Wendy Wu Grand Tour of India

– Discover the colourful bazaars of Delhi
– Witness a holy puja ceremony
– Visit the magnificent Taj Mahal
– Meet the local Bishnoi Tribe
– Marvel at the impressive Mehrangarh Fort
– Explore the vibrant city of Mumbai
– Cruise Kerala’s backwaters on a houseboat

Days 1-2: UK – Delhi
Fly overnight to Delhi and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. (N.B dinner is not included today).

Day 3: Delhi
Enjoy a tour of Old Delhi starting with a drive past the Red Fort before enjoying a walk through Chandni Chowk to India’s largest mosque, Jama Masjid. We also stop for photos at India Gate, President’s House and Parliament Building.

Day 4: Delhi – Varanasi
Visit the famous residence of Gandhi Smiriti’s and the Qutub Minar Complex. Later, fly to Varanasi.

Day 5: Varanasi
Varanasi is the oldest living city in India and the religious capital of Hinduism. Visit the Buddhist site at Sarnath where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon and then take a rickshaw ride to the River Ganges to witness the ‘Pooja’ ceremony of Ganga Aarti.

Days 6-7: Varanasi – Khajuraho
Take an early morning boat ride on the River Ganges to view the ghats of Varanasi at sunrise. Enjoy a tour of Varanasi before returning to the hotel for breakfast. Later, fly to Khajuraho and enjoy a cultural dancing show.
The next day, tour the western group of Khajuraho Temples, which consist of the Mahadeo Temple, Vamana Temple and Javari Temple.

Days 8-9: Khajuraho – Agra
Travel to Agra stopping en-route in Orccha for lunch before continuing through the countryside to Jhansi where we board the Shatabdi Express train to Agra.

The next day, rise early and arrive by horse-drawn carriage ‘tongas’ to view the impressive Taj Mahal in all its glory at sunrise. We then return to the hotel for breakfast. Later, a visit to see traditional stone inlay work at the marble factory is followed by a visit to Agra Fort.

Days 10-11: Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur
Travel to Ranthambore National Park, which specialises in tiger conservation. The forests around the Fort were once the private hunting grounds for the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Enjoy game viewing by jeep this afternoon. The next day, enjoy game viewing in the morning. Continue by road to Jaipur, also known as the ‘Pink City’ and visit the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory.

Days 10-11: Agra – Bharatpur – Jaipur
Sept to Dec: Travel to Keoladeo National Park, stopping at Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent fortified ghost city built in 1569 by Emperor Akbar en-route. Later, visit the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

The next day, drive to Jaipur, also known as the ‘Pink City’ and visit the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory.

Day 12: Jaipur
Enjoy a photo stop at Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) and explore the palace and fortress of Amer. This afternoon, we stop off at the Choti Choper for some shopping before enjoying traditional dancing and dinner at a local restaurant.

Days 13-14: Jaipur – Alsisar – Bikaner
Travel to the small heritage town of Alsisar for a backward glimpse of village life in rural Rajasthan. The area of Shekhavati has beautiful frescoes, havelis and mansions and is often referred to as an open-air gallery.

Stay overnight is in a restored heritage haveli. The next day, drive to Bikaner to explore the town which is dominated by the superb Junagarh Fort.

Days 15-16: Bikaner – Jaisalmer
Travel to Jaisalmer dubbed the ‘Golden City’ due to its yellow sandstone walls. In the evening we visit Sunset Point.

The next day, we visit the beautifully carved Jain temples and the Badal Vilas Palace, which are located in the hilltop fort built by Rawal Jaisal. Later, we visit the Sam Dunes and enjoy a sunset camel ride in the Thar Desert.

Days 17-18: Jaisalmer – Jodhpur
Travel to Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, located on the edge of the Thar Desert. Visit the massive Meherangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada Memorial and Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum. We also stroll through the local vegetable and spice market.

The next day, enjoy a jeep safari to visit the local Bishnoi villages. The Bishnois follow 29 principles of a non-violent Vaishanavas sect, founded in the 15th century by Jambeswarji. Return to Jodhpur.

Day 19: Jodhpur – Udaipur (via Ranakpur)
Drive to Udaipur and visit India’s largest Jain temple complex in Ranakpur which dates back to the 15th-century en-route. The afternoon is at leisure before our sunset boat cruise on Lake Pichola, which is fringed with hills, palaces, havelis, ghats and temples. It is also the site of the Lake Palace Hotel and Jagmandir Island Palace.

Day 20: Udaipur
Visit Sahelion Ki Bari (the Garden for the Maids of Honour), the Folk Museum, Mewar Art Gallery and the City Palace followed by a walk through the streets and local shops. Our evening meal includes an enchanting dinner overlooking Lake Pichola.

Day 21: Udaipur – Auranagabad (via Mumbai)
Fly to Aurangabad via Mumbai and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 22: Ajanta day tour
Visit the World Heritage Listed Buddhist caves of Ajanta dating from 200BC. The sculptures and frescoes portray religious and secular life through eight centuries. Return to Aurangabad.

Day 23: Aurangabad – Mumbai
Explore the Buddhist Caves of Ellora dating from the 4th to 9th century. Enjoy an Indian Tandoori BBQ lunch before some shopping at the local markets. Later, fly to Mumbai and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 24: Mumbai – Kochi
Enjoy a city of Mumbai starting with a drive past the Gateway of India, Mumbai’s principal landmark, the Afghan Church and along Marine Drive, fondly known as the ‘Queen’s Necklace’. We also visit the Hanging Gardens, Chowpatty, Kamala Nehru Park and Mani Bhavan where Mahatma Gandhi stayed.

Stop at the ‘Dhobi Ghat’ where Mumbai’s ‘dirties’ are scrubbed, bashed, dyed and hung out to dry as well as visit the colourful Crawford Market and Flora Fountain. Later, fly to Kochi.

Day 25: Kochi
Enjoy a full day tour around Kochi visiting the Jewish Quarter of Fort Cochin, the Dutch Palace, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Cathedral and see the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets. Later in the evening, enjoy a Kathakali dance show.

Day 26: Kochi – Nedumudy (houseboat)
We visit the Jewish Synagogue in Kochi before driving to Nedumudy (near Kumarakom). Here, we board our houseboat, a converted rice barge known as a ‘kettuvallam’ and explore the village life around the backwaters of Kerala. Lunch and dinner will be served onboard. We stay overnight on the houseboat.

Day 27: Nedumudy (houseboat) – Kovalam
After breakfast, we disembark from our houseboat in Alleppey and drive to Kovalam. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to relax on the beach.

Day 28: Kovalam
Enjoy a tour of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital, known until recently as Trivandrum. Visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Napier Museum with its bronze collection, Sri Chitra Art Gallery, Zoological Gardens, Reptile House, Observatory, Kanakakunnu Palace and Sree Moolamthirunal Shastri Purthi Memorial.

Day 29: Kovalam – UK
Transfer to Trivandrum Airport and fly to the UK via Dubai, arriving home later the same day.

You’ll spend 27 nights in 3+/4* accommodations

Your accommodation has been selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family-run guesthouse in a smaller town or a heritage-type hotel. In remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have western amenities.

Kathkali Dance perfomance
Witness an exuberant performance of the traditional dance-drama that is Kathakali. Kerala’s best-known performing art, it is an extravagant retelling of Hindu epics complete with colourful costumes and elaborate make up.

Thar Desert Camel Tour
Embark on a camel cart ride out into the starkly beautiful landscapes of the Thar Desert – though it may appear barren, you’ll find the desert is surprisingly full of things to see.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Surprisingly little known outside of India, discover the magnificent artistic treasures of the Ajanta and Ellora caves, a series of caverns full of intricate frescoes and carvings created by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monks

– Return international flights
– All Accommodation
– All meals: 27 breakfasts, 26 lunches and 27 dinners
– All transportation & transfers
– All sightseeing & entrance fees
– English speaking National Escort & local guides
– Visa fees for UK & EU passport holders

Classic

These tours are designed for those who wish to see the iconic sites and magnificent treasures of India on an excellent value group tour whilst travelling with like-minded people. The tours are on a fully-inclusive basis so you’ll travel with the assurance that all your arrangements are taken care of. You will be accompanied by our dedicated and professional National Escort or local guides, whose unparalleled knowledge will turn your holiday into an unforgettable experience.

Most Wendy Wu groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by a National Escort. There will usually be no more than 28 travellers in each group although you may encounter other Wendy Wu tour groups while you are travelling.

This tour has a Level 2 fitness rating. This means that a reasonable level of fitness is required but it’s more about spending time on your feet rather than covering large distances. You’ll be getting on and off coaches and boats, walking around the sights and climbing some steps.