At Hands on Journeys, we believe in including as many incredible sights and authentic experiences in your tour as possible. You can learn more about our inclusions here and see a handy list of exclusions and how much cash to bring for this tour here.
Five nights at a combination of three and four-star hotels (twin share) and a unique homestay in Punjab (please note, if you upgrade to single supplement, at the homestay it will still be twin share)
Transport will be defined by group size. Please note this tour also includes an express train.
For groups of 1-4 persons, you will be driven by your tour experience leader where ground transport is required.
For groups of 5+ persons, your ground transportation will be in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach or vehicle with a driver and tour experience leader where ground transport is required.
To many incredible attraction, including highlights such as the Golden Temple, Lotus Temple and Qutub Minar
Breakfast daily, three lunches and three delicious dinners
Two incredible Empowerment Tourism projects: One in Delhi and one in Punjab – we promise these are sustainable, impactful and provide an incredible chance for cultural immersion
A bilingual local tour experience leader every step of the journey
Local expert guides to many of the attractions
60% Incredible Sights
20% Project Work
20% Travel Time
Day One: Delhi
Your tour begins the second you step out of the airport, no matter what your time of arrival we will be ready and waiting to meet you and take you to your Delhi hotel. The rest of the day is free to settle in before our welcome briefing at 4 pm.
After meeting your tour experience leader and covering the upcoming itinerary, it’s off to the mind-blowing Akshardham Temple. One of the most extensive and most impressive temples in Delhi, the intricate and ornate gold and white statues and carvings will captivate you. As a profoundly spiritual place, no phones or cameras are allowed, which only magnifies the magic of walking through the complex. The impressive light and water show occurs as the sun sets, and the courtyard comes alive with a 24-minute projection sharing the life story from the Kena Upanishad.
We round off our first day with an authentic Indian buffet dinner; this casual environment is the ideal way to tickle your taste buds with Indian cuisine.
Day Two: Delhi to Punjab
After a hotel breakfast, it’s time to head off to lesser-explored Punjab. A short vehicle transfer will take us to the train station, where we board an express train. Punjab is a fascinating region, with Amritsar, the main city, founded in the late 1500s by Sikh Guru Ram Das. Here you’ll find many of the holiest worshipping sights for Sikhs and away from the big cities, a more rural way of life.
Once we arrive in Punjab, a short drive will bring us to the village. Here we will meet our homestay host families over Chai. A local guide will then take you on a tour of the village, starting with the vast sugar canes where we will sample the raw, sweet cane straight from the source as well as witnessing the harvest. With Chai with locals, sweet-streets in small markets, and an evening helping make the Roti for our home-stay dinner, this is an intimate day any true traveller will appreciate.
Day Three: Punjab
An early morning wake up will take us to Gurdwara Temple for sunrise. One of the holiest temples in India, it’s an honour to be at a place so important to the Sikh community. After the morning temple visit, we return to our homestay for breakfast.
On the way we to Amritsar, we will stop at the Haveli village. This themed resort will allow you to witness some of the local traditions and learn about some of the more traditional aspects of this destination.
On arrival at Amritsar, you’ll instantly notice the change in your surroundings as we find ourselves in the old walled town. Here you’ll be amazed by the stunning Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), before having the evening to enjoy the city as you please.
Day Four: Punjab to Delhi
After a hotel breakfast, we take a stroll around the impressive Hall Bazaar. This bustling market of local goods and wears takes you to the soul of the city and is an ideal place to pick up any gifts or souvenirs before we take the train back to Delhi.
Once we have checked back into our Delhi accommodation you’ll be free to take your tour experience leaders suggestions on how to enjoy your free evening.
Day Five: Delhi
After a hotel breakfast, we board our coach to the local slum we work with in this region. Alongside a local NGO, numerous small schools have been opened across three slums, each of which also provides female empowerment projects and sanitation supplies, such as water filters and new toilets.
We will spend the day with the community, seeing first hand the impact tour funds have and how they are changing lives. This also provides a unique cultural exchange moment, as we will enjoy a lunch with the local community and share stories that give an intimate look at domestic life.
The evening is free for you to do as you please, many of our travelers find after seeing the slums of Delhi they enjoy taking the evening to reflect and either enjoy some downtime or split into smaller groups for dinner.
Day Six: Delhi
After a hotel breakfast, we depart on a full day tour to see the best of Delhi.
We begin at the Qutub Minar, a minaret which is part of the Qatar complex, another impressive UNESCO world heritage site. Towering an incredible 73 metres into the air, this is the tallest brick minaret in the world. With five distinct stories, it is a wonder to behold.
Next on our tour is Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Home to both a museum and marble platform, we pay our respects at this special place. The Lotus Temple is a Bahá’í House of Worship and is unique in being open to all, regardless of their religion or faith. The white flowerlike shape is sometimes compared to the Sydney Opera House in its design. Our final stop is India Gate; an emotional memorial dedicated to the 70,000 soldiers who died in World War I. The grand gate standing at 42 metres high, draws many local and international tourist to pay their respects.
After some downtime at the hotel, we head back into the chic part of the city to enjoy a farewell dinner in one of the city’s coolest venues, which combines excellent food, an impressive drinks menu and the chance to dance till the early hours for those who want to celebrate the end of such a fantastic journey.
Day Seven: Delhi
After enjoying your hotel breakfast, our tour concludes at check out. It’s time for plenty of emotional goodbyes, exchanging contact details and chatter about future travel plans.
Unlike many other tour operators, we don’t spend the tour trying to sell you upgrades or leaving you hanging around on the street because you can’t afford an unexpected attraction. While we do allow spare time to visit markets or meet the locals, all of the entrance fees are covered on tour so you don’t need to dig into your pocket.
Solo Travel Supplement for this tour is $450 AUD pp should you not wish to share a room (Please note there is no solo room available at the village in Punjab). For solo travellers, we will buddy you up with another traveller to share a room should you wish to avoid the single supplement.
We promise to treat you to some delicious meals on tour. With a mix of fusion, street, traditional and western cuisine we don’t just palm you off to the typical tour bus restaurants. We have personally eaten in and hand-picked each delicious dish we offer you. On this tour some meals are excluded, giving time to break off solo or head on an adventure with your group. Alcoholic and soft drinks are excluded at meal times. Water and on most occasions hot drinks are included.
How much cash should I bring? With only a couple of meals, your drinks, souvenirs, tips and any extra shopping or personal items you buy to account for, you could likely get by with just a few bills in your pocket but we suggest bringing around $150 AUD cash in hand to be safe and in case of any emergencies. Anything you don’t spend makes an excellent addition to your next travel fund.
Flights are not included, but we are more than happy to help you find the best deal possible. We have some awesome tips here, a list of suggested routes here and one of our travel-loving trip coordinators is always happy to help you dig into the plethora of flight options and find the best one for you and your budget, just tick the ‘Help with Flights’ box when making the booking.
