Itinerary
- Day 1
Delhi
You'll arrive in Delhi and head to a 1 pm welcome meeting with your local leader and group. After that, you'll walk through Old Delhi's busy streets and take a rickshaw to see Jama Masjid, the city's oldest mosque, and Sheeshganj Gurudwara to learn about Sikhism. Your evening is free to take in the city's energy and grab dinner with your group.
Included Activities
- Leader-led Old Delhi walking tour
- Rickshaw tour through Old Delhi
- Visit to Jama Masjid Mosque
- Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) visit
Optional Activities
- Indian meal with group members
Landmarks/POIs Jama Masjid Sheeshganj Gurudwara - Day 2
Delhi to Agra
Board a train from Delhi to Agra this morning. Once you arrive, you'll travel by rickshaw through the city, passing important sites and busy marketplaces. Later you'll visit Akbar's Mausoleum, a large red sandstone and marble tomb with detailed patterns built for one of India's greatest Mughal emperors.
Included Activities
- Taj Mahal viewing
- Rickshaw tour across Agra
- Visit to Akbar's Mausoleum
Landmarks/POIs Taj Mahal Akbar's Mausoleum - Day 3
Agra to Chanderi
Start your morning at Agra Fort with a local guide who'll explain how this landmark functioned as a military base, palace, and prison. In the afternoon, take a train to Lalitpur, then transfer by private vehicle to your hotel in Chanderi. You'll have the rest of the evening to settle in and relax.
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Agra Fort
Landmarks/POIs Agra Fort - Day 4
Chanderi
Your guide takes you around Chanderi, a city with roots going back to the 11th century. You'll walk through Old Town's cobbled streets, see the grand Badal Mahal Gate, and check out the 15th-century Jama Masjid from the Mughal period. After that, the day is yours to explore at your own pace with suggestions from your leader.
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Chanderi with local leader
- Old Town walking tour
- Badal Mahal Gate visit
- Jama Masjid visit
Landmarks/POIs Badal Mahal Gate Jama Masjid - Day 5
Chanderi to Orchha to Allahabad
Transfer to Orchha, a historic town on the Betwa River known for 16th-century palaces and temples. You'll have lunch, then tour Orchha Palace with its large domes built tall enough for war elephants. Later there's a cooking demonstration where you'll help prepare dishes before eating what you've made. By evening, you'll board an overnight train to Allahabad to start your Ganges boat journey.
- Meals
- Dinner (Traditional regional meal prepared during cooking demonstration)
Included Activities
- Private transfer to Orchha
- Guided tour of Orchha Palace
- Cooking demonstration
- Traditional dinner from cooking demonstration
Optional Activities
- Lunch in Orchha
Landmarks/POIs Orchha Palace - Day 6
Allahabad to Ganges River Campsite
You'll arrive in Allahabad this morning and use day rooms to freshen up. After that, head to the Ganges for a small riverboat cruise with a support crew nearby as you float past villages and experience river life. By late afternoon, reach your campsite where you can relax, read, or play cricket. The day ends watching the sunset while eating a vegetarian dinner prepared by the boatmen.
- Meals
- Dinner (Vegetarian meal prepared by the boatmen)
Included Activities
- Ganges river boat trip
- Ganges camping experience
Landmarks/POIs Ganges River - Day 7
Ganges River to Varanasi
Leave your boats at Chunar and transfer by private vehicle to Varanasi, one of Hinduism's most sacred cities. You'll take a walking tour of the Old City with your leader, passing temples and shrines to watch rituals. This evening, you'll see the spiritual sunset ceremony where people float small candles on leaves while chanting, singing, and performing with fire.
Included Activities
- Private transfer from Chunar to Varanasi
- Leader-led Old City walking tour
- Sunset candle flower ceremony
Landmarks/POIs Varanasi Old City - Day 8
Varanasi
If you want, rise early to watch the sunrise by the river and take in the sights along the ghats. Around lunchtime, hop in a rickshaw for a food tour through busy streets where you'll sample local spots serving chaat, samosas, jalebi, and lassi. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to wander the laneways behind the ghats, shop for silk, take a yoga class, or head to nearby Sarnath for Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
- Meals
- Lunch (Tasting tour through vibrant streets sampling savory and sweet snacks including chaat, samosas, jalebi and lassi at iconic eateries)
Included Activities
- Sunrise Ganges boat trip (optional early morning activity)
- Holy City Rickshaw Ride and Food Trail
Optional Activities
- Sunrise viewing by the river and ghat exploration
- Wander laneways behind the ghats
- Shopping for local silk
- Yoga class
- Visit to Sarnath Buddhist pilgrimage site
Landmarks/POIs Sarnath - Day 9
Varanasi to Lumbini
You'll cross from India into Nepal at Gorakhpur on a longer journey, so bring a book or podcast. Once you arrive in Nepal, transfer by private bus to Lumbini, where Gautama Buddha was born and one of Buddhism's four major pilgrimage sites sits. Later, visit Lumbini Heritage Park and ride cycle rickshaws to Maya Devi Temple, the actual location believed to be Buddha's birthplace.
Included Activities
- Private bus transfer to Lumbini
- Lumbini Heritage Park visit
- Maya Devi Temple visit via cycle rickshaw
Landmarks/POIs Maya Devi Temple Lumbini Heritage Park Ashoka Pillars - Day 10
Lumbini to Tharu Village Homestay
Travel by private vehicle through the Terai to the Amaltari Madhyavarti village homestay. You'll meet the Tharu community and learn about their distinctive culture and lifestyle. Have lunch with your group in the community, spend time getting to know locals, then freshen up with free time. A 4WD drive takes you to the lake for afternoon tea, followed by a traditional home-cooked dinner made by locals.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in the Tharu community with the group), Dinner (Traditional home-cooked meal made by the locals)
Included Activities
- Private vehicle transfer to village homestay
- Lunch in Tharu community
- 4WD drive to lake
- Traditional home-cooked dinner
Landmarks/POIs Tharu Community - Day 11
Tharu Village to Chitwan National Park
A local member leads you on a guided walk around the Tharu community, sharing information about their distinctive architecture, farms, and the produce they grow. You'll learn about customs, values, and local stories. Then head to your Chitwan National Park lodge, passing through Twenty Thousand Lakes, Nepal's second-largest natural wetland, where you might spot migratory birds, crocodiles, or an Indian rhino.
Included Activities
- Guided walk around Tharu community with local guide
- Visit to Twenty Thousand Lakes (Bis Hajaar Tal)
Landmarks/POIs Twenty Thousand Lakes (Bis Hajaar Tal) Tharu Community - Day 12
Chitwan National Park
After breakfast, walk to the Rapti River for a boat or jeep safari through the national park. Look for brightly colored birds overhead, then have a picnic lunch by the river. Keep watch for gharials, fish-eating crocodiles that were historically hunted for their snouts. You'll visit the crocodile breeding centre to learn about their conservation. Back at your accommodation, relax or join optional activities. Tonight, watch a cultural performance by the local Tharu community.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch by the river)
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Walk to Rapti River
- Boat or jeep safari through national park
- Picnic lunch by the river
- Crocodile breeding centre visit
- Tharu cultural performance
Optional Activities
- Optional activities offered by the park
Landmarks/POIs Chitwan National Park Rapti River - Day 13
Chitwan to Kathmandu
Travel by bus from Chitwan to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. Try to get a window seat so you can see rural Nepal's rice terraces, mountain-side villages, rivers, and the Himalayan backdrop. In Kathmandu, walk through Durbar Square's narrow streets and see traditional architecture, browse markets and bazaars, and try momo, the local Nepali dumplings. Your trip leader can point you toward a good dinner spot.
Included Activities
- Bus transfer from Chitwan to Kathmandu
Optional Activities
- Walking through narrow streets to Durbar Square
- Shopping at markets and bazaars
- Dining at local restaurants for momo
Landmarks/POIs Durbar Square - Day 14
Kathmandu
You'll visit Swayambhunath Temple, Kathmandu's most important Buddhist shrine, known to tourists as the Monkey Temple for its all-seeing Buddha eyes that represent Nepal. Then head to Bodhnath Stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal and one of the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temples, where pilgrims gather. Later, see Pashupatinath, the country's most famous Hindu temple on the holy Bagmati River's banks, where you'll see holy men meditating and pilgrims bathing. The rest of the day is free to explore Kathmandu, with an optional scenic flight through the mountains if you're interested.
Included Activities
- Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple) visit
- Bodhnath Stupa visit
- Pashupatinath Temple visit
Optional Activities
- Scenic flight through the mountains
Landmarks/POIs Swayambhunath Temple Bodhnath Stupa Pashupatinath Temple - Day 15
Kathmandu
Your tour ends today with nothing scheduled. You can leave your accommodation at any time. If you want to stay a bit longer, contact your booking agent beforehand about extending your trip by a couple of days. Extensions often include options like the Kathmandu Rickshaw Night Explorer tour.
Optional Activities
- Extend stay with Urban Adventures tours like Kathmandu: Rickshaw Night Explorer
