- India Private Tours
- Beyond India's Golden Triangle - Private Tour
Experience the marble memorials, gilded domes and elegant minarets of India's lavish Mughal-era architecture as you explore the ancient palaces and forts of the north. Journey from the Golden Triangle to the cities of Jodhpur and Udaipur, visiting the historic sights of Delhi, four spectacular forts and the iconic Taj Mahal on this 11-day tour of the subcontinent's royal residences.
Lunch & Dinner
On arrival in Delhi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. An afternoon tour of India’s lively capital visits the wartime monument of India Gate in central New Delhi, the gilded onion domes of Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple and Raj Ghat the cremation grounds of Mahatma Gandhi. Return to your hotel for dinner.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Take in the sights of historic Old Delhi on this morning's tour, stopping at the ornate mosque of Jama Masjid before travelling on a rickshaw which carries you through the winding busy lanes of Chandni Chowk market one of Delhi’s oldest markets with over 1,500 stalls and past the vermillion walls of the Red Fort which served as the primary residence of the Mughal Emperors. Transfer to the airport for your late afternoon flight to Udaipur.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you will discover Udaipur, known as the city of lakes. Explore the legacy of Udaipur's Royals as you visit the 450 year old City Palace perched on the banks of Lake Pichola, Jagdish Temple which stands in the City Palace complex with its grand elephants greeting visitors at the gateway and the beautiful Sahelion Ki Bari gardens celebrated for its marble art and fountains. Drive around Fateh Sagar Lake taking in the views of the entire lake then walk through the city's bustling old market. An optional excursion later today takes you on a boat cruise around Lake Pichola.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Udaipur this morning, travelling first to the beautiful temple complex of Ranakpur Jain in Ranakpur. Continue onward to Jodhpur for your overnight stay, arriving in time for an evening walk around the colourful Clock Tower market.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning's tour of Jodhpur takes you to the vast Mehrangarh, also known as Mehran Fort which was bult in 1459 and is situated 410 foot at the top of an elevated hill and rises above Jodhpurs skyline. Take in some of the city’s magnificent palaces and explore the marbled pavilions of Jaswant Thada which is surrounded by tranquil gardens and serene lakes before an afternoon at leisure. Alternatively, visit the Bishnoi Village to experience rural Rajasthan.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Journey to the UNESCO registered city of Jaipur known as the Pink City where you will have the rest of the day at leisure. Alternatively, take an optional evening trip to Birla Temple to witness a traditional prayer ceremony.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, a brief stop at Hawa Mahal known as the palace of winds due to its 952 windows. Take a photo of this elaborate, pink palace before heading off for a Jeep ride to the spectacular Amber Fort passing snake charmers, harems of the Maharajah and the Palace of Mirrors along the way which all make for a truly unforgettable experience. The Amber fort whose rugged exterior walls shield a lavishly bejewelled interior constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. This afternoon, explore the home of the royal family of Jaipur - The City Palace which is right in the centre of the old city.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart for your journey to the city of Agra, stopping en route at Chand Baori, an 8th-century structure which features 3,500 symmetrical steps leading to the bottom of a well. On arrival, check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
See India's most iconic landmark bathed in an early morning glow on a sunrise visit to the spectacular Taj Mahal one of the seven wonders of the world. After breakfast, wander the imposing red stone battlements of the Agra Fort, The colossal walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Mughals in 1573 and boasts gigantic pavilions, grand palaces and spectacular courtyards. Enjoy lunch before travelling back to Delhi for your farewell Dinner.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK or continue on to your extension.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
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We both loved this magical and informative holiday. Our guide was impressive; both his level of knowledge and organisational skill. Everything ran like clockwork, and we would definitely recommend this holiday for people who want to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. Completely stress-free travel!
Veronica Stebbing
27 DecemberThe whole trip was full on and great value. Yes, we did see a Bengal Tiger at the National Park - an experience will never forget. The team we had was professional, polite, helpful, and informative.
Pearl Cooper
17 MayA fantastic tour, stopping at some of India's most iconic landmarks. Our guide, Amar, was very knowledgeable and made sure we had everything we needed. The driver was also very good, travelling hundreds of miles between our hotels getting us there safely, all our hotels were to the standard we expected. All the places of interest visited were amazing.
Darren Galbraith
22 MarchOur guide, Dinesh, and our driver were both exemplary. Dinesh's wealth of knowledge made the trip. He was always happy to answer any questions about culture and history in a fair and measured way. Nothing was too much trouble for him or our driver.
David Westbrook
15 SeptemberOur guide was excellent, and very attentive in making sure our holiday was all we could hope for. There was a highlight daily for us and it would be very difficult to define one in particular. We asked our guide if we could be involved in the Diwali celebrations. He listened to the group and arranged this for us, WOW!! an amazing evening. Our one regret is that we didn’t add on Kerala at the end of our tour.
Wilson Christopher
30 OctoberThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is required for entry into India. British Citizen Passport Holders will need to obtain a tourist visa. You can apply for an E-visa no more than 30 days in advance. Your E-visa must be valid for your whole trip so please ensure the expiry date is for the whole duration of your stay. Alternatively you can visit The Indian Visa Application Centre in London: 142-148 Goswell Road, London, EC1B 7DU. We also work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. Additionally, you will need to complete an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before your arrival. This can be done on the Indian visa website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/. Additionally, you must complete an Ebola Self-Declaration Form before departure. This form can be completed online at https://airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in/. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you enter India. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Beyond Indias Golden Triangle is rated Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary. Early morning trains and flights depending upon the schedule and some early morning sightseeing’s are also in this tour.
The currency in India is the Rupee or Rs. The Rupee is a closed currency and officially you are not allowed to take any cash out of India. US Dollars and GBP are also widely accepted in India should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are restrictions on taking Indian rupees into India. Visitors, including tourists, are not permitted to take any amount of Indian currency into the country. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £350-£400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £4-£5 for each guide and £2-£3 for each driver per person per day. It is asked that you tip in pounds and not local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. If you want to tip your bell boy, porter etc this is at your discretion, All tips will be collected by your guide at the beginning of your tour for your convenience.
This is a fully escorted tour. A national guide will meet you on arrival and accompany you throughout your trip. In certain cities, local guides will join you to provide expert insight based on the sites visited.
For private tours, you will travel with either a Driver Guide or a Driver plus local guides. They will accompany all sightseeing. Private tours can depart any day of the week, subject to transport schedules and attraction opening times. These tours follow the brochure itinerary unless otherwise advised and include all listed meals, sightseeing, and excursions.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning (sometimes a packed breakfast depending on train journey). Lunch and dinner where applicable will be taken in hotel/wayside restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way, so to ensure your comfort and well-being, two bottles of drinking water will be provided on touring days.
There are some dry hotels in India, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting then he will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Dry days are when the sale of alcohol is not allowed. Most of the Indian states observe these days on major national festivals/occasions such as Republic Day in January, Independence Day in August and Gandhi Jayanti in October. Dry days are also observed during elections in India
During visits to Churches/Temples please note long trousers or skirts should be worn to cover knees, long sleeved tops should be worn to cover shoulders and ladies should bring a scarf to cover your head.
On your arrival in Delhi you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Earthen Experiences, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Earthen Experiences, representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.
If you need to contact Earthen Experiences during your stay the details are:
Earthen Experiences, 2 DDA Commercial Complex, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, 110017
Telephone Number: 0091 11 4921 1000 (09:30 – 18:00)
Monday to Fridays E-mail: info@earthenexperiences.com
Please find below the emergency contact details for Earthen Experiences:
Mr. Mohammad Kaushar – General Manager: 24 hour number: 0091 98 9974 0800
E-mail Address: mohammad.kaushar@earthenexperiences.com
Mr. Anuj Negi – Director: 24-hour number: 0091 9910859004
E-mail Address: anuj.negi@earthenexperiences.com
