11-Day India and Nepal Tour

Welcome to Delhi. Your guide and driver will meet you in the arrivals hall and take you to your hotel. Enjoy your free time for the rest of the day.

The sacred Jama Masjid, which is the biggest mosque in India, will be your first stop of the tour. Islamic and Indian cultures combine in this great architectural structure. Imagine how magnificent and solemn it is when 20,000 Muslims pray there. Then, take a rickshaw ride through the bustling Chandni Chowk market, which is a great way to discover the local people’s lifestyle in Old Delhi.

In the afternoon, go and see Qutub Minar and Humayun’s tomb. Understand the history of India through these great architectural structures. Listen to stories about the great figures and their splendid dynasties.

The sacred Jama Masjid

Fly from Delhi to Varanasi. You might have heard a lot about the Indian people’s mother river. You might have imagined a thousand times what happens right next to the river. You will still be shocked when you go and see it with your own eyes. Take a boat ride on the Ganges River in the late afternoon to see pilgrims washing their bodies, praying, and performing ancient rituals. Then visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple to experience the highly choreographed Ganga Aarti ceremony.

Witness Ganga Aarti ceremony

Another highlight of a trip to Varanasi is enjoying a boat ride at sunrise when the temples along the river are bathed in the soft morning light. This sight is different from the one on the previous evening. People are washing their clothes, performing yoga, and praying with flowers.

After the boat ride, your guide will show you around the old city of Varanasi. The ultimate destination for all Hindu pilgrims, Varanasi is full of temples, shrines, and devotees. In the afternoon, you will say goodbye to the holy city of Varanasi and fly to Jaipur via Delhi.

Enjoy a boat ride at sunrise

Start your exploration with a photo stop at the landmark of the ‘Pink City’, the famous Hawa Mahal. Then you will visit the glorious Amber Fort. The corridor with elegant pillars, the lovely colors of the patterns on the walls, the shining mirrors in Sheesh Mahal ‘ any of them can show you the splendid achievements that the ancient Indians gained in architecture and art.

In the afternoon, continue your trip to Jaipur’s City Palace. Explore another luxury residence of the maharajas of Jaipur. The Jantar Mantar is next to the City Palace. Be impressed by the wisdom of the ancient Indians in astronomy and mathematics.

The lovely color and patterns on the buildings of Amber Fort

You will be driven from Jaipur to Agra in the morning. After lunch in a local restaurant in Agra, you will visit Itmad-ud-Daula’s Tomb, which is often called the ‘Baby Taj’ as it is an impressive white marble building decorated with colorful mosaics and stone inlays.

Then you will head for Mehtab Bagh (the Moonlight Garden) to catch the romantic sunset view of the Taj Mahal. The garden is located behind the Taj Mahal and the Yamuna River flows between them peacefully. Watch the Taj Mahal as the sun sets. At this moment, the Taj Mahal is just like a beautiful lady sitting on the riverbank, wearing a sari made of the sunset glow.

Enjoy the colorful mosaics and stone inlays of the ‘Baby Taj’

Visit the Taj Mahal in the early morning before the other tourists arrive. The closer you walk to it, the more moved you will be by the spectacular ivory-white marble building and the emotion that sparked its creation.

Agra Fort is a magnificent 16th-century fortress made of red sandstone. Imagine the luxurious lifestyle of the royal family in this fantastic palace.

In the afternoon, you will be driven back to Delhi for the next leg of your South Asia trip.

The spectacular Taj Mahal

Fly from Delhi to Kathmandu.Walk around Kathmandu Durbar Square in the afternoon. You will get excited when the old temples and palaces come into view one by one. Make a wish at the small and exquisite Ashok Binayak. Admire the statues in the magnificent Hanuman Dhoka. Take pictures of Shiva and his wife on the stairs of Shiva-Parvati Temple. Imagine what the living goddess looks like in Kumari Bahal.

In the late afternoon, climb the mountain to visit Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple). You will find out how well Hinduism and Buddhism combine there.

The amazing sculptures at Swayambhunath Stupa

Start with the most information and the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple. It might not seem solemn at first glance; however, it is indeed where the spirit of Hinduism lies.

After experiencing the spiritual strength of Hinduism, you will continue to Boudhanath Stupa to feel the piety of Tibetan Buddhism. The eyes on the golden pagoda seem to have a magical power that catches your eyes. In the afternoon, you will visit another city in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Durbar Square might be less crowded than the other two Durbar squares.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

In the morning, you will go to Patan to see the most magnificent Durbar Square in the Kathmandu Valley. When you walk around the square, you will be impressed by the stone carvings in Krishna Mandir, the amazing religious artworks in Patan Museum, and the exquisite pool for the king in Sundari Chowk. Before heading for Nagarkot, you will visit Changu Narayan Temple. It is the oldest temple that people still use in Nepal. It is small but an exquisite World Heritage Site. The wood and stone carvings are the highlights there.

Visit the hidden Changu Narayan Temple

Enjoy the view of eight mountains including Mount Everest as the sun rises. Then your guide will escort you from Nagarkot to the airport in Kathmandu to catch your flight back home or to your next destination.