To enlarge your map please click on the icon in the top right corner of the map
From 02th until 22th January 2024
Summary Itinerary
Clicking on the days of travel in the summary itinerary will take you to the detailed itinerary for that day and vice versa clicking on the day in the detailed itinerary will return you to the summary itinerary. In the detailed itinerary, in addition to the images and description of the days, we also have the day of the month and the week
Main Program
Detailed Itinerary
Main Program
Arrival
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Jantar Mantar
Kartavya Path (Rajpath)
Gurudwara bangla sahib
Very welcome to India! Upon your arrival, you will be assisted by our local partners who will be waiting with a sign with your name (or with 'Chörten' written on the sign) in the area we agreed at the airport (as in the image above and on the Arrival page in Delhi here). We monitor the arrival of each Chörten Traveller, maintaining telephone contact with our representative team at the airport from before your plane lands until the moment we speak. This is so that you can be 100% calm that we are monitoring and making sure that his arrival is being well taken care of. Transfer to the hotel with assistance (approx. 35 to 45 min), located in a central region, with interesting possibilities for tours and cultural activities. If you arrive at the hotel before 14pm, we will speak to the hotel in advance asking, if available, that we can check in earlier than the hotel's formal opening hours. On our first day we will be arriving, adjusting to the time zone and trying, despite the tiredness of the hours of flying, to sleep at the right time. Not during the day as we would like due to the time zone we are used to. For these reasons, the suggestion for the first outings is that they be very light on the one hand., as we are still not processing the information very well but we want to stay awake.
After checking in, we usually don't want to have lunch at this time. So, suggestion, we go out for a walk and have lunch later. Nearby in the region of our hotel is the Lakshminarayan Hindu temple, also known as Birla (important Indian family) Mandir (temple in Hindi). We will see many Hindu temples during the trip, from smaller ones on the sidewalks and in front of houses, to larger ones, as in this case. These are opportunities for us to learn and reflect a little on the knowledge, wisdom and learning method that has been practiced for millennia across the Asian subcontinent: from the Hindu River Valley (from Mt. Kailash in Tibet to Pakistan), extending across the Gangetic Plain ( from Rishikesh to Kolkata), passing through the Himalayas to South India. Take advantage and ask your guide about your doubts and curiosities about Hinduism, as well as the temple goers, including the priests. We heard different responses, from different approaches and levels of understanding of this knowledge, from the most beginners to the most accomplished, from the most popular to the most academic.
Also close to our hotel is the terrace built by the English in the 17th century. XX, called Kartavya Path (until recently it was called Rajpath). There is the India Gate, the city's landmark, built in honor of the combatants in the great war, where we can go down to take some photos. On the other side of Kartavya Path is the house of the current President of India.
Built by the Maharaja of Jaipur Jai Singh II, starting in 1723, Delhi's Jantar Mantar observatory is one of three that he used to measure the stars. The other two are in Jaipur (also preserved) and in Varanasi (only a small piece remains that we can see from the boat at sunrise). The instruments are very interesting. Guaranteed fun!
Next to Jantar Mantar, a visit to the Sikh temple, a 17th century religion. XVI and the Punjab region in India, it will certainly be a good option. In the beautiful Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, we will hear their chants (see the translation on the monitors inside the temple), we will observe how they pray in the temple and around the sacred tank. We will also be able to visit the kitchen where volunteers offer meals to thousands of people daily, regardless of social class and religion.
Flight 1JAN Vistara UK22 Paris 22:00 Delhi 10:35 +1
Old Delhi.
Red Fort
Raj Ghat
Lodi Garden
We will begin our tours with what is actually one of several Delhis, which existed at different times and under different empires in a succession of neighboring cities. The last and eighth Delhi is where we stayed, built by the British, called New Delhi. The seventh was built by Shah Jahan, one of the great Mughal emperors, the same one who built the Taj Mahal, then known as Shajahanabad. Today we call it Old Delhi or Old Delhi. We will visit the Emperor's great mosque, the Jama Masjid. There, for those who want, there is the possibility of a walk up the minaret! From where we have a view of the city and the Red Fort from above. Talk to your guide. He doesn't need to go up and can keep his backpack (which can't go up the minaret, so it's always a good idea to have a padlock for it or not leave money in it). Just be very careful on the platform up there, please.
Then we'll walk through the alleys of its old bazaar. There is a very old shop, passed from father to son for a long time, selling essences (sandalwood, etc.) and incense called Gulab Singh Johri Mal, which in itself is a walk. You can buy an oil in a box along with one of the very typical bottles of this Muslim region of Delhi. Following the walk through the alleys of the bazaars, most guides like to do a bicycle rickshaw. We highly recommend that you do the walking tour, to have more contact and to be able to see the bazaar better. Possibility to visit a small Jain temple, very old, with beautiful paintings. There is more than one Jain temple in the region, this one is in the village called Naughara Gali, in the Kinari bazaar. We then continue until we reach the Red Fort, where the important Lahori Gate is. It was there that important talks about the history of India took place, such as the independence of this country, today the largest democracy in the world, in which millenary values and customs coexist at the same time with extremely modern knowledge and technologies.
We will visit the Red Fort, built in red sandstone and white marble in the 200th century. XVII, also by Emperor Shah Jahan. Used by the Mughal Empire for approx. XNUMX years, we will understand how they lived, with their gardens, rooms, public and private audience halls. We will see that it was also used by the English army.
On the way back to our hotel area, we will pay tribute to the memorial where Gandhi was cremated, Raj Ghat. We will see what was his last word, a sign of great accomplishment on his spiritual path. Those who like photographs, look for images made by Cartier-Bresson, one of the great photographers that ever existed, who was in Delhi that day.
With or without a guide, a walk through one of the parks where locals go for their walks, very beautiful, with mausoleums of the various sultans of Delhi, Lodi Garden, is a great option that combines history, nature and the opportunity to observe the day the daily lives of local residents.
We will check the city's cultural agenda for the days in Delhi, as a possibility of a special activity, where great artists from the country perform.
Lotus Temple
Hare Krishna Temple
National museum
Gandhi Smriti
Further south of the city, we will visit the beautiful Lotus Temple. Built in the format of its name, it belongs to the religion called Bahá'í, founded in the XNUMXth century. XIX, in ancient Persia, when visiting it we will all be invited to be silent for a moment. An interesting opportunity and experience in the midst of this great bustling city. After visiting the temple, which is sometimes open, further along the way out (before turning right to the street gate), there are stairs that lead to an exhibition about the history and work on this religion. Interesting to take a look and get in touch with brief expositions about his thoughts.
A very interesting visit in Delhi is the National Museum. It is possible to spend many hours or days to appreciate each hall and exhibitions about the history, arts and peoples of India. A good way to take advantage of this opportunity is to visit a main hall and the relics of Buddha. The backpack needs to be kept in a storage locker before entering the museum building (small women's bags or belt bags can usually go in) and then, just before going up the stairs at the entrance, be sure to take a look to your left at one of the not the first charter of human rights, carved in stone, according to the laws of the great Indian emperor of the century. III BC, Ashoka. Soon after entering, one of the first halls is that of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the cradle of this Indian culture, between 3500 and 1500 BC. C.. Right at the entrance to this hall there is a comparative interest in the eras of humanity's ancient civilizations. Next we have objects from that time, the main ones being: the seal with what must have been Shiva (in the form of Pashupati possibly), and the sculpture of the head of the priest and the dancing girl. From there we walked (take care of your time, please), without stopping for long with the aim of using a shorter period of our day at the museum, through the other halls, until we arrived at a relic of Buddha (now located in a new building that can be visited after the main building). It is common to find practitioners of this Nepalese/Indian master's method (Sakya), sitting in meditation around his relics. This can certainly be a beneficial mental mark that we can offer ourselves for a few minutes, in this training and familiarization with the natural state of our minds, more at peace and better able to benefit a greater number of people and sentient beings (simplified: beings with awareness) in general. If you want to take a quick look at the halls of the Indian tribes and the instruments on the top floor, with a lot of focus and time, hurry ;-)! Joke. But take care of your time and use of your day in this incredible city.
Another special visit for our day is the last house where Gandhi lived, known as Birla House. We will learn a little about this important part of this nation's history, as well as about the life and final moment of this great leader, an example of the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the culture of peace to this day throughout the world. The most important parts of the museum today are at the beginning of the visit. So, suggestion: go to the back of the house where Gandhi was assassinated, on the way to the place where he said his daily prayers. Come back and take a look at a presentation about Gandhi's life, with photos of where he was born, until he became the Gandhi we know. Then enter the house through Gandhi's room, where there are their belongings. In every place where Gandhi lived he had a simple room with belongings like these. These are the most important parts of the visit. I suggest following in a much more concise manner this same floor and the floor above. There are volunteers available to present the museum but it usually takes a lot of time. If you want their support, ask them to present just 2 or 3 parts of the museum, or give a 5-minute summary (which will probably end up being more). Suggestion: use a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes for these parts of the museum (after Gandhi's room) so that you can use your day with other visits in the city.
We will check the city's cultural agenda for the days in Delhi, as a possibility of a special activity, where great artists from the country perform.
Regarding food suggestions, the best thing is to see day by day, how they are going, what parts of the city they will be in when they want to eat, what kind of food they are in the mood for. It's very peaceful this way and it's more guaranteed that you'll eat what you want each day!
Flight
Free afternoon
Ghats
Today we will visit one of the oldest cities in the world still alive today. After breakfast, we will head to Delhi airport for our flight to Varanasi. Transfer to the hotel located in the old part of the city, right on the ghats. End of the day free to explore the old part of the city. Near the hotel, at Assi Ghat, there is an ancient ceremony in the early evening (check with the hotel's local staff for the time of the ceremony at this time of year). The fire puja or Aarti Puja, conducted by Brahmins (a caste of Hindu priests) and hundreds of pilgrims from all over India on the banks of the sacred Ganges. Full of chants, symbols, mantras, smells, a lot of devotion and, for those who study the sacred scriptures, a very deep and sophisticated knowledge about the functioning of the human mind. Time to return to the hotel, with all these impressions, practically the same ones that so many Hindu saints and yogis, like Buddha Shakyamuni himself, had in this same place during their walks, training periods and teachings. A good rest for a special start to the day, early tomorrow.
Tips on the morning tour:
A suggestion to rest well that day, not ending too late, to watch the sunrise on the Ganges very early tomorrow. In addition to the possibility of beautiful light, it is when pilgrims do their pujas on the ghats that it is very nice to see from the boat. To calculate the departure time from our hotel, we use two main pieces of information: time of sunrise in Varanasi on that day (here) and, in your case, walking time to the boat, which we will discuss with the guide. With this information we calculate:
– Sunrise time is a good time to be on the boat, that is, start a boat trip 10 to 15 minutes before sunrise.
– Walking time from the hotel to the ghat where you will catch the boat.
After sunrise we return to the hotel for breakfast and then head to Sarnath.
Flight 5JAN IndiGo 6E6361 Delhi 12:50 pm Varanasi 14:10 pm
Ganges Sunrise
Sarnath
Spice Market
Bharat Mata Mandir
Durga temple
We will wake up very early to reach the Ganges before sunrise. We will board our rowing boat to go up the Ganges and witness the sunrise of the sun god, Surya, from our boat. We will observe pilgrims performing their pujas (rituals) at the beginning of their days, in what is the most sacred place in the Hindu tradition. Calmly, led by the goddess Ganga, we continue to a ghat (staircase by the river) a little further on, where we will disembark and have the opportunity to walk through the many alleys, amidst thousands of small and larger temples, in the old part of the city. city. There is a famous temple in this region called Golden Temple or Kashi Vishvanath. Its history is important for us to understand the different moments of India. But not so much your visit. To visit, we need to leave our belongings outside, take our passports, and take a special entrance. Our guides know how to do it if they want. We usually don't go in. Each Traveller can see what they prefer to do at that time!
Back in our vehicle (or even in a tuctuc if we find it more practical at the time for the narrow, busy streets of the old part of the city), we will have a good breakfast at our hotel and then head to Sarnath. We will pass by the place where Buddha, after his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, met with his 5 companions in practice and then we will visit the important Deer Park. Very peaceful place, where Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time, that is, where he taught for the first time, approx. 2500 years ago. We can do our meditation practice individually, sit for a few minutes, walk, read, photograph, whatever each traveller prefers. We will visit the Mahabodhi temple where there are relics of Buddha (behind the main statue) and a “granddaughter” tree of which Buddha sat and became enlightened. Next to this Bodhi tree is the text of this first teaching of the Buddha. A simple and always very special visit can always be to visit a school where children from nearby villages, in addition to the common content, learn meditation, yoga and how our minds work from an early age. We will see first-hand the practical results of these tools. It's called Alice Project School. Many locals know it as Italian School. If you're interested, we'll talk about how to get to the school and how we usually visit.
If you're excited, there's a very good lassi at a stall I've been going to for many years in front of the Mahabodhi temple. We will talk about this topic 😉
On the way back to Varanasi, if you want to stop at one of the bigger hotels for a good lunch, Ramada has a very good restaurant for Varanasi. Next to the hotel there is a very simple but cleaner restaurant owned by a friend/acquaintance. We'll talk.
Returning to the old part of the city we can go to a local spice market. I will pass on the location to you. Continuing back to the hotel, we can visit two interesting temples. The Bharat Mata Mandir (Temple of Mother India) has a large marble map of India instead of a statue of the goddess Bharat Mata. Interesting way to locate ourselves. Closer to the hotel, there is a very special temple dedicated to one of the wrathful manifestations of the female deity, the goddess Durga. Observe the relationship between Indians and this temple. Very strong and interesting.
In the early evening you can watch Aarti Puja at the main ghat, Dasaswamedh Ghat. The guide will be available and can help with transportation at this busy time. If you prefer and feel like going without the guide, you can go the next day too.
Benares University
Free afternoon
We have one more day to enjoy the ancient and very special Varanasi. Suggestion: visit the small museum and the temple of the old university of Benares. It will be a good opportunity to get to know an India with very little contact with foreigners, such as the environment on this university campus. End of the day free to explore and enjoy a little more of the then well-known Varanasi.
Free afternoon
Today we fly back to our familiar Delhi. Afternoon free (with driver and car available) to walk, visit a place you really liked or want to see. Let's see how the first visit went and talk about this afternoon, how you would prefer to spend it among the various possibilities, okay? We will always check the city's cultural agenda, whether there are any classical Indian music or dance performances on each day we are in the city.
Flight 8JAN IndiGo 6E6362 Varanasi 10:35 Delhi 12:05
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to the golden city in the Thar Desert, Jaisalmer. Transfer and check-in at the hotel. We can take advantage of the end of the day to visit Bada Bagh, for the beauty of these typical Rajasthan tombs. We will also be able to attend a cultural activity, a presentation of local stories through dolls from the region.
Flight 9JAN IndiGo 6E2557 Delhi 12:35 Jaisalmer 14:20 pm
Day dedicated to a visit to the ancient fort of Jaisalmer. We will learn about the history of the region through this walk, its Hindu temples and one of its Jain temples that we will visit. We will also visit some havelis, which are palaces with architecture very typical of the region, built by very successful traders during the silk route era.
Today we will drive to Airbnb. In a quieter region, an experience closer to what it is like to live in villages in the Thar Desert, we will talk to the host about ways to enjoy the next few days.
If we are enjoying this quieter moment of the trip, an experience closer to that of a village in the Thar Desert, we have another day to enjoy. We can arrange something on camelback across the desert. Rest, enjoy. If we prefer, we can return to the hotel in Jaisalmer as well.
At some point today, I will return to Jaisalmer for a free day with time to enjoy and explore the details of this now well-known region.
Car trip
Mandor Garden
Clock Tower
Travel by car, approx. 5am, to Rajasthan's blue city, Jodhpur. Visit to the ancient Mandore Garden, to begin to have contact with this era in the history of this region of Rajasthan, with so many kingdoms. Then go to the old market (commercial center / bazaar) of the city, which later became the capital of the Kingdom of Marwar.
A walk through the city's bazaar is a good opportunity to buy excellent quality spices. Masala literally means mixture. In the case of cooking masalas, there are specific masalas for vegetables and each type of dish. We can also buy masala for delicious Indian tea. Near the clock tower, there is a famous lassi. It's worth sitting there for a few moments, enjoying the traditional lassi and the hustle and bustle of this very old establishment. Whether to take good photographs, observe the local population and learn about the customs of this culture.
Mehrangarh Fort
Jaswant Thada,
Umaid Bhawan Museum
Bishnois
Visit to the very interesting Mehrangarh fort, located on top of a hill, built in the 17th century. XV by the maharaja of Jodhpur. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the culture and history of Rajasthan, through the legacy, objects and palace of the royal family (maha: great, raj: king). From the fort we have a beautiful view of the blue city, as the Brahmins paint their houses that color. On the way back we passed Jaswant Thada, a beautiful tomb of the royal family.
One of the palaces of the great (maha) kings (rajas), like many, had part converted into a hotel. In another part we can visit the Umaid Bhawan museum, to learn a little more about the history and life that its rulers lived.
In the afternoon we can take a jeep ride to a village in a community called Bishnois. They are followers of a 21st century guru. XV, who became famous for not allowing trees in the region to be cut down. Some more aspects of the many local cultures.
Free day
Free day to explore and enjoy the region at leisure. Whether it's to walk around the bazaar, have a cup of chai with more time, or revisit a monument. As you prefer.
Car trip
Walk
Today we have a trip of approx. 4h to the small important Hindu pilgrimage city, one of the oldest in India, Pushkar. The creation and name of this city, which means Blue Lotus, are associated with the god Brahma, who chose it for an important ritual offering to Agni, the god of sacred fire. Its small lake is associated with Shiva, the god of destruction and reconstruction. There are very few temples dedicated to Brahma around the world. One of these, with a current structure from the XNUMXth century. XIV but which has existed for more than two thousand years, is here in Pushkar. Free afternoon to walk around the temples around this small lake.
Walk
We will have a guide for half a day today so we can take advantage of their knowledge of local history and cultures.
A suggestion for today or tomorrow is a beautiful walk to the Savitri temple, on top of a small hill on the outskirts of Pushkar, where we have a beautiful view of the city and the Thar Desert. Very beautiful sunsets and sunrises up there.
Free day
Free day to explore and enjoy the region at leisure. Whether it's to walk around the lake, have a cup of chai with more time, revisit a temple, go for a walk. As you prefer.
Train
Free afternoon
Train 20JAN 20977-DEC VANDEBHARAT Ajmer 06:20 Delhi 11:35
Today we will start the day very early. We can talk to the hotel the night before if they can do a breakfast pack (there is a way to ask for the type of food we can eat and it is practical for travel). To calmly arrive at the nearest train station, in Ajmer, which is approx. 40 min from Pushkar. Arrival scheduled for lunch time in Delhi. Let's see if the hotel has rooms available at this time. As with previous visits to Delhi, let's see what kind of food you would like to eat that day in Delhi and what you would like to do from sightseeing, keeping in mind what you have already done and what you liked most,
Free day
Free day in Delhi to enjoy this city with so much history in any way you prefer. We will talk about the possibilities based on previous visits and how to cheer yourself up that day.
Transfer
We hope you enjoyed your days in India. They have calmly had good contact with the cultures of the different regions they visited, with the ancient history of these people. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Paris. Very good return to Brazil!
Flight 22JAN Vistara UK21 Delhi 13:45 pm Paris 18:40 pm