The tour below is a past example of OAT’s tour of the Golden Triangle. Please click the link for upcoming tour information, dates and prices, and be sure to say Solo Trekker 4 U sent you!

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: A 2 week+ tour of iconic Rajasthan led by OAT Travel based in Boston. (Calling from abroad dial: 617-350-7500.)

Follow the link for changes in sample itinerary below.

With 30 years’ experience, small groups of no more than 16 and no single supplement, we are pleased to add OAT Travel to our family of pre-approved tour providers. Join these great trips to see what may be missed by large tours!

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Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Heart of India Tour:

Overview:

Going off the beaten path in this small tour (maximum of 16) you will get a flavor of ancient and modern India.

• This magical sojourn is led by expert local guides.
• It will take you to the heart of India’s Golden Triangle.
• You will start in Delhi and move on to Agra and the Taj Mahal.
• Next comes the colorful town of  Jaipur.
• You will visit the 17th century walled city of Old Delhi. See New Delhi’s answer to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
• As the tour moves on, you will see the remarkable Palace of the Winds.
• Next in Rajasthan comes the Amber Fort.
• Seeking more adventure? Fly high over the Indian countryside in a hot air balloon!
• Contact us today to be part of this unique journey through northern India.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Schedules:

Departures monthly from Jan-April and Aug-Dec.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Tour Itinerary:

DELHI TO VARANSI:

DAY 1

Fly to Delhi

DAY 2

Arrive in India

No need to worry! You will be met at the airport by a skilled OAT Travel representative who will escort you to your hotel.

DAY 3

After breakfast, the day will begin with an overview by your Trip Leader.

• Your first stop is Old Delhi, a 17th century walled city, formerly the Mughal capital and the 500 year capital of the empire. As the site of 8 different cities, Delhi is an intriguing mix of its Hindi, Mughal and British past.

• Next you will visit the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the Raj Ghat.

• You will then tour the 17th century Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest in India, built by a Mughal emperor.

• Ready for a little adventure? You can try out your first? ride in a rickshaw through Chandni Chowk Bazaar followed by a welcome dinner.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: New Delhi:

DAY 4

After breakfast, you will see New Delhi’s top sites. In contrast to the narrow side streets old city, this British-designed sector has broad boulevards, tree-lined like much of the UK!

• The initial stop is at the 234-foot high Qutab Minar, second tallest minaret in India, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This enduring, “modern skyscraper” was begun un in the 12th century and combines Indo-Islamic architecture.

• Following lunch at a local restaurant, next the tour moves on to the seat of government for this largest democracy on the globe, including the Parliament and the President’s residence (exterior only), the palatial Rashtrapati Bhavan.  From there, you will go to the India Gate and surrounding parklands, commemorating both the soldiers who served in the 19th-century Afghanistan war and the 1st World War. It is noted as an architectural “twin”, or at least in a style reminiscent, of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Jaipur:

DAY 5

• Time to travel to the heart of the Golden Triangle: Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is commonly called the “Pink City” because of its sandstone buildings which cast a rosy hue. You will have a brief rest at lunch at a local restaurant before going through the formalities of checking in at your local hotel. You will also have a guided stroll through Jaipur’s enchanting  walled Old City. The group will have dinner together at a local restaurant.

DAY 6

• Ready for an adventure? If you are up for it, you have the option of a hot-air balloon high above Jaipur. From your bird’s eye view, you will see the Jai Mahal Lake or countryside depending upon the weather!

• Moving on along terra firma, you will head to the Jantar Mantar. This 18th-century observatory has remarkable modern-day capabilities!  Its enormous sundials remain accurate to two-tenths of a second.
• For a real change of pace, you will visit the City Palace Museum, known for its array of  textiles, arms, carpets, paintings, and manuscripts. You will have an optional tour to learn more about producing fabrics at a textile fabric block-printing center.

DAY 7

• The day begins with one of  Jaipur’s most famous sites, the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds).  What remains of this 18th century pink/red sandstone Palace of the Winds is the fascinating sandstone facade with a honeycomb of 956 intricate windows. That is where the women of the palace could have a glimpse of the outside world without being seen by passersby.
• You will then visit one of the top sights in Rajasthan, the Amber Fort/Palace (pronounced Am-er.). Known for its Hindu carvings, this massive 16th-century sandstone palace/fort overlooks Maota Lake. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with four levels to explore. Not to be missed among its treasures: The Sheesh Mahal. Although small, it is memorable with a dazzling ceiling, covered with tiny mirrors, giving the sense you are viewing a star-lit night! It has an equally fascinating history since during Rajput times, it was here a girl holding candles would perform a dance of love for the Maharaja.
• After an afternoon free, next you can enjoy an evening with a local family for dinner.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Vindhya and Ranthambore:

DAY 8

• After Jaipur’s more urban enchantments, you will head out to the countryside to the lower parts of the Vindhya mountains and the Ranthambore National Park, a prior hunting preserve for the Maharajas. The latter is one of 11 participants in India’s conservation effort known as Project Tiger, the world’s largest such initiative.

• After lunch, you have the option of touring the 1,000 year old Ranthambore Fort. With its lofty location, it has magnificent views and is the perfect spot for capturing some of your best photos of rural India.  It will be part adventure where you can experience a ride in a canter, an open 4-wheel drive vehicle. From there you will hike to  the fort.
• During dinner at the hotel, you will enjoy a wildlife presentation as to what you will see the next day.

DAY 9

• Now you will look for wildlife in Ranthambore National Park.  You will start early enough to seek out  nocturnal animals that are still awake. The top local wildlife species are exotic, including leering Langur monkeys, the more reserved chinkara and chital, sambar and nilgai.

After lunch, you will have a second safari with hopes of the rare opportunity of seeing one of the preserves 26 Bengal Tigers. Nocturnal by nature, they may be sleeping in the tall grass during the day! Don’t dismay if you can’t capture them among your photos. There will also be grinning? crocodiles, perhaps as excited to see you as you are to see them but for different reasons! A more pastoral sight awaits you: a myriad of water birds. Among the 450 diverse species are the crested serpent eagles and painted storks.

Dinner is included at your hotel.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: OAT Camp:

DAY 10

As the day begins you will get to visit a primary school and meet its students if school is in session.

• You will also meet village residents and see their homes and way of life. You will move on to a  a cooperative where women learn to make handcrafts with an overview presented by one of the participants.
• After lunch, it is time to move on to the OAT Camp and retreat nestled in rich agricultural land.  At times, farmers or villagers have stopped in. If in season, the mustard blooms will resemble fields of buttercups.
• In the camp, you will have a true Indian dinner with local organic ingredients. Afterwards, you will be entertained by Indian folkloric dancers.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India:  Agra:

DAYS 11-12

• Abhaneri, known for its medieval architecture and waterways, is next on the agenda before heading overland to Agra and its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal.
• Built by 20,000 workers in the 17th-century over 22 years by Shah Jahan from 1631 to 1653, it houses the remains of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. The outside has a large and somewhat unexpected gateway not often included in the multiple famous photos of the Taj. The fabled interior has many spots to watch the light reflecting on this “Monument to Love”. The white marble is decorated with scores of semi-precious stones. With its four identical facades, it can be photographed from many vantage points!  Concern over its preservation has resulted in a conservation campaign recently.
• Next is the Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but overshadowed by the famous Taj Mahal. On the Yamuna River nak, this gargantuan fort/palace for 4 generations was the seat of India’s Mughal emperors who ruled the north beginning in the 16th century and lasting through the 1800’s.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Jhansi:

DAY 13

Next you will travel via train to the walled city of Jhansi, the sight of the Bundela civilization and then Overland to Khajuraho. The latter was the 10th-century center of the Chandelas civilization.

Cultural Travel Packages Solo Adventures India: Chandelas and Varanasi:

DAY 14

The day will begin at Chandelas known for its erotic carvings. In contrast, it will end at the Ganges with pilgrims performing religious rituals and cleansing in the Ganges. A boat ride will follow.

• Varanasi was known as Benares during the British rule. For Hindus, it is the holiest city. It is 4,000+ years old..

DAY 15

• You will see the sun rise over the Ganges as you cruise the river. A walking tour will follow.
• The tour heads out after breakfast to Sarnath, a Buddhist learning center. This is renowned as the place where Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon. There is a  museum of fabulous Indian Buddhist art treasures. You will see there the National Emblem of India, known as the Ashoka’s Lion Capital and the Teaching Buddha. Before concluding the day’s tour, you will visit 19th century archeological sites and perhaps stroll through a silk-weaving workshop.
• The tour comes to a close with a Farewell Dinner.

Return to Delhi for End of Tours;

DAY 16

After an adventure-packed tour, the last day will be a relaxing one with a tranquil yoga & meditation class. To prepare for the long international flight home, you will fly to Delhi. You will spend the night unless you have added on a trip to Nepal.

DAY 17

Not to worry! An OAT Travel representative will escort you to the airport for your departure.

(Solo Trekker 4 U says, see our Founder Elizabeth Avery’s adventure solo travel in her post on a Monsoon Journey.)