Spend 8 incredible days exploring India's iconic Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

Your host Neha Gupta, will introduce you to the secrets of cooking delicious Indian cuisine in her home. Neha grew up watching her mother cook and because her father was in the air force, they lived all over India, so she was exposed to regional cuisine. She has now created a cultural culinary experience, something hands-on that gives people a feel for Indian food but also the stories behind famous dishes.

To start, you’ll be introduced to the dishes you’re going to make and go through the ingredients and spices that will be used. Typically cook four dishes will be cooked, a mix of vegetarian and chicken, along with breads like rotis and chapatis, but it can be tailored to your dietary needs. Dishes vary by season but may include a chana masala or biryani.

Guests often say it’s like cooking with a friend - it’s very casual and you can ask Neha about anything, be it food, culture or being a married woman in India. She lives in a multi-floor house with her extended family and they may also pop in to meet you. Neha will tell you about the dishes being prepared, what part of the country they’re from and what bread they’re best paired with. Indian food is all about knowing spices, so there is a focus on that, as well as how to make dough from scratch for the breads.

Once everything is cooked, you will eat in the kitchen together or out on the terrace with drinks followed by dessert. The whole class takes around two hours and at the end, you’ll get a copy of Neha’s recipe book. Guests love the hands-on element of the class and getting to see how an Indian household lives. This experience is for anyone who’s fond of trying new things – you don’t need to be a cook, you just need to like food.

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Tour Old Delhi by rickshaw to visit temples and markets, taste street food and meet the locals in a convenient and fun way. The city is a crowded, congested place so travelling by rickshaw makes it a comfortable experience and you can cover more ground. The rickshaws look traditionally Indian but with wider seats and better safety standards. They have audio headsets so your guide – a Delhi local - can provide live commentary along the way.

You will start at a Jain temple known for its intricate architecture and bird hospital, before boarding the rickshaws. As you drive through the city you’ll see famous landmarks like the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk. There will be a visit a Sikh temple and the Jama Masjid, which is one of the largest mosques in India. Guests love the buzzing bazaars and spice market, with its different colours and scents, the vendors are so friendly and will want to show you how they prepare their masala spices and take pictures with you. Eventually you will reach the Gadodia Palace, which has an incredible view over Chandni Chowk from the fourth floor.

After working up an appetite, you will visit a local restaurant to try some typical Delhi dishes (guest to pay direct) such as puri puri, Indian bread which is deep fried so it blows up into a ball, served with a chickpea and potato curry. There’s also samosas and jalebi, a traditional deep-fried sweet soaked in syrup. The final stop on the tour is Naughara, a street with nine old havelis that feature Mughal architecture. Here you will get to meet a resident who’ll invite you in to have chai, chat and see the historic haveli where he’s lived all his life.

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Discover the magic of Delhi at dawn on this one-of-a-kind walking tour with a Delhi local. Your guide grew up in Delhi and believes that the city is a great example of Indian culture, which is a mixture of different faiths and communities woven together through history. You’ll see worshippers at the ghats by the Yamuna River, perhaps an aarti in session with Hindu chanting – it’s a beautiful, meditative start to the tour. Delhi is a super contrasting city which is represented in the tour, as you move on from this peaceful place towards the hustle of Old Delhi.

The walk starts at 6.00am in the most ancient precinct of the city which dates back to the Mahabharata era. After seeing the early morning worshippers at the ghats by the Yamuna River you will move on to Old Delhi.

The next stop is at the oldest wrestling school (akhara) in India, where you’ll learn all about the sport. Here, you might get to meet the wrestlers who’ve inherited the sport from their ancestors. Witness a different side of Delhi culture at a nearby gaushala, a cow shed, where you’ll have an interesting conversation about the veneration of cows in India.

Moving on to Old Delhi’s markets and bustle, you will get a chance to sample a typical Delhi breakfast dish, Nihari. Food is a huge part of the city, and you can see all Delhi’s communities represented in its various cuisines. Nihari is a meat dish cooked overnight, that was originally served to soldiers building the Red Fort – Nihar means morning. After a photo stop at India Gate, you’ll visit the iconic Humayun’s Tomb, which is free from crowds at this time of the morning. Built by Humayun’s wife to honour India’s second Mughal ruler, it’s a blueprint for mature tombs in India and a perfect end to the tour.

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This tour is a great orientation of Jaipur; you’ll discover its architecture, religion and crafts and meet the locals, learning the stories and legends behind the city. Visit one of the city’s oldest temples, see the architectural sights of City Palace before immersing into some of Jaipur’s hectic markets.

Join a walking tour of UNESCO-listed Jaipur to learn about its architectural jewels. The tour starts at 8.30am when it’s peaceful, before the bazaars and markets take over. This is when locals go to worship and you can join them at one of the city’s oldest temples, which is known for its 300-year-old fresco painting and set in a private family home. This begins a discussion about religion and architecture in Jaipur; where at a junction in the city, you get to see a Jain Temple, a mosque and a Hindu temple.

Continue the walk at Broad Road, which was once used by the royal family, so it’s lined by grand houses. As you enter the winding by-lanes you’ll hear about Jaipur’s history as the first planned city in India, the vastu shastra and shilpa shastra architecture and havelis owned by artists, craftsmen and traders. You’ll get to meet some of these characters when you visit the metal-beating community who still work without technology, in the same way they have for 200 years. It’s fascinating to see how everything has been hand-created. Other key architectural sights on the tour include the City Palace, the Ayurvedic hospital and two huge, 10-foot-tall silver jars which belonged to a king of Jaipur. Guests love visiting a local family in their haveli to chat about life in Jaipur and meeting traditional bangle makers.

You will end the tour with an immersion into some of Jaipur’s hectic markets. There’s the spice market with over 300 shops which draws buyers from far and wide, followed by the vegetable and flower markets. The flower market is always busy with people shopping for weddings and festivals. This tour is a great orientation of Jaipur; you’ll discover its architecture, religion and crafts and meet the locals, learning the stories and legends behind the city.

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Join a cooking class at a family home Dera Mandawa, a heritage property in central Jaipur. Located close to spice and vegetable markets there’s a chance to go with your hosts to shop for ingredients. People find the market fascinating - you’ll see piles of colourful spices and vendors sitting on their haunches weighing fresh fruit, women gossiping with their friends and locals shopping.

Back at the courtyard garden in Dera Mandawa, you’ll be handed recipes that you will be cooking that evening. The first task is to bake bread in the bio-gas ovens that are powered by cow-patty fuel. You will then move onto the five main dishes, which include paneer made from scratch with milk and a cheesecloth, mashed aubergine Indian style, a chicken or mutton dish and a vegetarian option. Family recipes are used and can cater to all diets, including vegan and gluten-free, using millet, corn and chickpeas.

Everyone has a chance to try their hand at cooking, or you can just watch. At the end of the class, you will have a regular sit-down meal together. The meal ends with a halva dessert which is different from the traditional recipe - it’s a mix of flour, brown sugar and mashed potato. This is a great interactive tour and you’ll leave with recipe ideas you can try at home.

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Jaipur has so many beautiful monuments, Amber Fort being the most impressive at 1,000 years old, located high on a hill, surrounded by the Aravalli mountains. The rampart is around 11km long and in some ways looks like the Great Wall of China.

Founded in the 16th century by the great commander of the Mughal rulers, Raja Man Singh, the whole palace is divided into four levels each with their own courtyard. Enter through the east-facing Sun Gate used by the maharajas and their VIP guests that in turn opens up to the first courtyard where victory parades would take place.

You will then go through the Singh Pol or the Lion Gate to the Hall of Public Audience filled with beautiful paintings, carved pillars and latticed marble. In the second courtyard, visit a beautiful hammam with stunning views of the Maota Lake below and Saffron Garden, constructed using the well-known star-shaped geometrical architecture attributed to the Mughals. Ganesh Gate, the entry point to the private palace of the maharajas, is one of the most beautiful gates in the world, decorated with countless fresco paintings and semi-precious stones. Inside the complex, you’ll find the Hall of Mirrors, adorned with a ceiling filled with mirror mosaics and colourful glass which used to glitter under candlelight.

Enter the Hall of Pleasure used as a summer retreat with white marble and walls made of sandalwood that would perfume the evening air. You can’t miss the oldest part of the Amber Fort where Man Singh’s 12 wives were kept in apartments. Each room has a secret passage to the maharaja’s palace!

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On this Jaipur walking tour, you’ll join locals for early-morning temple visits and have tea with families in their historic havelis. Jaipur is unique because it was the first planned city in India and many artists and craftsmen were invited to settle here. As you wander the streets of the walled city you can sample street food and see the mix of Bengali, Mughal and Hindu architecture.

The tour starts at 8.30am when it’s peaceful, before the bazaars and markets take over. This is when locals go to worship and you can join them at one of the city’s oldest temples, which is known for its 300-year-old fresco painting and set in a private family home. This begins a discussion about religion and architecture in Jaipur; where at a junction in the city, you get to see a Jain Temple, a mosque and a Hindu temple.

Continue the walk at Broad Road, which was once used by the royal family, so it’s lined by grand houses. As you enter the winding by-lanes you’ll hear about Jaipur’s history as the first planned city in India, the vastu shastra and shilpa shastra architecture and havelis owned by artists, craftsmen and traders. You’ll get to meet some of these characters when you visit the metal-beating community who still work without technology, in the same way they have for 200 years. It’s fascinating to see how everything has been hand-created. Other key architectural sights on the tour include the City Palace, the Ayurvedic hospital and two huge, 10-foot-tall silver jars which belonged to a king of Jaipur. Guests love visiting a local family in their haveli to chat about life in Jaipur and meeting traditional bangle makers.

You will end the tour with an immersion into some of Jaipur’s hectic markets. There’s the spice market with over 300 shops which draws buyers from far and wide, followed by the vegetable and flower markets. The flower market is always busy with people shopping for weddings and festivals. This tour is a great orientation of Jaipur; you’ll discover its architecture, religion and crafts and meet the locals, learning the stories and legends behind the city.

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Every day, the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous World Heritage Site, will see on average 15,000 people. Visit at dawn though and you cut those numbers right down resulting in a more peaceful stroll around the magnificent monuments. The early hours really are the best time to visit when you can just sit quietly and listen to the birds as you take in its architectural beauty.

When the sun starts to rise on a clear day, you can see the mausoleum turn from gold yellow to orange to a sparkling mountain white. You can roam the splendid gardens decorated with fountains and inspect the ornamental craftwork without the crowds. As the sun slowly bathes the walls, the stunning pietra dura inlay lights up the whole façade. This only occurs during the hours of dawn and makes the early start well worth it.

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On this tour you will visit two major attractions, Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Start at Agra Fort where your guide will explain in detail how the Mughal dynasty created this paradise of beautiful gardens, fountains and architecture. Next you will head to the Taj Mahal stopping at the Mehtab Bagh gardens which enjoy magnificent panoramas of the glorious ivory-white structure.

At Agra Fort, you will go through several gates to a palace called Jahangiri Mahal where inside you can discover all the different architectural influences, not just Islamic, but also Jain and Hindu. Next, head to the Octagonal Tower from where you can see all the way to the Taj Mahal.

Next you will head to the Taj Mahal stopping at the Mehtab Bagh gardens which enjoy magnificent panoramas of the glorious ivory-white structure. As you get closer, the Taj Mahal’s landscaped gardens will come into full view, lined with abundant trees, fountains, symmetrical paths and canals. You will then be in front of one of the most beautiful buildings ever made. The façade has been designed to impress from every angle with perfectly aligned arches and beautiful stonework decorated with flowers and inscriptions of verses from the Koran. The interior contains more architectural marvels such as the huge marble domed tomb. You will have some free time to explore at your own pace and there will be plenty of photo opportunities.

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Discover the untold stories of Agra’s Mughal women on this local walking tour. You’ll be led by Mehir, an artist who grew up in Agra and knows the city intimately. She can show you Agra through her eyes and share what life is like for women today in India. It provides a fresh perspective that you then carry on your journey across India.

As Mehir guides you through the city, she’ll show you key monuments that have either been built by women or inspired by them. Many people don’t realise that the women of the Mughal dynasty like Khanzada Begum and Mumtaz Mahal were a powerful force who shaped politics and culture. You’ll stop at the Itmad ud Daulah, which is known as the baby Taj as it served as inspiration for the Taj Mahal itself. It’s a majestic, white-marble monument that resembles a jewellery box, built by Mehr-un-Nissa as a tomb for her father. An emperor’s wife, Mehr was one of the most famous women of her era.

During the tour, you’ll also get to meet and interact with women who live in Agra now. Mehir will introduce you to various artists and jewellery makers, a flower garland specialist and Zardozi embroiderer. You’ll get to chat and learn about their lives as modern women in Agra. Travellers love this contemporary view and having the chance to meet and hear about the real women of Agra.

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Discover another side of Agra on this countryside bike tour, where you’ll get to meet locals and enjoy unique views of the Taj Mahal, minus the crowds. The tour starts early in the morning as you cycle through the streets of Agra. It’s a very old Mughal city with narrow streets, so travelling by bike is convenient, plus rickshaws and cars aren’t allowed around the Taj.

Your guide is from Agra and will show you the hidden side of the city beyond its famous monuments, taking guests to the rural outskirts where people still live off the land. As you cycle 10-15 minutes into the countryside the scenery changes to fields of crops with grazing buffalos and cows, you might spot women working on the potato and wheat crops and children going to school. A stop will be made in the village where you can interact with local families.

As well as making a living from agriculture, you’ll also see families of carpet weavers, a traditional art form in Agra. Meeting the village potter is a highlight; you can even have a go at making mud tumblers. Passing the school, you will climb a mound that has spectacular views of the Taj Mahal from a distance. This cycling tour is an authentic experience and will give you an insight into local life.

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Exploring Chandni Chowk by night gives you a chance to understand the real spirit of Delhi. At night, it’s less crowded so there’s more opportunity to engage with locals and after sunset, Chandni Chowk glows and glitters with store lights. There’s a maze of different streets to discover that specialise in everything from silver and spices to saris and glass bangles. If you want to buy something, you guide will help you haggle, which is a ritual in Old Delhi. The highlight of the trip is trying some of the local food.

The tour starts at around 5.30pm exploring on foot, as your guide explains the evolution of Old Delhi. You’ll see various businesses and have the opportunity to sit with people and hear about their lives. You might meet the ear-cleaning-man, who wears a red hat and carries tools to remove wax from people’s ears – it’s a great photo opportunity as is the chai vendors swirling tea in their metal pans. As you walk, your guide will point out religious landmarks like the Sunehri Masjid and Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a Sikh temple with a community kitchen.

The highlight of the trip though is always the food. You will have dinner at Karim’s (guest to pay directly), a restaurant that serves Mughlai cuisine. It was set up in the 1940s by Karim, a chef who served in the kitchen of a Mughal emperor and wanted to introduce this food to ordinary people. The dishes have a Persian influence and include lots of bread and kormas, all cooked in an open kitchen. Afterwards, wander around the street food area where you can sample desserts like bread pudding and mango ice cream. You’ll get to try everything from samosas to chai – food is a very important part of experiencing Old Delhi.

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If you want to capture images of real life in Delhi, this photography tour is perfect. You’ll meet your guide over tea to discuss what you’d like to photograph. It doesn’t matter if you have hi-spec camera equipment or want to take pictures on your phone. The team are passionate storytellers who know Delhi intimately and can adapt to your photographic skill set, lighting and weather conditions. If you have a particular theme you’d like to shoot, whether its people or architecture, the guides will take you on a walking tour to find the best captures.

Often, guests want to photograph the by-lanes and markets like Chawri Bazar. The flower market is particularly good for photography. Walking through the crowded by-lanes of Old Delhi, taking candid pictures of the people who live there, Chandni Chowk is one of the favourite places for photography. During the tour there will be plenty of stops to get a drink, relax and perhaps try some street food.

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