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Check out India and Nepal on this awesome 13-day adventure

Head from bustling Delhi to remote Tordi, get down and dirty with the best street food, gape at the Taj, cruise down the holy Ganges in Varanasi, hang in Buddha’s hometown (Lumbini), search for sloth bears and rhinos at Chitwan and finish up in Kathmandu. Got a sweet tooth? India's got the cure. Take one soft, fluffy ball of buffalo milk dough. Deep fry until it's the texture of a donut. Drop into sugar syrup flavoured with cardamom powder, rose essence and saffron. Eat. Repeat.

This trip is for 18 to 29-year-olds

Some of our under-30 travellers prefer to get around with people their own age. If that’s you, you’re in the right place!

Over 29? We’ve got over 900 other great adventures to choose from for solo travellers, friends, families, food lovers, hiking enthusiasts, and more.

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Terms & Conditions
Start
Delhi, India
Finish
Kathmandu, Nepal
Destinations
India, Nepal
Style
Basix
Theme
18 to 29s
Code
HHYK
Physical rating
Ages
Min 18, Max 29
Group size
Min 1, Max 16

Travel solo, together

You're never alone when travelling solo with Intrepid

Why you'll love this trip

  • Start the trip in the chaos of Delhi. It's all kinds of crazy as well as all kinds of delhi-ciousness. Don't leave without your leader showing you where to get the best street food.

  • The Taj Mahal may be one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, but do you know its poetic history? A local expert will fill you in.

  • Ditch your alarm, there’s only one way to wake up in this world and that’s with a sunrise sail along the Ganges.

  • Lumbini is no ordinary town. Visit the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and tour its temples and the legendary Ashoka Pillars.

  • Fall asleep to the calls of the jungle in Chitwan National Park, then embark on a jeep or canoe safari in search of rhino, deer, monkeys and a wide array of bird life

  • Fall in love with Nepal, prayer flags and spicy chai in fascinating Kathmandu.

Is this trip right for you?

  • This trip involves travel on public transport, covering long distances and subsequently some long days of travel. Long distance and overnight trains can often be delayed and occasionally cancelled due to heavy fog between December and February. Some patience will go a long way towards your enjoyment here. Sit back, relax, watch the scenery go by (a book or podcast won't hurt either).

  • Weather in India and Nepal can be very hot in summer and surprisingly cold in winter, please pack accordingly so you aren't caught out! Check seasonal weather guides and pick a travel time that suits your comfort level.

  • But what's it REALLY like? Read these warnings from a recent traveller on this trip: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/india-nepal-travel-advice/

  • If you would prefer to travel from Kathmandu to Delhi on a similar itinerary for 18-29s, see trip code HHYD on our website. For journeys between Kathmandu and Delhi for travellers of all ages, see trip codes HHSK or HHSD.

Map of Real Delhi to Kathmandu including India and Nepal
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Itinerary
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This Himalaya adventure kicks off in Delhi. Meet your tour leader and new travel mates at a 6 pm welcome meeting. If you arrive early, there's plenty to do in this wonderfully chaotic city. Wander the streets, sip on your first chai or practice haggling in one of the many markets. If you prefer some structure, there's a variety of Urban Adventure day tours that offer a great first taste of Delhi.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Delhi - Culture Vulture Delhi Urban Adventure - INR2500
  • Delhi - Delhi Food Walk Urban Adventure - INR3500
  • Delhi - Gandhi's Delhi Urban Adventure - INR2700
  • Delhi - Humayun's Tomb - INR500
  • Delhi - Qutub Minar - INR500
  • Delhi - Red Fort - INR500
  • Delhi - Home-Cooked Delhi Urban Adventure - INR4000
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive in time for today's welcome meeting, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please have these on hand.

Keep this one quiet. Your next destination takes a bit of work to get to, but that’s because it’s our little secret! Journey through picturesque countryside by train, first to Jaipur, and then onwards by private vehicle to Tordi (approximately 7 hours). This remote and rarely visited village offers a fantastic glimpse of the real Rajasthan. We stumbled across it years ago, and everyone loved it so much we put it on the itinerary. The locals will feed you and you'll sleep in a 16th-century palace with its owner as your host. And there's a ruined temple and fortress nearby. Settle in, then savour delicious local flavours at an included dinner of tonight.
Accommodation
  • Heritage Property (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Dinner

Kick on to Jaipur (approximately 2.5 hours), India's oh-so-pretty 'Pink City'. You'll have plenty of free time here to haggle to your heart's content at the bazaars and backstreets where vendors sell a variety of textiles, precious and semi-precious gems and stunning blue pottery. Drop by one of India’s finest palaces, the Royal City Palace, where the guards’ moustaches are almost as impressive as the building itself. Foodies will want to hit the streets for raj kachori chaat, a big fluffy chaat served with chutney, yoghurt, chilli and potato. Then cool off with a lassi from Lassiwala on MI road, Jaipur's oldest and most famous lassi shop. Cinema buffs won't want to miss the chance to take in a Bollywood blockbuster at the spectacular Raj Mandir Cinema.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Jaipur - Leader-led walking & market tour
Optional Activities
  • Jaipur - City Palace - INR700
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

If you're keen for a different view of the Pink City, an optional early morning hot air balloon ride is a trip highlight for many visitors. For more information please see the 'Important Notes'. Later in the morning, you’ll drop by Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), the impressive five-storey facade with pink and honeycombed windows is it the most photographed building in the country after Taj Mahal. Then it’s out to the old capital of Amber and an exploration of the hilltop fort complex known as the Amber Fort. The rest of the day is free for you to use as you like.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Jaipur - Amber Fort
  • Jaipur - Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Wind) entry
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Take advantage of the chance to rub shoulders with the locals on a five-hour public bus ride to Agra today. Agra might not be the prettiest city in the world, but the minute you check out its top-notch site that won’t matter one bit. Of course, we're talking about the Taj Mahal, India's most enduring symbol and an epic monument to love and loss. For some reason local families find it more interesting to take photos of you than the actual Taj Mahal. But none of it matters, you'll be too busy standing there with your mouth gaping open to notice.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Agra - Taj Mahal
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Today is free to explore at your leisure. Agra Fort is a spectacular option where you can stroll the palatial gardens of this red sandstone stronghold and get some great views of the Taj Mahal from afar. Then it's on to the next stop - Varanasi. Tonight it’s time for a unique slice of Indian life aboard an overnight train (approximately 12 hours).
Accommodation
  • Overnight sleeper train (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Agra - Agra Fort - INR600
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

One of holiest cities around, Varanasi is the ultimate destination for Hindu pilgrims who travel from far and wide to experience this spiritual city. Overflowing with temples, shrines and devotees, it might not be one of the world's cleanest cities but there’s no doubt it’s one of the most amazing. Maybe take the chance to perfect your yoga in this epic chakra-balancing place. Otherwise, just chill out and soak in the spiritual surrounds as it's an early start tomorrow.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Today’s an early start, but it’s completely worth it - a sunrise boat ride along the sacred Ganges is a revelation. Even if you're not the spiritual sort, you can't help but get goosebumps. Pass the many ghats (stairs leading to the water) and temples along the river, and watch thousands of Hindu pilgrims cleanse their sins in the holy water as the sun bathes the surrounds in glorious shades of amber and orange. Afterwards, set off by auto rickshaw to the oldest part of the city, to explore its maze of narrow alleyways packed full of small shops, stalls and lumbering cows. See pilgrims performing rituals  unchanged for hundreds of years and pass chiming temples as wafts of incense fill the air.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Varanasi - Sunrise Ganges boat trip
  • Varanasi - Leader-led Old City walking tour
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Wave goodbye to India as you travel to the border (Sunauli border crossing) and enter into Nepal, continuing to the town of Lumbini. Make sure to charge up your music and fish out your book as it's a long day of travel (about 8-10 hours including stops). Lumbini is no ordinary border town, but the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and one of his four holy places of pilgrimage. Check out the beautiful Ashoka Pillars and hop on cycle rickshaws to the Maya Devi Temple, the actual site where Lord Buddha is thought to have been born. Later on, bunk down in a jungle camp for the night.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Lumbini - Heritage Park
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Take off you religious hat and pop on your safari one as you drive to Chitwan National Park by private vehicle (approximately 5 hours). UNESCO (who know at thing or two about this kind of stuff) declared it a World Heritage site in 1984, and it offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Asia. Think the Jungle Book come to life with rhinos, deer, monkeys and a wide array of birds, including Nepalese wild chickens, all found here.
Accommodation
  • Lodge (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

This morning you’ll hop aboard a jeep, meet your local guide and take a safari drive through Chitwan National Park. Maybe you might catch a glimpse of one of the 100-or-so Bengal Tigers that call the park home. There are also a number of optional activities available through your accommodation, including biking, bird watching, cultural performances, canoe rides and village tours.
Accommodation
  • Lodge (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Chitwan NP - Park entry
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
Elephant Performances & Elephant Riding: While we respect each individual’s decisions while travelling, Intrepid does not include elephant rides or unnatural performance activities on any itinerary, and we recommend you bypass these activities should they be offered to you during your stay. Professional wildlife conservation and animal welfare organisations, including the World Animal Protection (formerly the World Society for protection of Animals) advise that contrary to common belief, captive elephants remain wild animals and despite good intentions, unfortunately many venues are unable to provide the appropriate living conditions elephants require and this ultimately impacts their well-being. While there is some merit in the argument that the money that you pay for the activity goes towards keeping the elephants and their mahouts employed, we know that it also fuels demand for elephants to be captured in the wild or captive bred. We thank you for your support in improving the welfare of these majestic

On to your final destination of the Nepalese patchouli–scented capital, Kathmandu (approximately 7 hours). Maybe book in for a massage or a yoga session when you get there to ease those body kinks. With the rest of your free time, perhaps visit the giant Buddhist Stupa at Bodnath, head out into the narrow streets – home to holy men, monks, bicycles, and sacred cows – and buy souvenirs or chill out with cool drink.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Kathmandu - Early Morning Everest Scenic Flight - USD220
  • Kathmandu - Durbar Square - NPR1000
  • Kathmandu - Swayambhunath Temple - NPR200
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Say goodbye to your travel crew - the adventure ends after breakfast today. But since you're already here, why not stay an extra day or two and dig a little deeper into Kathmandu. Perhaps get to know the city better through an Urban Adventures day tour (or two). 
Optional Activities
  • Kathmandu - Rickshaw Night Explorer Urban Adventure - USD68
  • Kathmandu - Panorama Hike Urban Adventure - USD57
  • Kathmandu - Spiritual Nepal Urban Adventure - USD80
  • Kathmandu - Kathmandu Living Urban Adventure - USD66
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Meals

1 dinner

Transport

Cycle rickshaw, Boat, Private vehicle, Public bus, Overnight sleeper train, Taxi

Accommodation

Hotel (6 nights), Jungle Lodge (2 nights), heritage property (3 nights), Overnight Sleeper Train (1 night)

Included activities

  • Jaipur - Leader-led walking & market tour
  • Jaipur - Amber Fort
  • Jaipur - Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Wind) entry
  • Agra - Taj Mahal
  • Varanasi - Sunrise Ganges boat trip
  • Varanasi - Leader-led Old City walking tour
  • Lumbini - Heritage Park
  • Chitwan NP - Park entry

Dates & availability

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Important notes

1. A Single Supplement to have your own room on this trip and is applicable for all nights with the exception of the overnight train.
2. Hot air balloon flights are operated by Sky Waltz in Jaipur. Flights operate mornings from September to June and morning and evening from September to March. Morning flights depart around sunrise and evening flights late afternoon and last 60 minutes. Return transfers, tea and coffee plus light refreshments and a certificate of flight are included in the cost. You can register your interest and pay your tour leader at your joining meeting on Day 1 of your trip. Payment must be made in cash - INR/USD/AUD/GBP only please. Flights are subject to availability and weather conditions (tickets are fully refundable in case of bad weather).

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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