Varanasi, Rishikesh and the Taj

Your driver collects you in Delhi after breakfast and heads north-east toward the Himalayan foothills.

• The drive is roughly five to six hours, with a stop for lunch near Haridwar or on the way.
• The scenery changes from flat farmland to forested hills as you approach Rishikesh.
• You check in at a riverside hotel, arranged by category, and rest.
• In the late afternoon your guide walks you down to the Triveni Ghat, where each evening priests lead the Ganga aarti, a ceremony of lamps, bells and singing beside the river.
• It is peaceful rather than loud.
• Sit on the steps, let the light fade and eat a simple dinner nearby.
• Rishikesh is a vegetarian and alcohol-free town, which suits the mood.

Today is unhurried.

• After an early breakfast, walk with your guide across Laxman Jhula, the iron suspension bridge, and through the lanes of cafes, ashrams and small temples that line the banks.
• Visit the Beatles Ashram, an abandoned complex in the forest, now covered in street art, if the mood suits.
• A short morning yoga or meditation session can be discussed when we plan.
• After a long lunch and a rest, the afternoon is free: sit by the water, browse the shops for books and handmade items or take a short drive to a viewpoint.
• White-water rafting on the Ganges is possible in season, but it is not included unless we arrange it.
• Wear modest clothing and shoes you can remove easily.

If you wish, start with a quiet dawn walk by the Ganges, when the river is nearly empty and the hills are in mist.

• Return for breakfast and set off for Delhi after checking out.
• The drive back takes roughly five to six hours, with a lunch stop and a tea break.
• Traffic around Delhi can slow the final stretch, so your driver leaves a margin.
• You reach the city in the late afternoon and check in.
• The evening is free.
• If you have energy, your guide can suggest a short drive past India Gate and the lit-up government buildings.
• Otherwise, rest.
• Tomorrow starts early with the drive to Agra, so pack your bag before dinner and keep a light layer for the cooler air at the Taj.

Leave Delhi after breakfast for the expressway to Agra, roughly three and a half to four hours.

• By lunchtime you are in Agra, and after checking in you visit Agra Fort.
• Your guide walks you through the audience halls and the marble mosque, and shows you the balcony where Shah Jahan could see the Taj in his last years.
• Late afternoon light on the red stone is excellent.
• Dinner is early, since tomorrow's Taj visit starts before dawn.
• The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, so if the next day is a Friday we swap the order and visit the Taj today instead.
• Fog is common in December and January, and your guide will tell you if the morning looks poor.

You leave the hotel in the dark to reach the Taj Mahal as the gates open.

• Tickets are arranged for you.
• As the sun rises, the marble shifts from grey to pale gold to white, and your guide explains the gardens, the inlay and the history.
• After breakfast at the hotel, visit Itimad-ud-Daulah, the small inlaid tomb on the river, or the Mehtab Bagh garden if you want another angle on the Taj.
• Then your driver takes you back to Delhi, roughly three and a half to four hours.
• You arrive in the late afternoon.
• Tomorrow's flight to Varanasi is not included, so keep your tickets handy.
• Dinner and rest at the hotel.

Your driver takes you to Delhi airport for your flight to Varanasi.

• Flights are not included, and the flight takes about an hour and a half.
• In Varanasi, your local driver meets you and drives into the city, which is roughly an hour from the airport, depending on traffic.
• After checking in, rest through the hottest part of the day.
• In the late afternoon your guide takes you to the ghats.
• Walk along the river, past the cremation ghats at a respectful distance, and watch the evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat from a boat or from the steps.
• It is crowded and loud, with fire, bells and chanting.
• Keep your valuables close and wear clothes that cover shoulders and knees.

Wake before sunrise for a boat ride on the Ganges.

• Your guide takes you to the ghats, where a rowing boat carries you slowly along the riverfront as the light grows.
• You see pilgrims bathing, priests under umbrellas, yoga on the steps and the funeral pyres at Manikarnika.
• The scene is intense and unfiltered, so approach it quietly and do not photograph the cremations.
• Return for breakfast, then walk with your guide through the narrow lanes of the old city, with visits to small temples and silk weaving workshops.
• Lunch is in town.
• After a rest, the afternoon is open.
• Varanasi is a place to absorb slowly, not to rush through, and your guide can adjust.

Drive roughly thirty minutes to Sarnath, where the Buddha is said to have given his first teaching.

• Your guide shows you the Dhamek Stupa, the ruins of the monasteries and the museum, which holds the Ashoka lion capital that became India's national emblem.
• The site is quiet and green, a contrast to the city.
• Return to Varanasi for lunch and a rest.
• In the late afternoon your guide leads a walk through the Vishwanath area, the Banarasi cloth markets and the smaller ghats south of the main crowds.
• If you want to see the evening aarti again from a different angle, we can arrange it.
• The last evening is unhurried, and a quiet dinner by the river is easy to arrange.

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Varanasi airport for your onward flight, or to the railway station if you are travelling by train.

• Allow about an hour for the drive, and more if the flight is early, because the road into the old city can be slow.
• Flights are not included.
• If you have a free morning, a last short boat ride or temple visit can be fitted in before you leave.
• Your guide checks the timing with you the evening before, so there is no pressure on the last day.
• We hope the days along the Ganges, in the hills and at the Taj leave you with a clear sense of how varied northern India is.