(Click on each day to reveal detailed itinerary)

Depart UK and fly to Delhi.

On arrival in Delhi you will be at the airport and taken to the hotel in the city centre. After some time to rest after your journey your tour leader will meet the group and take you on a tour of New Delhi. The tour will include the most famous monuments such as the incredible 73m minaret of Qutab Minar, the tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, the Parliament Buildings and the splendid India Gate. In the evening there is the opportunity to take dinner in one of Delhi's famous restaurants. Overnight in Delhi. (Hotel) Meals: lunch

In the morning you will complete your sightseeing in Delhi with a tour of Old Delhi. A short metro ride will bring you to the impressive Red Fort where your cycle rickshaws will be waiting. From here you will weave through the narrow streets and bazaars of the oldest part of the city to the largest mosque in India. Here the coach will be waiting to take you onto the railway station for a wonderful train journey to Jaipur. Overnight in Jaipur. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast, lunch

You have a full day sightseeing in the delightful, pink city of Jaipur. You’ll set off on foot through the colourful bazaars to the intricate façade of the Palace of the Winds and then onto the Palace complex, here you will first see the huge stone observatory built by Rajput King Jai Singh 2nd and then visit the City Palace which is home to the current Maharaja of Jaipur. After lunch you will drive out to the Amber Palace, the original home of the Rajputs before the building of Jaipur. Overnight in Jaipur. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

After breakfast you will set off for Agra. On the way you will stop for a tour of the fascinating ghost city of Fatephur Sikri, built by Akbar the Great. You will arrive in Agra in the early evening and check-in at our hotel. Overnight in Agra. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Said to be the most beautiful monument ever built for love, the Taj Mahal took 22 years to build and was the work of 22,000 craftsmen. An early start allows you to see this incredible building at its best – at sunrise. After breakfast there will be some free time in Agra and a chance for some gem shopping before leaving for the immense Agra Fort which dominates the city and then on to see the picturesque Baby Taj built by the wife of Emperor Jehangir for her father. After dinner you will drive to the train station at Tundla and board the overnight train to Mirzapore. Meals: breakfast

Early in the morning you will arrive in Mirzapore (your tour leader will make sure everyone is awake and ready to go!) The river guide will be waiting at the station with a fleet of Ambassador cars. There will be time to take a shower and have breakfast at a small hotel in the city before proceeding to the Ganges to begin your sailing trip. The boats will set sail mid-morning and lunch will be served on the river. Now is the time for total relaxation as you drift down the Ganges watching life go by along its bank. You will be sailing all afternoon until you reach your camping spot on a lovely white sand beach. The crew will set up camp and dinner served.  Overnight on the banks of the Ganges. (Tented Camp) Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

The boats used for the sailing trip are small ’Donghi’ boats traditionally used to ferry pilgrims to Puja. 3-4 passengers will travel in each boat and luggage stored at the back of each boat. 2 crew will row/sail each boat. A ‘kitchen boat’ will accompany passengers at all time and provide freshly prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
In the evenings the boats will stop on the beach for dinner and the crew will put up tents for the group.
Diverse Earth will provide all tents, sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen equipment.

Today you will be sailing all day until you reach Chunar Fort. The Fort has a long and interesting history having belonged to the Lodi’s the Mughals and the British, it makes for an interesting stop on your trip and a chance to wander through Chunar town before setting sail again. Along this stretch of the river there is an excellent chance of seeing river dolphins. Overnight on the banks of the Ganges. (Tented Camp) Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Your final day on the river will start peacefully as we sail down stream until the afternoon when you will arrive into India’s most holy city. Varanasi is an intense and lively place and the heart of Varanasi is the Ganges and the famous ghats. You will disembark at Asi Ghat, again our Ambassador cars will be waiting to drive you to your hotel. In the evening there is a chance to watch an energetic Kattak performance by local musicians. Overnight in Varanasi. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

This morning you will leave the hotel early and travel down to the river to take a magical sunrise trip along the Ganges, you will pass by the ghats where the local people bath daily and worship the rising sun as it emerges over the waters. After breakfast you will drive out to Sarnath. Sarnath is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world as it was here that Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon having attained enlightenment. You will visit some of the temples built by Buddhist communities around the world and spend time in the peaceful gardens that surround the Ashokan Pillar.

This morning you leave Varanasi early and drive up to the Sonauli border where you cross into Nepal. From here you will drive a short distance to Lumbini, the historical birth place of Lord Buddha. Overnight at Lumbini. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

In the morning you will visit the beautiful site of Lumbini before departing to the Royal Chitwan National Park, this drive passes along mountain roads through dense jungle. You’ll arrive in Chitwan for lunch and in the afternoon have a guided tour of the village to learn about the indigenous Tharu people and their way of life. Overnight in Chitwan. (Lodge) Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today you have a full day of activities in the National Park. In the morning you will travel by ox-cart down to the banks of the Rapti River, here you will board dug-out canoes for a river safari. On the river you are likely to see Marsh-mugger crocodiles, an array of bird species and possibly monkeys. In the afternoon you head into the jungle on an elephant safari. This is one of the many highlights of the tour, the safari lasts about one hour, moving slowly through the dense jungle on elephant back you have a good chance of seeing deer, rhino, monkeys and crocodiles. In the evening some of the local men will perform the traditional Tharu stick dance. Overnight in Chitwan. (Lodge) Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Early in the morning there is the option of another guided walk along the river before breakfast, after which you have a long drive to Nepal’s capital – Kathmandu. On the way you will stop at the scenic spot known as Manakamana where you can take the cable car up the mountain-side to see the little Manakamana temple and incredible views of the Terai region. Overnight in Kathmandu. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

In the morning there will be a guided tour of Kathmandu visiting some of the oldest parts of the city, the beautiful Durbar Square and ending in the lively centre of Thamel. Thamel is something of a backpackers haven, crammed full of great bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, internet cafes and more out-door gear stores than you can shake a trekking pole at. In the afternoon you can wander through Thamel at your leisure or drive out to the second largest city in the Kathmandu Valley. Patan is only 20 minutes from Kathmandu and has a huge concentration of ornate architecture which makes for an interesting walking tour. Overnight in Kathmandu. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

This morning there is the chance of doing a flight to see Everest, the flight lasts one hour and offers fantastic views over the whole mountain range and a chance to see Mount Everest from the cockpit of the plane. After breakfast you will have a full day sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu valley to include the Hindu temple and burning ghats at Pashupatinath, the charming Bodhnath stupa and the wonderful city of Bhaktapur. Overnight in Kathmandu. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Today your tour ends in Kathmandu. Depending on flight times there may be time for some additional sightseeing in Kathmandu before you are taken to the airport. Fly from Kathmandu. Meals: breakfast