Day 1
Arrive in Delhi
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Our representative welcomes you to India. As you transfer to your hotel, this fascinating capital city reveals hints of what it holds in store for you. Your boutique hotel is in the heart of New Delhi, in the famous Connaught Place.
Day 2
Delhi
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Delhi blends ancient and modern elements, encompassing seven historic cities from the 11th to the 20th centuries that reflect past grandeur. After breakfast, explore Old Delhi, starting with the Red Fort, an opulent symbol of the Mughal Empire. Visit Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque; Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi; and Chandni Chowk, the vibrant ancient market buzzing with daily trade.
After lunch, tour New Delhi, designed by the British in the 1920s, featuring wide boulevards, government buildings, and expansive green spaces. Drive along the ceremonial Rajpath, passing the India Gate and Parliament House, plus two monuments from Delhi’s history that you will visit.
Day 3
Delhi to Amritsar
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Fly to Amritsar in the morning, a key center of the Sikh faith in Punjab state near the Pakistan border. In 1919, a tragic massacre of unarmed demonstrators by British troops occurred here, inspiring Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement.
In the evening, travel through Amritsar’s fertile valley to the Wagah Border, the crossing point between India and Pakistan, to witness the “Beating the Retreat” ceremony. Soldiers from both countries, adorned in elaborate headgear, perform speed-marching drills before lowering the flags and locking the gates for the night.
Return to Amritsar and visit the stunning 16th-century Golden Temple. At sunset, the temple’s domes beautifully reflect in the purifying waters of the Amritsar Sarovar. Before entering, remove your shoes, cover your head, and wash your feet. Free food is available for anyone who is hungry.
Day 4
Amritsar to Dalhousie (5-Hour Drive)
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The British had a love-hate relationship with India’s heat. In 1854, Lord Dalhousie, Punjab’s Governor General, established a sanatorium and summer retreat here for troops and bureaucrats seeking relief from the summer heat.
Dalhousie is a hilly, lush hill station in Himachal Pradesh with winding roads and scenic vistas, boasting an average elevation of 6,410 feet (1,954 m). One of 80 such stations built in just 30 years, it sits at the foot of the Dhauladhars, offering stunning views: snow peaks of Kashmir’s Pir Panjal to the north, Punjab valleys to the south, and the Beas and Chenab rivers in the distance.
Built on five hills, Dalhousie features picturesque, tin-roofed, half-timbered houses that retain their colonial raj ambience. Today, enjoy a walking tour, including a later visit to scenic Panj Pulla.
Day 5
Dalhousie to Dharamsala (6-Hour Drive)
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The breathtaking Pir Panjal range of the Central Himalayas offers scenic views during this morning’s drive. The route descends through the dense deodar forests of Kalatop and passes over the terraced hillsides of Khajjiar en route to Dharamsala.
The city is divided into two distinct districts: Lower Dharamsala, a typical small Indian town, and Upper Dharamsala (McLeod Ganj), an 1848 British hill station. Today, it is best known as the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. Your hotel is nestled among pine and oak trees with views of the rock-faced Dhauladhar range, attracting pilgrims from around the world.
Day 6
Dharamsala
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Crisp morning air, vertical slopes, and peaceful quiet greet you. Begin a morning walking tour through Bhagsu Nag and Dharamkot villages, past a Buddhist stupa amid deodar forests, caves where Tibetan monks meditate, and overlooks with stunning valley views. After two hours, arrive at Naddi village, rewarded with breathtaking Dhauladhar vistas.
After lunch, visit Namgyal Monastery, the adjacent Tibet Museum, and Tsug Lakhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple. Devotees perform a kora, a clockwise circumnavigation of the temple. Join in to imprint your own moment on this sacred ground.
Day 7
Dharamsala - Taragarh - Chandigarh
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​City life calls, but the transition is gentle as you drive to Chandigarh after breakfast. On the way, pass through Taragarh, surrounded by towering Dhauladhar peaks. This area is famous for its scenic tea gardens, lush paddies, and rushing rivers. It is also known for clay pottery and hosts international paragliding and hang-gliding competitions. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel.
Day 8
Chandigarh
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Ready for a change of pace? Chandigarh, named for the Goddess Chandi, offers a sophisticated modern city designed in the early 1950s by French architect Edouard “Le Corbusier” Jeanneret. With its resplendent sky and mountain backdrop, it feels distinctly unlike home as you explore key sights.
Visit Nek Chand’s Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake with its joggers and rowers, and City Center in Sector 17—one of 47 self-contained areas—featuring great shopping and signs of Chandigarh’s high per-capita income. Take a rickshaw back to your hotel, immersed in Le Corbusier’s vision of Chandigarh as a city of “sun, space, and verdure.”
Day 9
Chandigarh to Rishikesh
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Where the Ganges River (Ganga) emerges from the Himalayas lies the picturesque town of Rishikesh. This town was first made famous to Westerners in the 1960s when the Beatles visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, which has since closed. After breakfast, you will drive to Rishikesh, check into your hotel, and then have the rest of the day free to explore this city, known as the birthplace of yoga.
Rishikesh is long recognized as a spiritual center, offering numerous opportunities for meditation and Ayurvedic therapy. It is also popular for white-water rafting and for spotting food-stealing monkeys.
Day 10
Rishikesh
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A morning yoga class provides a mellow start to a relaxing day in the holy city of Rishikesh. If tempted by a cold dip in the Ganges, take one at the private ghat right outside the hotel to absorb the river’s purported healing energy.
An Ayurvedic lunch would complement the experience nicely. Without irony, have a nice day.
Day 11
Rishikesh
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As the sun rises over the Himalayas, the city awakens with pilgrims arriving at the ghats and yogis beginning their meditations. Set out to discover Rishikesh, starting with Bharat Mandir, the oldest temple here dating to the 12th century, located in the heart of the old town on the banks of the Ganges.
Continue past beautiful, rock-strewn sandy beaches to the Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula areas, both renowned for their temples. Before leaving Rishikesh, shop for plentiful religious tokens, incense, bronze Shiva statues, or clothing.
DAY 12
Rishikesh - Haridwar
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“Gateway to the abode of the Gods,” is the literal meaning of Haridwar, where the Ganges tilts and rumbles from the
foothills to begin its long and holy journey south. This is also a maincrossroads for pilgrims of all kinds, where the scene is dominated the gleaming white shikhara of Mansa Devi temple, which can be reached by cable car. Afterlunch, visit the riverside promenade at Har-ki-Pairi, the principal ghat, where amoving and spectacular ceremony, Ganga Arati, takes place each day at dusk,sometimes drawing thousands to the bridges and islands for this devotion to the goddess Ganga. An island with a clock tower provides a good view as lights are set afloat on the water, priests swing lighted torches and music and gongs boom in the background.
Day 13
Haridwar to Agra
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This morning, transfer to the railway station for your train to Agra, home to the famed Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After checking in to your hotel, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure for rest or to explore Agra, which was once the capital of the Mughal Empire and is situated on the banks of the River Yamuna.
Day 14
Agra
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This morning, visit the incomparable Taj Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and took 22 years to complete, following an Islamic layout that represents paradise. Shah Jahan built it in memory of his beloved wife, Queen Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. Prepare to be mesmerized by this perfect example of Mughal architecture.
Though the Taj Mahal outshines all other buildings, Agra offers other attractions, including the magnificent Agra Fort, built in 1565 by Emperor Akbar, which is one of the destinations on this afternoon’s itinerary.
Day 15
Agra to Delhi - Departure
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After breakfast, depart for Delhi with a stop en route at Fatehpur Sikri. Built by Emperor Akbar and completed in 1574, it was abandoned just 14 years later due to water shortages. Highlights include its red stone mosques, courtyards, and the palace where Akbar reputedly played chess using slave girls as pawns.
Continue your journey to Delhi, where a day room awaits for your comfort. Later tonight, transfer to the international airport for your connecting flight.