Delhi to Goa overland tour

country:	India
location:	Goa, Rajasthan
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2008: 11 Aug, 25 Aug, 8 Sep, 22 Sep, 6 Oct, 20 Oct, 3 Nov, 17 Nov, 1 Dec, 15 Dec, 29 Dec 2009: 12 Jan, 26 Jan, 9 Feb, 23 Feb, 9 Mar, 23 Mar, 6 Apr, 20 Apr
price:	From £240 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $250. Max group size 15 people

India holidays

Rajasthan holidays

Cultural tours

the amazing things you'll be doing

Snake your way from the Indian government capital of Delhi to the Indian party capital of Goa. Curries, temples, harems and Himalayas are all part and parcel of this trip.

Highlights include:

Delhi & one of India’s oldest and busiest markets

Mughal architecture & Taj Mahal in Agra

The spectacular forts at Jaipur

Pushkar & the world’s only temple to Brahma

Udaipur, the 'Venice of the East'

Goa's beaches

Price includes accommodation in hotels/guesthouses (12 nights) & sleeper train (2 nights), services of a tour leader, local guides and transport by train, local bus, charter bus, jeep, cycle & auto-rickshaw.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrival. Arrive in Delhi at any time.
Day 2:	Agra. Agra is home to two of India's most famous landmarks: the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. Ride one of the ubiquitous cycle rickshaws to move between both sites. Visit these icons of Mughal architecture either in the early morning or late afternoon for the best light.
Day 3-4:	Jaipur. Travel via Fatehpur Sikri to the Pink City of Jaipur, which is home to India’s second most visited site, the Hawa Mahal. Follow in the footsteps of the royal harem or ride an elephant to the clifftop fort palace at Amber, one of the most spectacular in India.
Day 5-6:	Pushkar. Site of the world’s only temple to the Hindu god of creation Brahma, Pushkar is often called Tirth Raj, the "King of Pilgrim Centres". If you're lucky, visit the world famous annual Pushkar Camel Fair, complete with both livestock and craft markets, camel races, concerts and exhibitions.
Day 7-8:	Udaipur. Continue to Udaipur, famous for its plethora of breathtaking lakes and Raj-era palaces. Most famous of these, and certainly the most photographed, is the Lake Palace, an island-palace made of white marble buildings in Lake Pichola.
Day 9-10:	Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is home to Sabarmati Ashram, where Gandhi made his headquarters. And equally famous is "Gujarati Thali" a delicious and distinct cuisine which will definitely tickle your taste buds.
Day 11-12:	Mumbai (Bombay). Rise at dawn to watch the morning ritual at the Sassoon Docks, South Mumbai’s main fish loading and trading centre. Shoot a picture of the Gateway to India, facing westward out to sea and stop in for a cup of tea at the famous Taj hotel next door. From here, boats leave for Elephanta Island (also called Gharapuri Island or Place of Caves), famous for its cave temples caved straight from the rock.
Day 13-14:	Goa. Relax on a beach, visit the many Portuguese-built monuments, discover the churches of Old Goa and take in as much of the incredible Goan food as you can!
Day 15:	Depart Goa.

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.

how this holiday makes a difference

Group size: In order to keep the environmental and negative social impact of travel to a minimum, we operate this tour with a maximum of 15 passengers.

Accommodation: The majority of our hotels are small, locally owned and family operated establishments. This tour includes twelve nights in hotels and guesthouses and one night on a sleeper train.

Local guides and operators: By working with local guides and operators, we provide economic benefits directly to the local people and businesses. Our local guides are experts in flora, fauna, and history and culture, and provide our travellers with insight into local knowledge.

Tour leaders: Our tour leaders receive special training in low-impact travel and regional conservation issues and projects. They are also provided with a Sustainable Travel Manual. Tour leaders are selected based on their knowledge of, and commitment to sustainable travel. All our tour leaders speak English and have first aid and CPR certification.

Our foundation: Through our commitment to responsible tourism we have developed our own foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places that we visit on our tours.

Through this, we support the Seva Canada Society, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of preventable and treatable blindness. Seva has worked in Nepal and India for 25 years and more recently in Tibet and Tanzania. Today, nearly 40 million people are blind with ninety percent of the world’s blind living in developing countries. Another 135 million have debilitating low vision. The good news is that most of this blindness can be prevented or cured. Half of the world’s blindness is caused by cataract that is reversible with a 15-minute operation costing US $20 - US $50 in most developing countries.

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'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

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