This trip is not for the faint-hearted. Despite various lengths being quoted, the traveler is... Kevin Adrian Fingleton, 2019 See more reviews
An amazing trip with a very full on itinerary! You’ ll see all the highlights of Northern India,... Gabriella Sardi, 2019 See more reviews
Absolutely superb. Our guide, Ajay Gupta, was out of this world. All Exodus guides are super but... Carolyn (Judy) Howlett, 2019 See more reviews
Fabulous advice and guidance, ethical and sustainable throughout. The Taj Mahal was amazing and... Cathryn Shean, 2016 See more reviews
A fantastic trip giving you an experience of the countries culture, the local wildlife and... Sean C, 2014 See more reviews
Itinerary Expand all Delhi to Delhi Day 1 Start Delhi; transfer to Jaipur. Those who are on the group flights will land in Delhi in the morning. Those not on the group flights will need to be at the start hotel by 9.30am (or at the airport when the group land). A local representative will meet Land Only clients at the start hotel and provide a transfer to the airport where we meet clients arriving on the group flight. Once everyone has arrived we will then depart on the drive to Jaipur, which may take between 5-7 hours depending upon traffic conditions. Standard Hotel Day 2 Visit City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and the Amber Fort; free time for exploring. Built in the late 18th century, Jaipur is a planned city of broad avenues built of sandstone and painted pink at a later stage. 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 of 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 will also see Jaipur's impressive landmark, the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds. We then visit the impressive and splendid Amber Fort, a few miles from the main city, rising above a lake. Jaipur is a centre of many handicrafts, such as durries (woven rugs), carpets, printed cloth, semi-precious stones, leatherwear etc. It will be difficult to leave a workshop without buying anything!Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 To Ranthambore; afternoon game drive in search of elusive tiger. We wind our way through the villages of rural India to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (approx. 5 hr drive); we stay in a hotel not far from the park entrance and make 2 game drives into the park, one in the late afternoon and one the following morning. Ranthambore is one of India's tiger reserves under Project Tiger. After initial success, poaching has drastically reduced the tiger population and the chance of spotting a tiger is small, but many Exodus groups have seen tigers over the last few years. There is other wildlife to spot such as several species of deer, crocodiles and bird life including purple heron, kingfishers, cormorants, parakeets, jacanda, waders and partridges.Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Morning game drive; drive to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri. In the morning we take our second game drive, trying to find that elusive tiger, before we start our journey to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri is the 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 ten thousand worshippers, the palaces, residences and halls of audience are all made of decorative red sandstone. But this magnificence only lasted 14 years, as in 1584 Akbar left Fatehpur Sikri to secure his outlying territories, leaving this city much as we see it today – in perfect condition. This is another very full but rewarding day. Total driving time approx. 7 hrs.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 5 Visit the incredible Taj Mahal and Agra Fort; overnight train to Varanasi. Today we will rise early to visit the beautiful white marble 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 during the day and is matched by the rich interior detail. Within striking distance is the imposing Red Fort of Akbar, third of the Moghul Emperors, whose mighty sandstone walls enclose the beautiful white marble Pearl Mosque and the palaces, halls, courtyards and fountains of his 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 will transfer to Agra train station and join the overnight sleeper train to Varanasi. Sleeper Train Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Relax and enjoy the wonders of Varanasi. We arrive in Varanasi during the morning and transfer to our hotel. Varanasi, located on the river Ganges, 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 get immersed in by exploring its maze of narrow lanes and the many temples and watching the Hindu ceremonies that take place around the clock. There is time to explore the emporiums specialising in silks and brocades or maybe take a massage by the banks of the Ganges. Your leader can organise various optional sightseeing trips during your 2 days here.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Dawn boat ride on the Ganges visiting the bathing ghats; afternoon flight to Delhi. Just before dawn, we take a boat out 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 these three miles of riverbank to soak in the holy waters. This afternoon we fly back to Delhi. Standard hotel Meals included: Breakfast 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 are the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque), Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) and Raj Ghat. For last minute shopping, we recommend the market area of Chandni Chowk or Karol Bagh. Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 End Delhi. Those on the flight inclusive package will depart for the airport this morning for the daytime flight back to London; Land Only arrangements will finish after check-out from the hotel. Meals included: Breakfast
India Visas are required if you are British and for most other nationalities. For UK residents full details of the visa process can be found here. Other nationalities should check with their travel agent or the relevant embassies. If your trip visits Ladakh, in the very north of India, or Sikkim in the northeast, do not mention this on your Indian visa application. This can sometimes slow down or even cause the embassy to reject your visa. When you reach immigration, you are required to pick up an immigration form. If you have an e-visa, ensure you stand in the correct queue - please follow the signs to the e-visa booth (in Delhi this is at the back of the immigration hall). You will need to fill out an additional form at the booth - please make sure that you have the details of your start hotel ready (these details can be found on your Final Joining Instructions).
India There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approx. 2000m, there is low to no risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips going to altitudes of over 3000m there is a risk of being affected by Acute Mountain Sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the TRIP NOTES for further information.
Hotels & Overnight Train 7 nights hotels, 1 night air-conditioned sleeper train. The hotels used are standard city tourist hotels (2 or 3-star, local rating). All rooms have en suite facilities. Service and amenities are generally adequate. Single accommodation (from GBP125) excludes sleeper trains. Overnight trains These are booked in 2-tier (or 3-tier if 2-tier is not available) sleeper A/C. There are many excellent trains in India but the standard of seating and sleeping is not in line with European standards. All seats are pre-allocated at the time the tickets are issued, meaning that we cannot guarantee the whole group are together on the train; your leader will manage this as best as possible and will always check on you during the journey. Indian trains are safe to travel on but we recommend that you keep valuables with you at all times. Snacks are often offered on board (at an additional cost). Whilst some trains have western-style facilities, the majority of services are equipped with squat toilets.
November 25, 2019 Worth More Alive X: An Interview with Paul Goldstein After nearly a century of decline, the wild tiger population figure is limping upwards thanks to conservation efforts
Reviewed December 2019 Kevin Adrian Fingleton Trip: Highlights of Northern India An amazing, enthralling, full-on trip. This trip is not for the faint-hearted. Despite various lengths being quoted, the traveler is effectively on the road in India for 8 days, and flies home on day 9. But in the 8 days you pack in an incredible number of beautiful, memorable sights. You will (hopefully, like we did) meet a smallish group of nice, decent, funny people that you are happy to travel, eat and drink with, and who look out for one another. Transport is effective and comfortable. You'll struggle to take in the volume of sights, sounds and smells that India will provide. The food is wonderful, hotels are comfortable and all in all, it's hard to avoid the 'trip of a lifetime' cliche. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Varanasi - both the night-time 'blessing of the Ganges' ceremony, and about 7 hours later, the dawn boat ride on the Ganges to see the sun rise thru the mists and float past the cremation ghats (at a distance). And in between, the chaotic tuk tuk ride. There were many other highlights, but that one just took my breath away. What did you think of your group leader? Ajay was truly excellent. Easy company, informed, patient at explaining the culture, history, politics and so on. He was very organised, because this trip is a mini-military-operation. It has to be, to see that many amazing things in 8 days. And he added little touches to enhance the trip (eg flowers to scatter on the Ganges). I wanted to see a step well (If I could) so I asked early on, and we got to see one in Jaipur that was not a tourist sight, by making a short detour. That was another highlight for me. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared to get tired. But you can sleep on the bus, the hotel beds are comfortable. And you have the post-trip period back home to look forward to, looking at your (way too many) photographs. It really is full-on, but in a great way. And it seems to match the pace of the places you are seeing - it's not a place to dawdle. Finally, if you are into photography, you'll probably never be somewhere with so many photos 'waiting to be taken'. Bring less clothes - this is not a dressing up holiday - and more camera gear. Last thing, as I think of it. Pollution in Delhi is quite bad - it's just a fact of life. But you are only there for about 48 hours, and even if you get a short term sore throat you recover quickly once you exit the city. It's worth it, I think. Is there anything else you would like to add? This was my first ever trip to India. I utterly loved it, from beginning to end. If you want a chill out holiday, look elsewhere. If you want a safe, well-organised, short sharp trip around some of the key parts of India, this is the one for you. Enjoy
Reviewed April 2019 Gabriella Sardi Trip: Highlights of Northern India Fantastic trip! An amazing trip with a very full on itinerary! You’ ll see all the highlights of Northern India, you will do all the must activities like boat ride in Varanasi. Yes, there will be early mornings, but in return you’ll got to see fantastic places during sunrise! Yes, there will be long bus journeys, but you’ll travel through small villages and see how people live and take some amazing photos. Yes, most hotels were basic, but nice and clean with friendly staff. Yes, the overnight train is fun! Read your trip notes to know what to expect, arrive with open mind, ask questions and enjoy this amazing country! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Varanasi! I wasn’t very keen on that town, read lots of disturbing facts. But the morning boat ride on the Ganges was very inspirational. What did you think of your group leader? We had the best tour leader ever. Friendly, very knowledgeable, had amazing customer service and went all above and beyond for all of us! Thank you Naveen Bazaz! You are a true treasure for your company! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Read your travel notes, they have all the info you need to know! Travel with open mind, ask questions and enjoy!! Is there anything else you would like to add? Thank you Exodus! This was an amazing trip! Had an amazing time which i won’t forget for sure!!
Reviewed January 2019 Carolyn (Judy) Howlett Trip: Highlights of Northern India Highlights of Northern India Absolutely superb. Our guide, Ajay Gupta, was out of this world. All Exodus guides are super but he was just amazing. The sights we saw in such a short time, the standard of the hotels, the food - oh my goodness! I cannot recommend this trip highly enough What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Choosing one is difficult. The Taj mahal is of course a major site - chosen as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and rightly so. But I loved the observatory, partly because it was so unexpected. What did you think of your group leader? Amazing. wonderful. Friendly, knowledgable, everything a guide should be , and more. He made the trip the delight it was Do you have any advice for potential travellers? don't change money at the airport - you'll be charged 10% commission. find an ATM from a major national bank and use that. Is there anything else you would like to add? Difficult to enthuse too highly about this trip. Incredible India indeed.
Reviewed April 2016 Cathryn Shean Trip: Highlights of Northern India Highlights of Northern India Fabulous advice and guidance, ethical and sustainable throughout. The Taj Mahal was amazing and the boat trip on the river Ganges was inspirational an unexpected highlight. The whole trip was well planned, felt very safe as a solo traveller. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing a tiger in a wild was memorable even though there was only a 50% chance. What did you think of your group leader? Excellent tour leader, especially on the overnight train, as the train was on time and the majority of the group were still sleeping, we could have missed the station in Delhi if he was not there. Couldn't have had a better tour leader, as he was indispensable on this trip. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take a small sheet and travel pillow for the overnight train. Is there anything else you would like to add? Will definitely use exodus again.
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