Overview
On this exciting adventure through Rajasthan often termed the land of kings. Agra where you will grasp the legendary Taj Mahal and some of the most ancient forts. In addition, you will experience authentic village life of India that showcases a completely different world where one can be mislaid in the aroma of simple yet interesting village life and leave behind the chaos of cities and town in and outside India. A walk through the villages will allow you to come across to various ancient communities within the rural villages. If you want to see and experience antique India, its culture, and traditions, then embark on the journey to the villages of India that still hold the glimpse of its rural form.

Tour Highlights
- Discover the imposing building of New Delhi built by British in 1920
- Bicycle Rickshaw Adventure Through the Back Lanes Old Delhi
- Visit 400 years old famous Amber Palace Fort in Jaipur
experience authentic village life of India - Meet ancient communities within the rural villages to know their day to day life
- Sunrise Boat Cruise on Holy River Ganges in Varanasi
- Cooking and Dining experience with a local family
- A Musical Play Featuring the story of Taj Mahal
Itinerary
-
Day 1:
Arrival into New Delhi
Welcome to Delhi, a city that bridges two different worlds. Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and formidable mosques. In contrast, the imperial city of New Delhi created by the British Raj is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings. On arrival at Delhi airport, you will be met upon by an Explore India representative and transferred to your hotel.
-
Day 2:
Taj Mahal New Delhi
Morning at your leisure. The afternoon will start our tour with a visit to a Sikh Temple locally called Gurduwara Bangla Sahib. This is the most prominent Sikh Temple, of worship, known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, and the pond inside its complex, known as the “Sarovar”, whose water is considered holy by Sikhs and is known as “Amrit”. It was first built as a small temple by Sikh General, Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783, who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in the same year, during the reign of Mughal Emperor. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh, an Indian ruler in the seventeenth century, and was known as Jaisinghpura Palace.
Later visit Humayun’s tomb. Emperor Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor of India. The tomb was built by his widow in 1569-70, 14 years after his death, at a cost of 1.5 million rupees. It was later used for the burial of various members of the ruling family and contains some 150 graves. It has aptly been described as the necropolis of the Mughal dynasty.
Meals: Breakfast -
Day 3:
Explore Old Delhi
After Breakfast – We will start our morning tour with a visit to 17th century Old Delhi. Visit the Jama Mosque, the royal mosque built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in 1656. We will take a bicycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, the spine of Old Delhi that houses the spice market and jeweler’s lane.
Later visit the Red Fort, a magnificent structure of red sandstone built at the pinnacle of the Mogul empire. In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. It is enclosed by a rubble stone wall, with bastions, gates, and wickets at intervals. Of its fourteen gates, the important ones are the Mori, Lahori, Ajmeri, Turkman, Kashmiri and Delhi gates, some of which have already been demolished. His famous citadel, the Lal-Qila, or the Red Fort, lying at the town’s northern end on the right bank or the Yamuna and south of Salimgarh, was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years. The Red Fort is different from the Agra Fort and is better planned, because at its back lies the experience gained by Shahjahan at Agra, and because it was the work of one hand. It is an irregular octagon, with two long sides on the east and west, and with two main gates, one on the west and the other on the south called Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. While the walls, gates and a few other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, marble has been largely used in the palaces.
Afternoon at your leisure.Meals: Breakfast -
Day 4:
Delhi – Agra
After breakfast drive to Agra.
Arrive and check in at your hotel.Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Trident Agra Hotel, Agra -
Day 5:
Visit Taj Mahal
Early morning – We will start our day at sunrise with a visit to one of the most incredible monuments ever built in the world. The Taj Mahal is a monument of love built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the most highly revered masterpieces in the world. After breakfast, visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site with imposing walls of red sandstone. The fort is almost two miles long and contains palaces, audience halls, and mosques.
Afternoon free for your personal activities.
Live show performance: In the early evening, you will enjoy a live fascinating play that depicts the saga of love and a memorable journey into history. The drama portrays the Mughal era in the 16th century. It is a series of plays depicting the true and immortal love of Shahjahan for Mumtaz Mahal, his beautiful wife; the lavish lifestyle of Mughal era; and the hardship of the artisans who worked for 22 years to create a most breathtaking work of craftsmanship. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Trident Agra Hotel, Agra -
Day 6:
Agra – Ramathra Village Fortress & Fatehpur Sikri
After breakfast, drive to Ramathra, en route, visit the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. Built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, this was the old capital of the Moghuls, which was abandoned after 15 years due to a scarcity of water.
After lunch, continue driving to Ramathra, the quaint township of Ramathra is a virgin travel destination in the state of Rajasthan, It lies at the base of the hill, hosting the celebrated Ramathra fort that sees a trickle of tourists all year. People, who tend to visit, spend the time exploring the grandiose Ramathra lake that is excellent for bird-watching. You will also get a delightful experience and unique understanding of a simple country life in the desert township.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerAccommodation: Ramathra Fort -
Day 7:
Explore Ramathra Village
After breakfast we will explore Ramathra village a small hamlet of farmers and herders, you will have the opportunity to interact with these simple villagers, get a glimpse of their daily life as the farmers tend to their crops and animals. Afternoon at your leisure. The highlight of this evening is a demonstration of Rajasthani Ghumer dance, followed by dinner. Afternoon free for your personal activities.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerAccommodation: Ramathra Fort -
Day 8:
Ramathra – Jaipur
After breakfast leave for Jaipur. The origin of Jaipur’s nickname becomes immediately apparent as we enter the old city walls and greet the pink-colored buildings that can be seen at every turn. The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Jai Singh II.
Afternoon free for your personal activities.
Optional enjoy a walking tour through the colorful Pink city of Jaipur with your personal tour guide.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur -
Day 9:
Jaipur & Private Elephant
In the morning, enjoy an excursion to the hilltop fort at Amber by jeep. Enjoy the architecture, lattice screens, and paintings colored with jewel dust. Later drive pass through the old city including and make a photo stop at the Palace of Winds. Your tour also includes a visit to the City Palace a home of the current Maharaja of Jaipur and its museum. Time to shop for exclusive gems that Jaipur is famous and some fascinating block printing fabrics.
Afternoon free per for your personal activities.Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur -
Day 10:
Jaipur | Leisure & Colorful Bazaars
Full day in Jaipur for your leisure activities, make the use of the hotel facilities or simply enjoy the local colorful bazaars of Jaipur.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur -
Day 11:
Jaipur – Jodhpur
After breakfast –We drive to Jodhpur, along the way you will experience the country with camel carts, trucks, cows, buffalos. Jodhpur a historic city whose origin dates to the year 1459 AD. Jodhpur is also known as the Blue City, an apt name as most houses in the old city are shades of blue. This is particularly noticeable on the north side of the town, known as Brahmpuri for the many Brahmins that live there. On our arrival at the hotel. Afternoon at your leisure.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Vivanta by Taj – Hari Mahal, Jodhpur -
Day 12:
Mehrangarh Fort & Clock Tower
After Breakfast – We will start with a sightseeing tour of Jodhpur city visiting Mehrangarh Fort situated at an altitude of about 125 meters and spread over an area of 5 sq. km. The Fort crowns a rocky hill that rises 400 feet above the surrounding plain, and appears both to command and to meld with the landscape. Next visit Umaid Bhawan palace built by Maharaja Umaid Singh (1929 – 1942 ) It is a splendid example of Indo-colonial and art deco architecture of the 30s. Return to hotel. Afternoon at your leisure.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Vivanta by Taj – Hari Mahal, Jodhpur -
Day 13:
Jodhpur & Sunset Camel Safari
After leisurely breakfast – We will proceed to the local market around Clock Tower area, Jodhpur’s busiest marketplace. Here we will also experience an auto rickshaw ride.
Later in the afternoon will proceed for an exclusive camel safari in the Osian village about an hour drive each way from Jodhpur followed by Kalbelia a local village dance of Rajasthan to celebrate a joyful moment in the desert followed by a dinner and campfire.
Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Vivanta by Taj – Hari Mahal, Jodhpur -
Day 14:
Jodhpur – Bishnoi – Pushkar
After breakfast, we board our Jeeps and drive to Salawas village to get an experience of tribal India. Salawas is a village where we see potters and learn how earthen pots are made. Then we drive to Bishnoi village & Roop Raj (weaver) and learn about living in the villages of India and traditional social life. While we are on the jeeps we may encounter en route black bucks deer moving freely around this village.
Later we will proceed with our lunch a Chandelao Garh built in 1744. After lunch, we continue driving to Pushkar. Upon arrival check in to your resort.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Day 15:
Pushkar
After breakfast drive to Pushkar and spend the next two days experiencing the bustling Pushkar
During your two days explore Pushkar and its vibrant markets and temples, 11 km from Ajmer on the edge of the desert lie the tiny tranquil town of Pushkar along the bank of the picturesque Pushkar Lake – an important pilgrimage spot for the Hindus. No pilgrimage is considered complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar Lake. Pushkar has as many as 400 temples and 52 Ghats and the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Brahama. While Pushkar is a haven for the religiously inclined, it is also the venue of one of the country’s most colorful cattle fairs – the Pushkar Fair.
During your stay, visit the local markets and one of the major thriving temple of Lord Brahma, can be identified by it red spire and by the image of Hans (the swan considered sacred to Lord Brahma). This temple built with the marble is decorated with silver coins.Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Day 16:
Pushkar – Ajmer - Delhi
In the afternoon you are escorted to Ajmer railway station to bard your rain for New Delhi. Meet and assist upon arrival and transfer to your hotel for overnight stay.
Meals: DinnerAccommodation: Holiday Inn New Delhi International Airport -
Day 17:
Delhi – Home
In time you are transferred to the international airport to board your flight for home.
What’s included
- Round-trip International airfare
- Accommodation at 5-star hotels and best available in Resorts
- Internal Airfare as per the program
- Escorted transfers (airport to hotel, hotel to airport)
- Meals as specified per the program
- Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
- Services of an English speaking tour guide during sightseeing
- Air Conditioned Private Toyota Innova transportation throughout your trip
- Bottled water during sightseeing tours and long drives
- Entrance fees to all the monuments including all activities mentioned in the program
What’s excluded
Additional taxes $388
You choose when to go
This is a privately guided journey. Contact us on how to book this tour.You May Also Like
Recent Reviews
First of all, we want to thank Nazir for planning this wonderful trip. We really appreciated the effort he made in meeting us on our first day of our arrival to Delhi, which I did not expect it at all. He came to our hotel and greeted us and even gave us a welcome dinner that night. When we were at the Kashmir airport, our guide gave me his cell phone, saying that someone wanted to talk to me. To my surprise, it was Nazir. My worried husband could not contact us while we were in Kashmir (for there is no internet access), but Nazir was able to locate us. He asked us how we were in order to report back to my husband. We really appreciate his hard work. In this trip, the best thing that happened to us was that we had a kind, responsible driver, Harpal. He met us in Delhi (after Kashmir) and drove us to Jaipur and Agra. He was such a careful driver, even though most drivers in India drive very recklessly. He was always patient and drove in a courteous manner. He was punctual when picking us up every time, and he took us to good restaurants. On our last day, arriving from Kathmandu to Delhi, he came back to be our guide, even though he had already gone back home (which was one hour away from Delhi!) He helped us a lot and we became good friends. Harpal is a highly recommended driver and guide. He deserves a raise and good appraisal. We had five different hotels on this trip; the best was Trident in Jaipur. Besides great breakfast, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and sincere. One of Trident’s policies is no tipping for all staff. It was such a relief because I did not need to carry small notes for tipping everywhere. Trident also had great security, swimming pool, good rate exchanges, and free internet in the business centre. Trident surpassed The Park in Delhi, Jaypee in Agra, and Ramada in Varanasi. We recommend that the best hotel should put to the last so that we won’t be comparing with the best. In this trip, I learned a lot. I felt sorry for the people in India in many situations – corruption, poverty, sanitation, and children and women status. I do think India needs another revolution in order to move forward again. To Nazir, I hope someone like you, young and has a good education, can form a team to help the people in India improve the living conditions in order for them to have a better world tomorrow.
Nola Yang and Family
Vancouver, Canada
Hello Nazir, Linda and I arrived back in our home at 2:30 PM on March 13, 2019, after a long journey that began at 5:30 AM on March 12th, as we got up to witness the sun rising over the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains. Needless to say we were both extremely tired for a few days. That being said - Let me begin by thanking you, Mandira and all of the Explore India staff in Canada, India and Nepal. Every person we met were exceptional - Greeters, Drivers, Managers and our Tour Leaders Mr. Sharma in India and Mr. Acharya in Nepal. You certainly have have built an Organization that excels in Customer Service. As someone who spent his working career in Sales & Customer Service Management - Your Team is second to none. I commend you for this great accomplishment. Our Trip to India and Nepal was certainly "A Journey Of The Senses". From the Hotels selected for the Program, Venues For Special Event Meals and even the mandated Shopping Stops - all were First Class. The Program Itinerary provided us with a FANTASTIC opportunity to see an India - diverse in Culture, having great history, AMAZING architecture and most importantly WONDERFUL People. Not only do we have photos of this Journey - we have memories that are etched in our brain for eternity. If I can make one suggestion to your Nepal Extension Program. A late afternoon arrival at Club Himalaya with a morning departure on the following day is not enough time for two reasons - Potential of Poor Visability and Travel Time. For us the Kathmandu sights could have been condensed to allow for a second night at Club Himalaya. Thank you again. We will certainly be recommending Explore India to anyone that has an interest in India.
Bob & Linda Bickerton
(Ashbrun ON, Canada)
The trip to India was much more than I expected. Often the expression....Go to India and change your Life....that is what I experienced! From weather, hotels, food, transportation to our guides...top grade!!!! Thanks you for putting this wonderful vacation together for us!!! It holds memories for a Lifetime!!! When I get some photos edited I will send you a link! Great Job!
Linda Swanson
Nelson, Canada
Hi Nazir, The India tour was excellent. The accommodations and meals was great , spicy but you get used to it after a couple of days, The hotel staff making every effort to accommodate and attending to any request from the tour participants. The tour bus was quite satisfactory with the driver and assistant quite helpful, keeping the bus clean. The Tour guide was excellent and quite knowledgeable about the history of the Indian civilization. Also handling the tickets to the various sites so the was little delay getting in and experiencing the splendor that is India Pick up and drop off from the airport went without any incidence. Overall, a great experience that will not be forgotten.
Anirud and Hafeeza
Toronto, Canada
I want to let you know how pleased my sister and I are with the tour we took to northern India in February. All the facilities arranged for us were top rate. The itinerary was varied and thoughtfully put together to highlight many interesting destinations, while allowing sufficient time to visit at leisure. Your quick and effective response to the unforeseen cancellation of our return flight was impressive. Thank you. The success of any guided tour depends in large part on the guide, and that was certainly borne out in this case. Mr Shah is competent, amicable and passionate about his country. He was able to anticipate and avert possible problems, and enlightened us with information and (what we called) mini-lectures on subjects ranging from history archaeology and political structure, to cultural topics such as the caste system and arranged marriages. As a bonus, he is also "unflappable" and has a very good sense of humour. I have already recommended your company to friends, and hope they take the opportunity to discover a little of India as we did. Regards Donna Neve
Donna & Sandra Neve
Victoria BC
Leona and I thoroughly enjoy our trip. The trip was just right, not too short or too long.With a small group, we got to know everyone and even promise to travel together in the future. No problem with the Hotels or our meals. Kingfisher beer and only Kingfisher beer, no complaint. Our tour guide Sanjay, was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and funny. Overall, it was a good trip and I highly recommended your company to our friends as a place to deal with. We are planning to go back in 2 years to see the south part of India or trekking north to Darjeeling, Sikkim area.
Owen & Leona Wong
Vancouver, Canada
Hi Nazir; We arrived in Calgary late Wednesday. Needless to say we are tired. We had a memorable time in India to say the least! On TV one sees programs about India however experiencing it was another thing! One cannot image the density of people without experiencing it firsthand. It was truly shocking. Explore India provides Canadians an opportunity to see it for themselves. Arvind was a great tour leader; his knowledge about the country, its customs, its people, is astounding. Raj, your man on the ground, went out of his way to help us. As you know we stayed an extra day in Delhi at the end of our stay because of poor plane connections. As our booking for the Taj Ambassador Hotel did not work out, he arranged our stay at the Pride Plaza Hotel and provided a car and driver to allow us to see the city. This turned out to be a much better than if we had stayed at the Taj Ambassador as the new hotel was close to the airport saving travel time at departure. Lochem (sp?), your local guide for Darjeeling had exceptional knowledge of the area, its history and the people. Without him much of the local folklore would have been missed. There were two surprises we encountered while in India. The first was the road condition between the airport and Darjeeling; the lengthy travel time and being so winding. Unfortunately Carolyn got motion sickness throwing up stomach acid within the vehicle making it uncomfortable for other passengers. Returning was much better as she took Gravol that settled her stomach. In the end we all laughed about it. The second surprise was the India government announcement cancelling the 500 and 1000 rupee notes the day prior to leaving. We got stuck with a small quantity of rupees that we could not use. This is not a big deal but wondered if you had a use for them. Perhaps they could be given to an Indian charity? If it could be done let us know where to send them. The itinerary for each leg (six) of the tour were appropriate providing us with a good overview of India. The quality of the hotels was excellent providing an evening refuge to recuperate, collect our thoughts, and share with friends. Transportation arrangements were excellent; Arvind did a superb job dealing with airport arrangements for air travel within India. Security had recently been stepped up at the airports making for long lineups. Arvind managed to shorten them with his knowledge and relationships with security personnel. The quality of buses used for transportation between Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, and Jaipur were excellent. As you are aware driving in India is somewhat different than driving in North America. Road quality can be very poor, vehicle density is very high, roads go through many towns, people and animals share the road, and drivers don’t necessarily obey traffic laws; such as creating five lanes of traffic on a two lane road.. The bus drivers had to deal with these situations being mindful of our travel deadlines and our safety. They did an excellent job! It may be a while before we travel to India again, however we would definitely consider Explore India first for making our travel/tour arrangements when we do. Our kindest regards
Errol and Carolyn
Calgary, Canada
This is a quick e-mail to let you know how much my husband and I enjoyed our tour in India. Everything worked like clockwork. We were very well taken care of from start to finish. The guides were very informative. We loved our experience in India. Thank you again.
Sylvia Roscoe
Coquitlam, Canada
We want to thank you for a truly wonderful trip. It exceeded all our expectations. The itinerary was fantastic, our guide Azur (The spelling of his name eludes me) very professional taking care of EVERY detail, the accommodations were incredible, the food was delicious. Superlative adjectives are not enough to describe how great this trip was! We are very experienced travellers and can appreciate the complexity involved in such a voyage. Our guide was obviously very experienced and knowledgeable. He navigated through the trip seamlessly without a hitch, even when India made our 500&1000 bills almost worthless. Words cannot describe how pleased we are that we chose Explore India. We will be passing on the word about your company at every chance we have! Please feel free to pass on our name to anyone who is considering travelling with you.... Warmest regards,
Dr. Steve and Mrs. Rosalyn Fremeth
Ottawa, Canada
I apologise for taking so long to get back to you after our trip to India. I want to thank you very much for having put such a wonderful trip together for Janine and me. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure, the time in Kashmir was magical as were the visits to Jaipur and Agra. I can't think of any part of it that in retrospect we would have done differently.
Brian and Janine Bell
Vancouver, Canada
First of all, we want to thank Nazir for planning this wonderful trip. We really appreciated the effort he made in meeting us on our first day of our arrival to Delhi, which I did not expect it at all. He came to our hotel and greeted us and even gave us a welcome dinner that night. When we were at the Kashmir airport, our guide gave me his cell phone, saying that someone wanted to talk to me. To my surprise, it was Nazir. My worried husband could not contact us while we were in Kashmir (for there is no internet access), but Nazir was able to locate us. He asked us how we were in order to report back to my husband. We really appreciate his hard work. In this trip, the best thing that happened to us was that we had a kind, responsible driver, Harpal. He met us in Delhi (after Kashmir) and drove us to Jaipur and Agra. He was such a careful driver, even though most drivers in India drive very recklessly. He was always patient and drove in a courteous manner. He was punctual when picking us up every time, and he took us to good restaurants. On our last day, arriving from Kathmandu to Delhi, he came back to be our guide, even though he had already gone back home (which was one hour away from Delhi!) He helped us a lot and we became good friends. Harpal is a highly recommended driver and guide. He deserves a raise and good appraisal. We had five different hotels on this trip; the best was Trident in Jaipur. Besides great breakfast, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and sincere. One of Trident’s policies is no tipping for all staff. It was such a relief because I did not need to carry small notes for tipping everywhere. Trident also had great security, swimming pool, good rate exchanges, and free internet in the business centre. Trident surpassed The Park in Delhi, Jaypee in Agra, and Ramada in Varanasi. We recommend that the best hotel should put to the last so that we won’t be comparing with the best. In this trip, I learned a lot. I felt sorry for the people in India in many situations – corruption, poverty, sanitation, and children and women status. I do think India needs another revolution in order to move forward again. To Nazir, I hope someone like you, young and has a good education, can form a team to help the people in India improve the living conditions in order for them to have a better world tomorrow.
Nola Yang and Family
Vancouver, Canada
Hello Nazir, Linda and I arrived back in our home at 2:30 PM on March 13, 2019, after a long journey that began at 5:30 AM on March 12th, as we got up to witness the sun rising over the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains. Needless to say we were both extremely tired for a few days. That being said - Let me begin by thanking you, Mandira and all of the Explore India staff in Canada, India and Nepal. Every person we met were exceptional - Greeters, Drivers, Managers and our Tour Leaders Mr. Sharma in India and Mr. Acharya in Nepal. You certainly have have built an Organization that excels in Customer Service. As someone who spent his working career in Sales & Customer Service Management - Your Team is second to none. I commend you for this great accomplishment. Our Trip to India and Nepal was certainly "A Journey Of The Senses". From the Hotels selected for the Program, Venues For Special Event Meals and even the mandated Shopping Stops - all were First Class. The Program Itinerary provided us with a FANTASTIC opportunity to see an India - diverse in Culture, having great history, AMAZING architecture and most importantly WONDERFUL People. Not only do we have photos of this Journey - we have memories that are etched in our brain for eternity. If I can make one suggestion to your Nepal Extension Program. A late afternoon arrival at Club Himalaya with a morning departure on the following day is not enough time for two reasons - Potential of Poor Visability and Travel Time. For us the Kathmandu sights could have been condensed to allow for a second night at Club Himalaya. Thank you again. We will certainly be recommending Explore India to anyone that has an interest in India.
Bob & Linda Bickerton
(Ashbrun ON, Canada)
The trip to India was much more than I expected. Often the expression....Go to India and change your Life....that is what I experienced! From weather, hotels, food, transportation to our guides...top grade!!!! Thanks you for putting this wonderful vacation together for us!!! It holds memories for a Lifetime!!! When I get some photos edited I will send you a link! Great Job!
Linda Swanson
Nelson, Canada
Hi Nazir, The India tour was excellent. The accommodations and meals was great , spicy but you get used to it after a couple of days, The hotel staff making every effort to accommodate and attending to any request from the tour participants. The tour bus was quite satisfactory with the driver and assistant quite helpful, keeping the bus clean. The Tour guide was excellent and quite knowledgeable about the history of the Indian civilization. Also handling the tickets to the various sites so the was little delay getting in and experiencing the splendor that is India Pick up and drop off from the airport went without any incidence. Overall, a great experience that will not be forgotten.
Anirud and Hafeeza
Toronto, Canada
I want to let you know how pleased my sister and I are with the tour we took to northern India in February. All the facilities arranged for us were top rate. The itinerary was varied and thoughtfully put together to highlight many interesting destinations, while allowing sufficient time to visit at leisure. Your quick and effective response to the unforeseen cancellation of our return flight was impressive. Thank you. The success of any guided tour depends in large part on the guide, and that was certainly borne out in this case. Mr Shah is competent, amicable and passionate about his country. He was able to anticipate and avert possible problems, and enlightened us with information and (what we called) mini-lectures on subjects ranging from history archaeology and political structure, to cultural topics such as the caste system and arranged marriages. As a bonus, he is also "unflappable" and has a very good sense of humour. I have already recommended your company to friends, and hope they take the opportunity to discover a little of India as we did. Regards Donna Neve
Donna & Sandra Neve
Victoria BC
Leona and I thoroughly enjoy our trip. The trip was just right, not too short or too long.With a small group, we got to know everyone and even promise to travel together in the future. No problem with the Hotels or our meals. Kingfisher beer and only Kingfisher beer, no complaint. Our tour guide Sanjay, was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and funny. Overall, it was a good trip and I highly recommended your company to our friends as a place to deal with. We are planning to go back in 2 years to see the south part of India or trekking north to Darjeeling, Sikkim area.
Owen & Leona Wong
Vancouver, Canada
Hi Nazir; We arrived in Calgary late Wednesday. Needless to say we are tired. We had a memorable time in India to say the least! On TV one sees programs about India however experiencing it was another thing! One cannot image the density of people without experiencing it firsthand. It was truly shocking. Explore India provides Canadians an opportunity to see it for themselves. Arvind was a great tour leader; his knowledge about the country, its customs, its people, is astounding. Raj, your man on the ground, went out of his way to help us. As you know we stayed an extra day in Delhi at the end of our stay because of poor plane connections. As our booking for the Taj Ambassador Hotel did not work out, he arranged our stay at the Pride Plaza Hotel and provided a car and driver to allow us to see the city. This turned out to be a much better than if we had stayed at the Taj Ambassador as the new hotel was close to the airport saving travel time at departure. Lochem (sp?), your local guide for Darjeeling had exceptional knowledge of the area, its history and the people. Without him much of the local folklore would have been missed. There were two surprises we encountered while in India. The first was the road condition between the airport and Darjeeling; the lengthy travel time and being so winding. Unfortunately Carolyn got motion sickness throwing up stomach acid within the vehicle making it uncomfortable for other passengers. Returning was much better as she took Gravol that settled her stomach. In the end we all laughed about it. The second surprise was the India government announcement cancelling the 500 and 1000 rupee notes the day prior to leaving. We got stuck with a small quantity of rupees that we could not use. This is not a big deal but wondered if you had a use for them. Perhaps they could be given to an Indian charity? If it could be done let us know where to send them. The itinerary for each leg (six) of the tour were appropriate providing us with a good overview of India. The quality of the hotels was excellent providing an evening refuge to recuperate, collect our thoughts, and share with friends. Transportation arrangements were excellent; Arvind did a superb job dealing with airport arrangements for air travel within India. Security had recently been stepped up at the airports making for long lineups. Arvind managed to shorten them with his knowledge and relationships with security personnel. The quality of buses used for transportation between Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, and Jaipur were excellent. As you are aware driving in India is somewhat different than driving in North America. Road quality can be very poor, vehicle density is very high, roads go through many towns, people and animals share the road, and drivers don’t necessarily obey traffic laws; such as creating five lanes of traffic on a two lane road.. The bus drivers had to deal with these situations being mindful of our travel deadlines and our safety. They did an excellent job! It may be a while before we travel to India again, however we would definitely consider Explore India first for making our travel/tour arrangements when we do. Our kindest regards
Errol and Carolyn
Calgary, Canada
This is a quick e-mail to let you know how much my husband and I enjoyed our tour in India. Everything worked like clockwork. We were very well taken care of from start to finish. The guides were very informative. We loved our experience in India. Thank you again.
Sylvia Roscoe
Coquitlam, Canada
We want to thank you for a truly wonderful trip. It exceeded all our expectations. The itinerary was fantastic, our guide Azur (The spelling of his name eludes me) very professional taking care of EVERY detail, the accommodations were incredible, the food was delicious. Superlative adjectives are not enough to describe how great this trip was! We are very experienced travellers and can appreciate the complexity involved in such a voyage. Our guide was obviously very experienced and knowledgeable. He navigated through the trip seamlessly without a hitch, even when India made our 500&1000 bills almost worthless. Words cannot describe how pleased we are that we chose Explore India. We will be passing on the word about your company at every chance we have! Please feel free to pass on our name to anyone who is considering travelling with you.... Warmest regards,
Dr. Steve and Mrs. Rosalyn Fremeth
Ottawa, Canada
I apologise for taking so long to get back to you after our trip to India. I want to thank you very much for having put such a wonderful trip together for Janine and me. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure, the time in Kashmir was magical as were the visits to Jaipur and Agra. I can't think of any part of it that in retrospect we would have done differently.
Brian and Janine Bell
Vancouver, Canada
First of all, we want to thank Nazir for planning this wonderful trip. We really appreciated the effort he made in meeting us on our first day of our arrival to Delhi, which I did not expect it at all. He came to our hotel and greeted us and even gave us a welcome dinner that night. When we were at the Kashmir airport, our guide gave me his cell phone, saying that someone wanted to talk to me. To my surprise, it was Nazir. My worried husband could not contact us while we were in Kashmir (for there is no internet access), but Nazir was able to locate us. He asked us how we were in order to report back to my husband. We really appreciate his hard work. In this trip, the best thing that happened to us was that we had a kind, responsible driver, Harpal. He met us in Delhi (after Kashmir) and drove us to Jaipur and Agra. He was such a careful driver, even though most drivers in India drive very recklessly. He was always patient and drove in a courteous manner. He was punctual when picking us up every time, and he took us to good restaurants. On our last day, arriving from Kathmandu to Delhi, he came back to be our guide, even though he had already gone back home (which was one hour away from Delhi!) He helped us a lot and we became good friends. Harpal is a highly recommended driver and guide. He deserves a raise and good appraisal. We had five different hotels on this trip; the best was Trident in Jaipur. Besides great breakfast, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and sincere. One of Trident’s policies is no tipping for all staff. It was such a relief because I did not need to carry small notes for tipping everywhere. Trident also had great security, swimming pool, good rate exchanges, and free internet in the business centre. Trident surpassed The Park in Delhi, Jaypee in Agra, and Ramada in Varanasi. We recommend that the best hotel should put to the last so that we won’t be comparing with the best. In this trip, I learned a lot. I felt sorry for the people in India in many situations – corruption, poverty, sanitation, and children and women status. I do think India needs another revolution in order to move forward again. To Nazir, I hope someone like you, young and has a good education, can form a team to help the people in India improve the living conditions in order for them to have a better world tomorrow.
Nola Yang and Family
Vancouver, Canada
Tour Extensions
Check & Compare

You can read hundreds of online reviews of destinations and hotels, but with our up-to-date first-hand knowledge, we will be able to compare and contrast different options and ensure we find something that is just right for you.

You will travel to India like a member of our own family. Our deep love and passion for India and its people, we are a family owned and operated luxury travel company.

Planning a trip needs careful care and attention to detail and that is where Explore India comes in with the passion to make every tour a hassle-free and memorable one for each of our guests.

Be sure to take notice of our standard of accommodation, the specialized sightseeing trips, the seamless flow of the itinerary, the comfort of the coach you will travel in, the customized dining experiences, and much more.

You can read hundreds of online reviews of destinations and hotels, but with our up-to-date first-hand knowledge, we will be able to compare and contrast different options and ensure we find something that is just right for you.

You will travel to India like a member of our own family. Our deep love and passion for India and its people, we are a family owned and operated luxury travel company.

Planning a trip needs careful care and attention to detail and that is where Explore India comes in with the passion to make every tour a hassle-free and memorable one for each of our guests.

Be sure to take notice of our standard of accommodation, the specialized sightseeing trips, the seamless flow of the itinerary, the comfort of the coach you will travel in, the customized dining experiences, and much more.

You can read hundreds of online reviews of destinations and hotels, but with our up-to-date first-hand knowledge, we will be able to compare and contrast different options and ensure we find something that is just right for you.

You will travel to India like a member of our own family. Our deep love and passion for India and its people, we are a family owned and operated luxury travel company.

Planning a trip needs careful care and attention to detail and that is where Explore India comes in with the passion to make every tour a hassle-free and memorable one for each of our guests.

Be sure to take notice of our standard of accommodation, the specialized sightseeing trips, the seamless flow of the itinerary, the comfort of the coach you will travel in, the customized dining experiences, and much more.
FEEL CONFIDENT TRAVELING WITH EXPLORE INDIA
No company is big or small when you have 100% capability of exceeding guest expectations. A rating of 10 out of 10 does not adequately reflect the level of the experience and value of the tour that we provide to India especially for the first time visitors. Explore India’s success can be traced all the way back to those early days of learning what it means to be a host and to this day, our motto is to treat the guest like a member of the family. A sure testimonial to the business, given the fact that many Canadians have travelled not one, not twice, but three times with Explore India, the early teachings seem to have paid off, as touring to India with us is a sought-after experience in Canada and beyond.