Day-to-day schedule
Day 1 -
3: Jaipur
The group meets in Jaipur at noon. We shall stay in Jaipur for a total of three nights. The ‘Pink City’ is the capital of the colourful province of Rajasthan. In the north, the city is surrounded by hills upon which many fortresses and palaces are built. One of the most elegant palaces is the Hawa Mahal, the Wind Palace. Despite the large population, Jaipur retains a relaxing atmosphere. You can explore the city at your leisure. On the street, Rajasthani men with enormous moustaches and turbans and women decked out in much jewellery and the most brightly coloured saris in India walk by. On day 3, you may wish to participate in a trip to the fort in Amber, situated around 7 miles to the north-east of Jaipur. It was the capital of the region for six centuries before Jaipur was built. The fort is built on the top of a hill which is surrounded by more hills, upon which smaller fortifications are built. On the outside, the fort is extremely robust, whilst on the inside, the royal rooms offer immense grace and beauty. There is much decoration and fine marble work on show. During the final part of the trip to the Amber Fort, you will have the chance to ride on the back of an elephant.Day 4: Jaipur - Fatephur Sikri - Agra
We shall leave early in the morning to pay a visit to Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned imperial city, situated not far from Agra. Here, the emperor Akbar, seen as the most important Moghul emperor, built his capital city. The main reason for this was that he was told by a local Muslim seer that he would bear a son here. Between 1571 and 1585, he ruled from his new seat of power over almost all of North India. Fatehpur Sikri was seen by many as a perfect city and Emperor Akbar was reputed around the world for it. He was also well known around the world due to his progressive, tolerant attitude towards all religions. Besides Muslim women, many Hindus and Christians populated his harem (which numbered 5,000 women!). The glory of Fatepur Sikri was short-lived, however, due to the insufficient amount of water that could be pumped into the city. Very soon after Akbar’s death, the city was abandoned. Fortunately, the remains still paint a good picture of the wealth of the city’s heyday. The old city consists of a number of well restored and maintained palaces, although the most impressive feature here is the breathtaking Jama Masjid (Great Mosque), with the Buland Darwaza, which is reputed to be the largest gateway in all of Asia. The architecture of this impressive mosque display both clear Christian and Hindu influences besides the most prevalent Muslim influence. The entry fee for Fatepur Sikri is included in the main price of the trip.
At the end of the afternoon we arrive in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, just in time to watch the sun set behind this world-famous monument, creating an indelible image in your memory.
Day 5: Agra – Varanasi (night train)
During the day you will have time to explore Agra. The Taj Mahal has made Agra world famous, and rightly so. However, besides this architectural wonder, Agra still has a series of other interesting sights. The city used to be one of the three most important Moghul cities. The old area of the city, to the west of the Red Fort, is multi-coloured and hectic, while the region in which most of the hotels are situated is spacious and green. The gigantic Red Fort, the residence of Indian Emperors of old, and the colourful bazaars in the city will certainly make an impression on you.
In the evening we will board the night train and travel through the heart of India to Varanasi, the most sacred city in the whole of this immense land. You will travel in third class sleeper cars with air conditioning.
Day 6 -
7: Varanasi
The holiest city in India is situated on a large bend in the river Ganges and is, according to legend, the oldest city in the world. It is also known as Benares or Kashi, and is the city of Shiva, the most powerful of the Hindu gods. As far as recorded memory goes back, this city has been the most theologically important city. There has been a university here since the days of Buddha, 2,500 years ago. The city itself is dusty and hectic, like all cities in northern India. The number of buffalo and sacred cows on the streets is higher than any other city in the country, making life very difficult for the bicycle rickshaws, people pulling hand carts and freight lorries. However, outside the centre of the city, countless narrow alleys and streets lead to the very soul of India, Mother Ganges. In this sacred river, thousands of people wash their sins away every day, ashes of the dead are scattered and leaves carrying candles float by as offerings to the river. For Hindus, dying in Varanasi is the end of the cycle of life and death and the accession to nirvana or becoming one with Brahma in the universal lake of formless consciousness. The ghats, which are staircases lining the banks of the Ganges that extend for 4.5 miles along the left bank, are amongst the most incredulous sights in India. Anyone who wishes to get to know India closely has to see Varanasi, as Varanasi is India. However, it can also be a spiritual challenge for the western psyche, for which death and religion are simply small marks in the course of this busy world. There is no story in the whole of Indian mythology which pre-dates Varanasi, and we can safely assume that there was a city here when the Arians crossed the mountains from central Asia to conquer India. We can say with certainty that Kashi is at least 4,000 years old and has been a living, breathing city ever since. In the big picture of this city, the coming of Buddha is just a footnote. Even the destruction wreaked upon the city by Muslim forces in 1194, when at least 1,000 temples were destroyed, just caused the city to shrug its shoulders. Conquerors have come and gone, and Moghul and British forces have played a temporary role in the city’s history. Varanasi remained itself and was conscious only of the periodic rise and fall of the Ganges, caused by the monsoon rains. The rule of the Moghul Aurangzeb was probably the most painful chapter for the city. In 1669, the emperor demolished the two most important Hindu temples in the city and replaced them with mosques. Fundamentalist Hindus still demand the return of the two original temples. The Ganges itself has left its mark with the flooding that the river sometimes experiences. The walls of the buildings and the ghats display faint lines which betray the level of the water in the preceding couple of dozen years. The Ganges has undermined building foundations throughout the centuries, which have simply been restored in infinite patience by the Hindus. These days, you can look out over the Ganges and observe the Hindus bathing or cremating their dead. A boat trip along the river is highly memorable, especially at sunrise. You may also wish to visit Sarnath, a holy Buddhist site situated close by. Sarnath is the holy city where the Buddha founded his eightfold path to nirvana. It is therefore a popular site for Buddhist pilgrims, and there have been Buddhist temples here since the 3rd century. Most of Sarnath’s old buildings are these days little more than foundations, although a large stupa (traditional Buddhist monument) remains intact. Another interesting attraction is the Archaeological Museum, which aside from a beautiful pillar with a lion atop it, also contains an exquisite collection of Buddhist and Hindu art. The monasteries and temples here are also very attractive, built by Buddhist pilgrims coming from many different countries. The Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan temples are all worth visiting.
Day 8: Varanasi – Lumbini
Today we leave India. A long bus ride will take us just over the Nepalese border to Lumbini, after the border and visa checks are completed. Lumbini was once part of India and is famous for being the Buddha’s birthplace. We will spend the night here before travelling to Pokhara the following day.
Day 9 -
10: Lumbini – Pokhara
We will drive today along winding roads through the spectacular Himalayas to Pokhara, the only place in the world where mountains rise up to heights of over 4.5 miles. From the sub-tropical valley in which Pokhara is situated, the north side of the mountains rises straight up to the highest peaks in the world. There is probably no place in the world in which can compare to this landscape. In the middle of this spectacle of rock, ice and snow is the Macchapuchare, which is one of the smallest peaks in the region at ‘just’ 4.3 miles high, although its ‘pushed-out’ position makes it appear the highest. As the crow flies, it is 12.5 miles to the peak, seen as divine by the Nepalese (although its name ‘Fish Tail’ does not really reflect this!). The name of this prominent mountain only becomes clear when you walk for a day or two to the west. The mountain has two peaks, giving its side view a definite resemblance to a Macchapuchare (fish-tail). Despite its relative shortness, the mountain has never been climbed. It is one of the steepest mountains in the Himalayas and it has been compared to its smaller European brother, the Matterhorn. In the 1950s, a French expedition nearly managed to reach the top, but when in sight of victory, the sherpas became intensely fearful and turned back. Their fear of divine revenge should humans reach the summit was too great. Since then, it is forbidden to climb the mountain. Pokhara was once a hippie paradise. It is situated in a picturesque location on a mountain lake, where you can swim, row or enjoy the stunning panoramic view from one of the tea gardens. We will stay tonight in a simple, but comfortable hotel with a garden which is great for sunbathing.
Day 11 -
13: Pokhara – Kathmandu
On day 11 we shall leave for Kathmandu. The winding road which will take us into the Kathmandu Valley is a sight to behold. You can enjoy this magical capital city for the next three days, but you also may wish to go on a rafting trip, amongst other activities.
The Kathmandu Valley is the very heart of Nepal and combines beautiful nature with a multitude of temples, monasteries and other exquisitely decorated buildings. The three majestic cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, once the capital cities of numerous sovereigns, are situated in the middle of the fertile rice fields which are surrounded on all sides by mountains. In the cities’ heyday between the 16th and 19th centuries, they were involved in real competition with each other to build temples bigger and more beautiful than the neighbours. This gave the inhabitants of the valley a real task to keep up with the whims of the demanding nobility. The citizens of the valley were long reputed for carving skills, bronze and other metalwork. People as far over the border as Tibet and even China were proud owners of Nepalese craftsmanship. Through these and other trades, enough money flowed into the valley to finance yet more holy houses, resulting in hundreds of large and countless small temples being built. The situation was so extreme that the first western visitors to the region remarked that there were more temples than houses, and more religious statues than people!
Although the number of motorised vehicles has risen considerably in recent years, daily life in Kathmandu continues almost as if the 20th century is still to come. Most streets and power lines stop at a distance of around five or six miles outside the busy city. Kathmandu is an extremely interesting city whose temples and old buildings compete with the diverse native population for your attention. The native folk appear as if out of the middle ages, especially in the older part of the city. Some visitors spend a whole day sat on the stairs of the temples in the centrally located Durbar Square, taking in the spellbinding way of life of the people of Kathmandu. This square and the old neighbourhoods to the north and the south of it captivate your attention.
A mile and a half to the west you will find the large and extremely beautiful stupa (traditional Buddhist monument) of Swayambunath. This site is very sacred to Buddhists, and it is definitely worth visiting. Due to the many apes which hang around the area, this stupa is also known as the ‘Monkey Temple’.
An even bigger stupa is situated a little further outside Kathmandu, in Bodnath. On the way to this area we will pass by Pashupatinath, the most sacred of Tibetan Hindu sites, where the Nepalese and also many Indians bathe in the Bagmati River. It is also a favourite spot for cremation of Hindu dead, and there are always dozens of sadus (Hindu priests) and half-naked beggar monks with untamed hairstyles.
Patan, the sister city of Kathmandu, almost grows on the side of Kathmandu. The old regions of this city house an even denser population of temples and monasteries than the capital itself. Patan is quieter than Kathmandu and is a welcome relief after the hectic pace of the capital. The third of the royal cities is Bhaktapur, which we shall visit on day 15. You may wish to go on a bike ride. Kathmandu and the surrounding area is ideal for bicycle tours, and you can hire excellent quality mountain bikes for around 100 rupees per day.
We will stay for three nights in Kathmandu in a simple three star quality hotel with a small garden and charming roof patio that gives a great view over the Himalayas. The hotel is run by Tibetans and is situated in the old region of Thamel, about ten minutes walk from Durbar Square.Day 14: Kathmandu – Nagarkot
On the edge of the Kathmandu Valley you will find the mountain town of Nagarkot, the best place to get a view over the peaks of the Himalayas, such as the Ganesh Himal and the Lhotse. The endless views of these giants are particularly spectacular at sunrise, (weather conditions permitting). Nagarkot also has some exceptional hiking routes.
Day 15: Nagarkot – Bhaktapur
Today we will go for a walk over a path with spectacular views which leads through charming small villages. The walk will take a couple of hours, and is not a particularly demanding hike. We will go along a mostly downhill route towards Bhaktapur. If you would rather not walk, you can take a taxi from Nagarkot to Bhaktapur, although the cost of this is not included in the main price. We will stay overnight in Bhaktapur, the smallest of the three royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley. It is surrounded by rice fields, and brick houses, temples and squares populate the curving streets and alleys. Although this city can not quite match the majesty of its two rivals, it is still a highlight of the trip. The main reason for this is the absence of cars and many other modern conveniences, except electricity. Bhaktapur retains a very medieval atmosphere, which its two sister cities has lost to a degree in the last couple of decades. The residents attend to their cattle, pottery and rituals in the many temples. Around sunset, the elder residents chat while the youths stroll around and the young children play around them. The timeless Bhaktapur is a breath of fresh air after the other two busy cities, and most tour guides recommend staying a night here. Bhaktapur is also the best place to buy wood carvings and Nepalese dolls.
Day 16 -
17: Bhaktapur – Chitwan NP
We travel today to the renowned Chitwan National Park, where you can spot the Indian rhino and other wildlife from your mount on the back of an elephant. Chitwan is by far and away the most popular nature reserve in Nepal. It is reputed for its vastly varied terrain, its bird life and for the fact that it is the most important habitat of the Indian rhino. The region has areas of deciduous forests, grassy plains, rivers, lakes and subtropical forest. This varied terrain attracts an equally varied array of wildlife, including 400 different species of bird and more than 40 different species of mammal. Tigers and panthers are the most intriguing predators, although the chances of spotting them are relatively low as they retreat upon the first signs of humans. Strangely enough, they retreat even faster from human-mounted elephants, or the sound of a jeep. The larger mammals are particularly interesting, and they are also easier to spot. The powerful Indian rhinoceros, which numbers around 450 in Chitwan, can have a shoulder span of over 6 feet and can weigh up to 450 stone. The animals are mostly solitary, with the exception of mothers with their calves. They live mostly in the large grassy plains in Chitwan, where they graze. Due to the length of the grass, which can reach a height of 16 feet, they are not particularly easy to spot. Birds usually betray their presence, which hover around them to feast on the many insects which the rhinos’ bodies attract. From February onwards, sightings increase dramatically due to the harvesting of the grass by the locals. The rhinos are not particularly dangerous, especially when you are sitting on the back of an elephant, but anyone who goes for a walk in these regions will do well to stay a respectable distance away from them, as they do have a tendency to charge when they feel threatened. Small numbers of Indian bison or wild oxen can also be found in the park. The bulls are an especially imposing sight, being larger than their American cousins and having more visible muscle due to their sparsely haired bodies. Dam and sambar deer can be found in large numbers and are the most important food source for the tigers and panthers. Besides them, there are also swamp (barasingha) and barking (muntjac) deer. The dam deer take advantage of the large numbers of apes which pick leaves and fruit from the trees and hence drop a bountiful supply on the ground. Furthermore, the apes can spot predators coming from their vantage point in the trees and their loud calls provide an early warning system for the deer. Macaques are also found in large numbers (often close to areas populated by humans). Of the many reptile species, the marsh mugger crocodile is the easiest to spot, usually frequenting the lakes and rivers, where gavials (large Indian crocodilians) also can be spotted, which have long, narrow mouths and can grow to around 20 foot long. However, this reptile is becoming less numerous. Monitor lizards more than 4 feet long are frequently spotted sunbathing on rocks or unhardened roads. The python and the cobra are frequently spotted snakes, although the krait snake, a black snake of up to five feet long is more numerous, and considerably more venomous than even the cobra. The bird life in Chitwan is rich, particularly around water, Herons, cranes and storks are numerous, as are many species of cormorant and ibis. Smaller birds also populate the region, such as kingfishers. In the drier grasslands, hop plants are numerous and peacocks roam the forests. Rhino birds are rare, but their loud calls and typical manner of flying will clearly indicate when a couple of them are nearby. As well as by elephant, you can also explore the park by canoe or on foot. We will stay for two nights in simple accommodation on the edge of the reserve, near the village of Sauraha.Day 18: Chitwan NP – Gorakpur – Delhi
First we will travel back across the Indian border to Gorakhpur by bus. From there we will board the night train to Delhi, where we shall arrive the following morning. Once again, we will travel in 3rd class air conditioned sleeper carriages
Day 19 -
20: Delhi
We arrive at Delhi’s busy train station in the morning. The first impression that this hectic city is rather overpowering for most first-time visitors. Delhi is the capital of India and forms a separate region that is controlled by the federal government. The city has a history which stretches back over three millennia. There is an old area (Old Delhi), mostly built during Moghul rule, and a new area (New Delhi), which was designed at the start of the 20th century by the English architect Luytjens to function as the capital of the jewel in the British Empire’s crown. The contrast between Old and New Delhi is enormous. The old region is a cramped, colourful, oriental ‘ant colony’ full of narrow alleyways, temples and mosques. The Red Fort and the Jami Mashid, the biggest and most elegant mosque in the land, are situated here. The new region is a spatially constructed metropolis with long, broad, straight avenues, pavilions and parks. It is a city which almost seems deserted in comparison with the busy, cramped Old Delhi. The government sits in New Delhi, the parliament is situated there, and all of the major companies have head offices there. Delhi spreads out for miles in all directions around the old and new areas. It spreads to the East, over the sacred River Yamuna, to the South, where the stately homes belonging to the diplomats and the rich are situated, along with the important military buildings, and to the North and West, where the majority of Delhi’s population lives. Between all of these buildings stand hundreds of monuments which attest to the city’s colourful history. Aside from sightseeing, you may also wish to spend some time buying souvenirs and the many markets and shops are perfect for this activity.
Day 21: Delhi
It is the last day of your tour but rather than being about ‘Goodbye’ your thought should be ‘Go further’!
Visit your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website. ‘my.shoestring’ is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 21) is not included.