Iconic India
14 days
from Delhi to Wallarpat Island
From
$ 2799
Duration14 days
From top to bottom, India is incredible. Explore both northern and southern regions on a 14-day journey to India’s most iconic sites. Explore Rajasthan’s grand forts and palaces, discover new depths of relaxation on a houseboat in Kerala’s backwaters, and learn about traditional culture in the small village of Pachewar. Round out the experience with pilgrimages to the glorious Taj Mahal, the “Pink City” of Jaipur, and Kochi's fishing markets.
This tour is operated by
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Duration: 14 daysService level: Upgraded
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Starts in: DelhiPhysical Grading: Light
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Ends in: Wallarpat IslandAges: 12+
Tour Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Delhi
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting, so check into to the hotel and enjoy the city. We highly recommend booking a pre-night in Delhi to get over your jetlag and be ready for this very busy trip.
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included through Women on Wheels, a G Adventures-supported project.
Day 2: Delhi/Āgra
Enjoy a youth-led walk through Delhi as part of the G Adventures-supported City Walk project. Later, explore Old Delhi with your CEO before an afternoon drive to Agra.
Meals: B
Day 3: Āgra
Spend the day visiting the highlights of the walled city of Agra including the famed Taj Mahal, Baby Taj, and Agra Fort.
Meals: B
Day 4: Āgra/Jaipur
Drive to Jaipur, visiting the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri and the village of Abhaneri, which has one of India's deepest and largest stepwells (tank gardens).
Meals: B
Day 5: Jaipur
Consider treating yourself to a night at the cinema. Going to see a Bollywood film in India is much more than what we are accustomed to in the west. The atmosphere, energy, and pure fun (not to mention volume!) has to be experienced to be believed.
Explore the "Pink City," known also as Jaipur, including the Amber Fort, City Palace, and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). Listen to a local historian/scholar discuss the spirituality, social fabric, customs, and traditions of India.
Meals: B
Day 6: Jaipur/Pachewar
The village is about 85km (53 mi) from Jaipur and has beautiful temples dedicated to different religions. The residents of the village are still involved in traditional commercial activities. You'll see pottery wheels, silversmiths, cobblers, traditional huts, old temples, and a mud house where you can witness a cooking demonstration with local family.
Drive to the rural village of Pachewar where we stay in a heritage home. Exploring this traditional village is like stepping back in time. Walk and meet with locals and explore how urbanization affects village life, modernization and its benefits and disadvantages, as well as simple village customs and traditions.
Meals: B, D
Day 7: Pachewar/Delhi
Drive back to bustling Delhi. Opt to join your CEO for a group dinner.
Meals: B
Day 8: Delhi/Kochi
Transfer to the airport and fly to Kochi. In the evening, there will be a welcome meeting for new travellers joining the group.
Fly to Kochi. In the evening, meet your South India CEO and some new group members.
You may have one CEO for the North and one for the South. In this case you will be transferred to the airport in Delhi and fly unescorted to Kochi -- either on your own or with any other travellers who are continuing on for the south portion of the tour. Upon arrival to Kochi, there is free time to relax until the welcome meeting in the evening.
Meals: B
Day 9: Kochi/Thekkady
Meet a local spice expert, learning the medicinal and culinary uses of spices and their importance in the life of Kerala and all of India.
Visit the Dutch Palace and Jewish Quarter of Kochi. After, travel to Thekkady, the spice capital of India, and visit spice and tea Plantation for a walk with a local expert to understand the medicinal value of Spices and the process of manufacturing of Tea.
Meals: B
Day 10: Thekkady
This morning, enjoy a boat ride on Periyar Lake to view bird and other wildlife of Periyar National Park. After, visit a local family home for a cooking demonstration and lunch. Relax this afternoon or opt to take a nature walk, before a Kalaripayatt (Kerala traditional martial art) performance at a local theatre.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 11: Thekkady/Kumarakom
Continue to Kumarakom on Vembanad Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala. Explore the rural backwaters and take a country boat to Manjira village, meeting local people and learning about coconut farming and rural life. Watch a toddy tapping demonstration and enjoy a taste of coconut water, fresh from the tree.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 12: Kumarakom
This morning, meet with a representative of the Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program to learn about the ongoing work by local communities to conserve the lake and surrounding wetlands. This project was created by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), an organization that National Geographic has collaborated with on many conservation projects across India over the past decade. Continue by boat to a fish sanctuary established by traditional fishermen through the program. Meet with some of the fishermen and see firsthand how their traditional ways of collecting and processing clams are models for the management of lake resources. Continue to explore Allepey, a golden streak of land surrounded by rivers, lakes, lagoons, and canals, by private houseboat. Relax on the deck and enjoy the scenery, watching daily life take place along the water.
Meals: B
Day 13: Vypīn Island
Start place: Wallarpat Island
Free time on Vypīn Island.
End place: Wallarpat Island
Meals: B
Day 14: Vypīn Island
Start place: Wallarpat Island
Depart at any time. Hotel checkout is at 12:00pm. It is very easy to arange a transfer from the resort to the Cochin airport - your CEO will be happy to assist.
Depart at any time.
End place: Wallarpat Island
Meals: B
Inclusions
Included
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Meet a Local Historian, Jaipur Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Local Village Immersion, Pachewar Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Spice Experience, Thekkady Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Family Cooking Demonstration, Thekkady Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Visit Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program, Kumarakom Your G for Good Moment: Women on Wheels Transfer, Indira Gandhi International Airport Your G for Good Moment: City Walk, Delhi
- Tour of Old Delhi
- Tour the Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj, and Agra Fort
- Visit Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri step wells
- Explore Jaipur
- Walking tour of old Kochi
- Visit a tea factory
- Wildlife viewing on Periyar Lake
- Kalaripayatt performance
- Walking and boat tour of rural villages
- Houseboat trip on the Kerala backwaters
- Kathakali cultural performance
- Internal flights
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
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Transport
Private van/bus, Auto-rickshaw, Cycle-rickshaw, Walking, Plane, Boat -
Accommodation
Hotels (12 nts), Heritage hotel (1 nt)