Mystical Northern India

No North India holiday is complete without a visit to Delhi and we include three nights to allow time to explore this magnificent city. A rickshaw tour will give you a local’s glimpse of its historic havelis, temples, palaces, shrines and atmospheric bazaars, before concluding at Raj Ghat. A memorial to the great Mahatma Gandhi, it’ll be a precursor for a tour the following day that takes in where Gandhi once lived, a museum dedicated to him and meetings with locals who will tell you more about his life.

Then, a short flight to the north of the country will first have you in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar for two nights, where you’ll learn the ancient Sikh martial art of gatka with a local, followed by Dharamsala for three nights. It’s in these two cities you’ll learn the many facets of the various religions which affect life in India, as well as hiking through pristine Himalaya countryside. From learning the plight of Tibet refugees to viewing elaborate border ceremonies at the crossroads of India and Pakistan, your journey here will educate and thrill in equal measures.

We continue to the charming cobbled village of Pragpur in the picturesque Kangra Valley, where you’ll enjoy its sleepy ambience and the ancient Kangra Fort. We’ve left the best to last: three nights at the renowned Oberoi Cecil hotel in the hilltop town of Shimla. The legacy of British colonial rule can be felt everywhere here, and we have carefully crafted a city tour with the emphasis on Rudyard Kipling, who lived here for several years. With stunning mountain vistas and a peaceful atmosphere, you will see why it became the summer capital of the British.