Delhi to Kathmandu holiday
| country: | India, Nepal |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 21 Jan, 18 Feb, 11 Mar, 25 Mar, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 25 Nov, 16 Dec, 23 Dec 2011: 20 Jan, 3 Feb, 10 Mar, 7 Apr |
| price: | From £1825 - £2090 (19 days) including flights from the UK, from £1180 - £1225 excluding flights. Optional single room supplement £230 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
This epic journey includes the major cultural highlights of northern India; takes us by boat down the holy River Ganges to the spiritual city of Varanasi; and provides a great insight into the varied wildlife, stunning mountains and unique culture of Nepal.
Moghul Highlights
We start on a cultural note taking in the great sights of Old and New Delhi before heading for the 'Pink City' of Jaipur in the desert province of Rajasthan. Here we'll see the Observatory, the graceful Palace of the Winds and the beautiful City Palace. Stopping at the 'ghost town' of Fatehpur Sikri en route, we soon reach Agra, home to the world's most photographed building, the breathtaking Taj Mahal.
Sailing the Eternal Ganges
Travelling by train, we reach Mirzapur the starting point of our unique 3-day boat trip on the Ganges, that takes us to Varanasi. Sailing along the river offers the perfect point from which to observe life in rural India and we aim to stop at small villages and historic sites such as Chunar Fort. Floating in to India's holiest city is a tranquil and deeply moving experience as we pass the colourful ghats where the throngs come to worship and bathe in the holy waters.
Chitwan and Kathmandu
Crossing the border at Sonauli we head for Chitwan National Park in Nepal's sub-tropical lowland region known as the Terai. We spend two days in this fascinating jungle reserve, which supports a variety of game. Known for its one horned rhino and Bengal tigers, there are also leopard, sloth bear, four kinds of deer and over 300 species of birds. Finally we drive up to the Kathmandu Valley and spend the last few days of the tour in Nepal's historic and bustling capital city; with plenty of time to see the many bazaars, temples and stupas which give it its unique charm. There is also the option of taking a flight across the Everest region.
Moghul Highlights
We start on a cultural note taking in the great sights of Old and New Delhi before heading for the 'Pink City' of Jaipur in the desert province of Rajasthan. Here we'll see the Observatory, the graceful Palace of the Winds and the beautiful City Palace. Stopping at the 'ghost town' of Fatehpur Sikri en route, we soon reach Agra, home to the world's most photographed building, the breathtaking Taj Mahal.
Sailing the Eternal Ganges
Travelling by train, we reach Mirzapur the starting point of our unique 3-day boat trip on the Ganges, that takes us to Varanasi. Sailing along the river offers the perfect point from which to observe life in rural India and we aim to stop at small villages and historic sites such as Chunar Fort. Floating in to India's holiest city is a tranquil and deeply moving experience as we pass the colourful ghats where the throngs come to worship and bathe in the holy waters.
Chitwan and Kathmandu
Crossing the border at Sonauli we head for Chitwan National Park in Nepal's sub-tropical lowland region known as the Terai. We spend two days in this fascinating jungle reserve, which supports a variety of game. Known for its one horned rhino and Bengal tigers, there are also leopard, sloth bear, four kinds of deer and over 300 species of birds. Finally we drive up to the Kathmandu Valley and spend the last few days of the tour in Nepal's historic and bustling capital city; with plenty of time to see the many bazaars, temples and stupas which give it its unique charm. There is also the option of taking a flight across the Everest region.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Delhi. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Delhi. |
| Day 3: | Tour of new Delhi. |
| Day 4: | Tour of old Delhi; train to Jaipur. |
| Day 5: | Tour Jaipur. |
| Day 6: | Drive Agra via Fatehpur Sikri. |
| Day 7: | Visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort; overnight train Mirzapur. |
| Day 8: | Arrive Mirzapur; Ganges sailing. |
| Day 9: | Continue down-stream. |
| Day 10: | Sail Varanasi; disembark Asi Ghat. |
| Day 11: | In Varanasi; sunrise trip on Ganges, visit Sarnath. |
| Day 12: | Drive Bhairahawa (Nepal). |
| Day 13: | Drive Chitwan; village walk or elephant safari. |
| Day 14: | In Chitwan. |
| Day 15: | Drive Kathmandu. |
| Day 16: | In Kathmandu; visit Royal Palace, main bazaar and Durbar Square. |
| Day 17: | In Kathmandu; visit Bodhnath and Pashupatinath. |
| Day 18: | In Kathmandu; optional Everest flight; fly London. |
| Day 19: | Arrive London. |
travellers' tales
There were several highlights. Seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined at that time of day it looks surreal. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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During this tour we utilise a wide variety of local transport, from sailing boats to trains and rickshaws. As well as minimising our impact on the environment by reducing fuel consumption, using local transport enables travellers to experience cultures at first hand, offering greater opportunity for cross-cultural understanding.
During our unique Ganges Sailing trip we glide downstream on small craft owned by the boat captains with whom we travel and a local crew provide backup for our beach camping, thus ensuring a direct financial contribution to the rural communities through which we travel. A contribution will be made from any booking on this tour to the Kutch Yuvak Sangh Trust, a community based organisation engaged in reconstructing homes and restoring vital infrastructure, such as schools and water supply, damaged in the 2001 earthquake which devastated a huge part of Gujarat. We have already helped a school in the village of Bidada, near Bhuj, where our funds allowed the construction of an assembly hall. Continuing support, from ourselves and our clients is furthering the development of the school. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |