Accommodation

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. ACCOMMODATION: Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, staying in local guesthouses and homestays. Some may have shared bathroom facilities with cold water only. We use a mixture of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Some areas of India experience daily load shedding. This is where the power may be turned off at certain times of the day and usually occurs for a few hours in the early afternoon. Most hotel properties have a restaurant or cafe serving local meals. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws. SHOWERS: Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times, you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water. ROOM ISSUES: If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your tour leader right away rather than your travel agent so that the problem can be addressed without delay. Hotel (11 nights), Heritage property (2 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night)

Flights

This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 15kg for check in luggage and 7kg for carry on. * All other flights are not included.

Meals

13 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 5 dinners

Transport

TRANSPORT IN INDIA: Main roads in India are usually very busy with an assortment of vehicles from the biggest trucks (who always have right of way) down to bikes (and animals!). Overtaking on blind corners at speed is common as is the total use of the horn as a form of communication. Our leaders have complete authority to remove groups from local transport if the driver is not driving safely. Drivers of our private vehicles are experienced and well trained. if you are uncomfortable with your driver, please always let your tour leader know immediately. Please ensure you wear your seat belt at all times. TRAVEL TIMES: Distances in India do not reflect the driving time and to cover 100km may take much longer than you would expect at home, even if much of the route is on a highway. TRAINS: India has a massive network of trains and millions of people travel by rail every day. Trains often travel the length of the country over several days. Trains are a great way to see the countryside and get you away from the busy road system. Delays and cancellations are common on trains. Your tour leader will check the train status to see if there are delays and will do their best to keep you informed of any changes. From December to February, delays are more common, especially in the north of the country due to fog. It’s not uncommon for trains to be delayed for up to 12 hours. On occasion, your trip will may to be rerouted to allow for these delays. Your tour leader in conjunction with our local office will advise any changes to the itinerary. The Indian Railway system is one of the largest railway networks in the world and quite complex. Seat allocation is completely computerized on a centralized reservation system and we do not have control over seat allocations. Despite booking tickets months in advance of a departure your group’s seats, or sleeping berths on overnight trains, maybe spread out within one carriage or multiple carriages of the same class. There’s a chance you’ll be sharing a compartment with local travelers of either gender. For a detailed look into the experience of travelling by overnight trains read more here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/india-trains-guide/ AUTO RICKSHAWS: On this trip, we travel on the local style of transport called an auto-rickshaw. These small, motorised three-wheeled vehicles are a common form of transport in India and do not have seatbelts. FLIGHTS: Airlines in India are of excellent quality. Airports are becoming more modern (especially in the major and tourist cities). To enter the airport, you must have a copy of your flight ticket and passport. Schedule changes and delays do occur, especially when weather conditions make visibility poor. OVERNIGHT TRAINS: Your sleeper train is clean and air-conditioned, and is a great way to travel long distances and still get maximum time in each place. Beds are padded berths with sheets, pillow and blanket provided, but some people prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Please note you may be sharing with locals in a same gender/mixed gender situation and they are typically four to six berth compartments (dependant on seasonality and the journey). All long distance trains have a Pantry Car where travellers can purchase snacks and food throughout the journey. Tea, coffee and bottled drinks are also available onboard. LONG TRAVEL DAYS: There are some long travel days and some of the transport can be quite cramped and without air-conditioning. Plane , private vehicle , taxi , train , overnight train

Guide

All Intrepid group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. You can expect your Intrepid Food Adventures group leader to be passionate about the local food scene and keen to share their insider knowledge on the best authentic local food and drink experiences throughout your trip. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you were interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Others

Delhi - Welcome dinner Delhi - Leader-led Old Delhi walking & rickshaw tour Delhi - Street Food Breakfast Delhi - Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque Delhi - Lunch at a Sikh Temple Delhi - Spice warehouse visit Agra - Agra Fort Agra - Taj Mahal Agra - Mughlai Cooking Demonstration Jaipur - Hawa Mahal photo stop Jaipur - Leader-led orientation walk Jaipur - Amber Fort Jaipur - Street Food Lunch Jaipur - Rajasthani Cooking Class and Dinner Bijaipur - Countryside jeep safari Bijaipur - Rajasthani Desert Cooking Demonstration and Meal Udaipur - Leader-led orientation walk Udaipur - Lunch at Jain temple Udaipur - City Palace Udaipur - Thali Cooking Class Mumbai - Chowpatty Beach Street Food Crawl Mumbai - Leader-led Heritage Walk Goa - Spice farm tour including lunch Goa - Cooking Class Goa - Old Goa tour

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services are not included.

Optional

Delhi - Dinner with local family - INR3000 Jaipur - Bollywood Movie at Raj Mandir Cinema - INR400 Jaipur - Balloon Safari - USD280

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Delhi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Delhi

Namaste! Welcome to India. Delhi is an exciting and chaotic capital city filled with historical sites, museums, galleries, shops and endless bazaars. There’s plenty to see, do, and eat. Your adventure begins with an important welcome meeting at 6pm where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. Afterwards, celebrate the start of a memorable food adventure with a short stroll to a local restaurant. Here you’ll enjoy your first taste of North Indian cuisine over a delicious (and completely vegetarian) thali feast. A thali is an assortment of small dishes put together on one platter – the perfect way to sample a range of flavours. After dinner, your leader will take you to a hole-in-the-wall eatery where you may like to sample some of Delhi’s best kulfi falooda, a delicious ice cream-style dessert. 
Day 2 Day 2: Delhi
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Delhi

Ready your appetite and venture out to Old Delhi, wandering through alleyways for an authentic Delhi street food breakfast. Perhaps pick up some deep fried kachori, potato curry, sweet fried jalebi or paratha flatbread. Keep your eye out for the local chai wallah, renowned for his delicious milky tea. Next, jump on the city’s metro system and head to Jama Masjid, Delhi’s oldest mosque. After some time to marvel at this ancient building, hop aboard a rickshaw and head to Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. Visit the spice warehouses in the back alleys of Khari Baoli and meet a seller to learn about the spice mixes they take to market. Visit the Gali Paranthe Wali (lane of parathas), which has been in operation since the 1870s. Parathas are one of the most popular unleavened flat breads in Punjabi North Indian cuisine, so taste some delicious variations with fillings like potatoes, cauliflower and paneer. While Hinduism is the dominant religion in Delhi, there is also a significant Sikh population, which you’ll learn more about over a vegetarian lunch at a local Sikh temple. Tonight, you’ve got the option to visit a local family for a home-cooked meal. This provides an insight into the day-to-day life of Delhites, so find out some secret recipes, get involved in the meal or just chat with your welcoming hosts. 
Day 3 Day 3: Agra
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Agra

Jump aboard a local train for an air-conditioned ride to Agra. Famed for the evocative Taj Mahal, Agra is a city of fascinating history, rich in Mughal heritage, lush gardens and exquisite architecture. Agra is also home to one of the finest looking forts in India – Agra Fort. Enter the dark red sandstone stronghold and search through throne rooms and tiny but ornate mosques. For lunch, join a Mughlai cooking demonstration. Influenced by Central Asian and Islamic recipes, Mughlai cuisine is unique and fragrant. Meet a passionate cook who’ll teach you how to prepare classics such as malai ki sabzi (vegetables cooked with cream) and onion paratha (flatbread stuffed with onions and potato), depending on the season. Afterwards, head to the Taj Mahal to explore the grounds and take in the changing scenes as day turns to evening – a truly unforgettable experience. For dinner this evening, why not book onto a chaat crawl? This savoury snack is typically served from roadside stalls or carts and recipes, ingredients and flavours vary from place to place – the perfect excuse to try them all!  
Day 4 Day 4: Jaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Jaipur

Say goodbye to Agra and drive to the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. Jaipur was designed by royalty and has delighted visitors for centuries with its pink-hued buildings and buzzing bazaars. Jump on a rickshaw and swing by one of India’s most photographed buildings, the Hawa Mahal or ’Palace of the Winds’, to snap some pictures yourself. Then, visit an open air food court where you’ll have the chance to try some local favourites for lunch, like thali, pav bhaji (thick vegetable curry served with bread), masala dosa (a crispy savoury crepe) and plenty of sweet treats. In the evening, you may like to check out the extravagance of a Bollywood blockbuster, with all the Hollywood-style elements of action, romance, drama and music (sometimes all rolled into one), at the spectacular Raj Mandir Cinema. Your leader will also have plenty of dinner suggestions. 
Day 5 Day 5: Jaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Jaipur

Travel out to the old capital of Amber and explore the hilltop complex known as the Amber Fort. Set in stunning surroundings overlooking Maota Lake, this opulent palace is the legacy of a fallen empire and a superb example of Rajput architecture. One of its most spectacular buildings is the Sheesh Mahal – with its walls completely covered with tiny mirrors, the hall becomes a dazzling fantasy with the light of a single match. For lunch, try a local favourite – kachori. Kachoris are deep fried bread stuffed with vegetables and lentils and are one of the most sought-after snacks in north India. If sweets are more your thing, try the mawa kachori – dried fruit and mawa (milk solids) stuffed kachori, deep-fried and coated in sugar syrup. Later on, head to a local home for a hands-on cooking class where you’ll learn how to make some seriously tasty plant-based Rajasthani dishes. One of the meals you might make is the fragrant and flavoursome ker sangri, using dried ker berries and sangri beans. Enjoy the fruits of your labour in the peaceful garden of your hosts, where they grow fresh greens.   
Day 6 Day 6: Bijaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Bijaipur

Leave the city behind and drive to a local heritage stay located in the Vindhyanchal Hills in the Mewar region of south-central Rajasthan – a great opportunity to learn about rural life and culinary customs. You’ll also stop en route to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Your accommodation for the next two nights will be at 16th-century Castle Bijaipur, now a heritage hotel with domes, arched windows and doorways, all within the original fortified walls. Take in the palace’s blend of colonial and Mughal architecture as you relax by the pool or in the gardens, enjoying the famous Mewar hospitality. 
Day 7 Day 7: Bijaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Bijaipur

Today you’ll jump in a jeep and explore the surrounding farming communities. This is a major agricultural area and, depending on the season, you will pass through fields growing wheat, corn, maize, lentils, aubergine, spinach, fenugreek, okra, green chilies, tomatoes, potatoes, gourd, onion and garlic. Some of India’s most-loved spices, such as turmeric and cumin, are also grown here. Return to your heritage stay and join the estate’s chef to discover how the ingredients you’ve seen today are used in Rajasthani cooking. Savour the results over a delicious lunch in the palace grounds with your small group – this is an experience you won’t soon forget! 
Day 8 Day 8: Udaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Udaipur

Travel to Udaipur, a charming city known for its Hindu temples and palaces, and small but renowned Jain temples. Jainism is a minority religion in India and is considered among the most rigorous and spiritually motivated diets in India. On arrival, visit a Jain temple for lunch, where you’ll learn about the religion and the food connected to it. Jain cuisine is strictly vegetarian and excludes the eating of root vegetables like carrots, onion and garlic due to the belief that uprooting the plant kills it and the micro-organisms around the roots. Tonight, you’ll have a free evening for dinner. Udaipur has several inviting rooftop restaurants, so climb some stairs, choose a restaurant and settle in to watch the sun set over one of the city’s shimmering central lakes. 
Day 9 Day 9: Udaipur
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Udaipur

Udaipur, also known as the ’City of Lakes’, is built around the shores of Lake Pichola and full of fascinating temples, ornate palaces and impressive ’havelis’ (merchant homes). Take some time to discover its winding streets and shops full of traditional Rajasthani wares. Visit the City Palace – one of the largest royal palaces in India – and check out the unbelievable treasures within, from vivid murals to antiques and royal utensils. The rest of the day is free for your own exploration. 
Day 10 Day 10: Udaipur - Overnight Train
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Udaipur - Overnight Train

Awaken your senses this morning with a visit to a local market to browse fragrant stalls and collect ingredients for a cooking class, where you’ll learn how to prepare a traditional north Indian thali meal. Thali varies depending on which region it’s prepared in, and as you’re in Udaipur, you’ll make a vegetarian thali. Typical dishes include rice, dahl, vegetables, roti, papad (deep-fried flat bread), curd (yoghurt), small amounts of chutney or pickle, and a sweet dish to top it off. After all that cooking, enjoy the fruits of your labour for lunch. Afterwards, transfer by private vehicle to the Abu Road train station. Tonight, you’ll board an overnight train bound for one of India’s great cities – Mumbai. The train will depart late evening and arrive after midday tomorrow. 
Day 11 Day 11: Mumbai
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Mumbai

Arrive in Mumbai after your overnight train, reaching your hotel by mid-afternoon. Known as Bombay until its name change in 1995, Mumbai is India’s commercial capital and largest city. Some would say that Mumbai is also the food capital of India. This is the heart of Marathi cuisine, but you’ll also find huge culinary diversity that celebrates regional cuisines from across the country. In the late afternoon, wander down Marine Drive to Chowpatty Beach. Enjoy the sunset and snack on bhel puri (tangy puffed rice and vegetable chaat), pav bhaji and other renowned Mumbai street foods. 
Day 12 Day 12: Mumbai
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Mumbai

Time for some sightseeing and soaking up the atmosphere of this incredible metropolis. Marvel at the remarkable Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat. At 140 years old, it’s Mumbai’s oldest laundry, and with over 1000 troughs, it’s also the world’s largest open-air, human-powered one. Next, take in some of the city’s key landmarks, including World Heritage-listed historic railway station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the bustling Crawford Markets. For lunch, seek out a restaurant known for serving Parsi cuisine, whose community is largely concentrated in Mumbai. The Parsi peoples are descendants of Zoroastrians who are believed to have emigrated from Persia to India in the 10th century. Enjoy a post-lunch stroll to the Gateway of India, a monument built to commemorate the landing of King-Emperor George V, the first British monarch to visit India, followed by a browse of the Colaba street market. The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free for your own food adventures. Perhaps take high tea at the iconic Taj Hotel, or stake out one of the fabulous restaurants in this city which cater for all budgets. Your group leader will have plenty of suggestions on where to eat the night away!  
Day 13 Day 13: Goa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Goa

Take a flight from Mumbai to Goa. The locals say that time moves more slowly in Goa, so this is a good opportunity to enjoy a bit of tranquillity in an often-frenetic country. Tinged with a Portuguese flavour, the state of Goa is blessed with lovely beaches, rich traditions, World Heritage-listed buildings and mouth-watering food. Goa’s dense forested areas and favourable climate also make it a perfect location to grow the spices liberally used in its cuisine. Visit a spice farm and learn how they are grown, harvested, processed and prepared for use in food and Ayurvedic medicine. See how these spices come together over a freshly cooked lunch at the spice farm before returning to Goa.
Day 14 Day 14: Goa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Goa

Start the day with a trip to Old Goa, an historic city sitting on the banks of the Mandovi River. While the city is home to around 2500 residents today, between the 16th and 18th centuries Old Goa was a booming spice trade hub with a population of nearly 200,000. Walk through streets lined with ancient churches and historic buildings and check out the local market. Enjoy some time to relax and revive this afternoon, before taking part in a cooking class to learn the secrets of Malvani cuisine, popular in the South Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa. Find out how to make some classic coastal dishes then tuck into your creations for dinner.
Day 15 Day 15: Goa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Goa

Your Indian food adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend more time in Goa, exploring more of the city, we’d be happy to arrange additional accommodation ahead of time (subject to availability).

+12

15 days tour

India Real Food Adventure (From Delhi To Goa)

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip India Real Food Adventure (From Delhi To Goa)

Day 1: Delhi

Day 2: Delhi

Day 3: Agra

Day 4: Jaipur

Day 5: Jaipur

Day 6: Bijaipur

Day 7: Bijaipur

Day 8: Udaipur

Day 9: Udaipur

Day 10: Udaipur - Overnight Train

Day 11: Mumbai

Day 12: Mumbai

Day 13: Goa

Day 14: Goa

Day 15: Goa

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