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!
BE SURE TO SAY THAT SOLO TREKKER 4 U SENT YOU!
Overview:
Going off the beaten path in this small tour (maximum of 16) you will get a flavor of ancient and modern India.
Departures monthly from Jan-April and Aug-Dec.
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.
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.
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!
DAY 7
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.
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.
DAY 10
As the day begins you will get to visit a primary school and meet its students if school is in session.
DAYS 11-12
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.
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.
DAY 15
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.)