Less Discovered Northern India
Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

This two-week itinerary is ideal for culture, foodie and wildlife lovers who want to go to an area of India which is well off the trodden path, and it will immerse you into two completely different states: Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

You’ll have 6 nights of wildlife and rural village experiences in Corbett and Dudhwa national parks, ideal for those who like to invest time and energy into getting the most out of their national park experience.  You’ll also visit bustling Delhi and Lucknow, and finish with the iconic Taj Mahal. 

 Highlights:

• Immerse yourselves in the bazaars of Aminabad, Lucknow for a unqiue food tour with an expert local guide
• Have afternoon tea with a resident of Lucknow
• Explore the three sanctuaries in Dudhwa national park, looking for tigers, rhinos, dolphins and turtles 
• Visit Corbett National Park, a birdwatchers' paradise 
• Finish with the iconic Taj Mahal and a must-do train ride up to Delhi 

 As with all of our suggested itineraries, we can tailor-make your holiday to suit your budget, style and expectations. Find out about our exclusive ‘Journey Planner’ here.  

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include:

• International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)
• Accommodation as described
• Privately guided tours and transfers
• Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences
• Full financial protection (full ABTA and ATOL bonding)
• Meals as described
• 24 hour in-country backup whilst away
• Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK

For more on our pricing policy read here

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Today you will fly overnight to India.

 DAYS 2 & 3 Delhi Explore Old and new Delhi

Arrive in Delhi and transfer to your hotel in the heart of New Delhi. Later you’ll be picked up by tuk-tuk for an introduction to New Delhi, taking in the key sites. You will be accompanied by a guide who will be happy to recommend a restaurant to you for dinner.

A full day tour will start with the Salaam Baalak Trust’s guides and former street kids taking you around old Delhi, recounting eye-popping stories and giving you a fantastic insight into another side of Delhi. The revenue from this tour goes directly to the trust’s work to help other street children. Lunch will be at the famous Khan market, where you can choose a eatery of your choice. 

Later you’ll visit Humayun’s tomb and Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, and then take a cycle rickshaw through Old Delhi.  There'll be opportunities to sample streetfood as you explore the noisy labyrinthine lanes of Chawri Bazaar and Chandni Chowk.

DAY 4–6 Corbett National Park Uttarkahand wildlife

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be met by your driver and driven to Corbett National Park, your base for the next few days. The journey takes around 5 hours, with stops along the way. 

This region, which extends over 1,300sq km, is made up of lush green grassland and forests, bisected by the Ramganga River. The park protects wild elephants, tigers and sloth bears, nearly 600 domestic and transitory birds, and rare reptiles. There are plenty of opportunities over the next few days to explore the park by jeep, as well as trek through the buffer zone and along the Jim Corbett heritage trail.

DAY 7–9 Dudhwa National PArk Uttar Pradesh remote Wildlife

This morning you will drive for about 6 hours to the remote Dudhwa national park near the border with Nepal. You will be based here for the next 3 nights, with varied opportunities to enjoy the wildlife. 

Dudhwa national park is a vast expanse and was made a Project Tiger reserve in 1988, it has a spectacular array of wildlife including leopards, black bears, rhinoceros and around half the world’s Barasinghas (12-antler deer).

Whilst staying in the region you will explore the local area around the hotel with a farm and a village visit to see massive sugar cane plantations and probably see crocodiles in the forest swamps. You’ll spend the morning and afternoon on game drives in the tall grasslands and forested areas, also you’ll take a boat trip into the Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, exploring around dense swamps and steaming wetlands.

DAY 10 & 11 Lucknow Get under the skin 

Today you’ll journey (around 4 hours) to one of the lesser explored Indian cities of Lucknow, which is coming into its own for incredible food experiences.

You’ll have two days getting under the skin of the city, seeing the famous sites and experiencing some of the best food northern India has to offer. Highlights include Awadhi cuisine, a delicious mix of Mughal, Kashmiri and Hyderabadi cooking styles in the bazaars of Aminabad.

A full day tour takes you first to the Residency, the British campus that witnessed nearly 3,000 deaths during the uprising of Indian troops against their British officers in 1857. Then to the Bara Imambara, built as a relief measure after a devastating famine in order to provide employment in the 1780's. In the afternoon you’ll walk through the popular shopping area of Hazratganj, where you’ll receive a special invitation to see inside one of Lucknow's beautiful old houses.

DAY 12 & 13 Agra Iconic Taj Mahal

Today you’ll drive to the most famous area of Uttar Pradesh, Agra.  The drive will take around 6 hours, so once you arrive you'll have the rest of the day at leisure to relax.

The next day you’ll rise early to visit the Taj Mahal, the premier iconic site in the whole of India and deservedly so.  Late morning, you’ll board a train to Delhi, which usually takes around 2.5 hours. A well-deserved afternoon off awaits after your adventure through remote northern India.

DAY 14 Fly home (or stay!)

Take your private transfer to the airport and say goodbye to your driver, before boarding your day flight back to the UK. 

Of course you may like to stay on in India, perhaps going to the beach for a few days of relaxation. All of our tours our tailormade, so the itinerary outlined above is just a suggestion. Please chat to one of our India specialists for a bespoke itinerary.