FOR ALL SPIRITUAL SEEKERS, TRAVEL TO INDIA HAS A SPECIAL APPEAL.

The very land is steeped in spirituality, where many ancient practices were developed and perfected over 5,000 years ago. Simply walking the land can leave a profound and lasting imprint on your soul. To transform your life requires a journey which will change the way you view yourself and the world. This tour maintains all the comforts of home with the profound experience of India, allowing you to absorb the area’s rich spiritual traditions while enjoying safe food, excellent lodging and the guidance of experienced staff.

Highlights of the tour include:

• Visit New Delhi, Taj Mahal at dawn in Agra, and the Golden Temple in Amritsar;
• Opportunity to schedule personal treatments based on Ayurveda;
• Participation in many local Hindu and Sikh rituals;
• Compare Spirituality and religion in Rishikesh;
• Visit Varanasi one of the oldest continuously habited cities in the world.

India is geographically the size of Europe. There are 17 different languages with their own scripts. As a visit to France is not representative of visiting all of Europe, equally North India is vastly different in all respects to South India. The BBC has listed the Golden Temple and Taj Mahal as two of the top ten sites to visit in the world. Your fee includes breakfast daily, comfortable lodging, sacred ceremonies and English-speaking guides throughout the trip. Besides visiting the great religious and cultural sites, and walking in the footsteps of the Masters, our tour also provides time to “shop with Shakta” in the bazaars and partake in local customs and ceremonies.

Shakta Kaur is your tour leader. Shakta has been to India numerous times since the year 2000. She’s introduced many to the beauty, chaos, sights and sounds of India on tours from North to South India! Shakta has also taught at various Indian conferences on Ayurveda and Yoga.

ITINERARY

Map of proposed itinerary. (https://maps.app.goo.gl/dZgizL4FhNsSusLWA). Zoom in and out to change detail. Route shows travel by road, but some will be by air.

October 8: Depart the USA
Depart this afternoon from the USA. Overnight: On board your flight.

October 9: ARRIVE DELHI BY INTERATIONAL FLIGHT
Arrive this evening. Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel. Overnight: Delhi.

Delhi, locally pronounced as Dilli is located on the banks of the River Yamuna. Delhi has been known to be continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC, though human habitation is believed to have existed since the second millennium BC. Delhi is also widely believed to have been the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of the Mahabharata.

October 10: DELHI – AGRA (road)

Drive to Agra (4 hrs). Overnight: Agra.

Agra is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna The city finds mention in the epic Mahabharata where it was called Agrevaa, or ‘the border of the forest’. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Raja Badal Singh (around 1475), who’s fort, Badalgarh, stood on or near the site of the present Fort. However, the 11th century Persian poet Mas’ud Sa’d Salman writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra, then held by the Shahi King Jayapala, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.

On the way, visit the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, in honour of the great Saint Sheikh Salim Chisti who blessed Akbar and prophesized the birth of three sons to the heirless Emperor. Akbar used Fatehpur Sikri as his capital and the city was fully occupied for 14 years but slowly became deserted and ruined after Akbar left the city. After sightseeing, continue to Agra. In the evening spend time in the streets of Agra, and stretch your legs buying from trinkets to museum quality pieces in marble.

October 11: AGRA
Spend the day sightseeing in Agra. Overnight: Agra.

Before dawn visit the Taj Mahal – the most extravagant monument ever built for love. On the death of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Moghul Emperor Shah Jehan built her this memorial over which 20,000 men laboured for 22 years to create a masterpiece in white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones; the art is called pietra dura. Stroll down the ornamental gardens laid out along the classical Mughal charbagh lines. This garden is separated by a long watercourse, which reflects the monument in perfect symmetry. Later come back to your hotel for breakfast, and continue sightseeing in Agra.

October 12: AGRA – VARANASI (train)
Take an early morning train to Varanasi. Sightseeing in Varanasi. Overnight: Varanasi.

Upon arrival drive to Sarnath (1 hr). One of four most important places in the life of Buddha: Where he was born (Lumbini, Nepal), where he gained enlightenment (Bodh Gaya, India), where he gave his first sermon (Sarnath, India) and where he left his mortal body (Kushinager, India). After the Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya he came to Sarnath, where, at the Deer Park, he delivered his first sermon. Emperor Ashoka (c 304 – 232 BC), who spread the Buddha’s message of love and compassion throughout his vast empire, visited Sarnath around 234 BC, and erected a stupa here. We will visit the Stupas, excavated ruins of monasteries, Ashoka Pillar, Deer Park, Dhamekh Stupa, Bodhi tree, Moolgandha Kuti Vihara and Archaeology Museum (closed on Friday). Afternoon you can explore city temples and continue sightseeing. In the evening, be a part of an Aarti on the banks of the Holy Ganga. Manikarnika and Haris Loohchandra are the main cremation ghats. The lingams mark each ghat, for Varanasi is the city of Lord Shiva.

October 13: VARANASI – AMRITSAR via DELHI (air)

Sightseeing in Varanasi then fly to Amritsar. Overnight: Amritsar.

Go to the Holy River Ganga before dawn. Experience Ganges cruise & watch activities on Ghats – The long string of bathing ghats are the principal attraction in Varanasi, one of the older continuously inhabited cities in the World, rich in Hinduism. Ghats are the steps which lead down to the river and the best time to visit the ghats is at dawn, when pilgrims take their morning dip. There are over 100 ghats in all. The best way to see the activities on the ghats is to take a boat ride along the ghats. One can see the women bathing discreetly in their saris, the young men going through yoga exercises, the priests offering blessings. Return to your hotel for breakfast, then check-out and transfer to the airport t to board your flight to Amritsar via Delhi. (Currently, flight details are not available. If time permits we spend rest of the day sightseeing in Amritsar, otherwise spend the evening on your own, at leisure).

October 14: AMRITSAR
Spend the day in Amritsar. Overnight: Amritsar.

Amritsar is located in the north western part of India and is 32 kms east of Lahore, Pakistan and is one of the major cities of the Punjab state in India. It is home to Harimandir Sahib, also known as The Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. Amritsar, important to Sikh history, is also known for the incident Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 under British Rule and Operation Bluestar in 1984 under the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

At dawn go to Harimandir Sahib aka the Golden Temple to wake up the Guru. Take a dip in the holy waters that surround Harimandir Sahib. Visit all 3 levels of the Golden Temple. Have Langar for breakfast. Mid-day, tour behind-the-scenes in the kitchens of the Harimandir Sahib where 100,000 people are fed freeeach and every day. Enjoy browsing the small shops surrounding the Golden Temple for souvenirs.

Late afternoon, visit the border town of Wagah to see the change of guard ceremony. It is a spectacle comparable to ‘Change of Guards’ in London. The pomp and pageantry of the Beating Retreat and the Change of Guard within handshaking distance of the Indian and Pakistani forces makes for a most charming spectacle.

October 15: AMRITSAR
Spend the day in Amritsar. Overnight: Amritsar.

Leave your hotel before dawn and go to the Golden Temple. Welcome the Guru Granth Sahib from its sleeping quarters to the main temple. Afterwards, have langar for your breakfast. The Golden Temple – the sacred Sikh sanctuary – is spread out in a vast complex around a huge water tank in the midst of which stands a marble sanctum where the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth is reverently placed. The roof of the sanctum is gold-leafed. The community kitchen provides free meals to up to 10,000 pilgrims or visitors in a day. Also, walk by the busy bazaars of the city; visit the historic Jallianwalah Bagh, where General Dyer’s bullets killed hundreds of innocent Indians. Later, visit the Durgiana Hindu temple which looks like a replica of the golden temple.

October 16: AMRITSAR – DHARAMSALA (road)
Depart eary and drive to Dharamsala (5 hrs). Spend the rest of the day in Dharmasala. Overnight: Dharamsala.

October 17: DHARAMSALA
Spend the day wanderiong around the small town which is the home of the Tibetan government in exile, and an important Buddhist centre. Overnight: Dharmasala.

October 18: DHARAMSALA – ANANDPUR SAHIB – CHANDIGARH (road)
Depart eary and drive to Chandigarh (6 hrs) stopping at Anandpur Sahib, where Sikhism was formed. Overnight: Chandigarh.

October 19: CHANDIGARH – HARIDWAR – RISHIKESH (road)
Depart early and drive to Rishikesh (5 hrs), driving through the religious town of Haridwar. Overnight: Rishikesh.

October 20: RISHIKESH
Spend the day on your own, wandering around the great spiritual town of Rishikesh. Visit the ashram where the Beatles spent time (fee not included). Participate in the Parmath Niketan aarti on the banks of the Mother Ganga River. Take a rafting trip down the Ganga (fee not included). If you so wish, experience and indulge yourself with body treatments based on Ayurveda (fees not included as fees would depend on treatment undertaken). Overnight: Rishikesh.

October 21: RISHIKESH
Spend the day on your own, wandering around the great spiritual town of Rishikesh. If you so wish, experience and indulge yourself with body treatments based on Ayurveda. Overnight: Rishikesh.

October 22: DEPARTURE
After breakfast, drive directly to Delhi international airport (6 hrs) to board flight for your onward destination.

~ ~ END OF SERVICES AS ARRANGED BY SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS ~ ~

COSTS:

US $ xxx.00 per person. Min of 15 people in group arriving, traveling and departing together, 2-people sharing one twin share room. Single occupancy is US $ zzz.00 extra.

Full payment together with a completed Registration Form is due by Friday 4 July 2025.

Payment by Installments: Available. Details depend on amount and date of first payment. Contact Deepak Singh for details.

HOTELS ENVISIONED, or Similar:

COSTS INCLUDE:

• Hotel accommodation as above on double/twin-sharing room for 13 nights inclusive of breakfast,
  English speaking accompanying guide for sightseeing in all places as per program,
• All applicable taxes including mandatory government service tax,
• Entrances fee for entry into monuments as per the itinerary,
• The services of a SJI representative at all airport and hotel transfers,
• Economy Class air fares as stated above,
• Transfers, excursions and sightseeing will be by using an air-conditioned vehicle,
• All road taxes, parking fee, fuel charges, interstate taxes and currently applicable taxes, and,
• Rickshaw ride & Ganges cruise in Varanasi [1-time activity only.

COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE:

• Beverages, mineral water, alcohol, laundry, telephone calls; or other items of personal nature,
• Any tips and gratuities,
• Increases in Airfares or Government imposed taxes or entrance fees,
• Still camera or video camera fees at the various monuments and museums,
• Services not specifically stated in the itinerary,
• Any meals (except breakfast) or items ordered in the room/room service,
• Personal or travel insurance,
• Departure Taxes or Visa Handling Fees,
• Any changes you may choose to make during your tour,
• Domestic (not specified within) or International Air, and,
• Excess luggage fees on domestic flights.

THE TOUR IN GENERAL

• Total Number of Nights: 14 Nights.
• Any early check-in or late check-out will be charged additional as per the hotel policy.
• Standard Check-in at all the hotel is 1400 hour. Room requests before standard check-in time i.e. @ 1400 hour have to be pre-booked (One-night charge applicable).
• Standard Check-out at all the hotel is 1200 hour (noon). Room requests after standard check-out time i.e. @ 1200 hour (noon) have to be pre-booked (One-night charge applicable).
• All safety, hygiene & social distancing norms to be followed by our guests as per government guidelines.
• Hotel/Travel Company reserve all rights to change/modify tariff or package cost without prior notice during fair/festivals, national or international events, government meetings/conferences, any trade fair, marriages or main event. In case hotel tariff is affected by any unforeseen event then revised tariff will be applicable.
• The prices are subject to change in case of any variation of tax, currency and tariff structure.

Additional information:

E-mail: Deepak@SpiritualJourneys.net

Address: Spiritual Journeys, LLC, 262 Upland Road, Cambridge, MA 02140. USA

Call: Deepak at +1-508-358-4267