Highlights of India & Nepal

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

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   Day 1 · DelhiDelhi

   You arrive in Delhi, India's capital, for a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you get in early, Humayun's Tomb is worth a visit, or join an Urban Adventure to explore the city. An optional dinner with the group follows.

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   Day 2 · DelhiDelhi

   A local leader takes you through Old Delhi via metro and rickshaw to Chandni Chowk's markets. You'll see Jama Masjid, Delhi's oldest mosque, and learn about Sikhism at Sheeshganj Gurudwara. Dinner is your call.

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   Day 3 · JaipurJaipur

   

   You drive into Rajasthan to Jaipur, the 'Pink City', exploring palaces and bazaars selling jewellery, textiles, tea and spices. Visit the Hawa Mahal, the Royal City Palace with its grand rooms, and one of Maharaja Jai Singh's five astronomical observatories.

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   Day 4 · JaipurJaipur

   An optional early morning hot air balloon ride overlooks the Jaipur countryside. In the afternoon, you head to Amber Fort on a hilltop above Maota Lake to see its Rajput architecture and the Sheesh Mahal's mirrored chambers.

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   Day 5 · JaipurLotwara

   You drive to Lotwara Village in Dausa district, a 17th-century town called the 'Peacock Town' for its birds. A guided walk explores the Old Quarter, local stalls offer seasonal sweets like petha and gazak, and you stay in a restored heritage property with dinner included.

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   Day 6 · Fatehpur SikriAgra

   

   En route to Agra, you stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the former Mughal capital with its mosque blending Persian and Hindu designs. In Agra, visit Akbar's Mausoleum and the Taj Mahal, the 1640s marble tomb built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife.

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   Day 7 · AgraAgra – Lalitpur – Chanderi

   You take a train to Lalitpur, then transfer by private car to Chanderi. The evening is free to settle in.

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   Day 8 · ChanderiChanderi

   A guided tour shows you Chanderi's 11th-century history—old palaces, forts, mosques, temples and mausoleums. Wander cobbled Old Town streets, see the Badal Mahal Gate and the 15th-century Jama Masjid. The afternoon is free to explore.

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   Day 9 · ChanderiChanderi – Orchha – Allahabad (overnight train)

   

   A private transfer takes you to Orchha on the Betwa River, a 16th-century site of palaces and temples. Tour Orchha Palace built for the Mughal ruler Jehangir, see the grand Iwans and Royal Cenotaphs. Day rooms available; dinner is a cooking demonstration of regional food.

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    Day 10 · PrayagrajRiver Ganges

    You arrive in Allahabad and freshen up in day rooms before a small riverboat cruise on the sacred Ganges. Watch village life from the water, relax at the campsite, and end the day with sunset and a vegetarian meal from the boatmen.

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    Day 11 · VaranasiVaranasi

    

    You transfer from Chunar to Varanasi, one of Hinduism's holiest cities. A walking tour through the Old City passes temples and shrines. At sunset, watch the candle flower ceremony—a ritual of lit leaves placed on water with chanting, songs and fire performances.

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    Day 12 · VaranasiVaranasi

    Rise early to watch sunrise from the ghats, then rickshaw through vibrant streets for a tasting tour of chaat, samosas, jalebi, lassi and chai. The afternoon is free to wander laneways, shop for silk, do yoga, or visit Sarnath, a Buddhist pilgrimage site.

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    Day 13 · LumbiniIndia/Nepal border crossing – Lumbini

    Cross the India-Nepal border at Gorakhpur, then take a private bus to Lumbini, Gautama Buddha's birthplace and a Buddhist pilgrimage site. Later, visit Lumbini Heritage Park and the Ashoka Pillars, then cycle rickshaw to Maya Devi Temple where Buddha was born.

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    Day 14 · LumbiniAmaltari Community

    A private vehicle takes you through the Terai to Amaltari Madhyavarti, a Tharu Indigenous community homestay. Have lunch with locals, freshen up, then a 4WD drive to the lake for afternoon tea. Dinner is a home-cooked traditional meal.

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    Day 15 · Chitwan National ParkChitwan National Park

    A Tharu community member guides you through their village, showing distinctive architecture, farms and how the community sustains itself. After, you leave for Chitwan National Park lodge via Twenty Thousand Lakes, Nepal's second-largest wetland, spotting migratory birds, crocodiles and possibly Indian rhinos.

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    Day 16 · Chitwan National ParkChitwan National Park

    After breakfast, you walk to Rapti River for a boat or jeep safari through Chitwan National Park, watching colourful birds overhead. A picnic lunch follows by the river, with chances to spot gharials.

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    Day 17 · Chitwan National ParkKathmandu

    
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    Day 18 · KathmanduKathmandu
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    Day 19 · KathmanduKathmandu

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
• Meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners
• Activities: Delhi - Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque Delhi - Sheeshganj Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) Delhi - Leader-led Old Delhi walking tour Jaipur - Leader-led walking & market tour Jaipur - Amber Fort Lotwara - Village Walk Agra - Taj Mahal Agra - Agra Fort Chanderi - Old city walking tour Orchha - Cooking demonstration Orchha - Orchha Palace Orchha- Royal Cenotaphs River Ganges - Boat trip & camping Varanasi - Sunset candle flower ceremony Varanasi - Leader-led Old City walking tour Varanasi - Sunrise Ganges boat trip Varanasi - Holy City Rickshaw Ride & Food Trail Lumbini - Heritage Park Lumbini - Maya Devi Temple Amaltari - Sundowner by Jeep Chitwan - Village Bike Tour Chitwan National Park - Park Entry Chitwan - Canoe trip Chitwan - Canoe safari, Bird Watching walk or Jeep safari Chitwan NP - Tharu cultural performance Kathmandu - Swayambhunath Temple Kathmandu - Bodhnath Stupa Kathmandu - Pashupatinath Temple
• Transport: Whether a flight forms part of your itinerary is, offered as an alternative means to a long road journey, included as a scenic experience, or becomes necessary in an emergency, it’s important to be aware of the unique aviation context in Nepal. Nepalese air carriers are currently not permitted to operate within UK or European airspace, often referred to as being on the 'banned list' due to regulatory differences. However, we want to reassure you that your safety is our top priority. Intrepid is one of only a small number of tour operators that independently audits Nepalese air carriers each year, carrying out rigorous third‑party air safety assessments. We only work with airlines and helicopter operators that meet our strict internal safety standards and approval criteria. We strongly encourage you to review your government’s travel advice and to consider this information carefully when making your travel decisions, confident that we are taking every possible step to ensure your wellbeing., TRANSPORT IN INDIA: Main roads in India are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common, as is using the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Drivers of our private vehicles are experienced and well trained. if you are uncomfortable with your driver, please always let your leader know immediately. Please ensure you always wear your seat belt. TRAVEL TIMES: Distances in India do not reflect the driving time. Driving 100 km/62 m may take much longer than at home, even if much of the route is on a highway. TRAINS: India has a massive network of trains and millions of people travel by rail every day. Trains often travel the length of the country over several days. Trains are a great way to see the countryside and get away from busy roads. From December to February, delays can happen, especially in northern India, due to fog. On occasion, your trip will be rerouted to allow for these delays. Your leader, in conjunction with our local office, will advise of any changes to your itinerary. Seats are allocated by Indian Railways’ reservation system, which we have no influence over. Regardless of when tickets are booked, your group may not travel together, with seats spread throughout a carriage, or multiple carriages, of the same class. You may share a compartment with local travellers of mixed genders. If your trip includes travelling on sleeper trains in India, please see the Accommodation section for more information about this experience. AUTO RICKSHAWS: On this trip, you may travel on an auto-rickshaw. These small, motorised three-wheeled vehicles are a common form of transport in India and do not have seatbelts. FLIGHTS: Airlines in India are of excellent quality. Airports are becoming more modern (especially in major cities and tourist hubs). To enter the airport, you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. Schedule changes and delays do occur, especially when weather conditions make visibility poor., ROAD TRAVEL IN NEPAL: Roadworks and infrastructure projects can cause significant delays on major roads within cities and highways between destinations. Road travel can also be disrupted due to demonstrations and bandhs (strikes) without warning. Major roadworks are currently ongoing in Nepal. Delays, heavy traffic, poor road conditions and dust are a reality of road travel in Nepal. TRAVEL BETWEEN KATHMANDU : & POKHARA: If your itinerary includes road travel between these destinations, past travellers have often decided to fly this route independently to avoid the long overland journey (200km, approx 6+ hours). The flight takes around 35mins. Should you decide to fly, this will be at your own expense with no refunds for road travel available. MONSOON: The monsoon season is from June to September and weather conditions can disrupt travel during this time due to flooding and landslides. Disruption of air travel and airport closures are also possible. Be prepared that the itinerary may need to change at short notice. Auto rickshaw, Canoe, Cycle rickshaw, Jeep, Metro, Overnight sleeper train, Private vehicle, Shuttle Bus, Train, Van
• Accommodation: ACCOMMODATION: Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some may have shared bathroom facilities with cold water only. We use a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Some areas of India experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day and usually occurs for a few hours in the early afternoon. Most hotel properties have a restaurant or cafe serving local meals. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws. SHOWERS: Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times, you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water. ROOM ISSUES: If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay., SLEEPER TRAINS IN INDIA: Sleeper trains are clean and air-conditioned. They’re a great way to travel long distances and maximise your time in each place. Depending on the route, you’ll travel in 2AC or 3AC class. Not all classes are available on all routes. 2AC carriages (second class or 2 tier AC carriages) have four sleeping berths in the compartment section and two berths in the aisle bay. 3AC carriages (third class or 3 tier AC carriages) have six sleeping berths in the compartment section and two berths in the aisle bay. During the day, sleeping berths are folded away and serve as seats. Each sleeping berth has a padded mattress with sheets, pillow and a blanket provided. Some travellers like to bring their own sleeping sheet. Your luggage travels with you in the compartment, so packing light will make your journey more comfortable. Each carriage has a limited number of sinks and charging points. There are toilets at both ends of the carriage, one a western-style toilet and the other a squat toilet. You will need to bring your own toilet paper, and you may like to bring sanitiser wipes. Some trains have a dining carriage, but there’s no shortage of vendors who board at each station, selling tea, coffee, snacks and local favourites. You can also grab something at the station before boarding your train, or at a station en route. Sleeping berths are allocated by Indian Railways’ reservation system, which we have no influence over. Regardless of when tickets are booked, your group may not travel together, with sleeping berths spread throughout a carriage, or multiple carriages, of the same class. You may share a compartment with local travellers of mixed genders. Your leader will do their best to swap with other travellers to enable people who booked together to travel together, but this isn’t always possible. Your leader may ask male travellers to swap with female travellers due to safety considerations. Due to the complexity of the ticket purchasing system and high demand for tickets, we are unable to offer upgrades to other classes. Find out more about travelling on sleeper trains in India here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/india-trains-guide/ Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night), Heritage Property (3 night), Hotel (10 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night), Homestay (1 night)

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