India’s Golden Triangle and Varanasi

November 16-30, 2023 – 15 Days

Overview

Traveling India’s Golden Triangle and Varanasi is an amazing adventure:

• We will begin Old Delhi one of the city’s most crowded, chaotic, and captivating areas filled with of sights, smells, and sounds. A place designed to get your photographic creative juices going.
  • Explore the incredible array of bazaars and markets.
  • Visit the tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun
  • Marvel at the historic Sikh shrine of Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and its community kitchen where everybody is welcome to a meal. We will meet the people who prepare and eat the 10,000 meals served here every day.
• Next, we fly to Jaisalmer arriving late afternoon:
  • The following day we begin with a sunrise photo shoot of beautiful Gadissar Lake with little pavilions forming tiny islands offering a beautiful foreground against the pink sky reflecting in the water.
  • Visit the Jaisalmer Fort – which is a must! It stands amid the sandy expanse of the great Thar Desert and is believed to be one of the very few “living forts” in the world.
  • Drive to the Sand Dunes and Desert Camp where we will photograph sand dunes that are among largest that you will see in terms of area and capture silhouetted camels.
  • Take a safari on a camel or in a jeep for photo shoot in the desert.
  • Finish the day photographing the area as the sun moves towards the horizon and bathes the golden sand in its golden rays.
• On to Jodhpur– a photographer’s dream – the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Set in the stark landscape of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is known both as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year, and The Blue City, due to the indigo tinge of the whitewashed houses.
  • Venture out early morning to photograph the cityscape, inhabited by women in pink saris and scarfs, in its various shades of blue.
  • Visit Chhipawadi and its people, known as Rangraze, who professionally apply colors to any type of cloth and have been “tie dying” for generations and photograph the process.
  • Drive to Mehrangarh Fort situated on a 150m (492 feet) high hill from which we can photograph the blue houses of the old town and Jodhpur from the high walls of the fort. Nothing beats the view from Meherangarh Fort.
• Day seven sees us traveling to Pushkar to photograph the amazing events and colorful people arriving in Rajasthan for the Pushkar Fair. The Fair is a world-famous camel fair and spectacular event visited by people from around the world.
• After several days in Pushkar we drive to the “pink city” of Jaipur (the color pink, which is the symbol of hospitality) to photograph Hawa Mahai – Jaipur’s centerpiece.
  • Head to the City Palace, located in the center of the Old City, and wander amongst its many courtyards, gardens, and building. s
  • Visit something unique and totally unexpected, the Jantar Mantar, translated as “instruments of calculation,” an outdoor observatory with its bizarre collection of geometric sculptures.
  • Wander the Jaipur’s famous Papu Bazar and other markets located nearby.
• Drive to Agra
  • Photograph the breathtaking Taj Mahal at sunrise!
  • Visit Jama Masjid, the ancient and colorful market of Kinari Bazar and magnificent Agra Fort and Palace.
• Fly to the ancient city of Varanasi:
  • Witness and photograph the 1000-year-old, Aarti Ceremony during which worshippers pray near the waters of the Ganges River, by the light of candles and lanterns.
  • Take a sunrise boat cruise on the River Ganges, we will have the opportunity to capture vivid photographs of devoted Hindus bathing in the river.
  • Spend the remainder of the day we will explore and photograph the ancient city of Varanasi one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth.
• On day 14, we fly back to Delhi for our farewell dinner before flying home the following day.

Included in tour:

• All meals
• All lodging based on double occupancy. Single supplement is additional
• Transportation and airport transfers within country
• Entrance fees of the scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
• Activities as listed in the itinerary.
• Local English speaking guide services as per the program
• Domestic flights
• Water and wet tissues in the vehicle

Excluded from the tour:

• Travel insurance. Highly recommend obtaining your own insurance
• International flights, and all related charges for India Visa
• Tips: Tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
• Personal expenses, such as, room service, Internet charges, laundry, drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), fax, telephone call, and camera fee in monuments when it applies, etc.