- India
- Grand Tour of North India with Tigers of Ranthambore Extension
Delve into the spiritual fabric of this intoxicating country on our 17 day itinerary which showcases the complex heart of North India, from intriguing Hindu rituals upon the Ganges, to the Sikh's golden symbol of brotherhood in Amritsar and the colonial inspired Christ Church which crowns Shimla's snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Along the way, sample wild culinary delights, marvel at a chaotic tapestry of lost empires and discover one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, The Taj Mahal.
Once a famous hunting ground for the gallant rulers of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park is spread over 1,344km2 and is one of the biggest national parks in India. Choose this extension to experience a variety of wildlife including tigers, leopards, deer and much more.
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Delhi.
Lunch & Dinner
On arrival into India's capital, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the evening, experience flavoursome local dishes at your welcome meal.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast, a full day city tour will commence. Travel through narrow streets, along scented markets on a rickshaw and pass by the Red Fort before stumbling upon the UNESCO recognised Humayun's Tomb, a captivating mausoleum that seemingly floats above landscaped gardens. After lunch at local restaurant admire the transition en route from Old Delhi's historic charms to the intricate colonial town planning of New Delhi; view the minimalistic Mahatma Gandhi Memorial adorned in floral tributes before wandering through the Qutab Minar complex, a city awash with ancient ruins sculpted by the country's finest craftsmen.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, take a train from Delhi to the sacred 'City of Life' - Varanasi. Check in to your hotel for the next two nights, before an afternoon at leisure exploring one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities, regarded as one of Hinduism's seven holy cities. Your evening tour takes you to a ghat - steps that lead to the Ganges - to witness the humbling Ganga Aarti Ceremony, a spellbinding display of candles afloat along the river.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin today with a sunrise boat trip along the Ganges for a unique perspective of this spiritual watercourse and its vivid embankment of pastel edifices pierced by temple stupas. Continue your exploration of Varanasi at the Vishwanath Temple (seen from the boat), a monument dedicated to Lord Shiva and famed for an illustrious gold-coated dome. Spend the rest of your morning on a walking tour through this ancient city to observe other ghats, each with distinct floral decoration and uses including the intriguing 'burning ghats' used for funeral precessions. After lunch enjoy a half-day tour of Sarnath, a sacred site on which the Buddha gave his first sermon after finding enlightenment in 530BC. Your tour includes visits to ancient relics that document the area's spiritual significance including the Monastery Ruins, a tranquil park interrupted by a towering stupa engraved with delicate geometric carvings. Return for your final evening in Varanasi.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, fly to Delhi and then transfer to the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Your evening is at leisure to begin your adventure in the ‘Pink City’.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, begin your first day in Jaipur with a visit to the spectacular Amber Fort, the ancient capital of the Royal Family until 1728, located just 11km from Jaipur. Spanning over four huge courtyards, you will travel to the centre of the fort by Jeep, passing snake charmers, harems of the Maharajah, and the Palace of Mirrors along the way which all make for a truly unforgettable morning. After lunch at a local restaurant, you can visit some of the local bazaars and stalls for shopping. Try the Jal Mahal Road and Bapu Bazaar for jewellery, handicrafts, textile, and more, or wander the streets and sample the delicious and unique Rajasthani street food that Jaipur has to offer.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast you will head out on a city tour of Jaipur that takes in the major sights including the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory. Later take a scenic coach ride to Agra, where a network of rickshaws, jalebis vendors filling the air with sweet aromas and ancient Mandir temples alluding to the Mughal Empire's past grandeur await. On the way lunch at local midway restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin today at a tour highlight and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. This iconic ivory-white mausoleum was completed in 1640 for Emperor Shah Jajan's beloved third wife. Wander along ornamental gardens to witness the breath-taking spectacle of its minarets and distinctive bronze dome reflecting the illumination of daybreak. After lunch visit the UNESCO recognised Agra Fort, an enormous sandstone city of pavilions, palaces and splendid courtyards behind 20-metre-high walls.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast depart Agra on your coach to Delhi and on arrival check in at the hotel to rest.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning board your train to Shimla, from here drive along a winding track around rugged mountains and through luscious pine forests to the hill station of Shimla - the former summer capital of British India whose snow-dusted mountain position offers incredible views of the Himalayan mountains.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Shimla this morning for a day in the neighbouring hill station of Kufri. Nestled at the Himalayan foothills, this charming town is surrounded by a picturesque forest reserve under the imposing gaze of Mahsu Peak. Having admired the wild beauty of Kufri, tour the magnificent Rashtrapati Niwas, a former home to the British Viceroy. Its opulent exterior invites visitors to explore a maze of corridors, opening into grand wood-panelled rooms.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, catch the UNESCO recognised Toy Train to Kandaghat Station, built by colonial forces, it offers dramatic views along its winding course through untouched forests and across immense gorges. Arrive in the city of Panchkula.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following a packed breakfast, take the train to the largest city in the Punjab state, Amritsar. Your afternoon will be at leisure to explore the Sikhs' holy city at your own pace.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a half-day city tour of Amritsar with a visit to the Golden Temple. Revered amongst Sikhs, this spectacular golden tank blends Islamic and Hindu architecture, surrounded by the Pool of Nectar. The ancient monument also contains a mesmerising display of floral motifs carved into marble alongside shimmering gold panels. After lunch enjoy an afternoon to explore at your own pace, alternatively undertake an optional excursion (at a fee) to the Indian-Pakistan border and witness the fascinating flag-lowering ceremony, a daily ritual of each side's soldiers competing to out-march, out-salute and out-shout one another.
Dinner
Following breakfast in Amritsar fly to India's capital for a day at leisure.
Breakfast
Today is at leisure. Giving you time to explore the local area at your own pace.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
From Delhi, board the train for a relaxing journey through rural India to Ranthambore for a wildlife experience of a lifetime. Ranthambore National Park is renowned for its stunning array of wildlife including tigers, leopards, striped hyenas, sambar deer, sloth bears and black buck.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy an early morning jungle safari followed by breakfast back at your hotel. After a relaxing stint at the hotel, take a safari trip later this afternoon for another chance to spot Ranthambore's wild inhabitants. You will be accompanied by a naturalist while on the safaris. Due to the number of vehicles allowed into the reserve at any one time, the safaris are a shared service with other guests.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart Ranthambore and catch the train to Delhi. The remainder of you day within the Indian capital is at leisure.
Breakfast
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight back to UK.
Sorry we cannot book this tour online at the moment.
Mark And Helen Pillatt
04 Dec 22Mixed hotels. Delhi Metropolitan hotel had poor service, good food and very expensive drinks. Shimla Radisson was very good. Ranthambore Regency had a very welcoming feel to it with good service, but average food.
Patricia Crossley
27 Mar 20All hotels were excellent
James Darling
24 Mar 20All the hotels were excellent
Christine Gibb
22 Mar 20ALL HOTELS WERE GOOD. THE SHIMLA HOTEL WAS EXCELLENT. FOOD GOOD AND VERY PLENTIFUL
Sarah Clark
17 Mar 20I valued that all hotels had a swimming pool. All hotel rooms were of a very good/excellent standard. Staff were cheerful and polite in all. Our guide (Moon) was superb. In fact, I checked with Mercury to ensure he was leading the tour I booked as I had enjoyed my first visit to India so much. He was unending in his energy and efforts to ensure we had a great tour. He gave the less sure and less mobile in the group special attention, and entertained us royally with his stories about his beloved country on the longer coach journeys.
Philip Gedge
04 Nov 19Generally Very Good! Our favourite was probably the Ranthambore Regency. Drinks prices were very expensive, especially in the Park - Delhi
Zuri White Sands was very good although pretty noisy in the restaurant when there was a wedding on!
Fiona Larden
20 Oct 19All the hotels were first class and the hotel in Shimla was outstanding.
Maura Preston
27 Jul 19All hotels were very good, good locations, great service & excellent food
John Davie
12 Jun 19all hotels on this tour were excellent.
Leslie Perrin
27 May 19All Hotels were excellent and welcome at the end of the day.
M Frith
17 Apr 19The guides were excellent and very knowledgeable. The pace of the tour was good but a bit too much in the heat. The hotels good and lovely service.
A Wyle
01 Apr 19The representative to the whole tour was excellent. The rep was very knowledgeable.
Rosalind Chamberlin
25 Mar 19Hotel's all clean and the food available was very good.
Kay Kirk
21 Mar 19The guide, Mr Jaswant Singh was very polite and professional. He had many challenges, a death, time travel changes and some very difficult people to support. He made the holiday special with his consideration to all and very helpful when showing the group the true sights of north India. A credit to the company.
Sian Pugh
09 Mar 19All hotels were of a high standard, food was excellent. Had an excellent experience touring India, our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable regarding the history of India. All the hotels were excellent and all transport was very good. Overall had a marvellous time and would highly recommend Mercury Holidays.
W Hollister
21 Feb 19Excellent guide Amit Sharma, Superb grasp of history and good at telling the history. Our driver for the three days in Shimla was outstanding.
Stephen Baker
10 Feb 19Hotels good, food good,
David Clear
09 Feb 19The hotels in Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Shimla were particularly good.
Patricia Garner
01 Jan 19All Hotel's selected for us on the tour were excellent
Marianne Harper
14 Dec 18Radisson at Shimla was particularly nice. I should particularly like to commend our guide for his knowledge, charm & efficiency which made for a wonderful & hassle-free holiday.
Mary Cubitt
08 Dec 18Top quality hotels and staff. No problems anywhere. A very comprehensive tour great value for money and our guide went out of his way to give us some memorable experiences. Thank you Mercury.
Anne Robertson
17 Oct 18All the hotels were 1st class
Len Goodes
26 May 18Holiday Inn Changigarh was an unexpected stay because of the airport closure. It was probably at its best in the 1960's. In fairness,a lot of staff working hard with very little to work with. I thought all the hotels were very good. I only heard one negative comment about the Park in Delhi. The lady in question did not take up the issue of a dirty room with the management at the time ! Enough said.
Maureen Tizick
26 May 18All very good, clean, helpful staff members, good facilities
Petula Southern
13 May 18The hotels used where of exceptional quality and especially the Radisson Hotel in Shimla and the Leela Riz in Kovalam. The food and cleanliness where fabulous and staff amazing
William Robins
12 Mar 18Excellent service and and value for money.
Michael Rose
24 Feb 18Excellent hotels. The location of the Restaurant in Shimla was unfortunate, but beyond Mercury Holiday control.
Brenda Heron
08 Dec 17Good tour guide very clear diction and his knowledge of India was very good. Nice hotels good food very clean with large rooms. Some early starts but needed to get to some monuments before the rush. We were apprehensive about the trip but our fears were unfounded and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The bicycle rickshaw ride in old Delhi, elephant ride, Taj Mahal and sighting a tiger on the safari was great fun
Louise Riley
07 Nov 17Hotels were very good indeed.
Susan Hunt
18 Oct 17It is the first time we have used Mercury Holidays and I was very impressed with how smoothly the holiday went. The hotels were fantastic, the transport efficient and our guide Hemant was very knowledgeable and helpful. We would have no hesitation in using your company again and have already spread the word to friends and family.
David Buckley
31 May 17All hotels excellent, staff very attentive, and food although very good could have been improved with a few more western meals for the faint hearted ?
Ann Sherwin
20 Jan 17Rooms not great of the Park Hotel but the food made up for it.
Kenneth Harrow
03 Nov 16All hotels to a good standard.
The 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. Some road construction &/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 here no more than 120 days in advance e-visa. 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'. 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.
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
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. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. 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, http://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 Grand Tour of North India is rated Challenging due in large part to the length of the tour. 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.
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 £400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases. Please also bear in mind that there will be several shopping opportunities throughout your tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £3 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 additionally tip your Bell boy, porter etc this is up to your discretion.
This is an escorted tour, meaning you will have the services of an English-speaking guide during each excursion ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Also, local monument guides will be provided subject to the monument’s rules. . For groups of 5 people or less you will have an English speaking Driver Guide or a Driver and Local/Monument Guides
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local/Monument Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing.
Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
This is a fully escorted tour extension, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip ensuring that you always have first-hand knowledge. You will be accompanied by a naturalist while on the safaris. Due to the number of vehicles allowed into the reserve at any one time, the safaris are a shared service with other guests.
Trains
During your tour you will be getting on and off several trains. You will be booked in Air Conditioned Chair Car carriages. Seats recline and there is overhead space for a bag. Bathrooms are at the end of each carriage but toilet roll and hand sanitiser is advised. Trains in India do vary to the UK in terms of quality.
Safari Vehicles
Your safari will be taken in a canter, this is a large open roofed truck that seats up to 8 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. 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 between the UK and India. 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.
A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a fold away bed for the 3rd passenger.
Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner will be taken in local Indian restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. 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.
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. 2 bottles of water are supplied per person per day on your tour.
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. In the Golden Temple and any other Gurudara visit it is also mandatory for men also to cover their head with a scarf
Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.
On your arrival in Delhi you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Jayasree, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries
If you need to contact Jayasree Travels and Tours, during your stay the details are: Jayasree Travels and Tours: 341-Ground Floor Lado Sarai New Delhi 110030 Contact number: 0091 471 2505067
Emergency contact information
Telephone number 24 hr: Biju Unnikrishnan +0091 952 618 8860, Ms Jayasree Vikraman +0091 974 700 5888, Mrs Samitha Azhar +0091 974 471 3380, Mrs Rekha Anil 0091 9744813380 , Mr Amit Bhardwaj +0091 995 898 8719
E-mail: biju@jayasreetravels.com