The India travel specialists · London
Yoga & Meditation — 12 nights through Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Haridwar and Rishikesh.
The first week of this trip is the one most people come to north India for: Old Delhi by rickshaw, the Amber Fort above Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikri on the road to Agra, and the Taj Mahal early enough to beat the worst of the crowd. Then you take the Shatabdi Express out of Delhi to Haridwar, where the Ganges comes down off the plain, and carry on up to Rishikesh at the point where the river leaves the Himalaya. Three mornings there are given to yoga and meditation sessions, and the rest of the time is yours.
So be clear what this is: a sightseeing tour with a yoga tail, not a retreat. Three sessions over three mornings will loosen you up and give you a sense of how the practice is taught where it is from; it will not reorganise your life, and if you are after a fortnight of twice-daily classes and silence you should be looking at a residential course instead. We would rather say that now than refund you later. What the Rishikesh days do offer is time at Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, the riverside temples, and the Ganga Aarti in the evening - a daily ceremony with lamps on the water that locals attend as a matter of course.
Private car for the Delhi, Jaipur and Agra leg, then the Shatabdi Express up to Haridwar and back.
The lanes behind Jama Masjid are too narrow for a car and barely wide enough for the rickshaw you are in. Wedding card printers, wholesale spice, bundles of wire overhead. It is twenty minutes of being inches from everything, and it is the best introduction to the city there is.
It is one of the few famous buildings that is not a disappointment in person, largely because of the scale and the flatness of the light on the marble first thing. Go as early as your guide will take you. It is closed on Fridays.
At dusk the ghats fill up and lamps go out onto the water. It happens every evening and the people around you are there because it is part of the week, not because it is on a list. Stand at the back, keep still, and do not put a camera in anyone's face.
The ropeway lifts you to the Chandi Devi Temple for a view back over the river and the town. Down at Har Ki Pauri, one of the main bathing ghats on the Ganges, there are chains set into the steps for people to hold against the current, which tells you how fast the water moves.
October to March, with February, March, October and November the pick. Rishikesh is cold in the evenings in December and January. April to June is hot on the plains, and the hills are wet from July to September.
Delhi
Met at Delhi airport and driven to the hotel, with rooms from 1400. Most UK flights land in the morning, so plan on a slow first day.
Delhi
Jama Masjid and a rickshaw through the lanes of Chandni Chowk, a drive past the Red Fort, then Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar, India Gate and the President's House. Old Delhi in the morning and New Delhi after lunch, which is the only sensible order.
Delhi to Jaipur
275 km / 6 hrs
A long day in the car on the Jaipur highway. Six hours is a realistic figure rather than an optimistic one, so you arrive in time for dinner and not much else.
Jaipur
Up to the Amber Fort, with an elephant ride subject to availability, then the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar observatory and the Hawa Mahal from the street. The observatory instruments are built at the scale of buildings and still tell the time.
Jaipur to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri
238 km / 5 hrs
Breaking the drive at Fatehpur Sikri, a complete Mughal capital in red sandstone that was abandoned within a few decades of being finished. Then on to Agra for the night.
Agra
Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal and Sikandra. The Taj is closed on Fridays, so if your dates include one the guide will move the order around - and whatever day you go, earlier is better for both the light and the queue.
Agra to Delhi
204 km / 4 hrs
Back to Delhi on the expressway, with the rest of the day free. A good afternoon for laundry and an early night, given tomorrow's train.
Delhi to Haridwar to Rishikesh
Shatabdi Express 0650-1125, then 28 km / about 1 hr
An early start for the train north, breakfast served at your seat, and an hour's drive on from Haridwar to Rishikesh. In the evening you go down to the river for the Ganga Aarti, a daily ceremony of lamps and singing on the ghats.
Rishikesh
A yoga and meditation session in the morning, then the temples along the Ganges and the two footbridges, Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula. Both are narrower than you expect and busier than you expect.
Rishikesh
A second yoga and meditation session in the morning and the rest of the day free. There is enough riverbank, tea and bridge-watching here to fill an afternoon without a plan.
Rishikesh to Haridwar to Delhi
Shatabdi Express 1813-2245
The third yoga and meditation session, then down to Haridwar for the Chandi Devi Temple by ropeway and Har Ki Pauri, where people come to bathe in the river. The evening Shatabdi leaves Haridwar at 1813 and reaches New Delhi at 2245.
Delhi
Check-out is at midday and you are transferred to the international airport. Most UK flights go late in the evening, so say so when we quote and we will tell you what the day looks like.
We price the land arrangements and your flights together, then come back with one number. No deposit is taken on the call and nothing is booked until you say so.
Prefer to talk? Call 0203 668 2943 and ask for the India tours desk, or message us on WhatsApp.
No. This is a land-only arrangement that begins and ends at Delhi airport. We quote UK flights separately so you can compare them, and flights we book for you are ATOL protected under 74904.
Yes, and it is not in the price. British passport holders need an Indian visa before departure, and most travellers use the online e-visa. Apply in good time rather than in the last week.
The trip is costed as 12 nights and 13 days, and the final day is a departure day rather than a sightseeing one. Because flight times vary so much, we confirm exactly how that last day and the transfer work when we quote.
No. It is a sightseeing tour with three yoga and meditation sessions at Rishikesh, one on each of three mornings. If you want a residential course with daily practice, teaching and study, this is not the right trip and we will happily say so before you book.
No. The sessions are included for everyone on the tour and are taken in the morning. Tell us at the time of booking if you have injuries or a condition that affects what you can do, and we will pass it on.
The Taj closes on Fridays. If your Agra day falls on one, the guide swaps the order so that you see Agra Fort and Sikandra on the Friday and the Taj on the morning either side. We check this against your dates before confirming.
Prices shown are the supplier’s published “from” price for the land arrangements only, per person on a twin-share basis, and vary by date, hotel grade and party size. International flights are quoted separately. The route map is an illustration of the order of stops, not an accurate map. Patel Travel is ATOL 74904 and IATA accredited. Tours are operated by our ground partner in India; your confirmation will state who is responsible for your booking.
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