12-Day Foothills & Faiths of India Tour

Cultural adventure tour from the Golden Temple in Amritsar to Buddhist Mcleodganj and the hill station of Shimla

This 12-day India tour takes you to the edge of the towering Himalayas from Dharamsala to Rishikesh, as we explore some of the most important Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh sites along the way. We’ll explore some of India’s more remote villages, as we board the Himalayan Queen toy train to Shimla. We’ll start in Amritsar, visiting its Golden Temple and a community kitchen before heading to the foothills of the Himalayas to the Buddhist enclave known as Mcleod Ganj - the home of the Dalai Lama as well as the Tibetan government in exile. While we’re here, we’ll take in the beauty of its monasteries and temples situated atop of its hilltops. We’ll also take you to the heritage villages of Pragpur and Garli, famous for its colonial-style architecture, before boarding the Himalayan Queen ‘toy train’ as we make our way up through the scenic mountains and countryside, passing through numerous tunnels and villages as we make our way to Shimla. We’ll then hop on a much faster train to the Hindu pilgrimage site in the ancient city of Haridwar, where we’ll witness pilgrims bathing in the spiritual waters of the River Ganges, before boarding a cableway to the top of a temple which overlooks the flowing river. We’ll take a short drive to Rishikesh, to witness an Aarti ceremony at the Ganges at the Triveni Ghat. We’ll spend two days in Rishikesh, exploring the banks of the River Ganges via foot and the many places of worship here. Rishikesh’s city centre is also one of India’s most well-known yoga and meditation locations. We also have plenty of free time during which various options are available, including white water rafting, a cooking class, and a wildlife safari in Rajiji National Park. The India tour finishes with a train journey to India’s capital, Delhi.

Day 1: Your Indian adventure begins in Amritsar, airport to hotel transfer included After touching down in the holy city of Amritsar, you’ll be greeted by one of our staff members at the airport, who will transport you to your hotel. Once you've settled in, we'll explain what you can expect to experience on this India tour over the next few days, before arranging a time to collect you in the morning. | OVERNIGHT: Amritsar hotel | EXTRAS: Single Room Supplement, Extra day in Amritsar - pre-tour Day 2: Exploring the Golden Temple Our morning starts with a visit to the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion. The entire top of the temple is made of pure gold and its interior is beautifully inlaid with jewels and covered with gold leaf. There's a serene and peaceful atmosphere and regardless of what faith or none you may have, it really feels like one of the world's special places. We then spend an hour at the temple's free community kitchen which feeds up to 100,000 people every day. We will eat here and also spend an hour doing Langar Seva - helping serve or prepare food, clear or wash up; a small gift of our time and effort in thanks and support. In the afternoon we head through the farmland of rural Punjab, stopping to see what is growing and in season, to experience the Wagah Border ceremony, which takes place every day before sunset. This is a daily military practice that the security forces of India and Pakistan have done since 1959. We'll watch the colourful, rapid dance-like manoeuvres of the security forces, which serves as a signal of brotherhood and cooperation between the two nations. We’ll head back to Amritsar and you have an option to head back to your hotel, have dinner at a local restaurant or head back to the Golden Temple for the evening Palki Sahib ceremony - which sees the Holy Book, the Guru Granth Saab carried from the main shrine in Hari Mandir to the sanctum, where it rests for a few hours until the opening ceremony the following morning. This is also a great time to explore the inside of the Golden Temple in detail if it has been very busy with pilgrims during the day. | OVERNIGHT: Amritsar hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 3: A free day in McLeod Ganj Today we’ll drive up into the foothills of the Himalayas to Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj. Once we arrive, you have the day free to do some exploring. Mcleodganj is known for its Buddhist monasteries, museums, temples, waterfalls, lakes, and Tibetan settlements and is home to the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Dalai Lama's residence. It's a lovely small place to walk around, with beautiful scenery and good local markets with exotic sculptures, souvenirs and Thangka paintings in abundance. | OVERNIGHT: McLeod Ganj hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 4: A visit to the Dalai Lama Monastery and a trip to a waterfall Today, we’ll visit the Dalai Lama Monastery, where we’ll attend a puja, a prayer session, that includes chanting mantras, bowing and making offerings. We’ll offer lamps and Khagat religious cloth, made of silk and worn around our necks as a show of respect. We’ll also visit the 20 metre Bhagsunag Waterfall and Shiva Temple. It's a walk of around 1km from the temple to the main waterfall, which is surrounded by cliffs and trees with great views. If you’re brave enough, you can even have a swim in its chilly waters. The freshwater spring beneath the temple produces waters believed to have healing powers and are channelled into large tanks which devotees may bathe to in cleanse their ailments. We’ll also visit the Naddi View Point, which always provides spectacular views of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges and the pristine Dal Lake below. | OVERNIGHT: McLeod Ganj hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 5: Exploring the Heritage Villages of Pragpur & Garli Our day starts with a visit to the Norbulingka Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation of the Tibetan culture in its literary and artistic forms. We’ll then drive to the little visited Heritage Village of Pragpur, which was founded in the late 16th century by the Kuthiala Soods in memory of Princess Prag Dei of the Jaswan royal family. Pragpur is famous for its winding cobbled lanes, mud-plastered walls and slate-roofed houses. If there’s time before lunch, we’ll visit the nearby Dada Siba Temple, famous for its Kangra mural and miniature wall paintings. After lunch, we’ll explore the village before heading to Garli and checking in at our accommodation for the night. Garli is another heritage village in the Kangra Valley which displays a huge range of colonial and regional architectural styles in its mansions, temples and sarais. A local guide will walk us through the village and tell us stories about its history. | OVERNIGHT: Garli hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 6: Ride the Toy Train to Shimla Today we’ll drive to Dharampur Himanchal to board the 'toy' train to Shimla - the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. Shimla was once the summer capital of British India, and it remains the terminus of the Kalka-Shimla Railway, completed in 1903. This narrow gauge railway is one of the world's most famous train journeys, now a World Heritage Site, and is a highlight of the tour. The train travels slowly up through the hills, passing over more than a hundred bridges, and through more than a hundred tunnels along the way, with beautiful views around every bend. We catch the Himalayan Queen service, missing the lowest section from Kalka, which shortens the journey to around 3 hours and concentrates on what we feel is the best scenery. The train stops regularly and you can hop off at the many tiny stations and buy some snacks from one of the local vendors plying the platforms. We arrive in Shimla in the afternoon and have time to settle in and look around. Shimla is also known for its craft shops, a pedestrian avenue, as well as the Lakkar Bazaar, a market specializing in wooden toys and crafts. | OVERNIGHT: Shimla hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 7: Exploring Shimla Today, you have the morning free to explore Shimla, but as an option, you can also choose to trek towards the Tara Devi Temple which is positioned amongst a thick forest of oak and rhododendron and offers scenic views of the lofty Himalayas surrounding the town. This afternoon, we’ll go on a walking tour of Shimla, visiting its main attractions such as the Vice Regal Lodge, the Christ Church, the Gaeity Theatre and we’ll also take a cable car ride to Jakhu Temple, Shimla’s most famous temple, dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman. It’s situated on the highest peak in Shimla at a height of 2455 metres. | OVERNIGHT: Shimla hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 8: Shimla to Haridwar We have some free time this morning to finish looking around Shimla before we descend out of the hills again to catch a fast train from Chandigarh to Haridwar. Haridwar is an ancient city on the banks of the River Ganges, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site with thousands of pilgrims making their way there every year to bathe in the holy waters. The city is set at the point where the Ganges leaves the forested mountains for the plains below making it one of India’s most beautiful city locations. | OVERNIGHT: Haridwar hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 9: From Haridwar to Rishikesh We’ll start the day with a trip to the River Ganges in Haridwar, as we watch the pilgrims bathe in the river at the main Har Ki Paudi ghat. We’ll also make our way to the Shanti Kunj ashram, the Chandi Devi temple via cable car and the Pawan Dham temple which houses unique glass and mirrored ornaments as well as depictions of Hindu gods. We’ll say our goodbyes to Haridwar and make our way to Rishikesh, another holy city situated on the banks of the River Ganges. Rishikesh is also India’s most popular city for yoga and meditation as well as adventure activities such as whitewater rafting. Tonight we’ll head down to the River Ganges to participate in an Aarti ceremony at the Triveni Ghat. The ceremony sees give candlelit offerings to the river to the sounds of chanting of bhajans, beating drums and ringing bells. | OVERNIGHT: Rishikesh hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 10: A walking tour of Rishikesh Today we’ll explore Rishikesh on foot, as we make our way along the River Ganges, passing various temples and the Shivananda, Parmarth Niketanj, Geeta Bhawan and Swarg Ashrams. We’ll also learn about the importance of yoga and meditation to the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and other religions. The rest of the day is free to explore this fascinating town further. | OVERNIGHT: Rishikesh hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 11: Leisure time and optional activities in Rishikesh. Train to Delhi We have another free day in Rishikesh and you can choose to arrange some activities for yourself or take one of our optional activities, which includes a safari to the nearby Rajaji National Park to search for tigers and wild elephants, try a cooking class with a local family or head out on a whitewater rafting trip on the Ganges. This afternoon, we’ll make our way back to Haridwar station to board the fast train to Delhi, where we’ll spend our final evening. | OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Rishikesh white-water rafting tour, Wildlife safari at Rajaji National Park, Indian cooking class with dinner Day 12: Back to Delhi. Transfer to airport included All good things must come to an end. We have the morning free to explore the city, or try one of our optional half day tours available before being transferred to the airport to board your flight back home. We can arrange longer extensions to visit the holy city of Varanasi or to do some safaris in search of tigers and other wildlife at Ranthambore National Park. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Goa beach extension, Ranthambore National Park Safari, Extra day in Delhi - post-tour, Spinmonkey cycling tour, Varanasi extension, New Delhi half day by car, Old Delhi half-day walking tour, Salam Balak Trust walk