Himalayan Tour

We invite you to embark on a grand journey through the mesmerizing Indian Himalayas. Stunning views and the energy of these places have earned them the reputation as one of the most picturesque corners of the world. It was here that the Russian artist, philosopher, and public figure Nicholas Roerich lived and created for a long time. You will acquaint yourself with the Dalai Lama's residence, visit unique Buddhist and Hindu temples, and experience the harmony of colors, culture, and nature in this land.

Guaranteed Tour to India + complimentary India visa / Minimum 2 persons

Attractions visited:

• Delhi: Sightseeing tour of the city, visit to India Gate, Presidential Palace, visit to Akshardham Temple and Qutub Minar complex.
• Chandigarh: Rock Garden and Pinjore Gardens.
• Dharamsala: Sightseeing tour including Dalai Lama's Residence, Namgyal Monastery, Tibetan Cultural Center, Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology, Tibetan Library, Museum and Kangra Fort.
• Rewalsar: Baijnath Temple, Mandi town, Shiva Temple, Rewalsar Lake, Padmasambhava cave.
• Manali: Sightseeing tour including Hidimba Temple, Manu Temple, and Tibetan monasteries.
• Naggar: Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery and Naggar Castle.
• Shimla: Christ Church, Jakhoo Temple, Viceregal Lodge, city tour.
• Haridwar: Chandi Devi Temple, Aarti ceremony at Parmarth Niketan Ashram.
• Rishikesh: Lakshman Jhula Temple, Ram Jhula Temple, Gita Bhavan, other Temples and Ashrams.

Day 1*. Saturday. Departure to Delhi (International/domestic flight).

Arrival in Delhi on a regular flight of one of the international airlines. After completing formalities and collecting luggage at New Delhi Airport (Terminal-3), you will be greeted by a representative of our company. You will receive a traditional Indian welcome "Swagat" with a garland of flowers. After the welcome, transfer and check-in at the hotel. Short rest.

*Note: Hotel is confirmed from 12:00 Saturday; sightseeing program starts from Sunday.

Day 2. Sunday. Delhi.

Morning sightseeing tour of Delhi after breakfast. Delhi - the capital of modern India. Many dynasties and rulers have flourished on its royal land over the past 3000 years. Their legacy still lives on in many monuments, from the Lodi Kings' mausoleum of the 13th century to the buildings of the British Empire, such as the Parliament House or the Presidential Palace. The program includes visits to India Gate, Presidential Palace, and government buildings (from outside). Visit the 72-meter Qutub Minar, built in the XII - XIV centuries, adorned with calligraphic inscriptions and symbolizing Muslim dominion in Delhi. In the evening, you can visit Akshardham Temple. Akshardham Temple - a recently opened temple, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most grandiose Hindu temple in the world. The palace's height is 42 m, width and length 94 and 106 m. It is adorned with 234 columns, 9 majestic domes, 20 quadrangular towers, and more than 20 thousand statues. Around the building, there are figures of 148 elephants. This is a genuine handmade masterpiece of stone carving. The intricate carved vaults, reminiscent of carvings in thousand-year-old Jain temples, sculptures of gods, and elegant reliefs with finely detailed work will leave you amazed. Visiting this place will not leave you indifferent. Night at the hotel.

Day 3. Monday. Delhi - Chandigarh (250 kilometers / 6 hours)

After breakfast, departure to Chandigarh. Chandigarh has the honor of being the capital of two states simultaneously, officially not belonging to either of them - the city is an independent territory. The father-creator of the garden city is called the French architect Le Corbusier. The city, as Le Corbusier planned it, faces its residents - houses whose windows are turned away from the three-lane modern highways; bike paths; city gardens with roses and bougainvillea. The artificial Sukhna Lake has been created, where on weekends, couples ride water bicycles, confirming with their happy appearance Nehru's words that "Chandigarh is an expression of faith in the future of the Indian nation."

The Capitol of Chandigarh - the residence of the government of the joint capital of today's Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. It was designed by architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s. In 2016, the government complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Pinjore Gardens - a reconstructed park of the 17th century, conceived and laid out by the stepbrother of Emperor Aurangzeb, Nawab Fidai Khan, and planted with fruit trees. According to the Nawab's plan, fountains and pavilions in the style of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty were built in the park.

Rock Garden. Here you will see bright incarnations of ideas from stone and metal by local sculptors. The entertaining part of the tour will include waterfalls and intricate labyrinths, as well as a laughter room and a state museum. Rest and night at the hotel.

Day 4. Tuesday. Chandigarh - Dharamsala (260 kilometers / 7-8 hours)

After breakfast, departure to Dharamsala. On the way, we will visit the ancient Indian temple dedicated to the goddess Jawalaji and Kangra Fort. Arrival in the sacred city of Dharamsala, the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama since he left Tibet. Check-in at the hotel and rest.

Day 5. Wednesday. Dharamsala.

After breakfast at the hotel, sightseeing tour.

Dharamsala - translated from Sanskrit as "sanctuary," is a small town in the Kangra district, divided into two zones - upper (McLeod Ganj) and lower (market and bus station). Another name for the town is "Little Lhasa," which is associated with a large number of Tibetan refugees.

McLeod Ganj is a tourist area. The main attractions include the Dalai Lama's Residence - on certain days His Holiness holds public audiences (the timing needs to be checked in advance). Visit Namgyal Monastery, Tibetan Cultural Center, Men-Tsee-Khang Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology, Tibetan Library. Night at the hotel.

Day 6. Thursday. Dharamsala - Mandi - Rewalsar (150 kilometers / 6 hours)

After breakfast, departure to Rewalsar. On the way, we will visit the town of Mandi. Mandi is the gateway to the Kullu Valley. This town, located at an altitude of 760 meters above sea level, is known for having 81 temples dedicated to the god Shiva. You will be able to visit the most interesting Panchvaktra Temple, located on the banks of the river and built in the 7th century. Upon arrival in Rewalsar, check-in at the hotel. Night at the hotel.

Day 7. Friday. Rewalsar - Manikaran - Manali (190 kilometers/ 9-10 hours)

After breakfast, departure to Manali. Along the way, visit the town of Manikaran, where the center is located, the Gurdwara Shri Guru Nanak, hidden behind a veil of steam. The town is famous for its healing hot springs, with steam spreading everywhere.

After breakfast, we head to Manali, one of the most popular tourist destinations in northern India, the "queen of mountain resorts", where the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his daughter Indira Gandhi, loved to relax. Accommodation in a hotel and relaxation.

Day 8. Saturday. Manali

Surrounded by high mountains, the city acts as a magnet for travelers: trekking enthusiasts, rock climbers, mountain safari, paragliding, and rafting. For nature lovers, nearby is the Rahla waterfall, 50 meters high, and history enthusiasts can visit the Gauri Shankar temple, built in the 12th century.

After breakfast, we will visit the Hadimba temple built in 1553 and the Manu temple, built in honor of the hermit named Manu, who settled here after the Great Flood (the etymology of the name Manali stems precisely from this event). Then we will see Tibetan monasteries and the Vashist hot springs. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 9. Sunday. Manali - Naggar - Manali

Today we will visit the museum and art gallery of the Roerich family, located in Naggar, 30 kilometers from Manali. In the center of the village, above the steep cliff almost two kilometers high, stands the palace of the Rajas of Kullu, built in the Pahari style. Currently, it houses a hotel with a museum, where the interior, including a small Jagtipat temple, has been preserved almost in its original form. But travelers from Russia usually go for something else - above the village is the residence of Nicholas Roerich, a famous philosopher, traveler, mystic, and artist. In the building, you can see the rooms where the family's belongings are kept (even the black Rolls-Royce of the artist) and an exhibition of original paintings. A little higher, a 15-minute walk away, is the Urusvati Institute of Himalayan Studies, founded by Nikolai Konstantinovich jointly with his wife Elena Ivanovna Roerich. It contains samples of folk art of mountain dwellers, as well as flora, paintings, and photos. At the site of the artist's cremation near his house, a memorial stone is installed, on which in Hindi it is carved: "On December 15, 1947, the body of Maharishi Nicholas Roerich, the great Russian friend of India, was cremated here. May there be peace." Return to the hotel, free time, overnight.

Day 10. Monday. Manali - Shimla (265 km/ 7-8 hours)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to Shimla. "These places are so majestic and so pure that only gods can live here," wrote Kipling about the capital of Himachal Pradesh. During the British colonial period, it was the summer capital of British India and the final station of the Kalka-Shimla railway line, built in 1903. The atmosphere of the colonial era with its large old houses, churches, shops, and Anglo-Saxon names has been preserved in the surroundings. Arrival in Shimla and accommodation in a hotel.

Day 11. Tuesday. Shimla

Shimla - the former summer capital of the British nobility, now - a city for relaxation and holidays. Cascades of emerald hills, yellow roofs of houses, blue sky, and colorful national costumes of local residents merge together, diluted with a noisy city bazaar and crowds of tourists.

After breakfast, you will have an excursion program: Jakhu Temple - the famous palace of Hanuman, the monkey god. Be careful, there are many monkeys here. Visit the Official Residence of the Vice-King of England, externally resembling something between Hogwarts and the Tower of London. You will also have a walk along the central shopping street and visit the Christ Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in India, opened in 1857. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 12. Wednesday. Shimla - Haridwar (355 kilometers / 9-10 hours)

In the morning after breakfast, departure to Haridwar, one of the sacred cities of India. The city is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, on the banks of the sacred Ganges River, and is a special place for Hindu pilgrims. This is the first city on the plain that the Ganges reaches as it descends from the mountains. Here the river becomes calmer, although it does not lose its current speed. According to legend, Haridwar received the blessing of the entire trinity of gods of the Hindu pantheon - the destroyer Shiva, the creator Vishnu, and the creator Brahma and possesses immense energy. In addition to being a place of religious pilgrimage and spiritual purification, Haridwar is also an important educational center in the fields of art, science, and culture.

In the second half of the day, visit the Chandi Devi Temple and in the evening, on the banks of the river, you will witness the breathtaking ritual of the "aarti" service. It is held every evening at sunset at the Parmarth Niketan ashram on the banks of the sacred Ganges, delighting the heart, nourishing the soul, and creating harmony of the elements. Fire, water, earth, air come into perfect balance during the ritual, leaving you with a feeling of perfection. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 13. Thursday. Haridwar - excursion to Rishikesh

After breakfast, an excursion to Rishikesh. A walk through Rishikesh, which is also a special place of pilgrimage for Hindus and followers of yoga. It was here that the famous musical group Beatles received blessings from their spiritual guru. Here, like in Haridwar, there is a whole chain of ashrams and temples that impart knowledge on the spiritual path. The sacred Ganges River gives this place special beauty and purity. The banks of the river are covered with green forest characteristic of mountain territories. Rishikesh is known for its various yoga schools and is famous for its teachers and specialists. Along with wandering ascetics - sadhus and saints, every year the city attracts a huge number of tourists attracted by the beauty of the places, as well as various types of active tourism, such as rafting, trekking, and mountain tourism. You will visit Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, and Gita Bhavan. Later, a trip up the mountains to the cave where many famous saints meditated. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 14. Friday. Haridwar - Delhi (225 km / 5 hours)

After breakfast, relax and transfer to Delhi. Arrival in Delhi in the evening. The tour concludes, and a transfer to the international airport for your flight awaits. (Accommodation at the hotel is not included).

Day 15. Saturday. Departure from Delhi (International flight)

The price is per person in a DBL room.
Price for SGL - €2670.
Extra bed - €1735.

Additional night accommodation in Delhi (Option):

• Single Room - €90.
• DBL/Twin Room - €95.
• Extra bed - €25.
• Additional dinner at the hotel - €18.
• Additional transfer - €35 per car for up to 2 people / €45 per car for up to 4 people.

The price includes:

• 13 nights of accommodation according to the selected category.
• Breakfasts and dinners as per the program.
• Air-conditioned transportation as per the program.
• Professional tour guide throughout the route.
• Entrance tickets to architectural monuments.
• All taxes and fees.
• Group transfer upon arrival from Saturday 12:00 PM to Sunday 07:00 AM. If the client arrives at a different time, an individual transfer must be booked.
• Group transfer on the day of the end of the excursion to the airport or to a hotel near the airport (if the client has booked an additional night in Delhi).

The price does not include:

Airfare. We will find the most convenient and advantageous option.
Personal expenses.
Transportation on days without a program.
Tips for the guide and driver.

Medical insurance.

*** Visa to India is provided as a gift.

Proposed hotels according to the program:

• Delhi - Golden Tulip Suites or similar
• Chandigarh - Velvet Clarks exotica / Shivalik View or similar
• Dharamsala - Indraprastha Spa Resort / The Pride Surya Mountain Resort or similar
• Rewalsar - Tourist Inn / basic guest house*
• Manali - Apple Bud Cottage or similar
• Shimla - The Royal regency or similar
• Haridwar - Godwin / Fern or similar

*In Rewalsar, a guest house is offered due to the absence of higher-level hotels.

The company reserves the right to change hotels based on their compliance with standards in case the rooms in the specified hotels are sold out. The standard check-in time at hotels is 1:00 PM, and the check-out time is 12:00 PM. The travel times are indicative and may change depending on traffic.