Essence of India
HIGHLIGHTS
Why are we calling this trip "Essence of India"? In this 16 Day trip, you will be going through following thematic experiences - Spiritual, Yogi, Nature & Wildlife, the Himalayas & the Ganges and most important, the Culture. Very few countries can offer this range of emotions in a span of just 2 weeks. That's India for you in a nutshell - and so is this trip.
Walk through the bylanes of Varanasi, catch a Sadhu praying on the ghats of Ganges, a Yogi doing Sadhana, the wildlife of Jim Corbett, and unbelievable Dhauladhar Ranges of Himlayas, and much more.
DAY WISE ITINERARY
Day 1 - New Delhi : Namastey! Welcome to India
Day 2 - Varanasi : Fly from Delhi to Varanasi
Day 3 - Varanasi : Explore Varanasi
Day 4 - Varanasi : Take a walk around this city
Day 5 - Jim Corbett : Fly to Dehradun and drive to Jim Corbett (approx 3.5 hours drive)
Day 6 - Jim Corbett : Take a safari tour of Jim Corbett
Day 7 - Rishikesh : Drive to Rishikesh
Day 8 - Rishikesh : Explore Rishikesh further..
Day 9 - Dharamshala : Fly to Dehradun to Dharamsala
Day 10 - Dharamshala : Overnight in Dharmsala
Day 11 - Dharamshala : Overnight in Dharamshala
Day 12 - Dharamshala : Overnight in Dharamshala
Day 13 - Agra : Travel to Delhi and drive to Agra
Day 14 - Jaipur : Taj Mahal at sunrise and later Drive to Jaipur
Day 15 - Jaipur : Explore Jaipur
Day 16 - New Delhi : Travel to Dehli and Depatures for US
WHAT'S INCLUDED
WHAT'S EXCLUDED
WHAT TO EXPECT
TRANSFERS
ITINERARY
Your flight lands into Delhi airport. You will be greeted by our representative at the airport. Welcome to the hustle and bustle, the overflowing energy around this city.
Move ahead to your accommodation and relax in the comforts of the hotel. You must be tired from the long flight journey.
Have an early breakfast. You have a morning flight to catch for Varanasi.
Our representative would greet you at the Varanasi airport, Proceed to check in to your accommodation. We have been careful in choosing the location of the hotel. It is close the ghats of Ganges, which gives you flexibility to enjoy the ghats at leisure.
Our suggestion: take a stroll around the ghats by the evening. Experience this.
The day is all yours today to explore Varanasi. Have breakfast and relax around the hotel. Go out for a walk to the ghats of Ganges. We have arranged for a walking Tour of Varanasi for you today. You will be accompanied by a local guide here who would be able to explain you the nuances of whatever you see in this city.
Tip for the day: Do not miss the Aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat of Ganges. It takes place sharp at 18:45 Hours every evening.
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities of India. It also is considered as the oldest City in the world! While you will explore this city by yourself today, here are some tips about Varanasi while you explore this place by yourself -
- Explore the small alleys and experience the life here
- Eat street food of Varanasi
- Strike a conversation with a Sadhu
- Watch out how people care about Cows here. Its sacred for them.
- Watch for the burning pyre at the ghats of Ganges
Option: There is a beautiful set up which is promoting the hand woven silk fabrics, trying to review the luxurious craft and skilled craftsmen’s life. Take a trip of this set up and take a first-hand experience of how silk is created by hand technique. Live the life of these amazing craftsmen.
We can arrange this trip for you for an additional cost of USD 90 per person.
Take a morning flight from Varanasi to Dehradun. Our representative will greet you at the airport and head towards Jim Corbett national park. It is around 3.5 hours drive.
This has been specifically designed in order to save your travel time and best fit the routing.
Check in to the accommodation. We will be eager to hear your experience of the stay at this place.
Head out for an early morning Safari. What a sight it would be if you catch a tiger on a prowl and lumbering of an elephant. You will witness the mesmerizing wildlife of this national park today.
Post your breakfast, say goodbye to this beautiful place. Drive to the Yoga Capital of the world - Rishikesh.
This place has some magic. It welcomes you with an open arms. You will find seekers roaming around the streets, seeking wisdom, some seeking knowledge, while some seeking to exchange culture.
Check in to your hotel and head out to the streets of Rishikesh.
Pro Tip: Visit Beatles Cafe in the bylanes of Rishikesh. Finding this would be like a treasure hunt. Also, dare to walk through Laxman Jhoola.
Wake up early this morning. Head to any Yoga centers. There are lots of them. Try catching up an hour session of Yoga at any of these centers. Multiple cafes around the ghats of Ganges. Sipping coffee early morning around these cafes, is an experience worth remembering.
Pro Tip: Try visiting the Beatles Ashram today. You might have to hitchhike, or take a shared cab service which keeps running through the bylanes of this city. Its situated at the other end of Rishikesh. Check yourself what pulled Beatles to this place. The graffiti on the walls here can beat the ones of LA.
Check out post your breakfast. You have an early morning flight (approx 0800 hrs) to catch from Dehradun today. We fly to Dharamsala directly . We have especially chosen this flight to avoid going to Delhi, thereby saving an entire day.
Our rep will meet you at the Dharamsala airport and take you to the accommodation. Check in and rest of the day is at leisure for you.
You are going to spend 4 days here, hence the accommodation has been chosen to give you the best experience.
Explore Dharamsala on your own. The sight of mighty Indrahar pass of The Himlayas - that's what you would wake up to. You can spend hours just looking at the sheer size of these mountains.
Here are some tips:
Go for small hikes around the mountains
Talk to local people
Have some amazing Indian and International food in the restaurants here
Catch some yogis doing meditation
Explore the day at leisure. Few more tips -
Try the local rum. It suits well for this weather.
Talk to people from multiple nationalities. Understand what brings them here.
Talk to local village people. What's the secret recipe of their happiness
Join some local gathering happening at the evening. Everyone welcomes everyone.
Try some local shopping of souvenirs. They are not of the highest quality, but hey! they are souvenirs.
Last day at Dharamsala today. Whatever you have liked in past 2-3 days, repeat that today. You can't get enough of this place. The slow pace of this city will pull you towards it.
Check out early morning to catch a flight to Delhi. Our rep greets you at Delhi and immediately we push to Agra. Its a 4 hours drive.
Taj Mahal is shut on Fridays. Hence we have accommodated the itinerary keeping this in mind.
Check in to the hotel and relax for the rest of the day.
Wake up early and our rep will pick you up for a visit the the Taj Mahal at sunrise. This monument represents Love, Hisory, Culture and much much more. Catching its glimpse at sunrise multiplies the experience.
Later, we drive to Jaipur directly. This has been accommodated so that the guests don't miss out catching a glimpse of Jaipur.
Explore Jaipur city. Its also called the pink city. You will know why. The private car arranged for you is also accompanied by an experience local driver. His knowledge will be beneficial to you. He will take you to the crucial spots of Jaipur using all the shortcuts. He will ensure you catch the best of this place since you have just 1 day in hand.
Here are some tips -
Do Not miss Hawa Mahal
Visit the local market near Hawa Mahal
Shop for some locally made bed sheets and linens.
Visit the local meusuem
Try the street food of Jaipur
Click some pictures in local attire of Rajasthan
Check out and Head to Delhi. Today you fly back to your destination. Hope this has been a memorable trip for you.
There is a village tour around Delhi which we want you to explore. If you are interested, we would tweak the itinerary a little bit to accommodated this tour. Its worth it.
Option:
There is a wonderful village around the outskirts of Delhi. We can arrange for Village tour where you can visit the local houses, interact with the folks out here, visit the local schools and see how the teachers are making impact to their lives. The hospitality is going to keep you speechless. Our guests have described this Village tour as one of the most humbling experiences ever.
We can arrange this trip for USD 110 per person.
GENERAL INFO AND FAQ
Booking and Cancellation
Standard Payment Policy
- Pay 10% Advance and block your tour ,
- Pay 40% in next 7 days (if your tour date is above 60 days)
- 75% payment is required minimum to book tour, If your tour date falls within 45 days than
- 100% payment is required, If your tours falls within 30 days then
These are standard payment terms , in case of any deviation please check individual package policy. In extreme case these policy might get deviated so please check package payment also mentioned on package detail page.
Standard Cancellation Policy
- 0% Cancellation Charges if cancelled 3 months
- 10% cancellation within charges cancelled within 60 to 45 days
- 20% Cancellation Charges if Cancelled within 45-30 days
- 50% Cancellation charges if Cancelled within 30 to 15 days
- 80% Cancellation Charges if cancelled within 15 days of tour start date
These are standard cancellation charges, would be applicable to all packages unless mentioned specific on package detail page.