Ladies Eat, Pray & Love Tour Of India.
This Tour has been exclusively crafted for South African Maharani.
Incredible India
Vast, diverse, deeply spiritual and utterly unforgettable, India is unlike anywhere else on earth – a melting pot of ethnicities and religions, a treasure trove of history and culture, and a curious mixture of chaos and serenity. Stretching across more than three million square kilometres, it encompasses a staggering array of landscapes, vistas and environs, and offers unparalleled travel experiences – from the beautiful beaches of Goa, to the compelling craziness of Kolkata, the sacred Ganges river banks of Varanasi, the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas in Kashmir and the ancient, exquisitely crafted temples dotted across the entire country. Not to mention the vibrant, friendly people, and the incredible cuisine.
This Tour has been created from scratch to uniquely appeal to a group of Ladies. The Itinerary is not focused on a broad-brush experience, covering as many destinations as possible. We take the time to enjoy an in-depth experience of the cities we visit.
This is all about experiencing India from the inside, being an integral part of India and not just marvelling at the scenes and architecture like a tourist. You won’t just marvel at the thousands of people, regardless of race or religion being fed for free in the Gurdwara kitchen (langar hall). YOU will feed them. You won’t just enjoy the fantastic array of different cuisines, YOU will learn to prepare & cook them.
You won’t just sight-see the Castle Kanota in Jaipur, made famous in the film “The Most Exotic Marie Gold hotel”, but will soak up the ambience during dinner, feasting on millennia-old traditional recipes in the massive dining hall.
Travel by foot, rickshaw, train and plane to experience an authentic India.
Fast Facts
Duration: 11 days, 10 nights
Group Size: Minimum 6, Maximum 10 Ladies (sharing). Single Supplement surcharge available upon request.
Accommodation at 4* & 5* Hotels –
Vivanta by Taj Dwarka Hotel – Delhi 2 nights
The Haveli Hari Ganga – Haridwar 2 nights
Justa Rajputana – Udaipur 2 nights
Shahpura House – Jaipur 2 nights
Crystal Sarovar Premiere – Agra 1 night
Vivanta by Taj Dwarka Hotel – Delhi 1 night
Includes:
Breakfast & Dinner, plus lunches specified in the Itinerary. Bottled water, all activities, excursions, entry fees & local transfers.
All Internal Travel by Air-conditioned luxury minibus, Rail and economy flights from Dehradun to Udaipur (Via Delhi).
English Speaking Female guide accompanies you at all times.
Optional early morning Yoga Sessions at Jaipur, Udaipur & Haridwar.
Excludes:
International flights, Entry Visas & PCR Tests, alcoholic beverages, tips and anything not specified in the itinerary.
Day 1
Hotel Vivanta Taj Dwarka Hotel
(Normal check-in time at the hotel is 14h00)
Arrive at Delhi s international airport, our Tour guide from Orange, our Partner in India, will be waiting for you outside the EXIT gate of the arrival terminal, holding a StoryScape Travel placard. You will be given a traditional Indian welcome with Garlands before being transferred to your hotel.
Welcome traditional dance show followed by Dinner at Haveli Dharam Pura.
Be engulfed in a one-of-its-kind cultural experience. View an enchanting performance of Kathak, a traditional Indian dance form. The dance is paired with Hindustan classical music. Be transported to a different era with a viewing. The performances are visible from every floor of the Haveli.
1800 hrs: pick up from hotel to Dinner at Lakhori restaurant, at haveli Dharam Pura, Often hailed as the food capital of India, Chandani Chowk is famous for its streets always bustling with ravenous foodies. It is an example of Purani Dilli’s long and intimate relationship with food, and for people seeking culinary adventures, it provides an impeccable mix of flavour and ambience.
Pioneering in bringing the street food to the restaurant table, the restaurant provides an unrivalled array of these dishes. Feast on flavourful recreations of tangy and tasty street food.
Treat your tastebuds to delicacies from the rich Mughalai cuisine. From the famous Papri Chaat to the exquisite flavours of kebabs, the restaurant is the best place to relish delightful food in a traditional ambience and beautiful view of the courtyard.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 2
DELHI
Hotel Vivanta Taj Dwarka Hotel
09h00 – Delhi Food Tour.
Craving for some gastronomical delights while you roam the busy and wide streets of Delhi? It’s time to rejoice! Foodies are in for a wonderful surprise with the Delhi Food Tour.
A food walk through crowded markets of Old Delhi, this food walk will help you taste the best street food available in Delhi from some of the oldest food places in the city. During this food walk, we will visit 7-8 different food joints, each one of which is in business for decades, some being as old as 120 years. We will walk through some lively landmark markets, ride rickshaws, walk a bit and indulge ourselves in the delicious street food of Old Delhi. After that, walk with your expert guide towards the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This Sikh house of worship was constructed at the site where the eighth Sikh guru, Harkrishan Dev, stayed before his death in 1664. In addition, the Gurudwara has a cosmic tank which is believed to have healing powers.
The concept of langar is practised at this temple, and all people regardless of race or religion may eat for free in the Gurdwara kitchen (langar hall). Visit the gigantic kitchen, where meals for thousands of people are prepared every day, and get a chance to volunteer in the langar.
14h00 – Afternoon tour to Imperial Delhi will include a visit to the Qutub Minar, which is the tallest stone tower in India. The Qutub Minar was started in 1199 AD by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak and completed by the sultan’s successor and son-in-law, Iltutmish. The building is 72.5 m high and has 379 steps from the bottom to the top. The Minar is tapering with the diameter of the base being 14.3 m while on the top floor it is 2.7 m. The Qutub Minar is still the highest stone tower. The tour also includes a drive past the imposing India Gate, the Parliament building and the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President’s residence.
19h30 – Dinner at the hotel
Day 3
DELHI to HARIDWAR by train (06h50 - 11h10)
0515 Hrs: After collecting a packed breakfast from the hotel, transfer to Delhi Railway station to connect the train for Haridwar.
Enjoy a 5-hour journey through the countryside and villages.
Haridwar is a city whose sheer ambience marks a spiritual presence. This Haridwar sightseeing tour will give you a great idea about the city, its history and culture. This specially designed tour will take you to some of the most significant places in the holy city of Haridwar. At the end of the tour, you will be witnessing the auspicious Ganga Arti With hundreds of people praying together with huge fire bowls in front of the holy Ganga, this is a sight to behold. Our experienced local guide will be with you throughout the tour and tell you interesting facts and stories about the places. This tour includes pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Rishikesh, so you don’t need to worry about anything.
11h10 – Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Located on the Ganges River, Haridwar is a pilgrimage destination, a town of temples, ghats and ashrams. Visit the Mansa Devi Temple and cremation ghats. In the evening, experience a traditional Aarti ceremony on the river banks.
19h30 – Dinner at your Hotel
Day 4
HARIDWAR – RISHIKESH – HARIDWAR (BY SURFACE 20 KMS / 01 HR)
Hotel The Haveli Hari Ganga, Haridwar.
06h00 – The half-day Rishikesh to Kunjapuri tour will take you to the famous Kunjapuri temple known for its rich spiritual significance.
Key Highlights
– Enjoy a quick visit to the temple that is known to be a part of the heavenly triangle of Uttarakhand.
– Start the tour with a pickup from your hotel and drive towards Kunjapuri for 1 & half hours. Absorb the magnificent Himalayan views on the way.
– Reach the temple and worship the sacred goddess. Not many people visit this place and worship. It is said that whoever prays here, the goddess listens and fulfils the wishes.
– Get back to your Rishikesh after a 1-hour driver from Kunjapuri to Rishikesh.
– The tour will be conducted in an air-conditioned car and managed by a professional driver cum guide.
12h00 – Afternoon visit to the Yoga capital of the world (Rishikesh)
Evening, attend the Aarti ceremony in front of Parmarth Niketan Ashram.
19h30 – Dinner at your Hotel.
Day 5
HARIDWAR – DEHRADUN Airport (Shuttle 50 KMS / 2 HRS) & DEHRADUN – UDAIPUR (Economy Flight Via DELHI)
07h00 – an early morning optional yoga session at the hotel.
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Dehradun airport to connect the flight for Udaipur via Delhi.
Arrive in Udaipur & check in at the Justa Rajputana hotel.
Udaipur is a true oasis in Rajasthan with a wealth of enchanting lakes. Dotted with marble palaces, hibiscus gardens and fountain pavilions, Udaipur appeals to the imagination of poets, painters and writers. The city’s inherent romance, beauty and its remarkable past redolent with episodes of heroism and splendour continue to enthral travellers. Udaipur, the City of Dawn, looms up like a vision in white.
Surrounded by hills and mountains and set on the edge of three lakes, it is a truly enchanting city. Narrow streets lined with vividly coloured stalls, gardens, temples and palaces mirrored in the placid blue waters of Lake Pichola add to the magic of Udaipur.
1900 Hrs: Dinner at bank of Lake Pichola in local restaurant. Overnight at hotel.
Day 6
UDAIPUR
07h00 – an early morning optional yoga session at the hotel.
09h00 – A morning Tour of Udaipur. Start at Jagdish Temple, built in 1651. Notice the many heritage mansions that line the city boulevards, the art shops, and the boutiques that lead to the old bathing ghats that fringe the banks of Lake Pichola. Visit the City Palace (part of which has been converted into a museum housing the largest collection of crystal in the world) and see the gorgeous peacock mosaics, striking blue and white ceramics, and Dutch inlaid tile work, glass and porcelain figures, and miniature paintings.
14h00 – Afternoon to explore the markets. Evening at leisure.
19h30 – Dinner at hotel.
Day 7
UDAIPUR - JAIPUR (by shuttle 390 KMS / 6 HRS)
07h00 – an early morning optional yoga session at the hotel.
08h00 – Drive to Jaipur-
Road trip from Udaipur to Jaipur, we compiled some great sightseeing stops along the way like a visit to Ranakpur Jain Temple.
11h00 – Ranakpurpur Jain Temple was built to order by a local businessman named Darna Shah. He wanted a beautiful temple built after he had a dream of a celestial vehicle. Many sculptors and artists submitted their designs to Shah but none of them matched the image he had dreamt of. One plan that matched his dream was by an architect named Deepak from Mundra. Deepak was able to make a design because he was impressed by the dedication of Shah to build this temple. Afterwards, Shah sought the land to build the temple from King Rana Kumbha. Not only did he give a big piece of land to build the temple on, but he also asked Deepak to build a town around it. The town built was named Ranakpur, after the king, and the same town is now known as Ranakpur. The construction of the temple began in the 14th century and went on till the 15th century.
The picturesque and ancient capital of Rajasthan was built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh in 1727.
15h00 – Arrive at Jaipur , the vibrant capital of Rajasthan, which owes its name, foundation and planning to the great astronomer and warrior Maharaja Jai Singh II. The city is fondly called the “Pink City” due to the pink colored buildings and avenues.
19h00 – Dinner at hotel.
Day 8
JAIPUR
06h00 – an early morning optional yoga session at the hotel.
09h00 – After breakfast, leave for a full day city tour to the Amber fort & to the Pink city (Jaipur) built in 1727 A. D. Visit Hawa Mahal – Palace of Winds, City Palace Complex which houses a rare and rich collection of ornaments, arms, royal costumes, carpets and decorative art objects of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal art and architecture. Jantar Mantar- A 18th-century observatory and in the evening Aarti at Birla Mandir.
17h00 – proceed to a cooking lesson at Castle Kanota, Jaipur (The Most Exotic Marie Gold hotel) followed by Dinner. The castle features a multi-cuisine dining hall where the guests can relish special delicacies, prepared using age-old ‘thikana’ recipes from the royal kitchen. Meals are served in special metal utensils and special royal thalis.
Some of the special snacks, main course dishes, breads and desserts served here are:
Rava tikki, Mahi Kebab kanota, Sewainyan Jafrani, Korma Murgh, Bajre ki Kadhi, Aloo Bindi Mokal, Achari Baingan, Do piyaza kalia loabdar, Roti Taftan, Naan Besani, Halwa Adarak, and Kesariya Bhat to name just a few.
Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 9
JAIPUR/ AGRA (by Shuttle 235 KMS / 5 HRS)
09h00 – After breakfast drive to Agra and check-in at the hotel.
11h00 – En route Lunch at Abheneri followed by a Village safari.
16h00 – Half-day city tour and a visit to Agra Fort, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture. Agra Fort, was the seat and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. This was the seat of Mughal rule and administration and the present structure owes its origins to Akbar who erected the walls and gates and the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River.
18h00 – The Heritage Walk. This is a unique tourist concept that gives a rare behind the scene glimpse of one of the world’s most treasured tourist attractions. This Mughal Heritage Walk is a walking tour through a series of historic monuments from the Mughal era situated on the northern side of the river Yamuna.
This walk covers three hidden architectural gems known as GyarahSiddi, MehtabBagh and Humayun’s Mosque, and apart from these monuments, it also gives a panoramic view of the iconic TajMahal and the Agra Fort.
20h00 – Dinner at the hotel.
Day 10
AGRA - DELHI (By Shuttle 210 Km / 4 Hrs)
06h00 – Early morning sunrise tour of The Taj Mahal. It is everything that has been said about it and more. Taking 22 years and 20,000 men to build, the white marble was quarried 200 miles away and was transported to the site by more than 1000 elephants. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as an expression of his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, in the mid-17th century. The Taj Mahal is truly one of the wonders of the world. Though the Taj appears to be amazingly perfect from almost any angle, it is the close-up marble inlay work, which is really astounding. You will have ample time to view and be mesmerized by this outstanding piece of architecture.
09h00 – Drive back to the hotel for breakfast.
12h00 – Afternoon drive to Delhi
17h00 – arrival at check-in at the hotel. Dinner & overnight stay at the hotel
Day 11
Departure
JAIPUR/ AGRA (by Shuttle 235 KMS / 5 HRS)
09h00 – After breakfast drive to Agra and check-in at the hotel.
11h00 – En route Lunch at Abheneri followed by a Village safari.
16h00 – Half-day city tour and a visit to Agra Fort, an outstanding example of Mughal architecture. Agra Fort, was the seat and the stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. This was the seat of Mughal rule and administration and the present structure owes its origins to Akbar who erected the walls and gates and the first buildings on the eastern banks of Yamuna River.
18h00 – The Heritage Walk. This is a unique tourist concept that gives a rare behind the scene glimpse of one of the world’s most treasured tourist attractions. This Mughal Heritage Walk is a walking tour through a series of historic monuments from the Mughal era situated on the northern side of the river Yamuna.
This walk covers three hidden architectural gems known as GyarahSiddi, MehtabBagh and Humayun’s Mosque, and apart from these monuments, it also gives a panoramic view of the iconic TajMahal and the Agra Fort.
20h00 – Dinner at the hotel.