14 days tour

Cemeteries Of Northern Hills - A Family History Tour

$ 1,668 .94 USD

Total price per person

Reserve with $1,668.94

Cemeteries Of Northern Hills - A Family History Tour

This tour includes:

Guide

English Speaking Guide for througout the Tour wiill escort you from your arrival in Delhi till departure. All our Guides and Tour Leaders are very knowledgeable about their area and know the palces very well where needed we use local guides also but the Tour Manager / Guide provded to you remains with you till the departure. Language : We do not have Other Language Speaking Guides other than English Speaking Guide with very good knowledge of the area. http://shimlawalks.com/tour-leaders.html

Meals

Breakfast : The menu remains North Indian, South Indian, Continental and others. Porridge / Corn Flakes with milk (hot / Cold) are the essential part of the breakfast, added with toast, butter, jam, honey, marmalade, fruit, a variety of Indian breads such as pranthas and poori with freshly cooked vegetables and pickles, sausages, tea / coffee, all depending upon the quality of the hotel. Lunch : In most of the cases we prefer to have lunch outside, in some local restaurant / dhaba. Most o the places, now a days have reasonably okay type restaurants that offer a variety of menu of meals. Dinner : Depending from place to place we prefer to have dinner. For Example Shimla and Dharamsala has a variety of restaurants so we dine out where as at other places we prefer to have dinner in the hotel. After a long days drive it is recommended to have dinner in the hotel and sleep. Delhi : Room + Breakfast. Dharamsala : Room + Breakfast + Dinner. Amritsar : Room + Breakfast. Shimla : Room + Breakfast + Dinner Mussoorie : Room + breakfast + Dinner

Not included:

Insurance

As per the norms of Indian Government all travellers traveling to India must have holiday insurence with them.

Others

Any air fares. Any Lunch / Dinner in Delhi. Any Kind of Personal Expenses or Optional Tours / Extra Meals Ordered. Anything not specifically mentioned under the head โ€œPrices includedโ€. Tips, Insurance, Laundry, Phone Calls. The Services of Vehicle is not included on leisure days & after finishing the sightseeing tour as per the Itinerary. Any Kind of Drinks / Table drinks (Alcoholic, Aerated). Camera fee, Soft or Hard drinks, Starters. Medical & Travel insurance. Additional costs due to flight cancellation, train delays road blocks, natural calamity etc. In most cases people ask us about the tips in the restaurants, for the drivers and for the guides. We recommend the following. In the restaurants : Normally it is 10% of the total bill. For the Driver : This man works very hard as he drives on the narrow an bumpy road with a great care and at night hardly finds any place to sleep. Next morning he has to drive again and so a sound sleep is required. He expects the hotelier to provide him a comortable room and some hotels do that but in most cases he sleeps in his car. The tip recommended to him is Rs. 300/- per day. For the Guides/ Tour Manager : This man is your friend, philosopher, guide for throughout the trip and with his knowledge he keeps your trip alive and brings different experiences to the front. He takes care of check ins / check outs at the hotels / organises and decided the venue for your meals, organises local guides for you, takes care of your in case of emergency, helps you with the local language, remains your local care taker and remains your friend for ever even after the trip is over. He deserves the better portion of the tip and so we recommend minimum of Rs. 500/- per person per day for him.

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Cemeteries Of Northern Hills - A Family History Tour

  • Day 1 Day 1: Arrival In Delhi
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 1: Arrival In Delhi

      Welcome to India! You are met by our representative in the arrival area of the airport after you clear all immigration and customs formalities. Depart for your Hotel to check-in.   Delhi stands as the capital of Modern India. Here you can see the mingling of the Old and New India, the ancient and the modern. Delhi is made up of seven ancient cities, spanning the period from the 11th to 20th centuries. Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many emperors, which has left behind a plethora of monuments that commemorate the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. Very few cities in the world can express such a profusion of architectural styles.  The British built New Delhi and used the city as their winter capital from 1912 - 1947. After Delhi Durbar - the Coronation ceremony of King King George and Queen Victoria, Delhi became an important city and the seat of power. There are a large number of British time cemeteries in Delhi. The most importaant one is in Delhi Cantt Cemetery and Nicholson cemetery. During our time in Delhi we shall visit both of them.  In case you have any records of Burials of any of your ancestors in Delhi, kindly let us know in advance.

  • Day 2 Day 2: Delhi
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 2: Delhi

      Fullday sightseeing of Delhi and New Delhi including visits to the cemeteries. The first preference is always to the people who are coming on ancestral research. In case we have to visit the cemeteries first then we shall do that. 

  • Day 3 Day 3: Train To Amritsar
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 3: Train To Amritsar

      In the morning we shall be transferred to New Delhi Railway Station to board Shatabadi Express to Amritsar. (Departure at 07.20 am and Arrival at 13.45). On arrival transfer to the hotel. Afternoon we drive to Wagha Border to see the Retreat Ceremony.   Amritsar is an important center for Sikhs and during the British era, many British lived here and are buried in the cemeteries. the most important one is 'Putil Ghar Cemterey' which has the graves of some of the most important British residents of the town of that era. 

  • Day 4 Day 4: Amritsar
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 4: Amritsar

      Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple, is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities in India. It is an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travelers coming to India on the overland route from Central Asia, it soon became the center of various commercial activities. The Golden Temple was founded by the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Ramdas, and completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. It is famous for its full golden dome, one of the most sacred pilgrim sites for Sikhs. The Mandir is built on a 67-foot square of marble and is a two-storied structure. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had the upper half of the building built with approximately 400 kg of gold leaf. The Golden Temple is surrounded by a number of other temples, such as the Durgiana Temple. After lunch we visit the Golden Temple of the Sikhs. We will circumambulate the temple, stopping periodically for moments of quiet reflection. The temple complex is like a small community, filled with many different activities. We will visit the kitchen where free meals are prepared by volunteers throughout the day; the temple where the holy book, Aad Guru Sahib, is read aloud from 4 am to 10 pm daily; and observe devotional rituals. Travel to the border town Wagah to see flag ceremony at dusk. Morning we shall visit the Golden Temple and then Jalianwala Bagh where the big massacre took place on that day of Baisakhi in 1919 in the month of April, known as Amritsar massacre. A largen numbe rof Indians lost their lives when the Gurkha regiment, on the orders of their British offfice General Dyer opened fire on the crowd to disperse people.  Afternoon we shall visit Putli Ghar Cemetery.

  • Day 5 Day 5: Drive To Dharamsala
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 5: Drive To Dharamsala

      Distance : 210 km Driving Time: 5 to 6 hours. Drive: Mountainous and Scenic Dharamsala was set up by the British as a resort for the soldiers. Now a tiny town called MacLeodganj, 10 km above Dharamsala is the seat of Dalai Lama who runs his government from there in exile. Lt. Governor of Punjab Sir Donald Friell McLeod built his house in the wilderness above Dharamsala and later the area was named the area after him.  A beautiful cemetery one kilometre before MacLeod Ganj, built around St. John's Church in the wilderness has a large number of British graves.

  • Day 6 Day 6: Dharamsala
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 6: Dharamsala

      This day in Dharamsala is dedicated to the St. John's Cemetery near MacLeod Ganj. We leave after breakfast for St. John's Church in the wilderness. The Church was built in 1852 by the wife of Lord Elgin - the Governor-General of British India in 1862. The church became his last resort after his death in 1863. Around the Church, the grounds are full of graves of the British officers who served in that area and lived there.  After lunch visit to Dalai Lama Monastery. The Monastery was built in 1987 and H.H. Dala Lama lives just opposite that. The Monastery has a There is a Museum next to the Monastery that explains the life that used to be in Tibet and what is there now. Tibetans are fighting in peace to get their country free from China. Our next visit is to the Tibetan Childrenโ€™s Village. This is a school where nearly 2000 children ( 10 months to 18 years) from Tibet live. They are provided education, accommodation, meals, love, families, and a chance to have a good future. Most of them are orphans or have lost their parents. Lunch at the hotel or at a restaurant in the Market.

  • Day 7 Day 7: Dharamsala
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 7: Dharamsala

      In the morning we shall drive to Palampur where an age-old cemetery is located in the middle of the town. Also, a visit to the te factory is a part of this day.  After lunch, we visit the Norbulingka Institute where Tibetan Handicrafts are made and displayed for sale. A doll Museum also depicts the lifestyle in Tibet. Dinner with drinks at Mcleod Restaurant.

  • Day 8 Day 8: Drive To Shimla
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 8: Drive To Shimla

      Distance: 270 km Driving Time: 8 hours. Drive: Mountainous and Scenic The morning after breakfast drive to Shimla - the former capital of British India. Shimla is one the most important town for those British who are looking for their family roots in India. Shimla was the seat of the imperial government during the Raj in the summer months and still has some of the most important cemeteries of the Raj as many prominent residents of Shimla were buried in these cemeteriies.

  • Day 9 Day 9: Shimla
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 9: Shimla

      After breakfast, we shall visit the Sanjauli cemetery. The cemetery is Sanjauli near Shimla is the latest cemetery of Shimla, started in 1921 and is still being used by the Indian Christians. In case you have any ancestors who died at Shimla and are buried here, he would have been buried in Sanjauli Cemetery. Unfortunately, many graves are not in good shape, but most of them have the information on their slab stones. A narrow road from the main road bifurcates to the cemetery. We walk for nearly five hundred meters through a narrow lane to reach the cemetery. This cemetery is divided into three levels. You can spread around and look at the graves. Some names of the burials are given in the following link. http://shimlawalks.com/cemeteriesinshimla.html After this we drive to Kanlog Cemetery that is another important cemetery of Shimla. This was started in 1850 and closed in 1920 and has many prominent citizens of Shimla resting in it. This cemetery has recently been repaired by the pestor of Pentecostal church of Shimla. The graves are now in better shape and easily traceable. In the mid eighties the Shimla bypass road was built and it went through the cemetery. Now it is divided into thwo parts.The upper part above the road and the lower part is below the road. During the construction of the road many grave were damaged and lost.

  • Day 10 Day 10: Shimla Heritage Walk
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 10: Shimla Heritage Walk

      Shimla is a Walker's paradise and if you want to observe the past and the present of the town, there is no better way other than, on foot. We walk through the Heritage zone of the old town and have an experience of by gone era. The walk includes visit to some British time buildings, such as Viceregal lodge, Railway Board building, Gaiety Theatre and Crist Church.  Afternoon we stop for lunch at the Mall. Later day free to yourself.

  • Day 11 Day 11: Drive To Mussoori
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 11: Drive To Mussoori

      Distance: 255 km Driving Time: 8 hours. Drive: Mountainous and Scenic We leave at 9 am after breakfast. Mussoorie is another hill station from the British Raj and was established by the British. IN 1823 one Lt. Young went up to the hills for hunting and built a house for himself on Camel's Back Road. National Defence Academy At the bottom of the foothills of Mussoorie came up as a hill station for those soldiers and the Indian Civil Servants who lived there during the summer months and many of them had permanent retreats there. On arrival check into the hotel.

  • Day 12 Day 12: Mussoori
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 12: Mussoori

      There are a few cemeteries in Mussoorie. We shall visit the Camel's Back Cemetery and the Landour Cemetery at Lal Tibba where a large number of prominent British citizens of Mussoorie remain buried and rest in peace. Some of them name are John Hindmarsh, who was one of the survivors of the 600 soldiers during the Crimean war. These 600 soldiers were immortalized by Alfred Tennyson in his poem, โ€œThe Charge of Light Brigade.โ€  John Lang, the Australian writer, and barristers grave are there in Mussoorie. Major Hugh Fraser, who fought against Rani Lakshmibai in the battle near Gwalior in 1858 is buried there. Henry Bhole, a famous brewery owner of the 19th century who sold beer to British soldiers remains burried there in the Landour Cemetery. Constance Rose Atkinson, 64, widow of GW Atkinson from Survey of India, was buried at there.   The Lych Gate burial register is useful for people looking for links that could make them aware of their ancestral lineage and family history and reconnect with their relatives scattered around the world.

  • Day 13 Day 13: Drive To Delhi
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 13: Drive To Delhi

      Distance: 320 km Driving Time: 8 hours. Drive: Descend for 35 km to Dehradoon and we are in the plains. The flat road through the towns and villages of North India leads us to Delhi. On arrival check into your hotel near the airport.  Drive to Delhi after breakfast and on arrival transfer to the international airport to board you flight for onwards journey.

  • Day 14 Day 14: Delhi - Departure
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 14: Delhi - Departure

      Transfer to the International airport to catch your onwards flight.

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Experience Style

Experience Style

Mixed

There will be challenging activities such as hiking, biking, canyoning and trekking, but youโ€™re also going to have other means of transportation and relaxed moments to just chill.

Accomodation level

Accomodation level

Medium

This accommodation includes essential services like a hot shower, electricity, and a nice and comfy bed.

Experience Type

Experience Type

Small Group

Youโ€™ll be accompanied by a small group of travelers just like you.

Physical Rating

Physical Rating

Basic

Almost everyone is fit for these activities. Every hike or physical exercise last less than 30 minutes, such as paragliding and horseback riding. Please ask about specific conditions.

Age range

Age range

Min: 20 / Max: 80

Age range allowed for this experience.

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