Amritsar (India) | Chamba | Delhi (India) | Dharamsala
The following are North India: Delhi, Dharamshala & The Golden Temple tour dates available from G Adventures. Select a bonus offer graphic to view its details, including its terms.
There is at least one departure that the vendor is advising is Not Available for the selected year. Click here if you would like such tours to be included below.
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included through the G Adventures-supported Women With Wheels project. In the evening, join your CEO for a welcome meeting.
Transfer by a G Adventures-supported project, Women With Wheels. This program provides safe and reliable transport for travellers, while providing a dignified livelihood for a local woman from a resource poor community.
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Today is a long travel day, but well worth the trek. We'll take a train from Delhi to Pathankot and transfer to a private vehicle. Pathankot is located at the foothills of the Himalayas, so our drive will get even more beautiful as we travel deeper into Himachal through the Western Himalayas. We'll arrive to Chamba in the evening and walk to our farm-stay. Enjoy a traditional welcome with the family followed by a local dinner. Sit back and relax as you get comfortable in your incredible farm-stay tucked away in the Himalayan Mountains.
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Embrace the warm hospitality of our farm-stay hosts with a Traditional Welcome, followed by a delicious traditional Chamba dinner of cuisine dating back over 1,000 years.
Walk up the hillside from the road to the farm-stay. There is no road access so the final kilometer is done on foot.
Start the day off right with a morning yoga and meditation session before a delicious breakfast. Today we explore the picturesque town of Chamba, tucked away in the Himalayas. Visit ancient temples, vibrant paintings and an embroidery workshop to experience Chamba's rich cultural heritage.
Take a tour of Chamba Town to learn of its rich culture, ancient temples and traditional embroidery. Visit the 400-year old Shri Chamunda Devi Mandir Temple, Bhuri Singh Museum, 10th-century stone Lakshmi Narayan Temple.
Join one of the family members of the Himalayan Farm-stay for a peaceful morning yoga and meditation.
Learn the art of embroidery at a workshop on Chamba rumal and Chamba painting. Watch as artists demonstrate their skills at traditional embroidery and painting as we hear the cultural and historical significance of these art styles. Feel welcome to try your hand at embroidery or painting, once practiced by the queens of the royal family.
Spend the morning on an beautiful hike accessible for all levels of hikers. Make sure to bring your camera to take in the incredible beauty of the Himalayas along the way. This evening, join your farm-stay host family for a well deserved feast! Together we'll learn to cook local favorites and then sit down together to dig in!
Trek through Chamba's unique farms and villages on this easy loop hike. Admire the stunning views of Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar mountains in the distance.
India is a huge country, and cuisine varies between different states. Together with our farm-stay hosts, learn about the traditional meals consumed in the Himalayan region of Himachal. Use of black cardamom, indigenous vegetables and hearty meats are common, so come hungry and enjoy the time to learn (and try!) the delicious local cuisine.
Say goodbye to our amazing Himalayan farm-stay hosts and drive toward Dharamshala, where the exiled Tibetan government has lived since 1960. Stop in the town of Jia for an amazing experience with G Adventures-supported Tenacious Honey Bee Collective - a chance to learn about ethical honeybee keeping in the Himalayas. After some honey sampling and an apidomik experience, finish the drive to Dharamshala. Visit the Mcleodganj Market and feel the strong connection this town has to Tibet. Then visit the Tsuglagkhang Complex, also known as the Dalai Lama Temple. This temple was built shortly after the Dalai Lama's exile from Tibet and now serves as the political centre of Tibet for the community-in-exile. Take time to explore the temple and visit the Tibet Museum as well. The rest of the day is yours to wander the markets and Dharamshala as you wish.
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Take a walking tour through the Himalayan countryside to understand ethical bee keeping. Learn directly from the local youth and women who are part of the team that make products out of bees wax. Enjoy a honey tasting, and a visit to an apidomik room - a place with healing properties full of aromas from honey, wax, pollen and more.
Known for its Tibetan influence, the market offers a variety of goods including handicrafts, jewelry, clothes, and delicious Tibetan cuisine. It's a perfect place to soak in the local culture and pick up unique souvenirs.
The Dalai Lama Temple, officially known as Tsuglagkhang Complex, is a repository of Tibetan culture. The temple was built in 1959, following the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's exile from Tibet. Today, it serves as the spiritual and political center of the Tibetan community in exile.
Today is yours to see the incredible town of Dharamshala how you'd like. Feel free to relax or get out and visit the Norbulingka Institute or see the Bhagsu Nag Waterfall.
Spend the afternoon free in Dharamshala.
Depart for Amritsar early this morning to make the nearby evening Wagah Border Ceremony. Every night, just before the sun sets on the border of Pakistan and India, the two sides simultaneously lower their flags as a sign of peace, discipline and hope for the future between these two countries with a long history of rivalry. Afterwards, head to the Golden Temple-arguably the most important Sikh temple in the world-in hopes to witness the palaki ceremony, which symbolizes putting the holy book to rest for the night.
Every evening, hundreds of people gather to watch the famous parade and the ceremonial lowering of their national flags by the Indian and Pakistani armies at sunset. Witness this event in the stands and cheer on as the two countries showcase their cooperation.
Enjoy a visit to this gorgeous temple, the most sacred shrine in the Sikh religion. Sitting in the center of a sacred lake, and accessible by a marble causeway, it is absolutely stunning. Watch the nightly ritual of moving the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book) from the temple to the neighboring Akal Takht building in a gold palki (palanquin) preceded by the spectacular fanfare of religious leaders blowing long horns or beating drums. As the procession moves, people chanting wait for their chance to shoulder the sacred palki. The Golden Temple kitchen serves a free meal called a "langar" to more than 40,000 visitors daily, and no matter how old or young, whether rich or poor, everyone eats together while sitting on the floor.
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Return to the Golden Temple early this morning for a chance to admire this incredible pilgrimage destination in the daylight. Afterwards, return to the hotel. Your tour concludes upon return to the hotel.
Please book onward travel no earlier than 15:00 pm on your departure day to ensure you have ample time after the Golden Temple Visit.
Enjoy a morning visit to the Golden Temple. The temple's upper floors are covered in 750 kilos of pure gold. Its golden dome, exquisite architecture, and serene surroundings attract millions of visitors worldwide every year, making it one of the most visited religious sites in the world.
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Select a destination below to to view the hotel(s) included by G Adventures in their North India: Delhi, Dharamshala & The Golden Temple tour:
Opposite Golden Temple Langar Building, Golden Temple Road, Amritsar, Punjab
Amritsar, India-143006
Saho, Village - Chaminu, Road, next to The Art of Living Gurukul, Saho, Village - Chaminu, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Chamba, India-176307
Bhagsu Nag, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
Dharamshala, India-176216
16A/3 W.E.A, Karol Bagh, Main Mkt Ajmal Khan Road Near Pooja Park New Delhi - 110005
New Delhi, India-110005
G Adventures is informing us of the following additional details regarding their North India: Delhi, Dharamshala & The Golden Temple tour:
Max 16
Your G for Good Moment: Women With Wheels Arrival Transfer, Indira Gandhi International AirportYour G for Good Moment: Tenacious Honey Bee Collective, DharamshalaYour Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group. Arrival Transfer. Guided temple and museum visit in Chamba. Half-day hike in Chamba Valley. Organic farm tour. Embroidery workshop. Chamba painting. Cooking class with homestay family. Dharamshala orientation walk. Dalai Lama Temple visit. Tenacious Bee Collective with honey tasting session. Wagah Border ceremony. Golden Temple visit. Vande Bharat express from Delhi to Pathankot (air-conditioned seat class). All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Stay in a family-run heritage homestay in Chamba Valley, Explore Dharamshala's monasteries and Tibetan traditions, Meet the Tenacious Bee Collective and taste their honey, Experience Amritsar's Golden Temple and border ceremony
Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips. When travelling on a group trip, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your CEO, who will take note of your insurance details. When selecting a travel insurance policy please bear in mind that all clients must have medical coverage and that we require a minimum coverage of USD 200,000 for repatriation and emergency rescue. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. If you have credit card insurance we require proof of purchase of the trip (a receipt of credit card statement) with a credit card in your name. Contact your bank for details of their participating insurer, the level of coverage and emergency contact telephone number.
G Adventures is offering the following optional activities at an additional cost, subject to availability:
Dharamshala- Norbulingka Institute VisitChamba- Bhagsu Nag Waterfall
TRAINThe best way to see India is at ground level on the railway system. In fact, no visit to India would be complete without the experience of tavelling on a train and negotiating the busy railway stations. The chaos in the Indian Railway stations is a replica of the life in India. Indian trains are not merely a conveyance they are an odyssey so sit back relax, be patient and enjoy the show.G Adventures uses a combination of AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier and sleeper class (for overnight journeys) and AC Chair car or second class seats for day journeys.There are no restaurant or buffet cars on Indian Railways, but on long distance trains an attendant will appear in your coach and ask you if you would like to order food. Regular stops are made at stations where food is also available and on some trains many vendors board the train selling chai, cold drinks and crisps and biscuits.Don't expect pristine western standards anywhere in India, but you'll find AC2, AC3 and AC Chair class fairly clean by Indian standards, with both western-style and squat toilets usually in a reasonably sanitary condition. Sleeper Class and 2nd class toilets may be a different matter! Bring your own toilet paper and hand wash soap or liquid. Indian trains are quite safe to travel on, even for families or women traveling alone, and you are unlikely to have any problems. Having said that, theft of luggage, although rare is not unheard of, so just for peace of mind you might like to take along a chain and padlock to secure your bags (readily available at all Indian stations). Generally, Indian Railways are very efficient, but Indian trains do run late particularly in winter time when fog is heavy, and sometimes it's many hours rather than minutes. Make sure you have something to occupy your time – a good book, music, a magazine or photos of your home country and family to show the Indian travelers also waiting for the train. You should also have snacks and water for the journey.ROADTraveling by road in India or Nepal is certainly not what people are use to in Western countries. Rules are not always followed, drivers appear to speed, do not stay in their lanes, overtake in seemingly dangerous situations, rarely use their mirrors or driving lights at night time. The horn however is used very frequently and can range from the latest Bollywood tune to Britney Spears! In India, although the government is investing large sums of money improving the road infrastructure, there is a lot more to be done. As a result, in both India and Nepal, some of the roads are poorly maintained, pot holed and uneven. This gets even more pronounced particularly during and after the monsoon. Travel time covering relatively short distances is very long in comparison to Western countries.
Simple hotel (twin-share): 4 nights. Homestay (3 nights)
4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Eating is a big part of travelling. Travelling with G Adventures you experience the vast array of wonderful food that is available out in the world. Generally meals are not included in the trip price when there is a choice of eating options, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat. It also gives you more budgeting flexibility, though generally food is cheap. Our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your CEO will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip. Vegetarians will be able to find a huge range of different foods - India is vegetarian heaven. For all trips please refer to the meals included and budget information for included meals and meal budgets.
CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local guides.
All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the CEO is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting - we think it's the best of both worlds.
No, international flights are generally not included in the price of your tour. However, on some combo tours travelling between two different countries, international flights are included as part of the itinerary and price of the tour. Please speak to your GCO or booking agent for further details. In addition, check-in times and baggage allowances/restrictions vary by airline and can change at any time. For the most up-to-date information for your flight, please contact your airline. We recommend checking in online in advance to avoid potential delays at the airport.
Private vehicle, Train, Walking.
You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
In Asia the dress standard is more conservative than it is back home. When packing try to pick loose, lightweight, long clothing that will keep you cool in the usually hot and humid climate of Asian summers. In predominately Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim countries we ask that you dress respectfully and avoid very short shorts/skirts and singlets/tanktops when visiting small rural communities or visiting temples or mosques or other holy sites as this may restrict your entry. India is very conservative and you should dress accordingly. As a general guideline shoulders and knees should be covered at all times. The wearing of shorts is not allowed as it will restrict your entry into buildings of a religious nature and family homes. A light water and windproof jacket is useful and a hat essential. NB: WE STRESS THAT IT CAN BE VERY COLD IN THE HILLS DURING THE MONTHS FROM DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY.NB: During our trip there will be many opportunities for you to meet and "talk" with locals. One way to start any conversation is with pictures. We recommend that you bring some photos/postcards of your family, home, city or country where you live, animals peculiar to your country etc.
Want to experience the sights and sounds of Holi? Make sure you’re in India on March 14, 2025 or March 4, 2026 for the nation’s most colourful festival.
Cold Weather:o Long-sleeved shirts or sweatero Scarfo Warm gloveso Warm hato Warm layerso Warm waterproof jacketConservative Dress:o Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (Long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)o Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)Documents:o Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)o Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)o Passport (required) (With photocopies)o Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)o Visas or vaccination certificates (With photocopies)Essentials:o Toiletries (required) (Shampoo, bodywash, soap, etc.)o Binoculars (optional)o Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)o Cash, credit and debit cardso Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)o Ear plugso First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)o Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)o Fleece top/sweatero Footwearo Hato Headphones (Noise-cancelling recommended)o Locks for bagso Long pants/jeanso Moneybelto Outlet adaptero Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)o Reusable water bottleo Shirts/t-shirtso Sleepwearo Small travel towelo Sunglasseso Swimwearo Watch and alarm clocko Waterproof backpack covero Windproof rain jacketHealth & Safety:o Face masks (Clients will be only be required to wear a face mask where it is mandated by local regulations.)o Hand sanitizero Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge. There will be times when you may want to or have to do your own laundry so we suggest you bring non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Standard: Comfortable tourist-class accommodations with character; mix of public and private transport.