Iconic India

14 days, Delhi to Vypīn Island

The iconic Taj Mahal in India
!

Sorry! There are no remaining departures for "Iconic India" (AHNNG), but here are some similar trips.

!

The itinerary on this trip has been improved! View the new itinerary.

This specific trip is no longer running.

Trip Code: AHNNG

Need a flight? We can help.

Call us to book your flights! We'll find you the best option!

Is this tour for me?

Travel Style: National Geographic Journeys

Greater exploration, insider access, and the freedom to roam – all without sacrificing comfort.

Service Level: Upgraded

Quality accommodations and more inclusions than on other G Adventures tours, like meals, private transport, and activities.

Physical Rating: 2 - Light

Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 16, Avg 12.

Age requirement: 12+

All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Check Your Visa Requirements

Before booking, use our handy entry requirements tool so you know which documents you need to enter and travel through the countries on your trip.

View our Entry Requirements tool

This specific trip is no longer running.

Trip Code: AHNNG

Need a flight? We can help.

Call us to book your flights! We'll find you the best option!

See how your trip uplifts communities

In a number of impactful ways, your adventure directly benefits the local people and places we visit.

Trees for Days

Help us spread love around the world with Trees for Days. Together with Planeterra, we'll plant one tree in your name for every travel day.

Trees planted for this trip: 14

It was as if all my life I had been seeing the world in black and white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolor.” ― Keith Bellows, former editor of National Geographic Traveler

Map of the route for Iconic India

Places visited

Itinerary

Day 1Delhi

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included through Women on Wheels, a G Adventures-supported project.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Welcome Moment Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group

Day 2Delhi/Āgra

Walk through the backstreets of Delhi with a young adult taking part in the G Adventures-supported New Delhi Streetkids Project. Later, explore Old Delhi with your CEO before an afternoon drive to Agra.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your G for Good Moment City Walk

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 3Āgra

Spend the day visiting the highlights of the walled city of Agra including the famed Taj Mahal, Baby Taj, and Agra Fort.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 4Āgra/Jaipur

Drive to Jaipur, visiting the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri and the village of Abhaneri, which has one of India's deepest and largest stepwells (tank gardens).

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 5Jaipur

Explore the "Pink City," known also as Jaipur, including the Amber Fort, City Palace, and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). Listen to a local historian/scholar discuss the spirituality, social fabric, customs, and traditions of India.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Meet a Local Historian

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 6Jaipur/Sāwarda

Drive to the rural village of Sawarda where we stay in a heritage home. Exploring this traditional village is like stepping back in time. Walk and meet with locals and explore how urbanization affects village life, modernization and its benefits and disadvantages, as well as simple village customs and traditions.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Local Village Immersion

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 7Sāwarda/Delhi

Drive back to bustling Delhi. Opt to join your CEO for a group dinner.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Delhi/Kochi

Fly to the port city of Kochi. Settle into your hotel and enjoy free time to relax the rest of the day. Opt to catch the sunset over the Arabian Sea, framed by hundreds of boats and fishing nets.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 9Kochi

Enjoy a walking tour in old Fort Kochi, including the fish market, Chinese fishing nets, Dutch Palace, and Jewish Quarter. Meet a local spice expert, learning the medicinal and culinary uses of spices and their importance in the life of Kerala and all of India. This evening, enjoy a traditional Kathakali dance performance.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Meet with a Local Spice Expert

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 10Kochi/Kumarakom

Visit Tripunithura Hill Palace then continue to Kumarakom on Vembanad Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala. Enjoy a canoe paddle along the narrow canals and take a walking tour through the paddy fields and Chempu village.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 11Kumarakom/Kerala Backwaters

Spend the day cruising the Kerala backwaters on a comfortable houseboat while observing local village life and bird watching. Later, visit a local home in Alleppey and enjoy a cooking demonstration of traditional Kerala cuisine and dine in the family's home.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Family Home Meal Experience

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 12Kerala Backwaters/Vypīn Island

This morning, meet with a representative of the Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program to learn about the ongoing work by local communities to conserve the lake and surrounding wetlands. This project was created by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), an organization that the National Geographic has collaborated with on many conservation projects across India over the past decade. Continue by boat to a fish sanctuary established by traditional fishermen through the program. Meet with some of the fishermen and see firsthand how their traditional ways of collecting and processing clams are models for the management of lake resources. After, continue to the beach to relax in paradise with free time to explore.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Visit Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 13Vypīn Island

Free time on Vypīn Island.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 14Vypīn Island

Depart at any time.

Meals included:

Breakfast
View full itinerary

What's Included

  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Meet a Local Historian, Jaipur
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Local Village Immersion, Sāwarda
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Meet with a Local Spice Expert, Kochi
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Family Home Meal Experience, Alleppey
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Visit Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program, Kumarakom
  • Your G for Good Moment: City Walk, Delhi
  • Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
  • Arrival transfer included through the G Adventures-supported Women on Wheels project
  • Tour of Old Delhi
  • Tour the Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj, and Agra Fort
  • Visit Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri step wells
  • Explore Jaipur
  • Walking tour of old Kochi
  • Kathakali cultural show
  • Visit Tripunithura Hill Palace
  • Kumarakom canoe ride
  • Walking tour of the paddy fields and Chempu village
  • Houseboat day trip along the Kerala backwaters
  • Internal flights
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodations

Hotels (12 nts), heritage hotel (1 nt).

Meals

13 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
Allow USD290-380 for meals not included.

Transportation

Private van/bus, auto-rickshaw, cycle-rickshaw, walking, plane, boat, canoe.

Staff & experts

CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.

Departures

There are no departure dates currently available for the rest of this season. Some tours only run during parts of the year.

Please Contact Us to inquire about dates for next season, or to discuss other tour options.

Iconic India

| 14 days - Delhi to Vypīn Island - Sold Out