North India cultural tours

Planet

We aim to make practical choices that reduce unnecessary resource use during our tours and encourage travellers to experience India at a local level.

Where possible, we work with family-run hotels, heritage properties and countryside accommodation that use local products and have measures such as water recycling, rainwater harvesting or waste-management practices. These facilities vary from property to property, so specific arrangements can be discussed when planning your itinerary.

For longer journeys, we use trains on suitable routes where practical. Where rail travel is not available, we arrange road transport. Within historic city centers, we encourage guests to explore areas such as traditional bazaars on foot where this is practical and enjoyable.

We also encourage guests to avoid single-use plastics and to take their waste with them when visiting parks and wildlife reserves. We provide reusable jute bags for carrying personal waste during the tour.

For itinerary information, maps and travel details, we can provide the information digitally rather than relying on printed material.

People

We include opportunities to meet local people and experience aspects of everyday life, culture and traditional crafts.

On selected itineraries, travellers can visit villages and meet local craftsmen who demonstrate their work directly. Where guests choose to purchase handicrafts, they can buy directly from the makers.

We also support small local businesses and family-run enterprises. In and around Leta village, for example, local families produce traditional woollen textiles including Khesala, Pattu, Dari and carpets. These crafts form an important part of the area's traditional skills and provide work for local families.

We aim to use local guides, drivers, accommodation providers, craftsmen and other local service providers where practical, so that tourism expenditure reaches businesses and people in the destinations visited.