North India: Discover the Hidden Beauties and Wonders

Day 1: Delhi

Flight to Delhi, which you will reach at the end of the day. Meet at the airport and depart for your splendid accommodation in South Delhi. Enjoy the comfort of your hotel after your long flight. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Patiala

After your breakfast, transfer to the Delhi railway station and depart by train to Patiala, a former princely city and home to one of the most powerful dynasties of the Punjab. On arrival, your hotel worthy of a Maharadja’s palace. Then the afternoon, visit the fort Qila Mubarak, sheltered behind ramparts of more than 15 meters and which conceals the gallery of weapons and candlesticks, gift of kings of France. In the late afternoon enjoy a rickshaw ride to a Sikh temple, the Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, then a Hindu temple housing the goddess Kali in front of the very pleasant Baradari garden, and finally wander through the streets of the city and its market in search of Jutti, these precious leather sandals and finely embroidered or traditional hand-woven. Return to your princely hotel for your first typical Punjabi dinner.

Day 3 : Chandigarh

This morning, after your breakfast on one of the palace terraces, your private guide will pick you up for the discovery of the wonders of this city. Taste the splendors of the life of former days, with the visit of the forts and palates of Mughal style. You will first admire the Mothi Bagh Palace, former residence of the maharaja of Patiala, fully embodying the fascination of Indian princes for the Western way of life. Continuation by the visit of the Bahadurgarh Fort before taking the road further north towards Chandigarh, city known for its architecture and its urban design realized by Le Corbusier. This afternoon visit of the capitol complex, declared World Heritage by UNESCO, including the Supreme Court of Punjab, the Secretariat, the Assembly, etc.

This evening if you wish we can make a gourmet stop in one of the bazaars of the city, high in color and flavor. Finally, head to your superb hotel located not far from the city, for the night.

Day 4: Horshiarpur

After your breakfast, your guide will come to pick you up for the continuation of the discovery of this city imagined by an architect: Visit of the Rose Garden, the largest public garden of Asia, or the Rock Garden, true open-air museum, which abounds in original work of art such as Nek Chand.

You will leave the city at the end of the morning and continue your journey in the Punjabi territory, whose economic modernism does not prevent the most secular traditions from resisting. A first stop in Rupnagar, which will open the doors of its ancestral forts of local maharajahs, including several vestiges of the Mughal era as well as mausoleums of Sufi poets. Then continue to Anandpur Sahib and its spectacular Sikh temple (Gudwara) made of white marble. (Only) During the famous Hola Mohalla (around March), you may be lucky enough to see a Nihang, the soldier-monks who display all the trappings of the order: long hair and beard, a comb, a turban and a dagger curved at the waist. The turban is the strongest marker of the Sikh tradition and it symbolizes the courage. This evening we stay in the city of Horshiapur, in your Guest-house in the middle of nature. In terms of gastronomy, the emblematic Butter Chicken, the Kulcha (leavened bread), the lentil dal and fried fish will be a must, made under the expert eye of your host. Overnight stay at the guesthouse.

Day 5: Amritsar

Before your departure towards the city of the Golden Temple, a short passage in Kathurpala, former princely capital, visit the only Moorish mosque of the country, as well as its palace of Versailles style of the maharaja Jagatit. Then you will attend a session of Kushti, a very popular traditional Indian wrestling show: the male wrestlers smear their bodies with earth and grab each other by the arms and legs to make them fall. Arrive in Amritsar at your centrally located guesthouse. Get to know your hosts, the history of their ancestors goes back as far as the Silk Road.

At dinner time, departure to the illuminated Golden Temple to attend the community kitchen service: several thousand meals of chappattis and lentils are served daily free of charge to pilgrims. Continue the evening with your guide in the alleys of the city by tuk-tuk, for a shopping session, in the very colored stalls of the bazaars, where one finds everything, from the swords of ceremonies to the Punjabi wedding costumes, very appreciated in India.

Day 6: Amritsar

Wake up at dawn to enjoy the sunrise at the Golden Temple. The Harmandir Sahib is open to all, provided that you take off your shoes and cover your head. Discovery of the most sacred building of the Sikhs, on the background of traditional music, made of hymns and devotion played on the tablas. After having plunged in this place of pilgrimage, small stroll to the commercial streets to try the local Punjabi breakfast, made of lassis and Kulcha, local naan. Then visit the Partition Museum and the Hindu temple of Durgiana dating from the 16th century, 2 steps away from your hotel. Lunch in the Haveli courtyard of your hotel. In the afternoon, transfer to Attari-Wagah to attend the closing ceremony of the border post between India and Pakistan, on a patriotic tune, Indian and Pakistani soldiers meet every evening in front of their respective supporters for this event. Return to your accommodation for the night. Enjoy your dinner at their table, before the night.

Day 7: Punjabiyat

Today you will be invited to the farm life where you will discover the ancient India and how Punjabis make the best of their land, from generation to generation. This region of 5 rivers has given way to agriculture and allows Punjab to be one of the largest producers of wheat and rice in the world. Settle into your home of typical but sober architecture and decoration, dating back more than 300 years, in the heart of the fertile countryside. Local lunch at the farm and meeting with your hosts and the rural experiences they have to offer. This is an opportunity to suspend time in this family home, acclimatize to the rhythm of ox cart rides, or meet the locals in a traditional village . Get ready for a tractor ride to the local Sikh temple Gallughora Gurudwara. Here again the striking scents and bright colors will transport you to another planet. Tonight we will have a demonstration of traditional cooking with farm products, before tasting. Dinner and night in this warm house, after having discovered the soul of the Punjabi agricultural territory.

Day 8 : Dharamshala

Wake up to the crowing of the rooster. After a local breakfast, enjoy the last moments of immersion in the farm. You will then take the road to other hidden treasures of India. This is the beginning of your journey into the most beautiful mountainous region of the country, Himachal Pradesh or Land of the Gods, made of forested valleys, dizzying passes and ancient Buddhist monasteries, with the Himalayas in the background. Direction Dharamsala, to be as close as possible to the Dalaïlama, who has taken refuge in this small town, followed by thousands of pilgrims. Lunch at the beautiful Norbulinga Cultural Center, where traditional Tibetan arts and heritage are preserved. City tour including a visit to McLeodGunj, a Tibetan bookstore and pharmacy, custodians of knowledge that is being lost. Check in to your charming hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 : Palampur

In the morning, your guide will pick you up to explore the city of Kangra, its fort and its museum dedicated to miniature painting in the Pahari style, recounting the high points of the lives of the princes of the region. You will go to meet the art workshops that have their own traditions, which are expressed in weaving or pottery for generations. Lunch on the way. For your next step you will take the famous local train of the peaks, until Bajinath (1h00), your final stop and starting point of the visit of a temple of Nagara style, dating from the 12th century. Continue by car to your charming lodge where you can relax for the next two nights. Typical dinner and night in the comfort of your hotel.

Day 10 : Palampur

Wake up at the lodge in absolute calm, with the view of the peaks of Dhauladhar, nestled in the middle of tea plantations, dating from the English since 1867. After a hearty breakfast prepared by your host, the day is free for a tour of the property, and tasting of the famous black tea of the region or for a guided trek in the wooded valleys of the surrounding sand the visit of the nearby village of artisans, Andretta, known for its pottery and its art galleries. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 11 : Parvati Valley

This morning, departure towards the deep valleys, surrounded by orchards and perched rice fields. A long drive before arriving at your next heritage accommodation. On arrival relax in this place full of history and made of local Kath Kuni architecture in wood and stone, so precious for the harsh winters of the region. Enjoy a typical dinner. Overnight stay at the lodge.

Day 12 : Parvati Valley

After your breakfast, soak up the beauty, majesty and tranquility of your surroundings. You will leave for the day, through the passes to the foothills of the Himalayas, passing through breathtaking landscapes, in a world of rocks and winds with a first at the Naagar Castle, of vernacular style architecture of the mountains. Then, if you feel like it, we can push the road to Kaza, the first stage of the famous Spiti Valley, one of the most isolated places in the world. Return to your charming cocoon for the night and your hot dinner. Possible extension towards the Spiti Valley (cf : ask us).

Day 13 : Departure from Kullu

It will be time to leave the plateaus and say goodbye to your guide and take your flight back home at the end of this wonderful trip. Departure in direction of the airport of Kullu.

Selection of charming hotels and secret addresses. Ask us for the program!