Taste of India

Upon arrival at Delhi airport, you'll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Relax and enjoy the hotel for the remainder of the day.

Start the day with breakfast and a food talk by a local food guide.

 

Every state of India has its own gastronomic secrets, distinct flavors, traditional recipes and cooking styles. Since Delhi is the capital, people from all over India come here to live and work, and inject their home cooking styles into the Delhi food scene.

 

Visit a spice market to savor the fragrant scents of cumin, cardamom, turmeric and many other spices.

 

Evening dinner at a Haveli (mansion) with classic dance performance and food talk.

 

Breakfast       Dinner

Delhi is the capital of modern India. It has also been the capital of at least seven previous civilizations as well as the British Raj, and each have left behind a trail of monuments.

 

Let’s tour Humayun’s Tomb - one of the best preserved Mughal monuments and best example of Mughal architecture in India, Qutab Minar - the world’s tallest brick tower, and Jama Masjid - India’s oldest and largest mosque. As we travel through both Old and New Delhi, don’t forget to add photographs of Rashtrapati Bhavan (President House), Parliament House and India Gate to your album.

 

Experience a busy & bustling local bazaar on a cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk.

 

An evening cooking demonstration (butter chicken, Yummy!) followed by dinner.

 

Breakfast       Dinner

Today’s lesson - Rajasthani cuisine. Rajasthani food reflects the art of cooking in a desert climate and the influence of the Rajput class of society.

 

After breakfast, check out and drive to Jaipur.

 

Dinner at Durbar Hall in Diggi Palace with a food talk about preparing Rajasthani delicacies.

 

Breakfast      Dinner

We visit the stunning 16th century Amber Fort - a sprawling Rajput construction, perched on a hillside overlooking the dusty plains below, regal palaces, sleepy villages, and stone carved temples.  Reaching its summit on a jeep, we enjoy a tour of the fort's well-preserved interior grounds.

 

Continue to Sheesh Mahal, "Palace of Mirrors" which takes its name from the reflective glass tiles that embellish the interior.

 

And then to Hawa Mahal, a palace so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals while remaining unseen from the outside.

 

City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajput and Mughal architecture. It is a vast palace complex occupying nearly one-seventh of the Pink City.  It was originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings.  It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, (home to present Maharajah of Jaipur), Mubarak Mahal (housing a textile museum), Diwan-e-Khas (or Hall of Private audience housing the two largest silver vessels in the world), the Diwan-e-Aam ( or Hall of Public Audience) and the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol (with four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons).

 

Marvel at a 16th century step well near Kheri Gate. The step well serves as the community well, gathering place and swimming hole. If we are lucky, there will be bright red dragonflies playing on the glassy surface of the water.

 

We spend the evening at Chokhi Dhani to enjoy traditional performances of dancers & acrobats, snack stalls, paintings, costumes and tasty Rajasthani thali cuisine at this Rajasthani Culture Village.

 

Breakfast     Dinner

Today’s lesson - Mughal cuisine. Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed in Medieval India at the centers of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of the cooking styles and recipes of Central Asia. Mughlai cuisine is an elaborate meal, and varies from mild to spicy dishes with a distinctive aroma from ground and whole spices.

 

We make our way to Agra, the erstwhile capital of the Mughal Empire - a Muslim dynasty from Central Asia with strong Indian Rajput and Persian influences.

 

Visit the legendary Taj Mahal. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, who tragically died in childbirth in 1631. The Taj Mahal is described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love and remains one of India’s most enduring symbols.

 

Agra Fort boasts some of India's finest Mughal buildings behind its fortified walls. This is our chance to size up the Itmad-ud-Daula tomb that is a Mughal era mausoleum, often described as a "jewel box" or the "Baby Tāj". This tomb has often been regarded as the inspiration for the Tāj Mahal.

 

End today with a Mughlai dinner and food talk.

 

Breakfast      Dinner

Today’s lesson - Awadhi cuisine. This cuisine is greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques with similarities to Middle East and Central Asia cuisine.

 

Drive to Lucknow. Famed for its refined culture, classical dance and spicy cuisine, Lucknow is a historic city intricately linked to the "beginning of the end" of the British Raj.

 

Enjoy a food talk about local Awadhi cuisine followed by dinner.

 

Breakfast      Dinner

Join your local guide to visit the highlights of Lucknow, including the British Residency, the Imambaras, Jama Masjid and the labyrinthine pathways of the Bhul Bhulaiya. Explore the bustling Aminabad Market, which is justly famous for jewelry as well as its many pickle shops!

 

Enjoy an Awadhi cuisine cooking demonstration and dinner.

 

Breakfast       Dinner

Today’s lesson - Parsi cuisine. Parsi (Persian) food came to India during the Arab invasion of 636–651 AD and is popular in Mumbai and Pakistan.

 

Relax this morning and then fly to Mumbai today.

 

End today with Mumbai style cuisine (including street food and more) for dinner and food talk.

 

Breakfast       Dinner

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.

 

This morning is free to relax and enjoy the hotel or explore this bustling city on your own.

 

Late afternoon, enjoy a Parsi cooking demonstration and dinner.

 

Breakfast      Cooking Demo & Dinner

After breakfast, cruise across the harbor to explore the amazing Elephanta Island and its famous caves, with carvings and sculptures dating back to 550 A.D.

 

Afternoon ½ day tour starting at the Gateway of India, a monument that commemorates the landing of King George V and Queen Mary. Next, visit the Prince of Wales Museum**, which houses many interesting artifacts. Drive down the seaside on Marine Drive to see the Hanging Gardens.

 

Head to Mani Bhavan, Gandhi’s home from 1917 to 1934. It is now a permanent museum and memorial to the Mahatma. Enjoy a photo stop at the dhobi ghats, India's largest open-air laundry where workers pick up, wash, dry and deliver thousands upon thousands of pieces of clothing every day. The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and dargah (tomb) located on an islet off the coast of Worli in the southern part of Mumbai. Take a stroll through the bustling Crawford Market, Mumbai's most famous marketplace and the first building in the country to be lit by electricity in 1882. We’ll drive past the Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and historic railway station.

 

Later this afternoon, follow English tradition to partake in high tea to remember the British colonization of India for a century. Experience old colonial charm and an elaborate buffet spread of classic English delicacies and local Indian favorites complemented with fine teas and coffee.

 

Breakfast       High Tea

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel.

 

The tour comes to an end. Please inform us of your international or India domestic flight schedule in order to schedule your airport transfer to Mumbai (BOM) airport.

 

Breakfast