Asia and the Pacific - India
FROM FROM
R
North India Explorer + South India Explorer
Tour code: QIS Tour style: Simply Tour comfort: Simple Tour pace: Moderate
DURATION DAYS 32
TOUR
£1590 £2376
TOUR ONLY FLIGHT INCLUSIVE
CHINA (TIBET)
PAKISTAN DELHI PUSHKAR
UDAIPUR Ajmer
Ghats & Jagdish Temple INDIA
Maragon HAMPI Hospet
Beaches GOA Bangalore
‘Toy Train’ to Coimbatore MYSORE
ALLEPPEY KOCHI
Homestay
INDIAN OCEAN
Madras airport
MAMALLAPURAM Temples walking tour
OOTY METTUPALAYAM MADURAI
Backwaters trip QUILON 0 km 560 km North India Explorer + South India Explorer QIS Great value highlights tour across India
This epic adventure across the length and breadth of India offers the fantastic opportunity to discover the country’s many highlights and meet the friendly locals as we travel by bus, train and boat. We roam through the bustling city of Delhi, explore the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur and watch the sun rise over the magnifi cent Taj Mahal. Travelling south to the Coromandel Coast we fi nd ancient beachside temples, majestic palaces and former colonial towns. Trip highlights include the boat trips along the Ganges in the north and Kerala’s backwaters in the south. Staying with local families we experience their generous hospitality and learn about traditional life. We fi nish the journey on Goa’s Arabian shores with time to relax on its beautiful beaches.
32 day tour itinerary
Day 1 Join tour Delhi. Day 2 Old Delhi Hire a rickshaw to explore Old and New Delhi. Take a sleeper train to Udaipur. Days 3/4 White city Two full days to explore romantic Udaipur and its surroundings. Hire a bike or take a boat out on the lake at sunset. Days 5/6 Pushkar Travel by jeep to this important pilgrimage centre. Climb the hill to watch the sunset at the Savitri Temple or take a camel ride into the desert. Days 7/8 Jaipur - the ‘Pink City’ Visit the Observatory and the Palace of the Winds. Explore the market or visit the hilltop fortress of Amber. Days 9/10 Agra Visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise and see the city’s impressive fort. Take the overnight train to Allahabad. Days 11/12 Ganges Sail to Varanasi, stopping at local villages and historic sites. Days 13/14 Holy Varanasi Take an optional sunrise boat trip past the colourful ghats or
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explore the narrow streets and spice markets. Day 15 Kolkata Discover the vibrant Bengali capital with its fl ower market, clay modeller’s village and Khali temple. Day 16 Fly south Fly to Chennai and then transfer to Mamallapuram. Days 17/18 Beachside temples Time to relax after your journey and admire the ancient shore temples. It’s also possible to visit the former French colony of Pondicherry. Day 19 Madurai Mix with the swirling crowds who pack the Meenakshi temple’s halls in holy Madurai. Days 20/21 Kerala’s backwaters A long but scenic drive takes us over the Western Ghats to Kerala’s tranquil palm-fringed backwaters. We enjoy a boat trip from Quillon to Allepey and stay with families to learn more about local life. Days 22/23 Kochi Explore the historic streets of Fort Kochi and maybe take a sunset boat cruise. There is
also the chance to see a performance of traditional Kathakali dance. Days 24/25 Hillstation Taking the train inland, we spend a night at Mettupalayam before catching the narrow gauge toy train to the hillstation of Ooty to enjoy the cool mountain air. Days 26/27 Mysore See the Maharajah’s Palace before climbing Chamundi Hill to the giant Nandi Bull. Days 28/29 Hampi Spend two days in laid-back Hampi with the chance to explore the ancient Vijayanagar capital and enjoy the giant boulder strewn countryside. Days 30/31 Goa Descending from the Western Ghats our journey ends on the idyllic white beaches of Goa. Day 32 Tour ends Goa.
Please go online for our full detailed tour notes.
Tour essentials
Accommodation: 5 nights basic overnight trains, 1 night basic camping, 23 nights simple hotels, 1 night simple homestay and 1 night standard hotel. Meals: 26 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners are included. Tour Staff: Explore Tour Leader, driver(s) and local guide(s). Transport: Public bus, 4WD, bus, boat, rickshaw, taxi and train. Group size: Generally 8 - 14.
Planned tour dates
2014 Tour only dates 12 Jan - 12 Feb 9 Feb - 12 Mar 2 Mar - 2 Apr 6 Apr - 7 May
23 Mar - 23 Apr 5 Oct - 5 Nov
26 Oct - 26 Nov 31 Oct - 1 Dec 9 Nov - 10 Dec 21 Dec - 21 Jan
2015 Tour only dates 11 Jan - 11 Feb 25 Jan - 25 Feb 8 Feb - 11 Mar 1 Mar - 1 Apr 29 Mar - 29 Apr
Flexible fl ight options We have a range of fl exible fl ight options available, please call our sales team for more details.
Single rooms are available from £455 For more information and to book, go online at
www.explore.co.uk Walking tour
AGRA Taj Mahal
JAIPUR
Palace of the Winds
NEPAL Fatehpur Sikri
Sarnath Aarti ceremony VARANASI
Allahabad Batoli Ghat
Ganges Ganges sailing KOLKATA 2 day
D32 D33
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