Kate, her partner Peter and their friends embarked on a North India visit with us in March 2024. This is what Kate had to say about their tour.
Our North India Visit
We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Everything on our North India visit was extremely well organised and all elements proceeded without a hitch. Hotels were good to excellent, guides were knowledgeable and helpful and prepared to answer questions that we asked about social issues in India – caste system, education system etc – which is often missing from the standard guiding talks. Having guides local to each area worked well with their level of local knowledge and evident pride in their communities.
The drivers were excellent, particularly the young man who we initially spent 5 or more days with, also the minibus used was extremely comfortable and better than the ones we have used in the past. The places visited on our North India visit and time spent there was all spot on, personally, I would have liked one evening activity to see local dancing or Bollywood style dancing – something a bit different – but I appreciate that it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste and may not be easy to organise!
All in all, we were very pleased with the pre-planning support from Authentic India Tours – comprehensive and helpful but in a low-key kind of way [I see this as a positive – you didn’t overburden us !] and the trip itself was hugely successful and good value for money.
Kate’s North India visit was a bespoke tour combining the Golden Triangle and Varanasi.
Here’s an overview of their North India Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly from London Heathrow to Delhi
Day 2: Arrive in Delhi, transfer to The Claridges hotel. Enjoy a ‘Welcome Dinner’ in the evening.
Day 3: Explore Old Delhi and New Delhi, including Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Raj Path, and India Gate.
Day 4: Travel to Agra, visit Agra Fort, and witness the sunset at the Taj Mahal. Stay at Tajview Agra hotel.
Day 5: Journey to Jaipur, stop at Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri. Check into Royal Heritage Haveli.
Day 6: Explore Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, and City Palace in Jaipur.
Day 7: Free day to explore Jaipur’s markets and streets. Celebrate Holi festival with traditional Indian festivities.
Day 8: Return to Delhi, stay at The Pride Plaza Aerocity hotel near the airport.
Day 9: Fly to Varanasi, check into The Suryauday Haveli. Witness the cin the evening.
Day 10: Boat ride on the Ganges at sunrise, explore Varanasi’s old town.
Day 11: Visit Sarnath, fly to Goa via Bangalore on Indigo Airlines.
Day 12: Fly from Goa to Delhi on Air Vistara
Day 13: Fly from Delhi to London Heathrow
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast, with additional meals included on specific days.