India
Day One: Welcome to India A traditional greeting of marigold garlands welcomes you at the airport, followed by a private transfer to your hotel in Amritsar, one of the oldest cities in India. After checking in, you’ll be collected at 3.30pm for the journey to the village of Wagah, 17 miles away. At the only border crossing between India and Pakistan, you’ll witness the loud, lively Beating Retreat ceremony, a ritualistic display between soldiers from both countries. After this unique experience, you’ll return to Amritsar to take an evening stroll with your private guide to the Golden Temple, which glitters in its own man-made pool.
Overnight in Amritsar
Classic - Holiday Inn Amritsar
Premium - Hyatt
Deluxe - Taj Swarna
Meals included: None
Day Two: Head for the Himalayas After breakfast, a private car will take you the 145 miles to Dharamshala, a hill station on the spur of the Dhauladhar mountain range. On the journey, you’ll see the terrain slowly change from the fertile river beds of Punjab to the rocky foothills of the Himalayan mountains. After check in at your hotel, it’s time to explore beautiful Dharamshala, a town surrounded by oak and conifer trees, with snow-capped mountains hugging three of its sides and the Kangra valley stretching in front. Once a quiet, remote outpost, Upper Dharamshala became famous as ‘Little Lhasa in India’ when His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with thousands of Tibetan refugees, fled to nearby McLeod Ganj during the Tibetan uprising of 1959.
Overnight in Dharamshala
Classic - Grace Hotel
Premium - Fortune Moksha
Deluxe - Chonor House
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Three: Visit the Home of the Dalai Lama A little outside Dharamsala, clinging to a hillside, the suburb of McLeod Ganj is home to the Dalai Lama and many Buddhist monks and nuns. You will have plenty of time to soak up the spiritual atmosphere of this laid-back village, where Tibetan craft stalls line narrow streets, and red-robed monks wander between burnished temples. If you would like an audience with the Dalai Lama, Awesome Experiences can assist you in applying for your own pre-arranged, private visit. * Afterwards, walk through pine forest to Dharamsala’s evocative War Memorial. An early evening excursion will take you a little out of town to the Chamunda Devi Temple. Built more than 700 years ago, this temple sits 1,000m above sea level by the banks of the Ban Ganga river, with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. *Please note we will require visitor’s private audience request details well in advance. Meeting the Dalai Lama is solely controlled and managed by the Office of his Holiness the Dalai Lama. Please be advised, we will propose the visit and, should it be confirmed by the authority, we will let you know the additional cost. Please note that the last right of cancellation remains with them.
Overnight in Dharamshala
Classic - Grace Hotel
Premium - Fortune Moksha
Deluxe - Chonor House
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Four: Billing Valley and Pragpur An early start will take you out to Billing Valley, where the Paragliding World Cup was held in 2015. Here, the stunning mountains and consistent thermals provide the perfect place to take to the sky – as you descend through a jaw-dropping landscape from the second highest paragliding spot in the world. You’ll embark on your 20-minute tandem ride with an experienced, fully-trained instructor. All the control and direction are handled by the pilot, who has a thorough knowledge of air speed, altitude, cloud, wind, temperature and the route required for safe flight. After an adrenaline fuelled morning, relax over lunch in the nearby hill station of Palampur, surrounded by tea gardens, before making the six-hour journey to Pragpur. You’ll break the travel with a stop in Chinor village, famous for its traditional watermills used to grind corn. Next is Dada Siba, once the centre of a small state ruled by Raja Ram Singh two hundred years ago. The ornate Radha-Krsna temple he built here is brightly painted with beautiful murals and surrounded by woodland. Finally, continue to your home for the night, the carefully preserved heritage village of Pragpur, with its cobbled streets and mud houses.
Overnight in Pragpur
Classic, Premium and Deluxe - Judges Court (differing room types)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Five: Scenic Shimla Travel from Pragpur to Shimla, on a 120-mile journey through the vibrant fields and remote villages of the lush Kangra Valley. Its cool climate and fantastic position across seven wooded hills led the British to name Shimla the summer capital of India. You’ll spend two nights exploring it. Today, there’s free time to wander its undulating roads and alleys (the colonial days are still in evidence, from the English street names and iron lamp posts). You’ll find a huge selection of shops and restaurants on the winding thoroughfare of The Mall, or walk to Scandal Point (supposedly named for the former Maharaja of Patiala's escapades), to view the distant snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas.
Overnight in Shimla
Classic - Sunnymead
Premium - The Oberoi Cecil
Deluxe - The Oberoi Wildflower Premier Valley View Rooms
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Six: Work Up an Appetite With its climbing, pedestrianised streets, Shimla is best explored on foot. Our local partner will take you on a stroll through the heritage zone of the old town, to visit some of its grand colonial buildings, including Christ Church, the second oldest church in North India. The walk finishes at just before lunch, with the afternoon free – but don’t devote it to a long, lazy meal because, at 6.30pm, you’re invited to a slap-up dinner with descendants of the royal family of the state of Balsan, in their mansion in the hills north of Shimla. Your host provides drinks from his personal bar, while his wife cooks a feast of local dishes for you to discover. Dinner is included in the price but drinks must be paid for locally by guests.
Overnight in Shimla
Classic - Sunnymead
Premium - The Oberoi Cecil
Deluxe - The Oberoi Wildflower Premier Valley View Rooms
Meals included: Breakfast; dinner
Day Seven: Toy Train to Delhi After a last breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be taken to Shimla railway station to board the 10:30am ‘toy train’ (so called because of its small engine and tracks). This train chugs for 60 scenic miles to Kalka, past sweetly-scented pine forests and apricot orchards, stopping at stations busy with samosa sellers. Arrive at Kalka Station at 4:30pm, to transfer to the superfast train to Delhi, which leaves at 5:45pm. Dinner will be served on board at no extra cost. You’ll arrive in New Delhi at 10:45pm, where you will be met and transferred to an airport hotel for the night, ready for your flight to Dehradun in the morning.
Overnight in Delhi
Classic, Premium & Deluxe - Holiday Inn AeroCity
Meals included: Breakfast; dinner
Day Eight: To the Himalayas After breakfast, you will be transferred by private taxi to the airport, to board your onward flight to Dehradun, the gateway to the Indian Himalayas. On arrival you'll be transferred to your hotel in Rishikesh, and have the rest of the day at leisure to settle in to the wondrous natural setting.
Overnight in Rishikesh
Classic - Ganga Kinare Boutique Hotel
Premium - Aloha in the Ganges
Deluxe - Ananda in the Himalayas
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Nine & Ten: Time to Relax The next two days are at your leisure, and can be as active or as relaxed as you want them to be. All the hotels chosen provide a variety of activities and facilities; from adrenalin-fuelled white water rafting and wildlife safaris to calming yoga classes and spa treatments (see below for more specific hotel details).
Overnight in Rishikesh
Classic - Ganga Kinare Boutique Hotel
Premium - Aloha in the Ganges
Deluxe - Ananda in the Himalayas
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Eleven After a final breakfast, you'll transfer back to Dehradun Airport for your flight to Delhi, where your experience ends.
Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation Classic - Ganga Kinare Boutique Hotel
The Ganga Kinare is nestled right on the banks of the Ganges and Rajaji National Park, one of North India’s expansive sanctuaries and a melting pot of diverse flora and fauna. Guests here can stroll along the river, and soak in the sights of the mountains in a tranquil and peaceful setting. The hotel has comfortable rooms with partial views of the river, a selection of activities such as white water rafting, yoga, birdwatching, biking and even performs its own private Ganga Aarti ritual evening morning and evening which guests are welcome to join in with, to purify themselves in the holy river.
Premium - Aloha in the Ganges
Aloha in the Ganges is a beautiful hotel, also sitting on the banks of the holy Ganges. Its infinity pool overlooks looks the river and the jungle surrounding it, and the atmosphere here is palpably calming. The Superior Garden View Rooms are spacious and warmly decorated and have direct access to the pool and overlook the river valley. The hotel runs rafting trips, rock climbing and bungee jumping, as well as waterfall trekking, temple trip and daily yoga and meditation. The spa provides a selection of treatments, massages and Ayurvedic rituals and wellness services, making this a great place to get in touch with both nature and yourself.
Deluxe - Ananda in the Himalayas
Ananda in the Himalayas is a place like no other, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas on a repurposed Maharaja’s Palace Estate. It is surrounded by forest and overlooks Rishikesh from it's prime position above the town. As a dedicated yoga and meditation retreat, Ananda is a tranquil paradise where you can truly become one with yourself. They have a vast menu of programmes including workshops with holistic masters, Ayurvedic experiences, Tibetan Kuu Nye, Reflexology and Aromatherapy, Himalayan Crystal cleansing and Vedanta Philosophy, plus activities like trekking, rafting and Ganga Aarti rituals.
You will get a choice of hotel options for the duration of your experience:
Classic ★★★
Classic hotels provide mid-range accommodation (minimum three-star rated), with comfortable rooms and private facilities. We’ve selected these hotels based on positive client feedback.
Premium ★★★★
Premium hotels are typically upper mid range (usually four star), with more amenities than our classic choices. They all have comfortable rooms with private facilities and have received good client feedback.
Deluxe ★★★★★
Deluxe hotels are luxury hotels with excellent facilities and service, usually categorised as 4.5 or 5 star. Clients rate them extremely highly.
Overall meals included: 11 Breakfasts; 2 dinners
What's included:
Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
Private transfers and train tickets unless stated otherwise
Meals as listed
Mandatory taxes and service fees A paraglide in the stunning Himalayas What's not included:
International flights to/from experience: call 0208 432 0885 for AX specially negotiated flight rates Optional extras listed
Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the holiday We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
Personal expenses, such as laundry
If you would like the thrill but don't have time for the chill, check out our 7-day Amritsar experience here !
To check out all our India trips, click here!
GETTING THERE Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £600 per person and take approximately 11 hours outbound, 8.5 hours inbound depending on exact flight configurations and layover times.
For this particular experience the best option is normally to book a multi-stop flight from London - Amritsar - New Delhi - London.
Experience start point: Amritsar (ATQ). Suggested arrival by 2pm.
End point: Delhi (DEL).
All holiday departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers' Club promotion. Click here for more information.
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