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The trip delivered exactly what it stated and in that respect was wonderful. However, we felt that the pace was too relentless given the large distances needed to travel. An additional day, perhaps in Ranthambore NP (with a further tiger hunt?) and some time by a pool would have been good to break in the itinerary. Overnight second class train from Agra to Varanasi was 6 hrs delayed adding further to the tight timeframe and was somewhat of a challenging experience. Express train from Varanasi to Delhi very good however. Hotels were fine but mostly tired.
Visiting there Taj Mahal at sunrise
Manoj was exceptional in his organisational skills, knowledge, enthusiasm and sense of humour .
Be prepared for the fast pace and culture shock
Varanasi. Like nothing I’ve experienced before …not to be missed. Simply amazing.
The best. He found us places to eat and snack and drink and sit …and knew every best view …and made the trip simply outstanding
Follow your guides advice at all times. Take a deep breath …and enjoy
Taj Mahal at sunrise and visiting Varanasi We did a cooking class which was a highlight and just the people and the buzz of being in India.
Excellent leader giving us options and making sure we saw as much as possible in the 9 days
I flew to Goa at the end of my trip for 5 days to have some chill time, it was great to reflect on such a wonderful exodus trip!
Every day was like having 2 days in one! We saw and did so much each day. The itinerary was packed but it all worked really well and we visited so many wonderful sights. Each day was so different and varied and for each site we had our own specialised guide who explained things well and gave us time to enjoy each one. Naveen Bazaz, our Exodus leader, looked after our every need. We all really enjoyed his sense of humour and his caring nature.
Seeing a tiger in Ranthambore National Park. This tiger came up so close to our vehicle and walked unperturbed past a long line of jeeps which were on the path with us. We spent a good 20 minutes watching her. The second most inspirational moment was seeing the Taj Mahal reveal itself slowly from the early morning mist.
I cannot praise Naveen Bazaz highly enough. He was so caring and looked after our every need so well. I enjoyed listening to his commentaries on the places we were visiting and he was very attentive. We all loved his sense of humour and the way he socialised with us. We valued his advice at meal times when choosing our food. Naveen gave us many local experiences such as visiting a Delhi family for a cookery demonstration and meal afterwards, taking us to sample street food and a famous "lassi" shop, to name just a few. We were very lucky to have Naveen as our leader.
Bring warm clothes for Delhi and Ranthambore National Park. The hotel in Ranthambore did provide blankets for the early morning game drives. Take a mask/buff because there's a lot of dust on these game drives. Also take binoculars. A pack of cards for the long train ride.
This was a wonderful trip. It needs some stamina as there are a lot of early starts and long journeys. Keep an open mind and take it as it comes, there are many rewards. The group got on really well and we had some great laughs.
The tour guide was brilliant and was central to the success of the trip. It’s made me want to see more of India.
So many of these. Some of the hotels were so pretty with gorgeous gardens. I really value this on a busy trip so you have a bit of down time in the sunshine. We saw 2 young tigers in Ranthambore and this was a highlight. They were beautiful .Felt a bit alarmed the number of trucks all scrambling to view them, but they seemed ok and not traumatised. The Taj Mahal is very beautiful and Varanasi is beyond belief, especially the evening prayers which are akin to a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
He was amazing. Such a lovely friendly man, had us all eating out of his hand I'd say. He has done the trip so many times and knows every inch of it. He joined in with us and shared the fun. He was organised and gave very clear instructions for the itinerary each day. Was sad to say goodbye.
You need to love curry, journeying and you need, as on many adventure holidays, patience and an ability to take things as they come. The e-visa service seemed to cause problems at the airport, but it was a difficult time with Covid19. I had a year visa which meant I got through immigration very quickly. Those with e-visas took forever. Take your Powerbank out of your main luggage. Take some warm clothes for the early starts, it takes a while to warm up. No-one was ill, the facilities were nowhere near as bad as you might think they would be, even on the overnight trains and stations. Didn't open my medicine pack. Due to the time of year, I came back with pink and orange hair from Holi, but I'm getting used to it. All but 2 hotels were really good, but you take the rough with the smooth on these trips.
This was an amazing “starter” trip for anyone wanting to begin to experience India. Packed with highlights, everything ran like clockwork (yes, even the train!) and there were no disappointments – friendly people, incredible sights, amazing experiences and incredible food. Highly recommended!
There were several highlights but, for me, Varanasi was just amazing and a place I will never forget. It is hard to put into words, but it is amazingly moving, vibrant and life-affirming - truly a unique place that should be visited by everyone. Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Agra and our amazing tiger sighting all ran Varanasi a very close second, though.
Our tour leader really brought India to life. He could handle any questions we threw at him but, best of all in my opinion, was his interpretation of India’s many religions. Rather than a dry talk about each religious site – Hindu, Sikh, Muslim – he vividly described what each religion meant to him, bringing out the colour and vibrancy of each which more than matched the amazing temples and activities we saw. Even as an old student of RE, I learnt more from our tour leader on this trip then I did in3 yrs of studies and without ever feeling I was being lectured to. Really great, and a real enthusiasm and love for his country and culture on show - much appreciated!
Get involved and try everything - whether it is dressing up or trying the local delicacies, just do it! The optional evening boat ride in Varanasi is very atmospheric and moving and really shouldn't be missed. If possible, sit on the left hand side of the bus so you have a better view of all the amazing street life - great for photos and it means you definitely will never be bored on the longish road journeys.
This is a busy itinerary that covers all the major sights in the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Northern India, plus two tiger safaris and Varanasi, in only 7 days off work. Most itineraries on offer for this part of the world won’t give you so much in such a short time period. This makes it a great option for travellers with little time to spare and who want to see as much as possible of this part of the world. There is little ‘down time’ and it can feel a bit rushed at times, but for me this was far outweighed by the opportunity to see so much and visit places I simply couldn’t have fitted in at all any other way. The trip was very well organised and run and I enjoyed everything we visited.
The Taj Mahal was so impressive - it really is worth seeing it in real life. Pictures and TV can't do it justice. The whole trip was worth it just for that. Seeing a tiger in Rathambhore was thrilling especially as many groups aren't that lucky (but the safaris are worthwhile and enjoyable in their own right even if no tigers appear). Varanasi was fascinating and an unexpected highlight for me. Also visiting the Sikh Gurdwara and its communal kitchens in Delhi was a really interesting trip and gave an insight into an aspect of a religion I knew little about.
Our group leader was very well organised and efficient. He did a fantastic job keeping a large group together and getting us through an incredibly busy and tightly timed itinerary in sometimes difficult circumstances. He made the trip run smoothly which must have been a mammoth undertaking.
It really does get very cold in February, particularly on the game drives and sunrise starts. You can't wear enough on the early morning safari to keep warm. So pack accordingly! Layers are best as later in the day when the sun's out you won't need your jackets. Most days you have access to a bus so can leave things like coats. European plug adaptors are the most useful to take and can be used in the majority of the hotels. The train does have power points by the bunks. You can purchase a chain and padlock to secure your bags on the train very cheaply at the station - so if you don't already have one, don't splash out in your home country on one. As with all Exodus trips, a softer, smaller bag will serve you better than a big hard suitcase, particularly when trying to fit it under the train bunk beds. There are a number of optional excursions and these aren't always listed in the trip notes. The cost was generally around 1000-1500 rupees per person for a group of 16. It would be higher for smaller groups. The excursions offered were a cooking demonstration on the first evening, a hot air balloon ride on the second morning (this would be more expensive than the cost above), watching a Bollywood film at a local cinema on the second night (this was about 700 rupees and was well worth it, really enjoyable), a sunrise cruise on the river in Varanasi to see the burning ghats (highly highly recommended), a trip to Sarnath on the second day in Varanasi (miss-able, but does pass the time if you don't want to wait around at the hotel), and a sightseeing trip in Delhi on the last day. You won't necessarily see the standard sights on the Delhi trip but the places we went were well worth visiting, especially the Gurdwara. If you do all the trips and eat with the group, you need at least £200 spending money. The shopping trips can't really be avoided despite what the trip notes say as they are done 'en route' to other things, although you can opt to stay on the bus if you prefer. Take a kindle or phone or something else to amuse yourself if that's the case. The items you see are all high-price and outside the budget of some travellers, so if you're going to have to watch your money and find temptation hard to resist, you might also want to sit these out. If you're a keen photographer or historian, planning ahead for your visits is a good idea as you'll get very little time at some of the sights - in particular, those in Jaipur, and Fatephur Sikri. Reading up in advance will help you make the most of the time you get and ensure you don't miss anything you particularly wanted to see/photograph.
This trip is not for the faint-hearted. Despite various lengths being quoted, the traveler is effectively on the road in India for 8 days, and flies home on day 9. But in the 8 days you pack in an incredible number of beautiful, memorable sights. You will (hopefully, like we did) meet a smallish group of nice, decent, funny people that you are happy to travel, eat and drink with, and who look out for one another. Transport is effective and comfortable. You’ll struggle to take in the volume of sights, sounds and smells that India will provide. The food is wonderful, hotels are comfortable and all in all, it’s hard to avoid the ‘trip of a lifetime’ cliche.
Varanasi - both the night-time 'blessing of the Ganges' ceremony, and about 7 hours later, the dawn boat ride on the Ganges to see the sun rise thru the mists and float past the cremation ghats (at a distance). And in between, the chaotic tuk tuk ride. There were many other highlights, but that one just took my breath away.
Ajay was truly excellent. Easy company, informed, patient at explaining the culture, history, politics and so on. He was very organised, because this trip is a mini-military-operation. It has to be, to see that many amazing things in 8 days. And he added little touches to enhance the trip (eg flowers to scatter on the Ganges). I wanted to see a step well (If I could) so I asked early on, and we got to see one in Jaipur that was not a tourist sight, by making a short detour. That was another highlight for me.
Be prepared to get tired. But you can sleep on the bus, the hotel beds are comfortable. And you have the post-trip period back home to look forward to, looking at your (way too many) photographs. It really is full-on, but in a great way. And it seems to match the pace of the places you are seeing - it's not a place to dawdle. Finally, if you are into photography, you'll probably never be somewhere with so many photos 'waiting to be taken'. Bring less clothes - this is not a dressing up holiday - and more camera gear. Last thing, as I think of it. Pollution in Delhi is quite bad - it's just a fact of life. But you are only there for about 48 hours, and even if you get a short term sore throat you recover quickly once you exit the city. It's worth it, I think.
An amazing trip with a very full on itinerary! You’ ll see all the highlights of Northern India, you will do all the must activities like boat ride in Varanasi.
Yes, there will be early mornings, but in return you’ll got to see fantastic places during sunrise!
Yes, there will be long bus journeys, but you’ll travel through small villages and see how people live and take some amazing photos.
Yes, most hotels were basic, but nice and clean with friendly staff.
Yes, the overnight train is fun!
Read your trip notes to know what to expect, arrive with open mind, ask questions and enjoy this amazing country!
Varanasi! I wasn’t very keen on that town, read lots of disturbing facts. But the morning boat ride on the Ganges was very inspirational.
We had the best tour leader ever. Friendly, very knowledgeable, had amazing customer service and went all above and beyond for all of us! Thank you Naveen Bazaz! You are a true treasure for your company!
Read your travel notes, they have all the info you need to know! Travel with open mind, ask questions and enjoy!!
Absolutely superb. Our guide, Ajay Gupta, was out of this world. All Exodus guides are super but he was just amazing. The sights we saw in such a short time, the standard of the hotels, the food – oh my goodness! I cannot recommend this trip highly enough
Choosing one is difficult. The Taj mahal is of course a major site - chosen as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and rightly so. But I loved the observatory, partly because it was so unexpected.
Amazing. wonderful. Friendly, knowledgable, everything a guide should be , and more. He made the trip the delight it was
don't change money at the airport - you'll be charged 10% commission. find an ATM from a major national bank and use that.