FF

Hi! I'm planning my first trip to India...actually joining friends on a pre-arranged tour. I arrive 3-4 days before the rest of the group and would like to explore the possibility of visiting locale's near Delhi. The tour includes; Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Pushkar, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. Could I visit the Himalayas with one day travel to destination, one day enjoy destination and one day return to Delhi? If this is not realistic, are there other nearby sites I can visit versus spending 5 days in Delhi?

Thanks so much for your wisdom!
F2

FanofIndia

Shimla and Corbett National Park would fit into your plans.

FF

Oh, and if you have any recommendations on tour agencies that would do a great job organizing this side trip, please let me know.
Thanks!

Cicerone

Go to Varanasi. This is really the holiest place in India and will be a great contrast the rest of your intinerary. IMO you can get a lot more out of this in a 3 day trip than trying to get to a Himalaya station area.

Also, what time of year are you going, as the mountain stations can be rainy and foggy at certain times of year. If your trip is in the winter, it can be downright freezing there.

Corbett is actually kind of a haul I think from anywhere, and you are already going to Ranthambore.

You can get to Varanasi by yourself by air, and do hotels on your own and get a guide to take you around, and walk the rest. Its a fascinating place. Very easy to do on your own.

I would save the mountain areas for a seprate trip when you can really spend time there and include maybe Bhutan and also Ladakh.

You could also look into flying into a completely different place like South India (Goa or Kerala or Hyderabad) and seeing that area and then flying on to Delhi. There is no reason you ahve to start in Delhi unless your tour airfare makes you start there; and even in that case, they may be willing to let you start somehwere else. Worth asking if another part of India attracts you.

Finally, if you have any interest in the architecutre of Le Courbusier, you can go to Chandigarh, which is just a few hours drive north of Delhi. This would be a fine overnight trip. There is lots to do in Delhi otherwise if you want to stick around there.

FanofIndia

Try www.wanderlustindia.com/
email [email protected]. They can fix transport and hotels easily enough.

FF

Thanks for the great advice so far! It has expanded my thinking
F2

wherehk07

Any more details on visiting Chandigarh? Would love to fit it into my prospective Manali, Macleod Gang, Dalhousie, Shimla trip (itinerary still pending) though I fear the five days allloted for it might not allow it...love the idea of a planned city in India!

jahlie

I second the Varanasi option. Varanasi is very different from the other areas of India you will visit - mostly Rajasthan. My husband and I traveled through India a couple of years ago, through much of the same area you will visit. Varanasi, which we weren't exactly hot to visit(we took the advice of a friend who LOVES India and visits often), turned out to be one of the most exciting and memorable cities of the trip. I can't explain how touching the sunrise on the Ganges boat ride is, the walk through the side streets afterwards and the intensity of religious belief (we also visited a Catholic church affiliated with Mother Theresa). Just catch a Jet Airways India (they really are the best)and fly to Varanasi for a couple of days. You won't regret a moment.

preetiambassador1

Hi
I think manali is a great option for a short trip as there are direct flights to manali by air deccan which takes on 1.3 hrs.
I have just seen this new resort called Manuallaya which has a Ayurveda center which offers massages. This resort is really relaxing and it would help to ease your fatigue of rajashthan.
You can contact jennifer at [email protected] she had given me this option the last time i was in india.