India and Nepal Tour

Yes. It is close to the standard first itinerary. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra form the Golden Triangle and cover Mughal and Rajput India in five days. This itinerary adds the eastern part, Orchha, Khajuraho and Varanasi, which many first trips leave out for lack of time and which shows much more of India than its monuments.

Two or three hours a day around monuments, on stone surfaces. There is no trekking and no altitude, and no day is physically demanding. Travellers are usually tired by the heat, the crowds and the driving rather than by the walking.

Yes, with one consideration: the driving. Every night has a bed, a private bathroom and hot water, and the sightseeing is gentle. Eight days of long car journeys suit some families better than others, and taking the flight on day 8 helps considerably.

Yes, with the normal caution any large Indian city requires. You are with a driver and a guide all day and in booked hotels every night, which removes most of the difficulties solo travellers face. Dress modestly at religious sites, avoid walking alone at night in the old cities, and be firm in saying no to strangers.

Yes. Khajuraho to Varanasi is about nine hours by road, and it is the longest transfer on any of our trips. A forty-minute flight costs $90 to $140, and most travellers choose it. The trip price includes the drive, and we will book the flight whenever you ask.

About 1,300 km over eight days in India, in a private air-conditioned car with a driver who stays with you throughout. The longest driving days are days 3, 6 and 8; days 2 and 5, and the days in Nepal, have almost no driving.

For parts of the route, yes, and we arrange it on request. The Gatimaan Express from Delhi to Agra and the Varanasi trains are good. By train you cannot stop at Fatehpur Sikri, choose your departure time or leave your bag in the car, but you do experience Indian railways. Ask and we will price both options.

An India e-Tourist visa, applied for online, costs $25 for thirty days, or $10 if you arrive between April and June. A Nepal visa on arrival at Kathmandu costs $30 for fifteen days, paid in cash. That is $55 in visas, compared with $440 in Bhutanese fees on our other two-country trip, which largely explains the difference in price.

No. indianvisaonline.gov.in is the only official website, and the form takes twenty minutes. Many unofficial websites that look similar charge three or four times the fee for the same service and appear high in search results. If you are asked for $120 for a thirty-day tourist visa, you are on one of these websites.

Mostly because of the photograph. It needs a plain white background, a square crop, your face filling most of the frame, and no glasses. Take it with a phone against a white wall rather than scanning an old passport photograph. Apply at least four days before you fly, and up to 120 days ahead.

India is inexpensive: $10 to $25 a day covers the meals that are not included, tea, water and small purchases. Allow $100 to $160 for tips across the trip. Cards are accepted in hotels and at most tourist businesses; markets, rickshaws and small towns take cash only. Indian ATM withdrawal limits are low, so expect to use ATMs several times.

Small notes, yes, and they are widely accepted in the border towns. Notes of INR 500 and above are not legal tender in Nepal and will be refused. Spend your larger notes before you fly.

You may have a mild stomach upset, and it is worth preparing for. Drink sealed or filtered water, choose street food stalls that are busy and serve food quickly, and carry rehydration salts and medicine for an upset stomach. Visit a travel clinic eight weeks before you leave.

Long trousers or a long skirt and tops with sleeves for temples and mosques, which you visit on most days. Slip-on shoes, because you take them off often. A scarf to cover your head at the Jama Masjid. In shorts and vests you may be refused entry to important sites.

No. Manikarnika and Harishchandra are active cremation grounds where families grieve in public. Photography is forbidden and the rule is enforced. Watch from the boat, put your camera away, and ignore anyone offering to take you closer in return for a donation.

Say a firm no, without eye contact or an explanation. A hesitant or polite answer is taken as interest and can cost you twenty minutes at the Taj gate. Your guide handles most approaches. A direct refusal is not considered rude locally.

They are the two most important Hindu riverside cremation grounds, and seeing them two days apart is the main reason this itinerary runs east and then north. Pashupatinath is smaller and quieter, and it is easier to understand once you have seen the Varanasi ghats.

October to March, and February and November are the best months. October is warm and clear after the monsoon; November is clear in both countries; February has the best weather of the year on the plains. Avoid May and June, when Delhi and Agra reach 45°C. In December and January, fog in Delhi delays flights on most mornings.

If you want to experience the most remarkable festival day in north India, yes. Holi falls on one date in March, the whole country stops, and everyone is covered in colour by ten in the morning. Hotels book out months ahead and charge more. We also run a shorter Holi tour in Nepal if the festival is your main interest rather than the circuit.

One week before departure. This is the easiest of our trips to arrange at short notice, because there are no permits, restricted areas or mountain flights. Allow four days for the e-Visa. Holi and Diwali are the exceptions and need to be booked months ahead.