Travelling through India is about the sights and sounds. It is about taking in the smells and experiencing the emotions. Travel is always a sensory experience—and the sense-memories we create as we discover new places are powerful enough to transport us back for years to come. Perhaps no place on earth engages the senses quite like India. In fact, some have referred to it as “sensory overload”—but we think this is a beautiful thing … India is about the people, the warmth of Indian hospitality and the genuine friendliness to guests. A Journey is about completely immersing your senses in the surroundings and letting the uniqueness of the country through India take over. A journey through India is a life altering experience and a trip of a lifetime.

Hear …When you first arrive, you hear the traffic—a cacophony of car horns. But as you immerse yourself in the street life of the cities, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the honking fades into background noise. Saying that the traffic was a cultural highlight of your trip may seem a little odd at first, however, you really have to see the traffic in India to believe it!! It is always rush hour in India,

Taste …The food in India is just as colourful as its history. Dishes are rich, varied and brought to life by the use of herbs and spices. Food is an important part of Indian culture, playing a hugely significant role in everyday life.

Feel … Silk is woven into the fabric of life in India. From an economic standpoint, it’s a vital industry—but you’ll notice it more in the garments of the local women. A rainbow of silken saris will tempt you in market stalls and implore you to reach out and touch, feeling the fabric’s softness between your fingers. If you can bring a lot of patience, a great sense of humour and a willingness to interact with the local people, your travel experience in India will be greatly enhanced.

Experience… For a sensation that encompasses your entire body, stretch your muscles in a yoga pose—and feel your breath as it goes in and out. You may find yourself also feeling enlightened.

Smell …At times, the smells that result from millions of humans and animals sharing the streets may overwhelm you—but real life in India does not disguise itself for travelers. It does, however, offer tantalizing aromas as well. You’ll catch an ever-shifting palette of spices wafting from street food stalls … the occasional scent of jasmine flowers, either placed as a temple offering or adorning a woman’s hair … the burning of incense to honor a deity, its smoke believed to ward off demons (of both the mystical and olfactory variety).

Travelling as a small group, the – 12 Nights / 13 days India “Journey of the senses and the soul”offers visitors a “promise of something special” as it features destination highlights, including a few UNESCO World Heritage sites, unique dining, safe transportation, an experienced tour director, and the comfort and security of knowing all your travel needs are being taken care of.

Tour highlights

• Traditional welcome upon arrival
• German Speaking escort for the entire tour 
• No queuing up – Priority entry at all Monuments
• One Trained assistant for every two participants
• Enjoy a cycle tour where you can feel the contrast between old and new.
• Visit to Blind relief foundation.
• Divine blessing at a Hindu Temple 
• Go back to a time when Maharajas entered the Amber Fort in Jaipur on elephant back, as you experience the elephant journey yourself.
• Visit to a school for rescued street children ( Ladli organization ) in Jaipur
• Surpassing all other tour experiences, “Journey of the senses and the soul”allows you to immerse your taste buds in all the decadent flavors found in Indian cuisine, as you enjoy some unique dining experiences. 
• Taj Mahal visit in Agra
• Folk Dance show in Khajuraho
• Visit to world famous erotic temples of Khajuraho
• Experience sunset Arati ceremony at River Ganges. 

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Delhi

Meals:  D

On arrival at Delhi international airport you will be received and assisted to your pre-blocked hotel. Delhi is the capital city of India, a blend of many historical eras. Its grand Mughal past is evident in its many historic monuments, forts and tombs. The elegant tree-lined avenues and majestic buildings of New Delhi tell us the tales of the British Raj. As the capital city of one of the world’s fastest growing economy, Delhi attracts people from all over India & the World making it a cultural melting pot and adding to its cosmopolitan flavor. Many nationalities, races, religions co-exist peacefully. Delhi is also the cultural capital of India besides being a shopper’s paradise and a gastronomist’s delight.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 2: In Delhi

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast proceed to visit Old Delhi.

In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. Continue your tour to Jama Masjid by bicycle rickshaws, one of Asia’s largest mosques. People stream in and out of the mosque continuously and the presence of a nearby bazaar means that the area is rarely quiet. Enjoy the rickshaw ride at Old Delhi peddling through the narrow by lanes of Chandani Chowk.

Visit to National museum.

A Gallery with Enhanced Access for Visitor

Anubhav: A Tactile Experience: A Gallery with Enhanced Access for Visitor. National Museum: Art is a universal medium of expression, bridging gaps across language, time and culture.

But galleries and museums aren’t always accessible to everyone, often excluding blind people and those with low vision from truly experiencing the art world. With about 285 million blind or visually impaired people in the world, that’s a sizable part of the global population being left out.

But innovations — both simple and high-tech — are making the art world even more inclusive.

The Gallery has been developed with the help of UNESCO, Saksham (an NGO working with blind persons), Open Knowledge Community (OKC), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT) and the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD). The Gallery allows full tactile access accompanied by an audio-guide and Braille labels. It has been designed completely pro-buono by Mr. Amardeep Labana and his team who is an architect and a volunteer at National Museum.

Audio-guide and other interpretations have been developed with assistance from Mr. Siddhant Shah who also works with Museum and access. The Museum is committed to further enrich the experience by training and sensitizing its staff and volunteers

Lunch at local restaurant.

Our next destination is the magnificent Tomb of Humayun, a perfect culmination of distinctly evolved Mughal architecture in the Indian subcontinent, inspiring the Taj Mahal.

This impressive structure is built on a monumental scale, grandeur of design, square garden (charbagh) setting inspired by the description of paradise in the Holy Quran, with no precedence in the Islamic world for a mausoleum such as this.

A beautiful synthesis of Persian architecture and Indian traditions, exemplified by the arched alcoves, corridors, the high double dome, the kiosks, giving it a pyramidal outline from distance. As you stand facing the tomb, visualise perfect symmetry – the cornerstone of Mughal architecture.

Run your fingers over the intricate patterns carved on the red sandstone lattice screens and feel the dexterity of the stone artisans of yore to be able to create fine masterpieces on stone – a perfect marriage of skills and simplistic tools.

Later visit Qutub Minar.

We visit the Qutab Minar, the leaning tower of India (it leans 2 feet off its axis) located in a lush green complex. Though, it was the first formal entry of Islamic rule in India, its various structures offers very interesting insights into its architecture.

As you touch the pillars in the Quwwat ul Islam mosque, you realise the haphazard placement of stones and columns carrying figures or patterns from Hindu temple architecture. This is indicative of the non-existence of any architectural plan preceding the construction of Qutub Minar.

Run your fingers over the calligraphic arches and feel the intricacy of the patterns carved on its various curves. India gets its first crude arch!.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 3: In Delhi

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast at the hotel proceed to visit “The Blind Relief association”

Established in the year 1944, the Blind Relief Association, Delhi is a premier non-governmental organization in the country serving the visually impaired. Over seven decades of its existence the Association has built up a complex of services managed by professional and skilled staff.  In its green campus located prominently in the heart of national capital city of New Delhi, the Association is providing quality school education and conducting training programmes to prepare teachers for the visually impaired; running a range of vocational skill training courses in light engineering and other industrial trades; multi-skill training programme covering bookbinding/paper craft, candle making, packaging, sewing, chair caning, relaxation massage, making soap and cottage industry products etc; besides conducting computer training programmes for the visually challenged. The Association also provides counseling and direct help in employment to the visually impaired. The Association offers other services like as production of study material in Braille and audio recorded books for the visually challenged, either free or at nominal cost. The campus also has a hostel which houses nearly 300 children and adult students and trainees.

After Lunch at local restaurant visit Dilli Haat.

The craftsmen who are registered with D.C. Handicrafts are the ones who are eligible to find a place here. The stalls selling handicrafts are allotted on a rotational basis to craftsmen who come from all corners of the vast & varied land of India at nominal payment for a period of 15 Days. This ensures that visitors get to buy authentic wares at prices that have not been inflated by high maintenance costs.

You can also savour the inimitable flavors of the delightful local foods from the various regions of India be it the momos from Sikkim or the Bamboos hot chicken from Nagaland, Kahwa & Kebabs from Jammu,  Pooranpoli from Maharastra or the Gujrati Dhokla. The food stalls offer you variety of foods served in an Eco friendly manner.

Dilli Haat The DILLI HAAT provides the ambience of a traditional Rural Haat or village market, but one suited for more contemporary needs. Here one sees a synthesis of crafts, food and cultural activity. 

This Food and Craft Bazar is a treasure house of Indian culture, handicrafts and ethnic cuisine, A unique bazaar, in the heart of the city, it displays the richness of Indian culture on a permanent basis

Evening Arti at Laxminarayan Temple.

Day 4: Delhi – Jaipur (Drive 5 hrs. approx.)

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast at the hotel drive to Jaipur. Upon arrival check in at the hotel.

After lunch proceed to visit Ladli. (Vocational training organization)

Ladli is located in the poor desert city of Jaipur, India. For most of our children their alternative is begging, child labour, or even prostitution, but at Ladli they learn to make Jewellery and handicrafts – valuable skills in Jaipur. The children are also taught Hindi, English, Art and Dance, and provided nutrition, medical check-ups and counseling. Most importantly of all they gain confidence, hope and self-esteem. We believe that in addition to providing children education and employability, Ladli is a place where emotional trauma and the stresses of poverty can in some way be healed.

Later visit Turban Museum to experience Turban tying. Also enjoy Heena by Artist.

Followed by dinner at local restaurant with cultural show.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 5: In Jaipur  

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast Begin an exciting day around Amer with a stop at the beautiful Hawa Mahal. The Palace of Winds is a five-storey spectacle with a dazzling pyramidal facade and overhanging windows. The journey now continues on to the ancient Amer palace. Perched atop a ridge just outside Jaipur City, Amer is surrounded by fortified battlements, overlooking the Maota Lake. Built in the 17th century, it was once the seat of power before the birth of the Jaipur’s City Palace. Though not long, through a winding uphill and a bit rough drive, you are taken in your car up to the drop-off point from where you enter the main gate, which opens out into the first courtyard of the palace.

Don’t be surprised if you are welcomed into the main courtyard by the beat of drums and bugle of trumpet along with the elephants as they enter the palace from the royal entrance.

As you cruise through the palace, you are likely to overhear multilingual excerpts from a multitude of local guides briefing their own guests, helping you script your own story of the monument.

Within the complex, is the Ganesh Pol, an awe-inspiring gateway painted with beautiful images of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh. An amicable synthesis of Rajput and Mughal architecture adorns the apartments, gardens and landscaping of the palace.

Enjoy Elephant ride at Amer Fort.

Lunch at local restaurant.

After Lunch proceed to visit Sanganer for block printing.

Sanganeri is a hand-block printing technique originating from Sanganer, a village in the southern part of Jaipur, Rajasthan. This form of textile printing is almost 5 centuries old and till date holds a

prominent place in the world of weavers and craftsmen. Other than Sanganer, there are other villages like Bagru, Akola, Barmer, and Jodhpur that are famous for block printing. Delicate patterns and lines with vibrant colored designs are the defining factors for this kind of printing technique.

The Sanganeri printing technique developed between the 16th and 17th century. The constant wars between the Mughals and Marathas caused several craftsmen to migrate from Gujarat to Rajasthan. This craft ultimately found its haven in Sanganer, where it has been thriving ever since. It became one of the major export items for the East India Company, and its trademark was the original dye used for printing designs. This dye soon became a matter of significance in European culture as well.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 6: In Jaipur  

Meals: B,L,D

After breakfast proceed to visit city palace. The highlights of the tour include a visit to sections of the City Palace a repository of Rajasthani artifacts and culture. It houses a remarkable collection of Rajasthani costumes, and armory of Mughals and Rajputs, an art gallery, intricately designed carpets, royal paraphernalia and rare astronomical works. Next, you proceed to the awe-inspiring Jantar Mantar Observatory, a stone astrological and astronomical observatory built in the 18th century. It is known for its ingenuity, this scientific ‘playground’ paved the way for modern astronomy.

Lunch at local restaurant.

After lunch experience of Pottery.

Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and iconic elements of Indian art. Evidence of pottery has been found in the early settlements of Mehrgarh from the Indus Valley Civilization. Today, it is a cultural art that is still practiced extensively in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Until recent times all Indian pottery has been earthenware, including terracotta.

Late in the afternoon, explore the bustling bazaar of the old city to shop for the famous Jaipuri textiles and Jewellery.

Evening enjoy sound and light show at Amer Fort Jaipur. 

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 7: Jaipur – Agra (Drive 5 hrs. approx.)

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast drive to Agra. Lunch at Bharatpur. Also visit Fatehpur Sikri enroute.

Fatehpur Sikri, a brilliant fusion of both Hindu and Mughal architecture. Located just 40 km from Agra, it is an enchanting folly that changed the landscape of the region, a mesmerising capital city built by Akbar in honour of Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chisti, only to be deserted within 14 years to fall to slow, poetic ruin.

Embrace and feel the delicately carved pillar at the hall of private audience – a beautiful manifestation of Akbar’s secular attempt towards unification of all the religions. Visiting the Turkish queen’s palace is an experience that will leave you spellbound. Standing close to the wall facing it, stretching out both your hands, feel the exquisite craftsmanship – every inch of the palace is profusely carved. Each of its stone slab has a different design such as arabesque designs on the pillars of verandah and bell shaped, floral and herring-bone carvings on the brackets supporting the roof. The dado panels depict scenes of forests and gardens. There are animal motifs and swastik patterns too.

Later continue your drive to Agra. Upon arrival check in at the hotel.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 8: In Agra

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast proceed for city tour of Agra. Before visiting Taj Mahal(Words fail us as we describe the exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal as among the finest in Mughal architecture) A miniature replica of Taj Mahal will be available for you to feel its architectural details while cross referencing it with the actual building. Your narrator will also be unfolding you the passionate history of the love it stands for. Celebrated for its structural magnificence and aesthetic beauty, symbolically, the Taj Mahal complex was conceived as a replica on earth of the house of Mumtaz in paradise.

Additionally, sound was also used to express ideas of paradise. The interior of the mausoleum has a reverberation time of 28 seconds, providing an atmosphere where the words of the Hafiz, as they prayed for the soul of Mumtaz, would linger in the air.

Truly a symphony in white marble, its magical serenity almost merges with the calmness of the river Yamuna.

Worth caressing are its calligraphic panels, its abstract forms, its recessed arches, its lattice screens, vegetative motifs and passages from the Quran that comprise some of the decorative elements.

We will now head off to Agra Fort, an outstanding example of Mughal art and architecture. An impregnable military structure built by Akbar, the Agra Fort luxuriated with the elegance, lavishness and majesty of an imperial palace – a perfect synthesis of civic and military architecture. Relive the era as you step into the seat of power and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire. Absorb the glory of this imposing, red sandstone structure and visualise the fabled peacock throne, which incorporated

virtually all the important gems of the imperial treasury here, as well as the beautiful Diwan-e-khas, or private Audience Hall within the fort.

As you move towards the fort entrance, be ready to hear the excited and forceful vendors hawking away cheap souvenirs.

Go back in time as you walk up the ridged ramp which was once used by royalty to enter or exit the fort on horsebacks. Put your ear to the hollow walls in the summer palace and hear voices reverberating in the room.

Experience the masterpiece of acoustics in the hall of public audience which meant the emperor was loud and clear enough for all those present there. If you are lucky, with not many people around, you could easily hear the finest of the sounds from a distance. 

Lunch at Sheroes restaurant.

The Sheroes here, are women who have fought to survive after receiving a debilitating blow to their appearance and self-esteem by some members of the society. These women are on the way to becoming true fighters, who have the courage to live, work and walk in the midst of the society and force the society to reevaluate its norms about beauty and appearance. Unlike any other café or a general restaurant, this one is going to be solely run by the acid attack survivors. These acid attack survivors come from various backgrounds and diverse level of competences. Being unprivileged some of them perhaps have never been to a restaurant before. To start with such a project, it is indeed essentially needed to develop such a model which can bring out productivity and also multitudes of learning for the survivor. The model has to be projected in a way that can benefit the concerned acid attack survivor to the most possible extent. Hence to transform these acid attack survivors into successfully empowered earning women makes them an individual cult of inspiration among other survivors to be seen as “Sheroes” which sounds empowering in a strong positive connotation.

Evening enjoy Mohabbat the Taj show at local theatre.

Overnight Stay at hotel

After early breakfast at the hotel transfer to railway station to board train to Jhansi. Upon arrival drive to Khajuraho. Enroute visit Orchha

The Ram Raja Temple is built on a square base and has an almost entirely plain exterior, relieved by projecting windows and a line of delicate domes along the summit. The Jahangir Mahal is built on a rectangular base and is relieved by a circular tower at each corner surmounted by a dome, while two lines of graceful balconies supported on brackets mark the central storeys. The roof is crowned by eight large fluted domes, with smaller domes between them, connected by an ornamental balustrade. The Jahangir Mahal is considered to be a singularly beautiful specimen of Mughal architecture. A point worth mentioning here is that the mother for Jahangir was also a Rajput, Jodha. It is with this in mind that the Rajput king of Orchha had built the Jahangir Mahal.

After lunch at Orcha continue your drive to Khajuraho. Upon arrival check in at the hotel. 

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 10: Khajuraho – Varanasi (Flight 1420 / 1510 hrs.)

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast city tour of Khajuraho. Khajuraho – the very word takes you into a world of sensuality and eroticism, a world where passions find expression in poses, where love and lust are carved in stone, where art and architecture speak a universal language of emotions. Experience and feel the marvel of Khajuraho Temples has some of the best preserved temples in the country, with intricate stone carvings that have the finish of wood or metal and while the erotic sculptures have brought it to the attention of the world, there is a far deeper symbolism to the art.

Khajuraho Temples are among the most beautiful medieval monuments in the country. These temples were built by the Chandella ruler between AD 900 and 1130. It was the golden period of Chandella rulers. It is presumed that it was every Chandella ruler has built at-least one temple in his lifetime. So all Khajuraho Temples are not constructed by any single Chandella ruler but Temple building was a tradition of Chandella rulers and followed by almost all rulers of Chandella dynasty. 

The first recorded mention of the Khajuraho temples is in the accounts of Abu Rihan al Biruni in AD 1022 and the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta in AD 1335. Local tradition lists 85 temples in Khajuraho out of which only 25 temples are surviving after various stages of preservation and care. All these temples are scattered over an area of about 9 square miles. 

Later in the afternoon on time transfer to airport to board fight for Varanasi. Upon arrival transfer to hotel. 

Varanasi, known to the devout as Kashi, is said to have been founded by Shiva, Lord of the Universe. One of the oldest living cities in the world, as also one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, Varanasi is a major tourist attraction. Situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges, the city has been a center of learning and civilization for over 2000 years.

Evening visit Dashaswamedh Ghat for glittering “aarti” ceremony of the holy river Ganges Huge lamps are set ablaze and the priest holds forth the lamp as the multitude chants the hymns. You will be driven to a place called Beniabagh and from there walk to Dashaswamedh Ghat amidst crowded local market famous for spices, local shops, cloths and daily vendors  selling fruits, pickles, vegetables etc on hand pulled carts. 

As the day falls, the ghats of the city of lights gear up to sing praises in the glory of the river which is an integral part of the city’s life. The ghats turn into miniature versions of India as the full might of the city’s diverse cultural tradition is put up on display. The rituals are elaborate, and defy understanding at times. Curiously, when the fragrance of the incense sticks is coupled with the sonorous rhythm of the conch shells, an eerie calm descends over the place amidst the pervading cacophony. As the life-sized brass lamps move deftly through the evening air charged with devotion and spirituality, the climax seeps inside all those who throng the place. The experience can best be described as enervating and soulful, as words simply fail to to describe the event accurately.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 11: In Varanasi

Meals: B, L, D

Sunrise boat ride on river Ganges: As you ascend the boat you will be given a warm welcome by the team on the welcome note of sitar and the flute or thump of Tabla. Your tour guide will narrate to you the stories of different Ghats and the temples. He will also brief you about the Hindu rituals, 16 sacraments and typical Indian culture.   to see people praying and bathing and to witness burning ghat, later a walk through the mystical landscape of poets, sacred temples, holy ponds near Assighat, the southernmost embankment of the holy Ganga river, walk in the footsteps of 16th century Banaras poet and mystic Pandit Goswami Tulsidas, translator of the sacred Ramanyana text, you will hear about the history and special culture of Varanasi while visiting the Southern temple established by Tulsidas! The walk ends with a special darshan, meaning ‘taking sight’ of a hidden sun temple behind his home. Visit the small alleys surrounding the Ghat for photography. 

After breakfast visit Banaras Hindu University. The principal entrance to BHU sits majestically unperturbed, somewhat in awe of the dichotomy it creates. To its one side is the bustling city which represents chaos in all its forms. To its other side are massive, tree-lined boulevards which terminate in front of architectural edifices which are a living testimony to the ancient and modern existing in a perfect communion, here in this city. The largest residential university in Asia is like a serene oasis, amidst a desert of ruckus which exists outside its walled periphery. Those familiar with Greek mythology might find similarities between the place and the ‘Isles of Blest.’ With a temple whose vimana is a prominent fixture in the skyline of Varanasi, BHU never once fails to enthrall.

Afternoon excursion to Sarnath, once of the most sacred places for Budhhist, where Lord Buddha gave first sermon after attaining enlightenment. Sarnath has previously been known as Mrigadava, “deerpark,”   and Isipatana, meaning   the place where holy men (Pali: isi) fell to earth.  The latter   name   is based in the legend that when the Buddha was born, devas came down to announce it to 500 holy men. The holy men all rose into the air and disappeared and their relics fell to the ground.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 12: Varanasi – Delhi (Flight 1515 / 1700 hrs.)

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast time for internal interaction. After lunch at the hotel on time transfer to airport to board flight for Delhi.

Overnight Stay at hotel

Day 13: Depart Delhi

Meals: B (Depend on the flight timings)

On time transfer to airport to board flight for onward destination.

*** End of Tour ***