- See some of India’s most famous spectacles , including the Taj Mahal
- Experience the diverse North and South cultures of India
- Go bamboo rafting in the lush Periyar National Park
- Work alongside locals in a village outside Jaipur

Bazaars & Backwaters in India
Brace yourself. This two-week extravaganza explores one of the world’s most magnificent lands. A whirlwind tour of the Golden Triangle in the north sees you checking out the highlights in style, with sunrise yoga at the Taj Mahal and a night in a palatial fort. Then head south to Kerala for adventures through the spice-scented countryside and glorious backwaters. You’ll see remarkable wildlife, mingle with the locals and taste extraordinary flavours. To experience the spirituality, history, traditions, cuisine and culture of India, you have to dive right in.
Highlights
Key Information
- Eleven nights 3-5 star hotels, one-night houseboat
- Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
- Travel by air-conditioned private bus, train and domestic flight
- Heritage stays
- Wildlife walks
- Countries visited: India
What's Included
- All breakfasts, three lunches, four dinners
- All transport and listed activities (including one internal flight)
- Entrances fees to Monuments (as per itinerary)
- Yoga in front of the Taj Mahal
- Tour leader throughout
- Free arrival transfers for everyone
What's Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Visas and vaccinations
- Tips for leaders and staff
- Departure transfer
Responsible Travel
People, Places & Planet
We work hard to create trips which improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.
Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:
People
How this trip helps improve life for local communities.
- The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.
- This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
- The hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff, this helps to benefit the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by.
- Our local partners share a commitment to projects which benefit their communities.
- This tour encourages guests to visit local cafes and restaurants and use markets to purchase traditional crafts.
Places
How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.
- Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
- By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
- On this trip we visit national heritage sites and the entrance fees included generates income which is used for the upkeep and development of these important monuments and nature parks.
- Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
- We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.
- Where possible on this trip paper bags are used as an alternative to single-use plastics.
Planet
How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.
- Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
- Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally-sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
- In some restaurants there is the option to have plant-based meals.
- This trip favours locally-owned and run accommodation.
Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
- Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
- Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.
Cultural respect:
- Best to ask before photographing people, ceremonies, or sacred sites.
- It's polite to use only your right hand when eating something without cutlery and when handing money and small objects to someone else.
- Before entering a holy place remove your shoes and give them to the shoe minder. When you collect your shoes again give the minder a few rupees. You’re permitted to wear socks in most places of worship.
- Religious etiquette advises against touching the heads of locals even children, or directing the soles of your feet at a person, shrine, or an image of a deity. You should not touch a carving of a deity.
- When visiting religious sites dress and behave respectfully, don’t wear shorts and sleeveless tops – this applies to both men and women. Head cover for women and sometimes men is required in some places of worship.
- Generally it is best to dress modestly throughout your time in India as a sign of respect.
- Making the effort to fit in is invariably appreciated so being aware of these aspects of cultural respect will assist you during your travels in India.

Itinerary
Delhi Cochin
On arrival in Delhi, you’ll transfer to a hotel in the popular Karol Bagh area, known for its eclectic and colourful market. Depending on your arrival time, you may have a little while to start to explore this cacophonous place.
Hotel: Amrapali Grand
This morning is dedicated to exploring the sights and sounds of Delhi in ways that support local communities and charities. First there’s an off-the-grid walking tour, exploring Old Delhi with true experts – ex-street children. They’ll show you a side of Old Delhi not seen on standard tours. Curious and enthusiastic, they’re just as likely to ask questions as to answer them as you make your way around the hectic streets and bustling alleyways.
Next, you’ll visit the kitchens of a Sikh Temple to meet the people who serve food to thousands of Delhi’s most impoverished citizens every day. You’ll eat alongside the diners before leaving Delhi and taking the expressway to Agra, home of the alluring Taj Mahal.
Hotel: Howard Plaza Fern
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
A yoga class at dawn, with the Taj Mahal bathed in the morning light as your backdrop, will surely be a seminal moment of your trip. Breakfast is back at the hotel before you return to the Taj Mahal for a tour of this beautiful and majestic building.
Later, you’ll put your dancing shoes on for a lesson in the most energetic moves on the planet — Bollywood style.
Hotel: Howard Plaza Fern
Meals included: Breakfast
Today you’ll travel to the enthralling city of Jaipur, stopping at Abhaneri Stepwell en route. Not your ordinary water well, this architectural gem is a real marvel and is one of the oldest and deepest stepwells in Rajasthan.
You’ll arrive in Jaipur with plenty of time to explore the colourful bazaars with your tour leader on a foodie walking tour, feasting on delicious pre-dinner street food snacks.
Hotel: KK Royal
Meals included: Breakfast
This morning you’ll visit Amber Fort, a magnificent complex crafted from yellow and pink sandstone. Then it’s on to a Dhula village to meet local families and artisans such as potters and bangle makers. You’ll have the opportunity to get hands-on, helping farmers milk cows or plough fields and genuinely experience rural life.
In the evening, there’s time to explore exotic Jaipur and the chaotic streets that thrum with camels, buses and motorbikes.
Hotel: KK Royal
Meals included: Breakfast
Today you’ll head to the glorious 15th-century Neemrana Fort-Palace, now a spectacular hotel. It’s a sprawling resort that extends over nine palace wings. But before you wander the Fort-Palace’s hanging gardens or , swim in the pools that look out over the hillsides, you’ll take a dromedary (an Arabian camel) for an unforgettable ride around the local area.
Then, as the sun sets, enjoy the magical atmosphere as hundreds of fairy lights sparkle across the resort.
Hotel: Neemrana Fort Palace Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Leaving your palatial surroundings behind, head to Delhi airport for a flight south to Cochin (or Kochi as it’s otherwise known) in Kerala. There’s a wild mix of history and culture here, curated from the influences of over 600 years of traders and travellers. The Cochin of today is a centre of Keralan arts and wandering the quaint lanes lined with cafes, galleries and handicraft shops give you a sense of this traditional and contemporary art scene. Dinner this evening is on a pier at a waterfront restaurant, serving seafood specialities.
Hotel: Bloom Boutique Waterfront Fort Cochin
Meals included: Breakfast
Arguably the best way to see Fort Cochin is by bike. So today you’ll take a leisurely cycle ride, stopping to try your hand at working the Chinese Fishing Nets, the imposing cantilevered contraptions that are a legacy of ancient traders. After, the time is your own to continue exploring Cochin. This evening there’s a private sundowner cruise to enjoy another blazing Indian sunset with drinks and snacks.
Hotel: Bloom Boutique Waterfront Fort Cochin
Meals included: Breakfast
Today head inland to the misty, spice-scented valleys of Periyar National Park. There’s time to settle into the hotel after the journey before joining a local specialist on a spice garden walking tour to learn how spices grow, smell and taste. This evening there’s a mesmerising martial arts performance and dinner.
Hotel: Cardamon County
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, you’ll explore Periyar National Park. As you walk through the forest, your ranger will point out animal tracks, perhaps from bison, sambar, wild boar or elephants. Although elusive, there are tigers here too. Next, take to the lake on a bamboo raft for a serene and reflective look at the majesty of the park. There’s a picnic for lunch, and then the afternoon is free to indulge in the hotel’s spa and wellness facilities.
Hotel: Cardamom County
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Transfer to the glorious water-world of Alleppey. It’s the centre of Kerala’s backwaters and a maze of waterways. The houseboats here are a famous feature and you’ll stay onboard one of these basic but beautiful vessels tonight. Boarding in time for lunch you will see local village life unfold as we pass through green paddy fields and verdant countryside. Tonight, your houseboat crew will prepare a traditional Keralan dinner.
Kerala Houseboat
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Leaving your houseboat in Alleppey behind, you’re bound for Cherai Beach on Vypeen Island. The pace here is decidedly unhurried (a world away from your city experiences) and the day is yours to relax on the beach, lapped by the Arabian Sea. If you’re looking for more adventure, there are plenty of watersports to try. Or simply kick back and enjoy the sound of the waves as a fitting farewell to your Indian immersion.
Hotel: Indriya Beach Resort
Meals included: Breakfast
Your Indian adventure comes to an end after breakfast.
Meals included: Breakfast
Essential Info
Visa
India
To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.
Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html
Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.
For more information on applying for your Indian Visa/eVisa, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information
Vaccination
India
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.
You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some travellers. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.
Additionally, dengue, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes, is a known risk in India. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.
Eating and Drinking
- All breakfasts, three lunches and four dinners are included
- If you are a vegetarian, India is an easy destination to travel through
Where meals are not included, our tour leaders always encourage people to try local restaurants and will arrange a group dinner for those who would like to meet up with their fellow travellers.
Is this trip for you?
- This trip is suitable for anyone with a normal level of fitness
- For bamboo rafting it is important to be able to swim and feel comfortable on the water. Life-jackets are provided
Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.
Hotels and Houseboat
Swati Deluxe, Delhi
Spacious and well-equipped rooms within easy reach of local shops and entertainment.
Howard Plaza – The Fern, Agra
This hotel is close to the iconic Taj Mahal. Along with comfortable rooms and excellent facilities, it’s got top eco-credentials.
KK Royal, Jaipur
Close to Amer’s palaces, the KK Royal has spacious and elegant rooms with views of the forts and hills.
Neemrana Fort, Neemrana
An exceptional and experiential place to stay, this medieval Fort-Palace is now a spectacular hotel with grandly furnished rooms.
Bloom Boutique Waterfront Fort Cochin, Cochin
Smartly finished guestrooms fill this colonial building with beautiful views facing the backwaters and walkable to sightseeing around Fort Cochin.
Cardamom County, Thekkady
A glorious nature resort nestled in the verdant Keralan landscape. Its various facilities include a butterfly garden, Ayurveda and spa.
Houseboats, Alleppey
Stay on-board a simple and authentic crewed houseboat to journey through the waterways of Alleppey.
Indriya Beach Resort, Cherai
Occupying a sublime spot between Cherai beach and lagoon, this is the ultimate resort for unwinding.
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Would you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
*Please note any date & price adjustments will be displayed on the next step of booking. You will be able to revert back to booking without flights if the options aren't suitable for you.
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