Itinerary
- Day 1
Delhi
You'll arrive at Delhi Airport and head to your hotel to settle in. At 6 pm there's a welcome meeting where you'll meet your tour leader and other travelers. Before that, take some time to wander through Delhi on your own and check out the historical sites, museums, galleries, and bazaars. For dinner, head to one of the city's oldest restaurants, which introduced ice cream and fine dining to India over 80 years ago.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at iconic restaurant (80+ years old, credited with introducing India to ice cream and fine dining))
Included Activities
- Delhi Welcome dinner at iconic restaurant
Optional Activities
- Explore Delhi's historical landmarks, museums, galleries and bazaars
- Day 2
Delhi
Your leader takes you on a tour of Old Delhi starting with a traditional rickshaw ride through the streets around Chandi Chowk marketplace. You'll see Jama Masjid, India's oldest and largest mosque, then stop at the Sheeshganj Gurudwara Sikh temple to experience the spiritual side of the city. The evening is free to relax, and your leader can suggest food spots and activities if you want recommendations.
Included Activities
- Old Delhi City Tour (leader-led)
- Chandi Chowk marketplace rickshaw tour
- Jama Masjid visit
- Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh temple) visit
Landmarks Chandi Chowk Jama Masjid Sheeshganj Gurudwara - Day 3
Delhi to Agra
Drive south to Agra, taking in the scenic views along the way. After checking into your hotel, you'll visit the Taj Mahal and walk the grounds at sunset while your guide explains its history. Later, join a street food tour with a local expert to try hyperlocal eateries and 19th-century shops that serve age-old recipes from the Braj region.
- Meals
- Dinner (Expert-led street food tour with hyperlocal eateries and 19th-century shop serving age-old recipes from Braj region)
Included Activities
- Taj Mahal visit with guide
- Agra street food tour (as dinner)
Landmarks Taj Mahal 
- Day 4
Agra to Jaipur
Start the morning at Agra Fort, one of India's finest-looking forts built by Akbar in 1565 and later transformed into a palace by Shah Jahan. Then you'll head to Jaipur. Check into the heritage Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, which the same family has managed since 1928. Join a walking tour through busy streets and bazaars with handcrafted textiles, folk art, and semi-precious stones. End the day with a home-cooked dinner at a local family's home.
- Meals
- Dinner (Home-cooked dinner with local family)
Included Activities
- Agra Fort visit
- Jaipur walking tour through streets and bazaars
- Jaipur home-cooked dinner with local family
Landmarks Agra Fort - Day 5
Jaipur
On a guided tour, you'll explore Amber Fort with its ornate rooms, murals, and intricate jali work while learning about a fallen empire. Next, head to the City Palace, a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture, and tour the grounds. The afternoon and evening are free to explore on your own, with optional activities available if you want something to do.
Included Activities
- Amber Fort guided tour
- City Palace tour
Optional Activities
- Jantar Mantar Observatory (one of world's most accurate pre-modern observatories, dating to 1729)
- Hot air balloon flight over Jaipur
- Sample Rajasthani street food like pyaaz kachori
Landmarks Amber Fort City Palace Jantar Mantar Observatory - Day 6
Jaipur to Lucknow
This morning is relaxed before you fly east to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. When you arrive, your leader will guide the group on an afternoon orientation walk to get familiar with the city. Later, join the group for dinner at a restaurant that supports acid attack survivors, giving these women a refuge and source of income.
- Meals
- Dinner (Sheroes Dinner at restaurant supporting and empowering acid attack survivors)
Included Activities
- Lucknow orientation walk
- Lucknow Sheroes Dinner (restaurant supporting acid attack survivors)
- Day 7
Lucknow
Your leader takes you on a tour of Lucknow's best spots, including the intricate Bara Imambara, a 1784 hall built for Shia Muslims with a labyrinthine layout best navigated with a knowledgeable local guide. In the afternoon, join a cooking class to learn Lucknow's culinary secrets. For dinner, you might try Tundy Kebabi, a local delicacy.
Included Activities
- Lucknow city tour
- Bara Imambara visit
- Awadhi cooking class
Landmarks Bara Imambara - Day 8
Lucknow to Varanasi
Wake early and board an air-conditioned train to Varanasi. Breakfast is packed with you, and you can interact with local vendors boarding at stops to sell snacks and Indian chai tea. Enjoy countryside views from your seat during the journey. After checking into your hotel, take a walking tour of India's spiritual capital. In the evening, sail on the Ganges at sunset with local musicians playing during the flower and candle ceremony.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Packed breakfast on train)
Included Activities
- Train journey to Varanasi
- Varanasi orientation walk
- Varanasi evening Ganga aarti with musicians on boat
- Varanasi Ganges candle flower ceremony
Landmarks Ganges River - Day 9
Varanasi
Head out on a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges where your leader explains the significance of India's most sacred river while you glide past ghats and temples on its banks. Explore at your own pace before traveling to Sarnath, one of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage destinations where Buddha preached enlightenment. Walk through the stupas and museums there.
Included Activities
- Varanasi sunrise Ganges boat trip
- Sarnath Stupa visit
- Sarnath Museum visit
Landmarks Sarnath Ganges River - Day 10
Varanasi to Delhi
Fly back to Delhi. The afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace. Check out sites you may have missed earlier, like Humayun's Tomb from 1570 or Qutb Minar, the highest tower in India. Your leader can help you book activities. For your final dinner as a group, head to a beautiful haveli from 1887 featuring Mughlai cuisine, street food, and kebabs in a historical setting.
- Meals
- Dinner (Farewell dinner at Haveli Dharampura (historical 1887 building) featuring Mughlai cuisine, street food dishes and kebabs)
Included Activities
- Farewell dinner at Haveli Dharampura
Optional Activities
- Humayun's Tomb (INR600)
- Qutub Minar (INR600)
Landmarks Humayun's Tomb Qutb Minar Haveli Dharampura - Day 11
Delhi to Chennai
Fly to Chennai, India's cultural heart and fourth-largest city, to start the second half of your trip. You'll be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel. At 6 pm there's a second group meeting where you'll meet your new group and trip leader. If you arrive early, check out Georgetown Bazaar market stalls. After the meeting, join the group for a welcome dinner with South Indian vegetarian dishes like idly, dosa, and poori.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at Chennai's first South Indian chain restaurant featuring iconic vegetarian dishes like idly, dosa and poori)
Included Activities
- Chennai welcome dinner at first South Indian chain restaurant
Optional Activities
- Georgetown Bazaar market stalls (if arriving early)
Landmarks Georgetown Bazaar - Day 12
Chennai to Mamallapuram to Puducherry
Leave Chennai behind and drive along the scenic East Coast Road to the fishing town of Mamallapuram. Visit the 8th-century Shore Temple with its carved pillars and watch locals pay respects to the deity Shiva. Continue to Puducherry, a former French colony until 1954 with a distinctly European feel and tree-lined boulevards with European houses and boutiques. Your evening is free to explore with varied food options from traditional Indian to classic French cuisine.
Included Activities
- Mamallapuram Shore Temples guided tour
Landmarks Shore Temple - Day 13
Puducherry
You have a free morning, then join your leader on a walking tour to see local temples and the French Quarter. Stroll past mustard-colored buildings draped with vibrant bougainvillea while hearing stories of revolutionaries, generals, and kings. Stop by the pastel pink Church of Notre Dame and other evidence of the French colonial period. Visit a cafe in White Town for local snacks, then the evening is free to explore.
Included Activities
- Puducherry French Quarter walking tour
- Sri Aurobindo Ashram visit
- Snack stop at local cafe in White Town
Landmarks Church of Notre Dame - Day 14
Puducherry to Madurai
Continue to Madurai with plenty of chai stops along the way. Arrive in the late afternoon and take a short orientation walk to get familiar with one of India's oldest cities. Join your leader on a tour of Tamil cuisine, exploring street food stalls, family-owned restaurants, and regional delicacies not typically on tourist menus. Taste mutton dosa or fish gravy while hearing stories of centuries-old recipes. End the night with Jigarthanda, Madurai's celebrated dessert.
Included Activities
- Madurai orientation walk
- Madurai street food tour
- Day 15
Madurai
Continue exploring Madurai with your leader guiding you through the Tailor's Market, local bazaars, and the Sri Meenakshi Temple. This ancient temple still in use today is a maze of lamp-lit corridors leading to shrines where traditional rituals happen. Visit the National Gandhi Museum dedicated to the Father of the Nation and India's fight for independence. See the extravagant Thirumalai Nayak Palace built in the 17th century. Join a local family for a traditional home-cooked Tamil dinner.
- Meals
- Dinner (Local family home-cooked Tamil dinner featuring dishes like chettinad chicken, egg paratha and vegetable korma)
Included Activities
- Madurai Tailor's Market and bazaar walking tour
- Sri Meenakshi Temple visit
- National Gandhi Museum visit
- Thirumalai Nayak Palace visit
- Local family home-cooked Tamil dinner
Landmarks Sri Meenakshi Temple National Gandhi Museum Thirumalai Nayak Palace - Day 16
Madurai to Thekkady
Make your way to the countryside town of Thekkady, driving past pineapple and rubber plantations. Thekkady is the gateway to Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats. Stop at a spice plantation where you'll speak with a local expert and taste, smell, and learn about the spices that color and flavor India's cuisine. Put your new knowledge to use at lunch, which is made with spices from the plantation. The evening is yours to enjoy.
- Meals
- Lunch (Flavoursome lunch made with spices from the plantation)
Included Activities
- Spice plantation expert-guided visit and lunch
Optional Activities
- Shop for fragrant spices and organic tea
- Relax in palm-fringed pool at resort
Landmarks Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve 
- Day 17
Thekkady
Take a guided nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary with an expert who'll help you spot tiger tracks, spotted deer, Indian elephants, and gaur, the world's largest buffalo species. You're most likely to see Bonnet macaques and Malabar giant squirrels native to India. The afternoon is free, so maybe unwind with an ayurvedic massage. In the evening, watch a high-energy kalarippayattu demonstration at Kadathanadan Kalari Centre, believed to be India's oldest surviving martial art.
Included Activities
- Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary guided nature walk
- Kalarippayattu (Indian martial art) performance at Kadathanadan Kalari Centre
Optional Activities
- Ayurvedic massage
Landmarks Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary - Day 18
Thekkady to Munnar
Drive north to Munnar, an old British Hill Station in a surrounding valley at 1525m above sea level where temperature drops dramatically. Take a tour of the tea plantation where an expert guides you through the tea-making process. Follow narrow pathways, visit workers picking the best tea leaves, and learn how these leaves transform into the world's most popular beverage. Sample different varieties and maybe visit the tea museum. Relax at your mountain resort in the evening.
Included Activities
- Munnar tea plantation tour with tea-making process explanation
- Munnar Tea Museum visit (subject to opening hours)
Landmarks Munnar 
- Day 19
Munnar
Take a guided walk around the lush hills of Munnar, often shrouded in clouds, so have your camera ready as the landscape unfolds. In the afternoon, journey to the scenic Mattupetty Dam where you'll find a man-made lake and spectacular views of surrounding valleys. You can take an optional motorboat ride around the lake. After appreciating the scenery, return to Munnar for a free evening.
Included Activities
- Munnar guided hill walking tour
- Mattupetty Dam viewing
Optional Activities
- Mattupetty Dam motorboat ride around lake
Landmarks Mattupetty Dam - Day 20
Munnar to Alleppey
Drive to the backwaters of Kerala this morning and find Alleppey's palm-shaded waterways. Once a significant trading port, the town is now famous for long 'snake boat' races held in August each year. Tonight, you'll stay in a traditional houseboat, converted using natural materials like bamboo roofing, coir mats, and coconut tree wood. These floating cottages offer private bedrooms, dining areas, and open decks where you can watch the world go by.
Landmarks Alleppey Backwaters 
- Day 21
Alleppey to Kochi
Enjoy a peaceful morning at the Kerala backwaters before driving to Kochi in the afternoon. Spread over several islands, Kochi is a melting pot of Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, and British influences. Join your leader on an orientation walk to see how these influences show up in architecture, restaurants, and daily life. Take time to enjoy the city, maybe grab a coffee on Princess Street. Tonight, watch a Kathakali dance performance, a classical Indian dance from Kerala combining symbolic storytelling with incredible physical technique.
Included Activities
- Kochi orientation walk (leader-led)
- Kathakali dance performance
- Day 22
Kochi
Explore Kochi's antique shops and spice bazaars with your leader showing you how to haggle. Visit the Fort Kochi area and stop by the famous Chinese fishing nets, perhaps Kochi's most photographed sight. Visit the Mattancherry Palace built in the 16th century by the Portuguese and later claimed by the Dutch. Continue to the Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest existing Jewish synagogue in India. In the early evening, join a local chef for a Keralan cooking class.
Included Activities
- Kochi Fort area walking tour (leader-led)
- Chinese fishing nets visit
- Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) visit
- Paradesi Synagogue (Jewish Synagogue) visit
- Keralan cooking class with local chef
Landmarks Chinese Fishing Nets Mattancherry Palace Paradesi Synagogue - Day 23
Kochi
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you'd like to extend your stay in India, speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organize additional accommodation or transfers you might need.
