22 Days | Say hello to sandstone cities, sacred rivers and spicy street food
Embark on a 22-day odyssey through India’s intoxicating north. Discover sights, smells, and flavours that will blaze their way into your memory and stay there forever. See towering sandstone fortresses, pilgrims praying on riverbanks, Maharajah mementos in a ghostly palace, and silhouettes on a desert landscape. India can be a daunting place at times, even for experienced travellers, but with the guidance of your local leader, you’ll be navigating the crowds, dodging the cows and eating the best chaat from a cart in no time! From the beating heart of Delhi to the holy city of Varanasi – this is north India.
Trip overview
- Start
- Delhi, India
- Finish
- Delhi, India
- Theme
- Explorer
- Destinations
- India
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Basix
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 16
- Trip code
- HHRR
- Travel into the Thar Desert, spending a memorable evening eating Rajasthani food under the stars in a camp set among sand dunes.
- Cut through the chaos of Jodhpur’s Sadar Bazaar with your knowledgeable local leader, haggling for handicrafts and sipping some of the best lassi in town.
- Snap incredible photos of the immense Chand Baori, a grand ninth-century stepwell in rural Abhaneri that extends over 20 metres into the earth.
- Explore the centre of India’s spiritual heart – Varanasi – on a guided walking tour through the alleyways of the Old Town right to the bank of the Ganges.
- India can be intimidating, but with your local leader there the whole way, you’ll be dodging cows, navigating market stalls, and eating from the best chaat stalls in Delhi in no time.
- This is a trip made for travellers who value their independence but also want the benefit of a local leader and a group of like-minded travellers. The itinerary has a mix of included activities and free time when your leader will offer suggestions. Please budget spending money for optional activities you want to partake in.
- In order to see as much as possible in this vast country, this trip involves some very long bus and train journeys, including a 19-hour overnight train from Delhi to Jaisalmer and a 15-hour overnight train from Varanasi to Delhi. These trips can be tiring but offer a quintessential Indian experience.
- Overnight trains feature padded berths with sheets, a pillow, and a blanket provided (although some people prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet). Please note that you may be sharing with locals of the same or opposite gender. More information can be found in the ‘Transport’ section of the Essential Trip Information or at https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/india-trains-guide.
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025
Itinerary
Inclusions
2 breakfasts, 2 dinners
Overnight sleeper train, Train, Private vehicle, Public bus, Metro, Auto rickshaw, Cycle rickshaw, Taxi
Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night), Hotel/Guesthouse (17 nights), Overnight sleeper train (3 nights)
- Delhi - Leader-led Old Delhi walking & rickshaw tour
- Delhi - Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque
- Delhi - Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple)
- Jaisalmer - Leader-led walking tour
- Thar Desert - Overnight Desert Camp
- Jodhpur - Leader-led walking tour
- Udaipur - Leader-led walking tour
- Pushkar - Leader-led walking tour
- Jaipur - Leader-led walking & market tour
- Abhaneri - Chand Baori stepwell
- Varanasi - Leader-led Old City walking tour
- Delhi - Humayun's Tomb - INR600
- Delhi - Qutub Minar - INR600
- Delhi - Red Fort - INR600
- Delhi - Gandhi's Delhi Urban Adventure - INR3350
- Delhi - Delhi Food Walk Urban Adventure - INR3750
- Delhi - Hidden Gems of Delhi Urban Adventure - INR4100
- Bikaner - Junagarh Fort - INR300
- Jaisalmer - Folklore Museum - INR10
- Jodhpur - Bishnoi villages day trip - INR750
- Jodhpur - Meherangarh Fort - INR600
- Udaipur - Cultural performance - INR250
- Udaipur - Sajjan Garh Palace (Monsoon Palace) - INR300
- Udaipur - Shilpgram craft village - INR50
- Udaipur - Cooking class - INR600
- Udaipur - City Palace - INR300
- Udaipur - Lake Pichola boat ride - INR600
- Pushkar - Brahma Temple - Free
- Pushkar - Sunrise at Savitri Temple - Free
- Jaipur - Amber Fort - INR500
- Jaipur - City Palace - INR1000
- Jaipur - Bollywood Movie at Raj Mandir Cinema - INR400
- Jaipur - Balloon Safari - USD280
- Agra - Taj Mahal - INR1300
- Agra - Agra Fort - INR650
- Agra - Akbar's Mausoleum - INR300
- Varanasi - Sunset candle flower ceremony - INR400
- Varanasi - Sarnath - INR315
- Varanasi - Sunrise Ganges boat trip - INR400
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 2,17,20 (Overnight sleeper trains) and Day 6 (Camping) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. Hot air balloon flights in Jaipur are operated by Sky Waltz. Flights operate from 1st September to 30th April and last approximately 60 mins. Return transfers, tea and coffee plus light refreshments, and a certificate of flight are included in the cost. You can register your interest and pay your tour leader at your welcome meeting on day 1 of your trip. Payment must be made by cash in either INR/AUD/USD/GBP only and is USD 260pp (subject to change). Flights are subject to availability and weather conditions (tickets are fully refundable in case of bad weather).
3. Please provide your full name exactly as it appears on your passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases, you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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