Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand
Sacred Rivers & the Himalayan Foothills
Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi and the Ganges headwaters
Delhi to Lucknow to Ayodhya to Varanasi to Rishikesh to Haridwar to Nainital to Jim Corbett
Delhi to Lucknow’s Nawabi quarters, Ram’s Ayodhya, the sacred Ganges at Varanasi, foothill ashrams at Rishikesh, and Jim Corbett’s tiger forests, with an optional Nepal extension. This is one of the newer additions to the collection, and the pricing above is our own estimate rather than a DMC confirmed figure. We reconfirm both the day by day pacing and the exact cost before any deposit is taken.
Key experiences
Ayodhya's temple circuit
Ram Mandir, Hanuman Garhi and Kanak Bhawan. For many diaspora travellers this is now one of the most significant single days on offer in this whole collection.
Bara Imambara and the Bhulbhulaiya maze, Lucknow
Lucknow's Nawabi culture is refined, understated and rarely covered on a standard itinerary. Rumi Darwaza and The Residency ruins alongside it.
A dawn boat ride and evening Ganga Aarti in Varanasi
The oldest continuously inhabited city on earth, seen from the water at dawn and from the ghats at dusk.
Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh
Riverside chanting against the swift turquoise current of the Ganges as it descends from the Himalayas.
Jim Corbett National Park
A dawn safari at India's oldest national park, tracking wild Bengal tigers and Asian elephants across dense sal forest.
Route and itinerary
16 days, 16 to 23 with a Nepal extension across 8 stops
- Days 1 to 5
Delhi, Lucknow & Ayodhya
✈Fly or drive Delhi to Lucknow to Ayodhya
Bara Imambara and the Bhulbhulaiya maze, Rumi Darwaza and The Residency ruins, proper Awadhi cuisine in the Chowk old city, then on to Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir, Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan, and an evening aarti on the Saryu River.
Insider tip: Lucknow's Nawabi culture is a genuinely different India to everything else on this route. Refined, understated, rarely covered on a standard itinerary.
- Days 6 to 7
Varanasi & Sarnath
🚗Drive or train to Varanasi
A dawn boat ride on the Ganges, Sarnath's sacred stupa, and the evening Ganga Aarti at the ancient stone ghats.
Insider tip: The dawn boat ride shows the city from an angle almost nobody sees it from.
- Days 8 to 10
Rishikesh & Haridwar
✈Fly to Dehradun or Rishikesh
Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan ashram against the swift turquoise Ganges, a yoga session, optional river rafting, and a day trip to Haridwar for the evening aarti at Har Ki Pauri.
Insider tip: Har Ki Pauri is a different stretch of the same river, a different register of the same ritual.
- Days 11 to 16
Nainital, Corbett & Delhi
🚗Kumaon hill drive, then Corbett safari, then return to Delhi (DEL)
Naini Lake and Mall Road, a dawn tiger safari at Jim Corbett National Park, India's oldest national park, founded in 1936, then the return transfer to Delhi for departure.
Insider tip: Ask about the optional Nepal extension here if Kathmandu and Pokhara interest you. It needs a separate visa and adds five to seven days.
Gastronomy
- Varanasi banarasi malaiyo
- Awadhi dum biryani and galouti kebabs, Lucknow
- Rishikesh ayurvedic thali
- Garhwali kafuli and mountain trout
Craft and making
- Banarasi handwoven silk
- Brass aarti diya vessels
- Kumaoni woodcarving
Seasonal weather and timing
When to go
Best months: October to March for the plains, April to June for the Uttarakhand hills
Mystical morning fog over the Varanasi ghats during dawn boat rides.
Makar Sankranti and Magh Mela in Prayagraj
Sunny, pleasant days, good for Sarnath's Buddhist stupas and the Rishikesh ashrams.
International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh
Pleasant spring sunshine, with an unmatched atmosphere during Holi in Varanasi.
Holi in Varanasi
The plains warm up. A good time to head into Nainital and the Corbett hills.
Ram Navami in Ayodhya
Warm plains. Rishikesh's Ganges rafting and Kumaon hill lodges offer a refreshing escape.
Buddha Jayanti at Sarnath
Warm across the plains. Pre monsoon showers cool the Kumaon and Garhwal ridges.
Ganga Dussehra
A swollen green Ganges and vibrant Shravan pilgrimages.
Shravan Somvar
Lush green Kumaon hills and cosy rains across the Avadh food quarters.
Janmashtami in Mathura
Rains recede, leaving clear air over the Ganges and fresh mountain trails.
Ramlila previews
Ideal touring weather returns, with festival excitement building.
The Ramlila of Ramnagar, and Dussehra
Over a million clay lamps illuminate the Varanasi ghats during Dev Deepawali.
Dev Deepawali
Crisp winter weather, hot chai on the ghats, clear Kumaon mountain views.
Varanasi Music Festival
Pricing and module swaps
Pick a tier, try a swap, see the total.
Budget and Premium follow the same route. The difference is accommodation quality and service level. The temples, backwaters, desert and mountains are the same either way. Land-only, per person, based on a shared double or twin room.
This is a newer route on our collection, priced by us from the per day rate of our four longest running trips rather than a DMC confirmed figure yet. We will confirm exact costing before taking a deposit.
Good to know
This is one of the newer routes in the collection, added to fold in Lucknow and Ayodhya between Delhi and Varanasi. The day by day pacing and precise hotel tier is still being finalised with our destination partners, and pricing above is our own estimate rather than a confirmed number, so we always reconfirm both before a deposit is taken.
- All ground transport between cities, including internal flights where noted
- Accommodation per selected tier
- Daily breakfast
- Guided experiences as listed in the itinerary
- Entry fees for all listed sites
- A dedicated English speaking guide
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses and tips
- Nepal visa and extension costs if the Nepal module is selected