North India Revealed

Embark on a 22-day odyssey through India’s intoxicating north. Discover sights, smells, and flavours that will blaze their way into your memory and stay there forever. See towering sandstone fortresses, pilgrims praying on riverbanks, Maharajah mementos in a ghostly palace, and silhouettes on a desert landscape. India can be a daunting place at times, even for experienced travellers, but with the guidance of your local leader, you’ll be navigating the crowds, dodging the cows and eating the best chaat from a cart in no time! From the beating heart of Delhi to the holy city of Varanasi – this is north India.

• ACCOMMODATION:
• Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some may have shared bathroom facilities with cold water only. We use a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Some areas of India experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day and usually occurs for a few hours in the early afternoon. Most hotel properties have a restaurant or cafe serving local meals. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws.
• SHOWERS:
• Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times, you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water.
• ROOM ISSUES:
• If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay.
• SLEEPER TRAINS IN INDIA:
• Sleeper trains are clean and air-conditioned (fan-cooled at times), a great way to travel long distances and still get maximum time in each place. Depending on the route, we travel 2AC or 3AC class as not all classes are available on all routes. Due to the complexity of the ticket purchasing system and high demand for tickets, we are unable to offer upgrades to other classes.
• Second Class or 2 Tier AC (2AC) carriages have 4 berths in the compartment section and 2 berths in the aisle bay and individual reading lights. Third Class or 3 Tier AC (3AC) has 6 berths in the compartment and 2 in the aisle bay. Both have curtains for privacy. There are no sinks or charging points in these classes. During the day, bunks are folded away and serve as seats. Toilet facilities are located at either end of the carriage. There is usually an Indian style squat toilet at one end and a western-style toilet at the other. You will need your own toilet paper or tissues and cleanliness will depend on the number of people using them.
• Beds are padded bunks, with sheets, pillow and blanket provided. Some people prefer to bring and use their own sleeping sheet. Your luggage travels with you on the train, so packing light will make your journey more comfortable.
• Many trains have a dining carriage or a food/snack cart that is brought through the carriages. There are also plenty of vendors selling tea, coffee, water and snacks during the journey, although the hygiene may not be up to standards you are used to at home.
• Please note you may be sharing with other members of your group or locals on a mixed gender basis. Tickets are booked on a real-name basis using your passport details. We book for all members of the group at the same time, but unfortunately, this is no guarantee that we will be accommodated all together on the train. Your leader will do their best to swap with other travellers to allow people who booked together to travel together, but please be aware that this is not always possible. We may at times ask male travellers to swap with solo female travellers for safety considerations.
• DESERT CAMPING
• Bedding, blankets and pillows are provided and we sleep on a camp style cot in the open air. Sleeping bags are recommended as it can get very cold at night. The camp is very simple with a windbreak, and set up against a sand dune. It’s a great experience to wake up under the stars in the desert. Simple vegetarian meals will be prepared by our local team for dinner and breakfast (included). Water and soft drinks are available for purchase. Toilets are a very basic long drop style. There is no shower and many travellers recommend bringing hand sanitizer, a small hand towel or some wet wipes (don't forget to carry them and any other rubbish out again).