Kathmandu to Delhi Adventure

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Kathmandu

Arrive in Kathmandu at any time, there are no planned activities until mid afternoon, so check into to the hotel (check-in time is 12.00 midday) and enjoy the city. At 15.00pm we will have a group meeting where you will meet your fellow group members, go over the details of your trip and this will be followed by a short orientation tour of Kathmandu and a visit to Bouddhanath. Check the notice board to see where the group meeting will be held. Kathmandu is Nepal’s magical capital and largest city and for many, simply the name alone is sufficient to conjure up images of temple pagodas, long-haired saddhus in clouds of hashish smoke and the ever-present Himalayas. Kathmandu is all this and more. Sitting in a bowl-like valley surrounded on all sides by some of the highest mountains on earth, Kathmandu has been a crossroads of cultures since hundreds of years before Christ, a tradition very much alive today.Highlights in Kathmandu include world-famous Durbar Square, the King’s Palace, the burning ghats at Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath, the monkey temple. But more than almost any city in the world, Kathmandu is fascinating at every turn, and some travellers prefer to just wander, seeing where chance, fate or the city may lead them.MOUNTAIN FLIGHTSRegular flights are conducted daily from Kathmandu towards the Himalayan Range in the North and East of Kathmandu. The flight generally takes off in the morning and lasts for one full hour. This is the quickest way to get a close look at Mt. Everest, the highest mountains in the world. Other mountains that can be viewed at close range are Nuptse (7879 M), Lhotse (8501 M), Cho Oyu (8000M), Makalu (8475 M) and Kanchenjunga (8584 M).

Day 2 Lumbini

Today we have a spectacular flight, from Kathmandu, Nepal's magical capital and largest city to the great Buddhist pilgrimage centre of the Buddha, Lumbini. Lumbini (Sanskrit for "the lovely") is the historical birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located 25kms east of the municipality of Kapilavastu, the place where the Buddha grew up and lived up to the age of 29.

Day 3 Bhairawa, Nepal/India border, Varanasi

We travel from Lumbini, cross the Nepalese/Indian border and continue on to Varanasi. It is not possible to get an Indian visa at the border, you must obtain that visa before departing your home country. India is 15 minutes behind of Nepal.We arrive late in the afternoon into Varanasi, the quintessential Indian holy city where millions of Hindu travel, for pilgrimage, to worship, to mourn or to die.

Day 4-5 Varanasi

Walk the narrow twisting alleys, poke around some of the literally hundreds of temples and shrines, and experience the energy of the dawn rituals of bathing and burnings as you float past the numerous ghats of the River Ganges.Sitting on the banks of the River Ganges, you can contemplate what it means to be in Varanasi, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, dating back thousands of years. The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganges and its religious importance; the city has been a cultural and religious centre in northern India for thousands of years. Or wander through the Old City with its maze of narrow alleyways full of small shops and stalls. Perhaps you could visit the monasteries and ruins of nearby Sarnath, the site of Buddha's first sermon.During our stay take boats out onto the sacred Ganges River, both for sunrise and sunset. For the evening boat journey enjoy a candle flower ceremony accompanied by sitar and tabla playing.On the afternoon of Day 5 we transfer to the railway station for the overnight train to Lucknow (approx 13 hrs).

Day 6-7 Lucknow

Visit one of the key battlegrounds of the 1857 Uprising, the Residency, before heading out to the old city to see traditional craftmen producing rich gold zari work, delicate chikan embroidery and strong attar perfume.In Kipling's Kim "no city - except Bombay, the queen of all - was more beautiful in her garish style than Lucknow". As the Mughal empire disintegraed, many independent kingdoms were established. Lucknow rose to pprominence when Asaf-ud-Daula shifted his court here in 1775.Lucknows most haunting monuments are the ruins of the Residency. This complex was an exclusive British enclave. In 1857, all the city's British residents took refuge here during the five-month siege.The most distinctive architectural structures are the imambaras, or ceremonial halls. The Bara (Great) Imambara, was built by Daula in 1784, especially as a famine relief project providing much needed employment. It is said that while one group of workers were invovled with its construction in the day, another group dismantled it at night. The Bara Imambara, with its massive vaulted hall, is full of countless twinkling chandeliers. It is also famous for a secret maze of more than 1000 passages.Lucknow also has some of the best food in India, especially the various varieties of kebabs.In the evening of Day 7 we transfer to the railway station for the overnight train to Delhi (approx 9 hrs).

Day 8 Depart Delhi

Arrive into Delhi in the morning and transfer to a centrally located hotel where we have a couple of rooms for you to use until midday, when the trip finishes. We will have a short orientation walk as well as a ride on one of Delhi's new metro system.If you are departing India today its best to book your flight for later in the afternoon as delays do occur. Please note that additional accommodation is also available at this hotel in Delhi. G.A.P Adventures offers a Delhi city break extensions (3 days/2 nights) which gives you the option of a higher standard of accommodation. Please check with your agent at the time of booking.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Guesthouses/hotels (5 nts), sleeper train (2 nts)
Departure	Departs every second Sunday, August-April.
DepEnd	Sun-Sun
Group Size	Max 15, Avg 10
Included Highlights	-Orientation walk Kathmandu-Morning flight across Nepal-Excursion to Lumbini (Buddhas birthplace) and heritage park-River Ganges boat trip at sunrise and sunset (including candle flower ceremony) -Orientation walk along the ghats and through the old city of Varanasi-Imambara and the Residency in Lucknow-Orientation walk Delhi and ride on the new metro
Local Payment	USD150
Meals Included	No meals included
StartFinish	Kathmandu to Delhi
Transport	Train, local bus, charter bus, auto-rickshaw, cycle-rickshaw, plane, small river boat, metro
Brochure Intro	This amazing adventure starts in the winding streets of Kathmandu, and ends in the bustling streets of Delhi. Enjoy a breathtaking flight across Nepal, immerse yourself in the spirituality of Buddha's birthplace, observe the incredible rituals of Varanasi and relive the legacy of the British and the Indian fight for Independence in Lucknow.

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2008-08-17	2008-08-24	7+
2008-09-14	2008-09-21	7+
2008-11-02	2008-11-09	7+
2008-11-16	2008-11-23	7+
2008-12-14	2008-12-21	7+
2009-01-11	2009-01-18	7+
2009-02-08	2009-02-15	7+
2009-03-08	2009-03-15	7+
2009-04-05	2009-04-12	7+
2009-05-03	2009-05-10	7+
2009-05-24	2009-05-31	7+
2009-06-07	2009-06-14	7+
2009-06-21	2009-06-28	7+
2009-07-05	2009-07-12	7+
2009-07-19	2009-07-26	7+
2009-08-02	2009-08-09	7+
2009-08-16	2009-08-23	7+
2009-08-30	2009-09-06	7+
2009-09-13	2009-09-20	7+
2009-09-27	2009-10-04	7+
2009-10-11	2009-10-18	7+
2009-10-18	2009-10-25	7+
2009-11-01	2009-11-08	7+
2009-11-15	2009-11-22	7+
2009-11-29	2009-12-06	7+
2009-12-13	2009-12-20	7+
2009-12-27	2010-01-03	7+

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