A Journey to the Hills India Itinerary

Namaste!
Welcome to India!
Our representative will meet you in the arrival area of the airport after you clear all immigration and customs formalities. Depart for your hotel where you will check in for your stay.

Enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Old and New Delhi today.

Start with a visit to Old Delhi. This was the capital of Mughal dynasty between the 16th and 19th centuries. VisitJama Masjid, started being built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in year 1650 AD and completed in the year 1656 AD. Later walk through the narrow, winding lanes of the colorful and bustling Chandni Chowk bazaar that was also built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through these crowded narrow lanes. Also drive past the Mughal Empire’s most opulent fort in India, the Red Fort.

In the afternoon proceed for sightseeing tour of New Delhi. Drive past Sansad Bhawan (the Parliament House) andRashtrapati Bhawan (the President’s House) the one-time Imperial Residence of the British Viceroys governing India. Then proceed to India Gate for a photo stop. It is s a memorial raised in honor of the Indian soldiers martyred during all the wars till now starting from World War 1. Later drive along the Rajpath past the Secretarial buildings and government offices. Now proceed to visit Qutab Minar, the 12th century Tower of Victory built by a Slave King – Qutb-ud-din Aibak. It is a prototype of all Minars (towers) in India.

In the morning drive to Haridwar (approx. 5 hours)

On arrival check into Aalia by the Ganges hotel

Unique in concept and execution, Aalia by the Ganges hotel is situated right on the banks of the majestic Ganges in an area steeped in culture, spirituality and sacred legend. It is set in acres of verdant foliage around pristine reserve forests, bringing you closer to nature. Aalia by the Ganges offers an unparalleled intimate experience while providing an impeccable level of service, discreet and unobtrusive. Its commitment to exclusivity and privacy, stunning natural surroundings, exceptional facilities and outstanding attention make Aalia by the Ganges a perfect getaway.

Every evening, as dusk descends, it’s time for the Ganga Aarti to be performed in Haridwar.

An aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering. It’s usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small diya with a candle and flowers that’s floated down the river. The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, also affectionately referred to as Maa Ganga, goddess of the most holy river in India.

The aarti takes place facing the river. The lamps are lit and circled around by the pandits (Hindu priests) in a clockwise manner, accompanied by changing or songs in praise of Mother Ganga. The idea is that the lamps acquire the power of the deity. After the ritual is complete, devotees will cup their hands over the flame and raise their palms to their forehead in order to get the Goddess’s purification and blessing.

Today you have the full day to explore the delightful town of Rishikesh.

Rishikesh is a delightful place to wander around and explore on foot. Cross either of the two suspension bridges and you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the town and river. Venture down to the ghats fronting the river and relax for a while amidst the daily goings on. You can also take a boat across the river near Ram Jhula as an alternative to walking.

Rishikesh is a holy town, so don’t expect to find any eggs, fish, or meat there. You will however be able to feast on delicious Ayurvedic and health foods. The hugely popular Chotiwala Restaurant serves some of the best Indian food in town. Rishikesh is a great place to shop for religious items, books, clothes, and handicrafts. Try to walk around as much as you can.

Post breakfast drive to Corbett (approx. 4 – 5 hours). Since you will be staying inside the National Park, we shall get the necessary permission for a jeep to be with you during your stay in Corbett National Park.The 15-acre retreat borders the southern forests of Corbett and a seasonal river that comes to life during the monsoon.

Through the year, the riverbed and the surrounding forest host grazing deer, wild boar families root-digging, noisy jackals and the occasional tiger or leopard. During their seasonal migration, elephant herds trumpet their arrival and are sighted often on morning and evening walks.

Water bodies and open spaces lead to clumps of native shrubs and trees at the retreat, planted presciently to encourage nesting by the region’s abundant birdlife.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

In the morning and afternoon explore the park with your naturalist.

Nestled between the Himalayan foothills in the north and the ancient Shivaliks in the south, Corbett Tiger Reserve extends over 1300 square kilometers of scrub, grassland, sal forests, rivers and a lake, varying between 400-1210 meters above sea level.

From its inception in August 1936 as Hailey National Park, the protected area has been expanded to cover Corbett National Park, Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, corridor forests adjoining Rajaji National Park and a buffer zone.

Originally named Hailey National Park in 1936 after Sir William Hailey, then Governor of United Provinces. He was among the first protagonists invested in keeping the area free of timber felling, forest-to-farm conversions and hunting parties. The park’s name was later changed to Corbett National Park in memory of Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter turned conservationist, a great friend of the Kumaoni, and one who was instrumental in drawing out the park’s boundaries.

Split across its belly by the rain-fed Ramganga River that enters the park from the northeast and forms a reservoir at its heart, the park’s terrain is a lesson in biological diversity matched by few places in the world.

In the morning explore the park with your naturalist.

After breakfast, check out of the lodge and check into a resort just outside the park.

The rest of the day is at leisure for independent activities.

In the morning,check out of the resort and drive to the village of Thikalna (2100 mts)/ (5.5 hours).

In the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is the pristine, almost unexplored region of Kumaon. Kumaon offers some of the most stunning scenery of the entire Himalayas including loftiest Himalayan peaks, oak and rhododendron jungles, terraced fields and fast moving rapids and rivers. Most importantly though, Kumaon region is inhabited by simple and pious people, who have been able to preserve their unique culture and traditions in spite of the onslaught of modern society.

The most inspiring and rewarding way to experience the stunning region of Kumaon is on foot. Our village walks take you through these unspoilt remote villages, enabling you to experience rural Kumaon from close quarters and allowing you to walk around freely and interact with the local communities. Exchange stories with the elderly people over a cup of ‘chai’ or help the men and women working in the fields.

On reaching the road head to the village, you will walk through a forest path covered with oak and rhododendrons trees on both sides and stunning snowcapped Himalayan views along the way. This 45-minute easy walk will bring you to the village house. The massif of Nanda Devi East and the other Himalayan peaks of the same range will be visible from the courtyard of the house.

On arrival just unwind for the rest of the day and enjoy your meal in a beautiful setting.

After a leisurely breakfast, walk along the ridge towards Bridh Jageshwar temple complex (2229mts) with beautiful views of the Nanda Devi range on your left. Spend some time at the temple, lesser known than the Jageshwar temples, but equally stunning.

The next stretch of the walk will take an hour where you walk through a mix of rhododendron and pine forests, occasional uphill and downhill stretches before you finally climb down to the ridge of Naini.

You continue walking to the Temple of Jageshwar (1780mts) for another one hour. Nearing Jageshwar in a valley you will notice the pine forest now change to thick Deodar (Cedar). The temples at Jageshwar are believed to have been constructed between the 8th century and the 18th century. The architecture belongs to the Nagara style of North India, characterized by a tall curved spire surmounted by an amalaka (capstone) and a kalasha crown.

After visiting the temple complex, you will be served a picnic lunch nearby. Then your uphill walk to the village of Gurdabaj will begin. This walk will take around an hour and take you through some of the oldest Deodar forests in the entire region.

The end of the walk will bring you to the village of Gurdabaj where you will spend your night. The evening may be spent at leisure by a bonfire.

Walk duration: 4 – 5 hours

After breakfast, you will walk downhill to the temple of Jhankarsem. The temple is one of the most famous temples of the region dedicated to deity Siam. Many families consider Siam to be their reigning deity and hence the popularity of the temple.

From the temple you will walk downhill towards the valley of Dudum. This two – hour walk will take you through multiple villages in the area and will provide an excellent opportunity to interact with the locals. The scenery along the walk consists of terraced fields, old Kumaoni houses and small village temples.

You will be served a picnic lunch when you reach the bottom of the valley. From here a two – hour uphill trek will bring you to Itmenaan Estate.

The night will be spent in the relative luxury of Itmenaan Estate where the chef will pamper you with his signature dishes.

Walk duration: 4 – 5 hours

Wake up to catch a beautiful view of the Himalayan Ranges.

After three days of walks, today may be a very good day to rest and relax. At Itmenaan Estate there are multiple ways to spend your time – stare at the stunning snow capped Himalaya peaks visible from the courtyard, participate in our organic farming activities, watch the birds, try your hand at baking in our wood fired oven, or just take it easy reading a book.

The ideal time to start the walk is after breakfast at around 10 am. The first leg is a descent of 200 meters from Itmenaan Estate to the local stream through oak, pine and deodar trees. A traditional water flour mill on the stream, gives an idea of the ingenuity of the villagers. The banks of the stream are an ideal place to laze around, soak in the sunshine or just play in water.

The next leg is an uphill walk to village Naugaon through terraced fields cut along the slopes in the mountains. There is an opportunity to participate in farming with the villagers who will happily let guests lend a hand and shall share their traditional agricultural wisdom. A picnic lunch is organized in one of the terraced fields.

On reaching the village, a 300 meters ascent from the stream, one gets a sense of having traveled back in time. It is not hard to imagine that the village would have looked the same a century back. All houses are constructed in traditional Kumaoni architecture with locally available materials. The villagers are untouched by city life and still lead a contented sustenance lifestyle. Many of them are kind enough to offer guests a cup of tea in their house.

After spending time in the village and experiencing a totally different way of life, it is time to visit the local temple and pay obeisance to the gods. The little village temple that falls on the final leg of the walk is dedicated to the local deity, Siam. Villagers believe that the deity guards their crops and livestock and thus ensures prosperity. From the temple a short flat walk takes one to the road head from where the descent to the estate begins.

Depart Kathgodam 1545 hrs Kathgodam Shatabdi Express

Arrive Delhi 2115 hrs

You will be met upon arrival and transferred to the Claridges.

In the morning visit the famous National Gallery of Modern Art.

The Government of India established The National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi on March 29, 1954. It is the leading gallery of modern art in India, and houses a collection of more than 14,000 works. This includes artists such as Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as other prominent foreign artists, besides countless sculptures by various artists, with some works dating back to 1857.

The building is located at the end of Rajpath and faces the India Gate. It was originally the residential palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur, also known as “Jaipur House.” Sir Arthur Bloomfield designed the structure, in 1936, following the construction of Lutyens’ Delhi.

In the afternoon tour the Presidents House. The present day Rashtrapati Bhavan was the erstwhile residence of the British Viceroy. It was designed by Edwin Landseer Lutyens and constructed in 18 years at a cost of 877,136 pounds. This vast mansion has four floors and 340 rooms. With a floor area of 200, 000 square feet it is built by using 700 million bricks and three million cubic feet of stone. Hardly any steel has gone into the construction of the building.

Note: Visits are allowed on Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM till 4 PM and is subject to security clearance.

A hotel room will be held until time to transfer to the airport for your flight home.