Explorations 4.6 feefo-stars

Mysteries of India

14 DAYS
$4,019 pp*
*Rate is per person, land and on tour air only, double occupancy.

About This Tour

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From the iconic tigers of Ranthambore to the legendary Taj Mahal, step into a world of captivating mysteries and vibrant colour. Explore Old Delhi on an exhilarating city tour, weaving through the streets on a rickshaw. Join a local family for an unforgettable home-hosted dinner. Walk on the wild side in Ranthambore National Park and seek out its most popular residents: Bengal tigers. Stand in awe before the Taj Mahal in the early morning. Ignite your spirit during the holy Ganga Aarti ceremony in Varanasi. Welcome to India - a perfect synthesis of nature, vitality, spirituality, and regal legacy.

Your Tour Includes
  • 7 Handpicked Accommodations
  • 26 Meals
  • 2 Choice on Tour Options
Included Highlights
  • Old Delhi
  • Jaipur
  • Hawa Mahal
  • Amber Fort

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Your Tour at a Glance

Stay

14 Days

13 Nights


Meals

26 Meals

13 Breakfasts

7 Lunches

6 Dinners


Activity

3 - Active

What's This?

Travel Style

Explorations

What's This?

On Tour Air

Included

What's This?
Customize Your Tour

Pre Tour Dubai

$1,260.00 pp

View Pre Tour

Post Tour Nepal

$1,470.00 pp

View Post Tour

Optional Excursions

Starting at $28.00

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Book with Confidence

* With Insurance Purchased

  • *No Hassle Refunds
  • Travelling Well Safety
  • No booking fee, *no change fees
  • Top Rated Travel Protection

Getting Prepared

Know Before You Go

Enhance Your Tour

Accommodation

Arrive Earlier

Pre Night: The Suryaa New Delhi
From $140 per night

...
The Suryaa New Delhi

Nights 1-3

...
Radisson Jaipur City Center

Nights 4-6

...
Juna Mahal

Nights 7-8

...
Grand Mercure Agra

Nights 9-10

...
Radisson Jass Hotel Khajuraho

Night 11

...
Radisson Hotel Varanasi - DUPLICATE

Nights 12-13

...
Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport

Night 14

Trip Reviews

Live, Unedited, & Independent Traveler Reviews

Rating

38 reviews
Overall Trip Rating
4.6
Out of 5
feefo-stars
Based on 38 independent reviews
5
27
4
8
3
1
2
2
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    It was amazing and we had an amazing tour director
    Richard Hanner
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Well organised, mostly good hotels and good transfers. Tour was well paced with sufficient free time built in.
    Andrew Nelson
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    We were kept busy and fascinated every day. See the Tigers and visiting the Ganges was extremely memorable
    Abraham Tankus
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    I went on this trip of a lifetime alone as my wife stayed home with our nine year old son so I really didn't know what to expect going solo- but the entire group was friendly and felt like family after a few days. I will definitely use Collette for future trips and I want to repeat the same trip when my son is a teenager and hopefully with Vikas. Mysteries of India is definitely an active trip from morning until evening but once you return home and realize what you just experienced it can be life changing.
    Garrett Call
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    1. Dinner with an Indian family. 2. Lunch at Sheroes Hangout 3. Tigress in Ranthambore National Park
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    The Taj Mahal, watching the cremation on the Ganges River, the great group of people we had. The culture explained to us by our tour manager. The accommodations some were excellent And some were average. We wish it was easier to get our visa. The tipping for the bus driver and helper was a headache because not having the right change. I think it should be included in the price of the ticket. Lufthansa airline went on strike and we felt we were left stranded at the lemon tree hotel in Delhi. We wished we had someone there to get us tickets to get home instead of fending for ourselves to get seats to get home. It was very stressful.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Varanasi was a wonderful, educational experience.
    Sandra Schrager
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    The itinerary was well thought out, the schedule full on at times but we weren't there to sit round a pool sipping cocktails, and saw and did so many wonderful things. There were many highlights, obviously the Taj Mahal which was one of the main reasons for making the trip, but we also loved the Temples at Khajuraho. Udaipur was wonderful too, Varanassi was fascinating and thought provoking, we'll never forget it.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    The tour was very enjoyable, visiting many famous and interesting sights in India. Our tour manager was excellent, very knowledgeable and helpful. However, the pace of the tour was too much, there being no rest days in the 14 day itinerary, which for senior citizens I found was extremely tiring. So much so that towards the end of the tour we were too tired to enjoy all the activities. My memorable moment was when the sun came out at the Taj Mahal after a thunderstorm. Magnificent!
    Gillian Dudley
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    To many to pick just one
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    Varanasi - needs to be experienced both early in the morning and in the evening. Taj Mahal complex is spectacular and would like another hour more time to explore. Agra Fort is interesting.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    I enjoyed learning about life in India and especially the contrast between the south and north. I would select the south anytime over the north. I have not yet put the 2600 pictures on the computer. So sorry no pictures at this time. Tour manager in the north was fantastic and very caring. Perhaps one of the best I had in all my travel. in the south, she was ok.
    Irene Schmidt
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    I would highly recommend to a first time India traveler.
    Stephanie Lenahan
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    The tour was really good. I would rate it 4 1/2 stars,
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    My highlights were observing up close tigers in Rathambore National Park, visit of a local school, visit of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, driving in rural India and walking with our tour director to visit local homes and talk with the people to understand their ay of life, the unexpected beauty of the Temple Complex in Khanjuraho and visit of the Ganges ghats in Varanasi. Most of the hotels were exceptional and some had very unique features to them.
    Joyce
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Life & death on the Ganges River will forever remain a top travel experience
    Rebecca Hewitt
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    The tour was of a good standard and gave a good insight of the culture.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Pace of the tour was excellent, tour manager was wonderful. Many memorable moments, but my favorite was probably the Taj Mahal.
    Linda Leclair
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    It was brilliant, very well organised tour, hotels were 5 star, tour manager Ashish was the best, I couldn't find fault with anything. memorable moment was spur of the moment stopping the bus at a small village and walking through the market and Ashish showing us and buying us local produce to try and chatting with the local people who were very friendly. Of course the best was seeing the Taj Mahal of course - magical.
    Helen
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    2star
    never-ending buffet of chicken, lentils and mutton Luggage handling on arrival and departure to/from Delhi is non-existent. extremely uncomfortable “TATA” bus, with one-inch seat padding, no toilet and broken/worn-out suspension “airport hotel” Radisson is miles away and it took two hours drive to get there 4 hours of roller coaster ride in extremely uncomfortable vehicle on a bumpy road with enormous amount of trash scattered all along roadsides and NO TIGER IN SIGHT!
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    2star
    Thirty-two buffet meals of chicken and mutton …. Sightseeing was superb, but the never-ending buffet of chicken, lentils and mutton which started on Air Canada plane (the same bone-dry-chicken in a box was offered TWICE during the flight!?) and continued twice a day (every and each day!!) throughout the trip, made the trip almost unbearable. Even three Collette’s “special” dinners “welcome dinner”, “home-hosted dinner” and “farewell à la carte dinner “were ALL buffet of chicken, lentils and mutton! However, when we got fed up with Collette offerings and opened our own valets, there were delectable choices of Australian succulent rack of lamb, lobster, prawns, fettuccini, even Japanese sushi in the same hotel/restaurant! Luggage handling on arrival and departure to/from Delhi is non-existent. We had to schlep/push our luggage four times half a mile from the terminal, across parking lot, to bus parked in boonies, even when Collette advertises luggage handling included in cost of trip! We travelled ten days in a bone-jarring, extremely uncomfortable “TATA” bus, with one-inch seat padding, no toilet and broken/worn-out suspension. Then we transferred for five days into “VOLVO” bus. What a difference! What a comfortable ride that was… Hotels ranged from opulent palaces to simple cheap hole-in-a-wall “budget inns”. However, even in the most opulent Lalit Palace Udaipur hotel with breathtaking, magnificent views, Collette booked the cheapest rooms, facing inner yards, kitchen, hills, dumps, etc. Also, the so-called “airport hotel” Radisson is miles away and it took two hours drive to get there and one-hour drive to get back! There are at least seven “airport hotels” opposite of Delhi airport!? Go figure… As I said before, sightseeing was amazing! Except for the Ranthambore safari sham. Safari consisted of 4 hours of teeth jarring roller coaster ride in extremely uncomfortable vehicle driven “Indian-way” by drivers constantly honking when passing each other on bumpy road with enormous amount of trash scattered all along roadsides and in the waterways. There are no washrooms, no facilities for the duration of this 4-hour trip! There are plenty of deer, monkeys and peacocks, but no tigers! The only tiger we have seen during this four-hour ordeal was the one painted on dilapidated building wall! I believe the deer have ate all tigers, as there are so many of deer! After our “safari” we had drinks and chatted with the bartender about seeing the “tiger footprints” and no tiger, he erupted into uncontrollable laughter, then he apologised, hid behind the bar and chuckled again… After a lot of prodding and poking he awkwardly explained that it was his cousin’s job to stencil tiger footprints into the dirt-road each morning. We ordered another dry martini, assuring each other that we were not that stupid, gullible and naïve to believe in them tiger footprints to be real …. My greatest irritation throughout the entire trip was the daily reminder and tutoring about tips. I always tip, when I perceive that I received more/better and in addition to what I already have paid for. And to show my appreciation I ALWAYS TIP IN PERSON. Our guide had a habit to collect tips (after ordering us all how much to tip) and then present the tips himself to the service provider. In my book that money were not tips, it was an extortion! One day was wasted on visiting the local school. I wonder how many people visit school at home and travel many miles (spending more than $500/day) to present local children with pencils.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    We were very happy with our tour/India Experience. All hotels were very good and our tour guide was brlliant
    Jocelyne Samuel
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    See summary xxxxxxxx bbbbb
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    The Taj Mahal was the center piece of India.
    Ernest Berger
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    Tour was good, but few minor issues came about. Hotel in Delhi out of place. Hotel provided in Delhi, for the extension overnight read = airport hotel, how can airport hotel be 45 to an hour away from the airport?
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Khajuraho! an amazing and so well preserved. The local guide there was just wonderful.
    Rosalinda Turner
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    The Taj Mahal, a tiger, evening on the Ganges, Mt Everest. The small group (12) was the perfect size and the travel mates were wonderful with some lasting friendships made.
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    The palace "hotel" (Lalit Laxmi Vilas), Dev Vilas in Ranthambhore, The Gateway Hotel Ganges. The Pink City. The daily sights and sounds of life in India.
    David Agena
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Taj Majhal visit, Japee hotel in Agra
    Marina Agena
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Our tour was made by the company of like minded fellow travellers and our excellent tour manager, *Personal details removed by Feefo, who I cannot praise highly enough
    John Haworth
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Bananas I, udaypur and Agra
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    3star
    Taj Mahal, on the ganges at night for cremations.
    Richard Jacobs
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Mysteries of India was an unforgettable experience. Every place we visited was fascinatingly different from anywhere else I have been. The Taj Mahal was, of course, a highlight. But so was the safari in Ranthambhore where we saw animals I have only seen in pictures and Varanasi where we walked the streets and saw life as it really is. The boat ride on the Ganges was awesome. Many of the hotels were converted palaces so were beautiful. The Lalit Laxmi Vilas hotel in Udaipur was a highlight. The staff was friendly and honest, we did yoga in the morning and had girls dancing at night. This was the trip of a lifetime.
    Deena
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    This was a great tour and our tour manager was outstanding.
    Charles
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    Taj mahal sunset and sunrise
    Suzanne
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    5star
    The northern India trip was delightful--much learning and not so much shopping as some are... we loved the reserve and saw three tigers in the wild. Liked that there were a couple of days in each location--makes the pace easier to deal with
    Marilyn
Reviewed on
Reviewed on
  • Trip Rating:
    4star
    India is a very unique experience, loved the history and culture. Hard to see all the poverty and needs of some of thre people.
    William

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