We promise you a tour that is the right mix of ‘Understanding India, Experiencing India and Exploring India’
Understanding India– India evokes a million questions! Religion, the cows, arranged marriage, the food, the culture, the famed Indian weddings and more. It usually takes a life-time understanding it all, but we will try our best to explain in fourteen days 😉
Experiencing India– We’ve included activities ranging from slum tours to cooking classes, Bollywood dancing to a rural visit, we’re sure this will help you experience India through active participation, rather than just looking at monuments and sights
Exploring India– You will see a lot and do a lot and we will be around, but we DO NOT plan on holding your hand all the way, or keeping you under strict schedules. Expect time in each city to explore/do things on your own too.
Welcome to India! We are a little colourful ;)An overview- Day to day plan for India Someday Group Tour
Do not worry! We do not have a daily 9 am to 9 pm agenda on our trip. But we do want to give you an overview of your time in India in terms of
- Things to see and do in each city
- Which activity will be in which city
- Amazing spots/monuments that we will stop at while driving between cities
- Optional activities, that are worth knowing about (You can sign up for them in India)
Day 1– Mumbai: Introductions, Easy Sightseeing and Nightlife
What Mumbai (or Bombay as we locals still like to call it) lacks in monuments it makes up for in energy and a distinct city vibe. Bombay usually strikes most travelers as a both a crazy and yet a very likable city.
The Jain Temple in WalkeshwarWe will start your morning a little slow with introductions (as some of you maybe jet lagged) and then venture out to explore the city. We will use a mix of public transport (trains, buses and taxis) to explore a bunch of touristy and non-touristy sights. We will be with you throughout this day.
Some of the possible highlights would be the Jain Temple, with lovely sea views, a very cute (free entry) Gandhi museum, a very interesting open air laundry (dhobi ghat) and just in general just being plugged into the city riding buses with locals and seeing the craziness on the streets of Mumbai first-hand.
Lest we forget, an introduction to some local Indian food.
While some of you might be tired, since it is Saturday night we would love to show some of the city’s nightlife! It makes for a very different experience, seeing the affluent and young party side of Mumbai.
Mumbai Stay – Mumbai is an expensive city, Travelers Inn (Reviews), is very centrally located and clean, but a basic hotel. Stay would be in rooms.
Day 2– Mumbai: Slum Tour, Bollywood Dance
A slum tour in Mumbai is an eye-opening experience. You will see a very densely populated part of Mumbai, but the way they live and how industrious they are would amaze you. Including travel, the slum tour can take anywhere between four to five hours. We’d spend the evening trying some Bollywood Dance moves.
You’d still have pockets of time should you wish to shop or explore a little of the city on your own. We are always happy to guide you or come along.
Slum Tour and Bollywood Dance class costs are included in tour costs.
Learn some bollywood dance moves :)Day 3– Mumbai: Free exploration time
While we hope to have given you enough of a glimpse into the flavors of Mumbai, there is still a lot to see in the city. There are lovely museums and art galleries to explore which are walking distance from your hotel. You can take an early morning cycling tour, or hop onto a ferry to see the caves of Elephanta.
There are a couple of lovely audio walking tours too. Or just shop/ relax and you might just find something cool in the city on your own!
Marine Drive; A must visit for locals.Travel to Udaipur – We would be taking an overnight sleeper bus to Udaipur, this is the longest commute between any two cities on our trip. The bus would depart at 6 in the evening and reach Udaipur at 9:30 in the morning the following morning.
Day 4– Udaipur: Exploring the old city and dinner by the lake
Udaipur is a charming medieval city on the banks of Lake Pichola, a beautiful mix of lakes, rolling hills, lovely palaces and endearing locals. Our overnight bus journey would effectively take us back in time as we explore the old parts of Udaipur the next morning.
A lovely palace by the lake, a touristy (but very pretty) boat ride that gives you views of the city.
The Lake Palace in UdaipurWe will spend most of the first day exploring the popular sites in Udaipur. A bunch of them are clustered together and walking distance from one and other and for others we’d use a tuk-tuk. We will end the day with dinner with a beautiful view of the lake.
Beautiful Udaipur in the month of August!
Udaipur Stay – A very charming homestay (Reviews), a huge house with common areas with a very homely and relaxed vibe. You can also read an India Someday Review of Chandra Niwas, Udaipur
Day 5– Udaipur: Rural Visit/Trek
Udaipur is a small town, a short drive in almost any direction and one would be in the midst of the countryside, small villages and rolling hills. We will spend the first half of the day in these villages, either cycling or on a light trek and you’d get glimpses of rural India.
You would have the evening to yourself.
Day 6– Udaipur: Free exploration time and cooking class
You will be cooking Indian lunch today and then we will eat what we have cooked. Apart from that it would be an easy day for some more exploring/relaxing or shopping. If everyone is up for it we know some beautiful heritage hotels that offer some fantastic views in Udaipur and we could go there for a drink.
Cooking class is included in the India Someday Tour.
View of Udaipur from Monsoon PalaceDay 7 – Drive from Udaipur to Jodhpur, with a stop over to visit Ranakpur temples and Kumbhlagarh Fort
If any Indian monument will come close to (or perhaps exceed) the Taj Mahal in mesmerizing a traveller it would be the stunning Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur. The crowning citadel of another lovely medieval town with endless narrow alleys and blue houses, where one would love to get lost! But it would have to wait until we drive there.
Udaipur to Jodhpur is a very pretty drive. Beautiful Indian countryside and a stop to visit the stunning marble temples of Ranakpur. Kumbhalgarh Fort is another optional stop enroute to Jodhpur. One has to climb a steep flight of stairs, but is rewarded with a beautiful view.
The mystical temple of Ranakpur – We stop to visit this on the way from Udaipur to JodhpurWe’d reach Jodhpur towards the evening. Our guest house rooftop offers a magnificent view of the lit up Meherangarh Fort. You’d have the evening to still walk around the old town, aimlessly walking in these old towns in itself is so much fun.
Jodhpur Stay – Another homestay, Hem Guest House (Reviews). It is located in the heart of the old town and their terrace offers great views of the fort. India Someday Review of Hem Guest House.
Day 8 – Sightseeing and Ziplining from the fort (optional)
A stunning fort, yet another temple, a lavish palace (converted into luxury hotel) and a desert rock park are few of the sites we would explore today. Unless you have a phobia of heights, the ziplining experience at the Meherangarh Fort is an amazing experience. It is optional for those that wish to do it!
The Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur, you can also participate in zip-liningDay 9 – Drive to Pushkar
A sacred Lake, innumerable temples, a confused religious and yet hippe vibe! Pushkar again is not a town with any stunning monuments, but just a great small town to aimlessly walk around and soak in the atmosphere.
Pushkar Stay – A charming old Haveli (house) converted hotel, Hotel Kanhaia Haveli (Tripadvisor)
Pushkar steps by the sacred Lake
Day 10 – Drive to Jaipur, Sightseeing
We would explore the Ajmer Dargah on the way to the railway station to take our train from Ajmer to Jaipur.
The timeless Ajmer Dargah! http://www.mindfreshtrips.com/CityDetail.aspx?c=AjmerJaipur is a lot bigger than the other towns we would be visiting in Rajasthan. We will try to explore Amer fort on our first evening as the views around sunset are splendid and end our day with a bollywood film.
Jaipur Stay – We’ll be staying at very cool Hostel (Reviews). We’ll stay in dorms, unless you have requested for a room.
Stunning Amer Fort in JaipurDay 11 – Sightseeing, optional shopping or Elefantastic
We’d spend the first half of the day exploring a bunch of monuments within Jaipur city. For those interested, Jaipur has a fantastic elephant farm and experience at Elefantastic.
While the activity is not included in the cost of the tour, for anyone that loves animals and is amazed by elephants this is an great experience. You can spend the second half with elephants or shopping/
more exploring.
Day 12 – Drive to Agra
Our drive to Agra will have a couple of stops, first to visit the stepwells of Abhaneri and then to visit the Fortress. We will see Taj Mahal twice on your trip, the first time from across the river around sunset.
Agra Stay – Would be a small comfortable BnB – Mohini Homestay (Reviews)
Taj Mahal Time!Day 13 – Taj Mahal and drive/train to Delhi
Wake up early in the morning to visit the Taj Mahal at the break of dawn, it is absolutely gorgeous under the soft rays of the morning sun. We’d then look at the Agra Fort, Baby Taj (an equally impressive monument) and if time permits Akbar’s Tomb. We would then either take a train/bus or car to Delhi.
Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah – aka Baby TajDelhi Stay – Our stay in Delhi would be in a hostel too, a very calm and yet central location. Moustache Hostel (Reviews)
Day 14 – Delhi sightseeing
Delhi or Bombay which is a better city? We already know the answer, but we will let you decide;) Unlike Bombay, Delhi has some fantastic monuments! There’s an excellent metro to get to all places. Great food, both restaurants and street food. A lot of history and nightlife too!
Day 15 – Little more sightseeing and departures
We will have a few hours on the last day for some final sightseeing followed by arranging transfers to the airport/railway station!
