India

Important note:
Recommended arrival time: before 10:00 am.

Upon your arrival at the Delhi airport (DEL), you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative, and you will be transferred to the hotel to check-in before embarking on an exploration of India’s vibrant capital city.

With its heavy traffic, millions of people, and loud noise, Delhi can be quite intimidating to a newcomer. Yet, it is the perfect starting point for a trip to India, as it is amongst its diverse districts that one can best observe the contrast between the past and the present. The city has expanded on either side of River Yamuna – the second largest tributary of the Ganges – and its oldest neighborhoods recount some of the most interesting chapters of the country’s complex history.

In the morning, you will head to one of India’s most famous sites: the Qutb Minar Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with buildings dating to the Delhi Sultanate period (13th to the 16th century). There, you will visit the famous “victory tower”, built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak (the first Sultan of Delhi of the Mamluk Dynasty), the Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque (Dome of Islam), the Alai Darwaza Gate, the Alai Minar and the Iron pillar.

In the evening, you will head to the Akshardham complex, which is a Hindu temple with strong spiritual and cultural heritage. According to Swaminarayan Hinduism, the word Akshardham translates into “the abode of almighty Lord”. As expected, the complex features intense devotional activity; however, the visitor’s experience is further enhanced by the Sahaj Anand water show, a thematic garden, and a cultural boat ride.

Overnight stay in Delhi.
Accommodation: Hotel Regend Grand or similar

After an early breakfast, you will drive to Agra (approx. 3-4 hours) to visit the most iconic monument of India: Taj Mahal.

Besides its stunning architecture, Taj Mahal (which means, “Crown of the Palaces”) is cherished by locals and tourists alike for the touching love story that envelops it. Its construction started in 1632 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and, later, his own grave. The complex includes a mosque and a guest house along with beautifully adorned gardens but, of course, the centerpiece is the familiar ivory-white mausoleum.

Overnight stay in Delhi.
Accommodation: Hotel Regend Grand or similar

After breakfast, you will head to the airport for a domestic flight to Srinagar (north of Delhi), the largest city and the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Once in Srinagar, prepare for a wonderful day on the Dal Lake whose beauty is so renowned that it has been nicknamed “the Lake of Flowers” or “the Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir”. Your accommodation today will be unique as you will stay in a traditional Kashmiri houseboat, known as the Shikara. Like the Venetian gondolas, the shikaras are a cultural symbol of Kashmir and, although in the past most were used for fishing and the transportation of the locals, today many have been adjusted to comfortably host tourists who would like to get a more authentic taste of India. After a brief rest, you will be taught how to row the Shikara, and you will spend the rest of the day on the lake, surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas reflecting on the waters, enjoying the sunset, and emerging in an unforgettable ambience.

Overnight stay in a Kashmiri Houseboat.
Accommodation: Wangnoo Sheraton House Boat or similar

After breakfast, you will depart for Sonamarg, a 2-hour picturesque drive from Srinagar. Sonamarg lies in the vicinity of the magnificent Himalayan glaciers of the Kashmir Valley, namely the Kolhoi and the Machoi Glacier, surrounded by sky-reaching peaks, some of which stretch above 5,000 m.

In the afternoon, you will embark on a snowmobile adventure. Following the guidelines of an experienced instructor, you will whizz across the slopes of the glaciers, enjoying the otherworldly charm of the winter landscape, and exploring in a unique, adrenaline-filled way this part of the Indian countryside.

In the evening, you will receive your own Kashmiri Pheran (a traditional outfit) and a kanger (an earthen pot woven around with wicker and filled with hot embers, usually put by the locals beneath their clothing to keep their bodies warm). Looking like a local, you will head to a traditional Kashmiri house where you will be welcomed by a hospitable family to dine on Wazwan: a multi-course Kashmiri meal.

Overnight stay in a boutique resort.
Accommodation:  Hotel Thajwass Glacier or similar

After breakfast, you will trek from Sonamarg to the Table Top, surrounded by ice-covered rivers, vast valleys, mountain peaks and pastoral landscapes. Trekking on snow requires a particular technique, but you will be adequately trained by an instructor, and you will be supported all the way. From Table Top, you will enjoy incredible panoramic views on the Kashmir Himalayas, and the serenity of the scenery will be such that it will justify the effort you made to reach there.

On the way, you will lunch in a Shephard hut. In the afternoon, you will return to Sonamarg and the warmth of your resort.

Trekking Duration: 2-3hours (3km – one way)

Overnight stay in a boutique resort.
Accommodation:  Hotel Thajwass Glacier or similar

After breakfast, you will drive back to Srinagar (2 hours) to visit the famous Hazratbal Shrine, Kashmir’s holiest Muslim site which contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, believed by many Muslims of the region to be the Prophet Muhammad's hair.

Later you will catch your domestic flight back to Delhi and, from there, you will continue your return to your home country.

Important note:
The departure flight from Delhi must be after 06:00 pm.