PRIVATE GROUP TOURS

India: Delhi and Kerala

Enjoy this eight-day tour which takes you from the busy streets of Delhi, with its incredible architecture to explore, down to the relaxing backwaters of Kerala in the South. Marvel at Delhi’s attractions, enjoy sleeping in a hill station treehouse and on a houseboat, and also give back through our empowerment tourism projects.

8 DAYS | 7 NIGHTS

DELHI - MUNNAR - THEKKADY - ALLEPPEY - KOCHI

Persons / Pricing

1 person: $2225 AUD

2-6 persons: $1750 AUD pp

7+ persons: $1350 AUD pp

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TOUR

INTRODUCTION

This is a private tour, if you are looking to join a group for this itinerary please see our scheduled group departures.

See two very different sides of India on this 8-day tour.

Starting in Delhi, we explore the incredible and dazzling Akshardham temple alongside a full day tour of the main sights; Raj Ghat, Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar and more. You’ll also have the chance to make an impact here at our empowerment tourism project in the slums.

For the second part of the tour, it’s time to slow down, as we head to the Kerala region in the south, famous for its backwaters. Here you’ll visit scenic hill stations, sleep in a treehouse, and enjoy a night on a houseboat. At each stop there will be more to discover, giving you an intimate overview of the Kerala region.

As well as visiting magnificent monuments, savouring the flavours of the region and discovering the inside scoop from your professional tour experience leader, you will also be supporting various empowerment projects throughout the country. We can’t wait to show you why travelling this way has us hooked, and welcome you to India the second you step out of the airport.

Please note that due to the amount of distance covered on this tour, on a few days the driving times may be between 3-4 hours.

Day One: Delhi

Meet and greet at the airport
Welcome briefing
A visit to the magical and intricate Akshardham Temple for a light show
Authentic Indian buffet dinner

Day Two: Delhi

Hotel breakfast and biryani lunch at project
Project work in the slums – Women empowerment and sanitation
Evening at leisure

Day Three: Delhi

Hotel breakfast and local lunch
Qutub Minar tour
Raj Ghat
Lotus Temple
India Gate
Fusion Dinner

Day Four: Delhi to Cochin

Hotel Breakfast
Early morning flight to Cochin
Scenic Hill Station drive in Munnar
Sightseeing: Eravikulam National park, Tea Museum, Mettupatty and Echo Point.

Day Five: Thekkady

Hotel breakfast
Transfer to Thekkady and check in
Sightseeing: Thekkady Lake, Vandanmedu, Tea & Coffee Plantations and Pullumadu
Evening at leisure

Day Six: Alleppey

Hotel breakfast
Morning drive to Alleppey
Check into the houseboat for an overnight stay
Glide through the waters to Kumarakom
All meals will be cooked and served onboard

Day Seven: Cochin

Breakfast onboard houseboat
Morning drive to Cochin and check-in
Sightseeing: Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi, Marine Drive, Bolgatty Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and Chinese Fishing Nets
Evening at leisure

Day Eight: Cochin

Hotel breakfast

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TOUR

INCLUSIONS

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.

Accommodation

Six nights at a combination of 3 or 4-star hotels (twin share) and 1 night on an air-conditioned houseboat

Transport & Domestic Flight Delhi to Kochi

Transport will be defined by group size.

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.

Entrance fees

To all listed attractions, including highlights such as the Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, Eravikulum National Park, Thekkady Lake and Bolgatty Palace

Tasty Meals

Breakfast daily, two lunches and three delicious dinners

Empowerment Tourism

One incredible Empowerment Tourism project in Delhi – we promise these are sustainable, impactful and provide an incredible chance for cultural immersion

Professional Guide

A bilingual local tour experience leader every step of the journey

Tour Split

70% Incredible Sights
15% Project Work
15% Travel Time

EMPOWERMENT TOURISM

TOUR PROJECTS

On this tour we collectively place 10% of the tour funds directly towards our ongoing and sustainable empowerment projects, you can read more about the #EmpowermentTourism concept here. Previous projects in India have included installing new toilets and water filters in schools and community centres, helping to establish a local cooking school in Jaipur and providing support and marketing materials, such as photography, iPads and a website for a small fashion brand based in a slum to allow them to retail direct and keep all of their profits.

Our future projects will vary depending on the time of year and group size. Some of our upcoming goals in India include sponsoring more children to attend higher education, helping to stimulate more new businesses and further develop our cultural immersion program, which is enriching for both locals and travellers alike. We aim to motivate and encourage locals and most of your time on the ground will be spent meeting those your funds have impacted, rather than trying to achieve every objective in the relatively short space of your visit. Every project is ongoing until the work is done and communities are self-sustainable.

TOUR

ITINERARY

Day One: Delhi

Meet and greet at the airport
Welcome briefing
A visit to the magical and intricate Akshardham Temple for a light show
Authentic Indian buffet dinner

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 time to head 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, with a whole host of tasty local treats, this is a fantastic way to tickle your taste buds with Indian cuisine.

Day Two: Delhi

Hotel breakfast and biryani lunch at project
Project work in the slums – Women empowerment and sanitation
Evening at leisure

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 wish.

Day Three: Delhi

Hotel breakfast and local lunch
Qutub Minar tour
Raj Ghat
Lotus Temple
India Gate
Fusion dinner

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 fusion dinner in one of city’s coolest venues, which combines excellent food with an impressive drinks menu.

Day Four: Delhi to Munnar

Hotel Breakfast
Early morning flight to Cochin
Scenic Hill Station drive in Munnar
Sightseeing: Eravikulam National park, Tea Museum, Mettupatty and Echo Point.

On your arrival in Kochi (also known as Cochin) your driver will pick you up from the airport.

You will then take a scenic drive to a Hill Station in Munnar where you will enjoy your tree house stay. Check-in at the treehouse and take in the beautiful forest scenery. In the afternoon you will have the chance to do some sightseeing at major tourist hotspots such as: Eravikulam National park, Tea Museum, Mettupatty and Echo Point. You will have the evening to do your own exploring before you spend the night in your treehouse room which is fitted with modern amenities.

Day Five: Thekkady

Hotel breakfast
Transfer to Thekkady and check in
Sightseeing: Thekkady Lake, Vandanmedu, Tea & Coffee Plantations and Pullumadu
Evening at leisure

After a delicious breakfast, head towards Thekkady in an air-conditioned car with your driver. You will be taken to your accommodation upon reaching the destination to check in and refresh. After this, we will visit some of the most important sightseeing locations in the area, such as Thekkady Lake and Vandanmedu, Plantations (tea, coffee, etc) and Pullumadu.

Enjoy a relaxing evening as you ride a boat in the tranquillity of Periyar Lake. After this, you will be taken back to the hotel in Thekkady for an overnight stay and to make your own dinner arrangements.

Day Six: Alleppey

Hotel breakfast
Morning drive to Alleppey
Check into the houseboat for an overnight stay
Glide through the waters to Kumarakom
All meals will be cooked and served onboard

Following breakfast at the hotel, you driver will take you to the next stop, Alleppey.

Once you have arrived at Alleppey, your houseboat fitted with all modern facilities will be waiting and its time to enjoy a special experience: an overnight ride gliding along the backwater toward your next destination, Kumarakom.

All meals will be cooked and served on board by your own private chef. Enjoy an amazing meal and relax onboard for the rest of the evening.

Day Seven: Kumarakom to Kochi

Breakfast onboard houseboat
Morning drive to Cochin and check-in
Sightseeing: Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi, Marine Drive, Bolgatty Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and Chinese Fishing Nets
Evening at leisure

Wake up to a delicious breakfast on board your houseboat before disembarking at Kumarakom.

Your driver will be waiting to take you onwards to Cochin, a major port city of Kerala. With a fascinating mix of English, Dutch and Portuguese architectures, it’s a city different to most others in India. Enjoy the day sightseeing and visiting some of the main attractions such as Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi, Marine Drive, Bolgatty Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and the Chinese Fishing Nets.

Your drive will return you to your hotel at the end of the sightseeing day, leaving you free to enjoy your last evening of the tour as you wish.

Day Eight: Kochi

Hotel breakfast

After enjoying your hotel breakfast, our tour concludes at check out.

It was everything I dreamed and more! Not only was our trip to India organised and professional, it was unforgettable and will be an experience I will treasure forever. We were very well taken care of and were able to see so many sites as well as make a difference in some of the impoverished communities. Meeting and connecting with local children and community leaders was rewarding and life changing. I highly recommend taking a tour with Hands on Journey if you want a unique and authentic experience of another culture.

LindsayUSA, Review from Facebook

I can’t say enough amazing things about Hands on Journeys. I went on the India tour in Sept 2017 and it changed my life in so many ways. I was nervous and hesitant to travel to India but Hands On Journeys made me feel safe and educated throughout the whole experience. The whole tour was run very professionally and every meal and accommodation was perfect – no details were missed. We got to see India and experience everything in such a real and authentic way. India can be quite an intense country but I left wanting more! The service projects left me inspired and opened my eyes and heart to so much beauty and happiness despite the intense conditions of the slums. I never want to travel any other way now! Hands on Journeys really attracts amazing and big hearted people and I made lifelong friends on this tour.

MeaganReview from Facebook

TOUR

EXCLUSIONS

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.

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 $300 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.

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PRIVATE GROUP TOURS

India: Delhi and Kerala

8 DAYS | 7 NIGHTS

DELHI - MUNNAR - THEKKADY - ALLEPPEY - KOCHI

Persons / Pricing

TOUR

INTRODUCTION

Day One: Delhi

Day Two: Delhi

Day Three: Delhi

Day Four: Delhi to Cochin

Day Five: Thekkady

Day Six: Alleppey

Day Seven: Cochin

Day Eight: Cochin

TOUR

INCLUSIONS

Accommodation

Transport & Domestic Flight Delhi to Kochi

Entrance fees

Tasty Meals

Empowerment Tourism

Professional Guide

Tour Split

EMPOWERMENT TOURISM

TOUR PROJECTS

TOUR

ITINERARY

TOUR

EXCLUSIONS

OUR NEWSLETTER

SIGN UP FOR A BROCHURE

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