Magical Rajasthan

Chandni Chowk by Night

Delhi

Exploring Chandni Chowk by night gives you a chance to understand the real spirit of Delhi. At night, it’s less crowded so there’s more opportunity to engage with locals and after sunset, Chandni Chowk glows and glitters with store lights. There’s a maze of different streets to discover that specialise in everything from silver and spices to saris and glass bangles. If you want to buy something, you guide will help you haggle, which is a ritual in Old Delhi. The highlight of the trip is trying some of the local food.

Exploring Chandni Chowk by night gives you a chance to understand the real spirit of Delhi. It’s like a movie unfolding around you, a whirl of architecture and food, history and business. At night, it’s less crowded so there’s more opportunity to engage with locals and after sunset, Chandni Chowk glows and glitters with store lights. There’s a maze of different streets to discover that specialise in everything from silver and spices to saris and glass bangles. If you want to buy something, you guide will help you haggle, which is a ritual in Old Delhi.

The tour starts at around 5.30pm exploring on foot, as your guide explains the evolution of Old Delhi. You’ll see various businesses and have the opportunity to sit with people and hear about their lives. You might meet the ear-cleaning-man, who wears a red hat and carries tools to remove wax from people’s ears – it’s a great photo opportunity as is the chai vendors swirling tea in their metal pans. As you walk, your guide will point out religious landmarks like the Sunehri Masjid and Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a Sikh temple with a community kitchen.

The highlight of the trip though is always the food. You will have dinner at Karim’s (guest to pay directly), a restaurant that serves Mughlai cuisine. It was set up in the 1940s by Karim, a chef who served in the kitchen of a Mughal emperor and wanted to introduce this food to ordinary people. The dishes have a Persian influence and include lots of bread and kormas, all cooked in an open kitchen. Afterwards, wander around the street food area where you can sample desserts like bread pudding and mango ice cream. You’ll get to try everything from samosas to chai – food is a very important part of experiencing Old Delhi.

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Taj Mahal & Agra City Tour

Agra

On this tour you will two major attractions, Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Start at Agra Fort where your guide will explain in detail how the Mughal dynasty created this paradise of beautiful gardens, fountains and architecture. Next you will head to the Taj Mahal stopping at the Mehtab Bagh gardens which enjoy magnificent panoramas of the glorious ivory-white structure. You will then be in front of one of the most beautiful buildings ever made.

On this tour you will two major attractions, Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Start at Agra Fort where your guide will explain in detail how the Mughal dynasty created this paradise of beautiful gardens, fountains and architecture.

You will go through several gates to a palace called Jahangiri Mahal where inside you can discover all the different architectural influences, not just Islamic, but also Jain and Hindu. Next, head to the Octagonal Tower from where you can see all the way to the Taj Mahal.

Next you will head to the Taj Mahal stopping at the Mehtab Bagh gardens which enjoy magnificent panoramas of the glorious ivory-white structure. As you get closer, the Taj Mahal’s landscaped gardens will come into full view, lined with abundant trees, fountains, symmetrical paths and canals. You will then be in front of one of the most beautiful buildings ever made. The façade has been designed to impress from every angle with perfectly aligned arches and beautiful stonework decorated with flowers and inscriptions of verses from the Koran. The interior contains more architectural marvels such as the huge marble domed tomb. You will have some free time to explore at your own pace and there will be plenty of photo opportunities.

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Taj Mahal by Sunrise

Agra

Every day, the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous World Heritage Site, will see on average 15,000 people. Visit at dawn though and you cut those numbers right down resulting in a more peaceful stroll around the magnificent monuments. The early hours really are the best time to visit when you can just sit quietly and listen to the birds as you take in its architectural beauty.

Every day, the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous World Heritage Site, will see on average 15,000 people. Visit at dawn though and you cut those numbers right down resulting in a more peaceful stroll around the magnificent monuments. The early hours really are the best time to visit when you can just sit quietly and listen to the birds as you take in its architectural beauty.

When the sun starts to rise on a clear day, you can see the mausoleum turn from gold yellow to orange to a sparkling mountain white. You can roam the splendid gardens decorated with fountains and inspect the ornamental craftwork without the crowds. As the sun slowly bathes the walls, the stunning pietra dura inlay lights up the whole façade. This only occurs during the hours of dawn and makes the early start well worth it.

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Architectural Walking Tour

Jaipur

This tour is a great orientation of Jaipur; you’ll discover its architecture, religion and crafts and meet the locals, learning the stories and legends behind the city. Visit one of the city’s oldest temples, see the architectural sights of City Palace before immersing into some of Jaipur’s hectic markets.

Join a walking tour of UNESCO-listed Jaipur to learn about its architectural jewels. The tour starts at 8.30am when it’s peaceful, before the bazaars and markets take over. This is when locals go to worship and you can join them at one of the city’s oldest temples, which is known for its 300-year-old fresco painting and set in a private family home. This begins a discussion about religion and architecture in Jaipur; where at a junction in the city, you get to see a Jain Temple, a mosque and a Hindu temple.

Continue the walk at Broad Road, which was once used by the royal family, so it’s lined by grand houses. As you enter the winding by-lanes you’ll hear about Jaipur’s history as the first planned city in India, the vastu shastra and shilpa shastra architecture and havelis owned by artists, craftsmen and traders. You’ll get to meet some of these characters when you visit the metal-beating community who still work without technology, in the same way they have for 200 years. It’s fascinating to see how everything has been hand-created. Other key architectural sights on the tour include the City Palace, the Ayurvedic hospital and two huge, 10-foot-tall silver jars which belonged to a king of Jaipur. Guests love visiting a local family in their haveli to chat about life in Jaipur and meeting traditional bangle makers.

You will end the tour with an immersion into some of Jaipur’s hectic markets. There’s the spice market with over 300 shops which draws buyers from far and wide, followed by the vegetable and flower markets. The flower market is always busy with people shopping for weddings and festivals. This tour is a great orientation of Jaipur; you’ll discover its architecture, religion and crafts and meet the locals, learning the stories and legends behind the city.

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Cook in a Blue House

Jodhpur

This cooking experience takes place in a Jodhpur family home, a typical blue house with rooftop views over the city and Mehrangarh Fort. Your hosts are Brahmins and love to cook; the cuisine is vegetarian. Cooking skills have been passed down through the generations as in India cooking is done communally. You’ll also get to learn about the medicinal benefits of spices in Indian cuisine.

This cooking experience takes place in a Jodhpur family home, a typical blue house with rooftop views over the city and Mehrangarh Fort. Your hosts are Brahmins and love to cook; the cuisine is vegetarian and doesn’t include any onion or garlic.

To start, you’ll learn how to make pakoras with tamarind and jaggery chutney served with masala tea, which you’ll enjoy on the rooftop looking out over the city. The mother of the house will lead the main cooking demonstration, translated by her husband who speaks fluent English. The dishes are made from seasonal vegetables such as eggplant, okra, cauliflower and cabbage. You’ll also make a dahl and chapati followed by a Rajasthan tali and to finish, a sweet such as halva.

Cooking skills have been passed down through the generations as in India cooking is done communally. You’ll also get to learn about the medicinal benefits of spices in Indian cuisine, for example, coriander is good for blood pressure and turmeric is good for your skin. Rather than buy a pre-mix masala, you will be shown how to make it fresh by mixing cardamom, black pepper and ginger. The whole experience takes about two hours, and you will be given handwritten recipes so you can recreate the meals when you get home.

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The Bandhani Art of Jodhpur

Jodhpur

Visit a home in Jodhpur to learn the ancient art of Bandhani – tie dye practiced by the people of Rajasthan and Gujarat. There are about 700 to 800 Muslim families in Jodhpur who practice the Bandhani technique on a daily basis and have been catering to merchants and wholesalers for centuries. Your host for this tour learnt the skill from his grandfather. You will visit the workshop and learn about the textile traditions in India.

Visit a home in Jodhpur to learn the ancient art of Bandhani – tie dye practiced by the people of Rajasthan and Gujarat. There are about 700 to 800 Muslim families in Jodhpur who practice the Bandhani technique on a daily basis and have been catering to merchants and wholesalers for centuries. Your host for this tour learnt the skill from his grandfather. Tie dye has a long history in India that has evolved over time, from the days when only natural paints and hand-drawn designs were used to today’s modern stencils and paints that offer unlimited designs. Every piece created is unique and the most complicated designs can take up to 15 days to complete.

You will visit the workshop and learn about the textile traditions in India. During the demonstration the raw fabric, normally cotton or silk, is cut, folded and secured with stitches. A pattern is marked with iron stencils before tying knots in the fabric. You can then choose the colours and dip the fabric into the dye before the grand reveal of the final design.

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Truck Painting Experience

Jodhpur

Learn about India’s truck painting tradition at a family workshop in Jodhpur. s you drive through India, you’ll notice trucks decorated with all kinds of colourful pictures and slogans. The practice started to comfort homesick drivers who spend months at a time on the road and miss their families. When you visit the truck painters of Jodhpur, they’ll tell you about their family history and you’ll get to watch them work and even have a go at truck painting yourself.

Learn about India’s truck painting tradition at a family workshop in Jodhpur. As you drive through India, you’ll notice trucks decorated with all kinds of colourful pictures and slogans. The practice started to comfort homesick drivers who spend months at a time on the road and miss their families. So, they paint their trucks with images from home, perhaps of women collecting water in their village, animals grazing, religious celebrations or their family name. Some people also request quirky slogans like Horn Please! They’re fun to look out for as you travel around the country.

Raja is a professional truck painter and along with his six brothers has been painting trucks in Jodhpur for 30 years. As a team, it takes them up to five days to decorate one vehicle, depending on its size and how detailed the design is. When you visit, they’ll tell you about their family history and you’ll get to watch them work and even have a go at truck painting yourself. Visitors really enjoy this interactive experience and have lots of questions about their proud family tradition.  After this tour you’ll see trucks with a completely different view.

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Half Day Sightseeing Tour of the City

Jodhpur

Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, is also known as the Blue City. As soon as you step into the streets, you will see lanes of beautiful indigo-blue painted houses that belong to the Brahmins, the elite priestly caste of Hinduism. Head to the Mehrangarh Fort, founded by Maharaja Rao Jodha in the 15th century. This magnificent fortress was used as the private residence of the royal family.

Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, is also known as the Blue City. As soon as you step into the streets, you will see lanes of beautiful indigo-blue painted houses that belong to the Brahmins, the elite priestly caste of Hinduism. On the way to Mehrangarh Fort which you’ll see located high on a hill above the city, a stop is made at Jaswant Thada, a royal cenotaph built in the later 19th century with white marble brought from the same quarry as that used for the Taj Mahal.

Head to the Mehrangarh Fort, founded by Maharaja Rao Jodha in the 15th century. This magnificent fortress was used as the private residence of the royal family. You enter through Jai Pol, meaning ‘Victory Gate,’ dedicated to the victory over the invading armies of Jaipur. After admiring some beautiful frescoes, walk through Fateh Pol where you can still see the cannonball marks from various attacks. Enter Shringar Chowk, a courtyard where the royal families were coronated. There’s a wonderful museum in which you can see all the elaborate howdahs (seats) that were fastened onto the maharaja’s elephants, made of silver, gold and delicate ivory work. The Flower Palace is another museum highlight with frescoes, miniatures and 24-carat gold leaf work.

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Khau Gully

Mumbai

If you love street food, this tour of Mumbai’s Khau Gully, which translates to food lane, is a must. This trip was devised to give travellers an understanding of what quintessential street food is like in Mumbai. You’ll visit the city’s various communities and hear the stories behind their dishes and ingredients. It’s one of the best ways to learn about Indian culture and history because there’s so much woven into food, from migration to politics.

If you love street food, this tour of Mumbai’s Khau Gully, which translates to food lane, is a must. This trip was devised to give travellers an understanding of what quintessential street food is like in Mumbai. You’ll visit the city’s various communities and hear the stories behind their dishes and ingredients. It’s one of the best ways to learn about Indian culture and history because there’s so much woven into food, from migration to politics.

Foodies rave about this experience; you get to taste around eight different dishes over three and a half hours. You’ll try signature snacks like the Bombay burger and bhel puri, which is made of puffed rice, vegetable and tamarind sauce. People enjoy the pav bhaji, a vegetable curry with bread that was loved by workers from Mumbai’s cotton mills. You’ll also get to visit some of the oldest restaurants in Mumbai, including a famous puri. Then there’s the 100-year-old Irani cafés that sprung up in the early 19th century, when bakers migrated here from Iran. Here you can enjoy tea and to meet the people who’ve been running the cafés for what feels like eternity.

The tour ends in Girgaon Chowpatty beach, where you’ll witness real street food culture. On a Sunday, when families want to escape the kitchen, they get dressed up and go down to eat at the beach. You can sample treats like dosas from southern India that have been adapted Bombay style.

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Mumbai by Dawn

Mumbai

If you want to see Mumbai at its best and meet the real people of the city, this is the tour for you. It’s worth the early start to see the city as it wakes, when it’s cooler and the industrial morning routines are in full swing. This trip really gives you an insight into the spirit and culture of Mumbai.

If you want to see Mumbai at its best and meet the real people of the city, this is the tour for you. With a pick-up at 5.15am, it’s worth the early start to see the city as it wakes, when it’s cooler and the industrial morning routines are in full swing. Down at the docks, watch the Koli fisher-folk, the original Mumbai inhabitants, hauling and grading 25 tonnes of fish straight from the boat. Led by a Mumbai storyteller, you’ll learn all about this community and migration in Mumbai, meeting people who’ve come from all over to make a living here, from fishermen to flower women.

Next stop is the newspaper distribution centre where vendors sort newspapers in seven different languages in the middle of the road. Unlike the rest of the world, the newspaper industry in Mumbai is thriving. You’ll delve into why this is and talk to some of the staff to learn how the printing industry works. The office is near the Victoria Terminus railway station, which you will visit to see its awesome architecture. Next visit a Synagogue, where you’ll learn about Judaism and other religions in Mumbai.

At the market, you’ll encounter all kinds of colourful produce and learn what’s endemic to the country, it’s a very popular photography stop. You’ll see more morning activity, from milkmen driving past to the bustle at the flower market. This trip really gives you an insight into the spirit and culture of Mumbai.

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Mumbai Dreams Bollywood Tour

Mumbai

Experience the madness that is Bollywood, from joining a dance workshop to visiting a working film set and trying your hand at dubbing in the sound studio. Bollywood is such an integral part of Indian culture and the stars are revered as role models.

Experience the madness that is Bollywood, from joining a dance workshop to visiting a working film set and trying your hand at dubbing in the sound studio. Bollywood is such an integral part of Indian culture and the stars are revered as role models.

The full-day tour kicks off with a Bollywood dance workshop led by a professional choreographer, who’ll teach you ten minutes of an iconic dance routine. Your performance will be recorded to take away on a USB. Next, you’ll visit a production studio where you’ll watch a film or TV shoot in action. It’s very immersive and you’ll get a chance to chat with actors and crew in between takes.

After lunch (own expense), head to the recording studio where you can try dubbing some Bollywood dialogue over a film clip. You’ll be given a classic Bollywood line often about the underdog’s place in society and triumphing over bad guys, and then you’ll perform it in Hindi to the clip. It’s great fun and you get an idea of how hilariously over the top Bollywood can be. If there’s time after the studio tour, you can visit the Bollywood Museum to see hand-painted movie posters before ending the trip at an old-school theatre, where you’ll watch an excerpt of a Bollywood movie.

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Colonial Walk

Mumbai

Explore Mumbai’s colonial history on this half-day tour, led by a local storyteller. The tour focuses on the tales behind the city’s famous colonial buildings, not just the dates and facts. These landmarks are woven into Mumbai’s past, set against a backdrop of modern Indian culture.

Explore Mumbai’s colonial history on this half-day tour, led by a local storyteller. The tour focuses on the tales behind the city’s famous colonial buildings, not just the dates and facts. These landmarks are woven into Mumbai’s past, set against a backdrop of modern Indian culture; people still work at the BMC building and thousands of travellers pass through the Victoria Terminus Station every day. It is a living heritage and a vital part of understanding the city.

The tour starts at the Victory Arch, the Gateway of India, which was built to commemorate King George V. Continue to key sites like the high court and Yacht Club, which are examples of stunning colonial architecture. At the police headquarters, which used to be the Royal Alfred Sailors’ Home, you’ll learn about its connection with the film Alien – the film director Ridley Scott named the spaceship Narcissus after a boat in one of Joseph Conrad’s books, which was set in Mumbai.

Highlights include the Regal Cinema, where you’ll hear about the first Bollywood film that came to Mumbai and a visit Watson's Hotel, which hosted Mark Twain and was the city’s first iron cast building, located in the Kala Ghoda art district of Mumbai. Guests love meeting the Dabbawalas, the couriers who deliver over 500,000 lunch boxes in the city per day, with a staggering 99 percent accuracy despite the fact that they still work without any kind of technology.

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