Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Delhi
You'll arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport where someone from your hotel meets you. Delhi's got two very different sides worth knowing about. The old part dates back to the 1600s with crowded streets and historical sites everywhere, while New Delhi came later when the British built it with spacious boulevards and contemporary infrastructure. Your transfer takes you to your hotel where you can settle in for the night.
- Day 2
Delhi City Tour
After breakfast, a guided tour covers both sections of the city. In Old Delhi you'll see the Red Fort, Jama Masjid (the largest mosque from the 1600s), and Chandni Chowk's busy market atmosphere. Then it moves to New Delhi for the Presidential Palace, Secretariat Buildings, and colonial structures designed by Edwin Lutyens. By evening you'll reach Qutub Minar (a UNESCO site) and Humayun's Tomb with its Mughal design. The day wraps up by dinner time back at your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full-day guided tour of Old Delhi
- Visit to Jama Masjid
- Exploration of Chandni Chowk market
- Drive past Presidential Palace and Secretariat Buildings
- Visit to Qutub Minar
- Visit to Humayun's Tomb
Landmarks/POIs Red Fort Jama Masjid Chandni Chowk Presidential Palace India Gate Qutub Minar Humayun's Tomb - Day 3
Delhi to Amritsar
Head to the train station this morning for your journey to Amritsar. Once you arrive and check into your hotel, there's time to rest. Later, you'll drive out to the Attari Border where India and Pakistan meet. The border ceremony happens daily about two hours before sunset with gate closing rituals that connect to the 1947 independence migration. Afterward you can visit local bazaars like Hall Bazar for woolen items, hand-woven carpets, and blankets if you're interested. You'll return to town for the evening.
Included Activities
- Train journey to Amritsar
- Visit to Attari Border Ceremony
Optional Activities
- Explore local bazaars including Hall Bazar for woolen garments, hand-woven carpets and blankets
Landmarks/POIs Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) Attari Border Hall Bazar - Day 4
Golden Temple and Village Experience
This morning takes you to the Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib), a white marble and gold complex that's the most sacred site in Sikhism with pilgrims visiting throughout the year. Lunch can be at the temple's community kitchen. After that, you'll travel into the Punjab countryside around Amritsar to see village life. Tractor rides through fields give you a feel for the landscape, and you'll visit a local family home for traditional Punjabi food made with ingredients from nearby farms. Optional activities include cooking lessons for traditional dishes, stream crossings by tractor, or dairy farm visits for milking.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)
- Exploration of Punjab countryside villages
- Tractor ride through fields
- Local family home meal with traditional Punjabi cuisine
Optional Activities
- Learn how to cook traditional Punjabi food with homemade family recipes
- Tractor ride across streams
- Dip in tube-well tank
- Visit to dairy farm and milking cows and buffaloes
Landmarks/POIs Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) - Day 5
Amritsar to Dharamshala
You'll drive toward Dharamshala in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh, a township on a wooded ridge. The Dalai Lama lives here along with a Tibetan refugee community. Red and gold prayer wheels sit in monasteries and temples throughout town where Buddhist pilgrims come year-round. After checking into your hotel, the evening is yours to wander around on your own and get familiar with the place.
Optional Activities
- Explore Dharamshala and local monasteries and temples
- Day 6
Dharamshala
Today focuses on the Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture, a trust working to preserve Tibetan literary and artistic heritage. Inside the workshops you'll see artisans making thangka paintings, statues, and wood carvings in a quiet courtyard garden setting, away from the busier parts of town. The cedar forests surrounding Dharamshala create a peaceful backdrop for exploring this cultural center.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture
- Observation of thangka painting, statue making, and wood carving workshops
Landmarks/POIs Norbulingka Institute - Day 7
Dharamshala to Pragpur
Early morning means a 1.5 hour drive to the toy train station. This scenic rail journey through the Himalayan landscape offers views that make the ride itself memorable. When you arrive, you'll head to Andretta, a village known for artists and craftspeople. There you'll visit the showroom of Sadar Gurcharan Singh, India's first studio potter, and walk through the village. From there it's on to Pragpur in the Shivalik Hills with its elegant Havelis, Italianate buildings, and traditional mud and slate houses on cobbled streets.
Included Activities
- Toy train journey with Himalayan views
- Visit to Andretta village
- Visit to Sadar Gurcharan Singh's studio pottery showroom
- Exploration of Pragpur Heritage village
Landmarks/POIs Andretta Pragpur Heritage Village - Day 8
Pragpur to Shimla
After breakfast in Pragpur, you'll stop in Garli to see the village's architectural features. Narrow paths connect mansions with elaborate woodwork, gothic windows, gabled roofs, ornamental jaali patterns, and impressive doors. Names like Santri Wali Kothi, Mystery House, and Raeeso Wali Kothi mark these photogenic buildings. Later you drive to Shimla where you check in at your hotel. An orientation walk covers The Ridge and The Mall, streets from Shimla's days as the British Indian summer capital. The evening is free for relaxing.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Sightseeing in Garli village
- Orientation walk on The Ridge and The Mall in Shimla
Landmarks/POIs Garli The Ridge The Mall - Day 9
Shimla to Chandigarh
Morning options include visiting the Viceregal Lodge or looking around Shimla's heritage buildings with neo-Gothic and Tudorbethan architecture. After breakfast and checkout, it's a drive to Chandigarh. You'll arrive, check into your hotel, and have the rest of the day and evening to settle in.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Visit to Viceregal Lodge
- Explore neo-Gothic and Tudorbethan heritage buildings
Landmarks/POIs Viceregal Lodge - Day 10
Chandigarh to Haridwar
The morning starts at Rock Garden, a sculpture garden built from urban and industrial waste by Nek Chand, a former road inspector. The garden has various installations, an open-air exhibition hall, a theatre, and a miniature maze with occasional shows. By afternoon you're driving toward Haridwar where the Ganges comes down onto the plains. Time lets you explore temples and ghats along the river. Evening brings you to Hari-ki-Pauri Ghat for the Aarti ceremony, a spiritual gathering considered equivalent to Varanasi's Dashashwamedh Ghat, where floating lamps release into the sacred water.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Rock Garden
- Exploration of temples and ghats in Haridwar
- Attendance at Aarti ceremony at Hari-ki-Pauri Ghat
Landmarks/POIs Rock Garden Hari-ki-Pauri Ghat - Day 11
Haridwar to Rishikesh
After checking out from Haridwar, you'll head to Rishikesh, a spiritual destination for centuries. Historically wandering monks, ascetics, and yogis passed through on routes to and from Himalayan holy sites. Even the Beatles came here in 1968. Ashrams line the waterfront with evening Aarti ceremonies and floating lamps on the river. The day is yours to wander and experience the town's spiritual atmosphere at your own pace.
Optional Activities
- Explore spirituality and ashrams of Rishikesh
- Attend evening Aarti ceremony
Landmarks/POIs Rishikesh - Day 12
Kunjapuri Devi Temple Hike
After breakfast, you'll hike for a full day to Kunjapuri Devi Temple in the Garhwal Himalayas. Snow-capped peaks and the sacred Ganges appear throughout the hike. At the temple you'll spend time with the views and spiritual energy of the place. Forest trails on the way back offer more mountain vistas. Transportation picks you up after the hike for the short drive back to Rishikesh where you'll stay overnight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full-day hike to Kunjapuri Devi Temple
- Forest trail hiking with Himalayan views
Landmarks/POIs Kunjapuri Devi Temple - Day 13
Rishikesh to Delhi
An express train carries you back to Delhi today for your last night in India. The train ride gives you time to reflect on your journey as you settle in for the overnight travel back to the capital.
Included Activities
- Express train journey to Delhi
- Day 14
Departure from Delhi
At the scheduled time, you'll get a transfer to Delhi's international airport for your departure flight or onward travel. It's time to head home after your India journey.
