilas...You'll be amazed by all that's included onA Portrait of India... Our popular India tours give you a complete look at this complex country from north to south. Cruise by houseboat in southern India through Kerala's beautiful canals. A boat ride witnesses spiritual ceremonies along the River Ganges in Varanasi
    • and a cooking demonstration features a taste of hospitality on an exclusive insider visit to a chef's private home in Kerala. Enjoy a special Maharajah evening with dinner and entertainment... a traditional dance performance... with special insights from Tauck's local experts and much more...

What's this trip about?

    Make your way through India and explore the country's amazing diversity from lavish palaces in the north to canal-laced nature sanctuaries in the south – featuring special cultural connections and accommodations at some of the world's most renowned hotels!

Compare to similar trips

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - 24 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start City New Delhi, India
End CityMumbai

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Education / Learning

Destinations

  • Asia
  • India

Attractions

  • Agra
  • Agra Fort
  • Amber Fort
  • Delhi
  • India Gate
  • Jaipur
  • Kerala
  • Kochi
  • Mumbai
  • Qutab Minar
  • Taj Mahal
  • Udaipur
  • Varanasi

Activities

  • Cooking
  • Culture
  • Educational/ learning
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • Photography
  • River cruise
  • Wildlife viewing

Trip includes

    • Multiple-night stays at three hotels ranked among the 15 "World's Best" hotels by the readers of Travel + Leisure – The Oberoi Udaivilas, The Oberoi Rajvilas and The Oberoi Amarvilas (where you'll have Taj Mahal views from your room) On-Tour Air included (5 flights) Two nights in Jaipur, highlighted by a visit to the Amber Fort and a Maharajah evening featuring dinner and entertainment A boat ride on the River Ganges, providing an opportunity to experience revered cultural traditions centuries old in Varanasi Exclusive insider visit to a chef's private home in Kerala and a cooking demonstration for an authentic taste of daily life Houseboat and river cruises, and a martial arts demo Kathakali dance performance in tropical southern India

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Arrive New Delhi

Tour begins: 2:00 PM, The Leela Palace New Delhi.
A transfer is included from Indira Gandhi International Airport to your luxury hotel, The Leela Palace New Delhi, renowned for gracious service in the heart of the city. Because most flights arrive late at night or very early in the morning, you may want to travel a day ...
Day 2 Back in time in Old Delhi

You'll tour two UNESCO World Heritage Sites today as you explore the centuries-old history and culture of Old Delhi and environs. The first, which you'll visit this morning, is Humayun's Tomb, constructed for the Mughal Emperor Huma...

Day 3 Rituals on the River Ganges in Varanasi

Fly to the ancient city of Varanasi, built on the banks of the sacred River Ganges. Since the 6th century BC, this city has been a key destination for pilgrims who seek blessing and purification in the river's holy waters. A sightse...

Day 4 Ganges cruise & off to Agra & the Taj Mahal

Awaken early for a cruise on the River Ganges to view the Varanasi sunrise ceremonies, then fly Delhi before transferring to Agra for a two-night stay and tomorrow's visit to one of the world's most famous and recognizable buildings...

Day 5 Wonders in Agra – the Taj Mahal & Agra Fort

Guests who wish may visit the Taj Mahal in time for sunrise – the gates open at sunrise. Those not going quite so early will join your Tauck Director a little later than sunrise (but still early morning) for a guided visit to the sp...

Day 6 Enjoy the royal treatment in Jaipur

Travel to Jaipur for a two-night stay at The Oberoi Rajvilas, reflecting the gracious lifestyles of India's legendary Rajput princes. A sightseeing tour of Jaipur includes the City Palace Museum and the Jantar Mantar Observatory – a...

Day 7 Jaipur's glittering palaces and pavilions of Amber Fort

Today's sightseeing includes the many gems of Jaipur, from the massive gateways and pillared pavilions inside Amber Fort to a tour of Amber Palace, with its magnificent domes, massive ramparts and glittering hall of mirrors. After a...

Day 8 Jaipur & on to Udaipur

This morning, fly from Jaipur to Udaipur for a three-night stay at your luxury Oberoi hotel in Udaipur – nestled along the banks of Lake Pichola and spread over fifty acres, which includes a twenty-acre wildlife sanctuary with deer ...

Day 9 Discovering Udaipur's treasures

An Udaipur sightseeing tour with your local guide includes a stop at the City Palace complex – a labyrinth of richly decorated courtyards, frescoed galleries, and marble temples overlooking a lake that was once the elegant home of t...

Day 10 Udaipur's markets & the city at leisure

Today's sightseeing begins in Udaipur with an auto-rickshaw ride around the city's bustling spice and vegetable markets, for an insightful glimpse into everyday life in Udaipur. In the vegetable markets, women in brightly colored sa...

Day 11 Fly to Kochi (Cochin)

Fly via Bangalore to Kochi (known as Cochin during colonial times) in the state of Kerala, on the southern tip of India, home to coconut groves, paddy fields and wide beaches. Dinner tonight is at your hotel.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty

PORTOFCALL : Kochi, India

Day 12 Traditional cuisine & more in Kochi (Cochin)

Your day today starts off with a morning lecture on Cochin and Kerala followed by a cooking demonstration and lunch at a chef's private home. This afternoon, you'll have a chance to visit the many historical sites of Kochi including...

Day 13 Kerala houseboat cruise & Mohiniattam dancers

Travel through the small villages of coastal Kerala as you make your way to the picturesque island of Kumarakom in Lake Vembanad to continue your Tauck India tour with a two-night lakeside stay at Kumarakom Lake Resort. En route, bo...

Day 14 Kerala villages & Kumarakom resort leisure

After an exclusive morning walk for Tauck guests only in one of Kerala's villages, spend the entire afternoon enjoying the many activities and amenities offered by your beautiful lakefront resort. An unforgettable martial arts demon...

Day 15 Fly to Mumbai and do some city sightseeing

Fly to the "City of Gold," Mumbai (known in earlier times as Bombay), surrounded on three sides by the Arabian Sea. Upon arrival, an introductory sightseeing tour maps out the city and its landmark sites for you. Your accommodations...

Day 16 Treasures of Mumbai & a Heritage Walk

This morning, a walking tour of landmarks includes the Gateway of India, a massive triumphal arch 87 feet high, built to welcome King George V and Queen Mary, who visited in 1911; actually, they were welcomed with a cardboard facsim...

Day 17 Cruise to Elephanta Island

From the Gateway of India in Mumbai, take a boat cruise this morning to Elephanta Island (or Gharapuri, the "city of caves") with a local guide to explore the Elephanta Caves, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This series of rock-cu...

Day 18 Journey Home

Tour ends: Mumbai.
Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from your hotel in Bombay to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Most international flights depart between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Mumbai, India

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Dates & Availability

Price From $9,390
Price per day$522
Last Updated: 10/20/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

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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Tauck

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It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

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What they’re known for
Fun group tours and cruises that are culturally-focused and great for families and seniors on vacation.

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
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Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-IA2023

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