February 19th – March 5th, 2023
➜ US and European citizens may now easily obtain an E-Visa for India. As a result, you can skip the process of obtaining a tourist visa from the Indian Embassy and can simply take care of the procedures online. Please note that you can only apply for the E-visa within 4 weeks of your arrival date.
Here are the steps:
Here is some information you will need to complete the process:
*If you choose the ONE MONTH VISA, you should apply 4 weeks before your arrival date.
*If you choose the ONE YEAR VISA, you can apply at any time.
➜ Canadian citizens need to obtain a visa from the Indian Embassy/Consulate. To apply for this visa, please make an appointment at BLS – the official Indian visa processing agency in Canada – at your earliest convenience. BLS will provide you with the visa instructions.
This is India (we’ll say that a thousand times!), so unfortunately, strong internet is not exactly widespread. While all of the hotels we stay at have Wi-fi, the connection is often poor to okay. It will work and you’ll be able to send emails and do whatever you need to do, but it just might take longer than normal. You can also activate the international plan from your network at home or buy an E-Sim card online that will ensure you have a good 4G/5G connection throughout the tour.
Packing lightly will always make it easier to load up the vans and will also be less of a hassle as we move from place to place. There may be times when you’ll need to walk with your luggage for a short distance in order to reach our accommodation. Also, please keep in mind that in our internal flights from Udaipur to Varanasi and from Varanasi to Delhi, the maximum amount of checked luggage allowed is 15kg (33 pounds). You will also be allowed 1 piece of carry-on that weighs no more than 7kg (15 pounds) and 1 personal item. For your convenience, we’ll recommend you to pack-up a day bag with everything you need for our 3 night stay in Varanasi, as our trusted drivers will drive your bags back to Delhi, which will be waiting for your return.
India uses the Indian rupee as their currency and you will need to have local money in order to make purchases. The best method to get Indian rupees is via ATM machines which can be found in all cities and towns in India. This method ensures you’ll get the best exchange rate and you won’t have to carry around a large amount of cash. However, please check with your bank to make sure they don’t charge high foreign ATM fees.
If your bank fees are too high, you can also exchange USD, GBP or Euros at money exchange offices located throughout the country.
Credit cards are accepted at some restaurants and shops as well, but cash is still necessary for smaller purchases.
Tipping in India is not as common as in the West, but in some cases it is expected. Here’s a general guideline:
*Tips for local guides and waitstaff at included meals are already included.
We will set up a WhatsApp chat 2 weeks prior to the start of the tour that will include all of the participants as well as your tour leader. This will allow everyone to get to know each other in advance, ask questions and communicate with your tour leader both before and during the tour. It will be very useful for you to have WhatsApp available to you during the tour as this will be the main method of communication.
The tour leader for your trip is Sakai Naismith. He will be with you every step of the way. With his extensive experience and vast knowledge of India, you’ll be in excellent hands. He will introduce himself and share more details when we create the group WhatsApp chat approximately 2 weeks before the tour.
With rules and regulations regarding Covid testing constantly changing, our team will ensure that you have all the information necessary to properly prepare for your entry into India. As of November 22nd, 2022 India no longer requires proof of vaccination or a PCR test prior to arrival unless you’re transiting through China, Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore or Thailand, in which case you will require a negative PCR test taken not more than 72 hours prior to departure.
Please follow the below instructions upon arrival at Delhi’s International Airport:
➜ Please note: When filling out the Landing Card upon arrival at the Delhi Airport, you will need to enter the name of the hotel where you will be staying. Please enter: Park Inn Lajpat Nagar (Address: 1&2, Ring Rd, Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi, 110024, India)
➜ Important: You MUST print out a copy of your E-Visa approval notice which you will receive via email. You will need to show this to the airline staff upon check-in for your flight and again to the immigration officer at the airport in Delhi.
February 19th: New Delhi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast (for the participants that booked the pre-trip accommodation with us), Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Park Inn Lajpat Nagar
February 20th: New Delhi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Park Inn Lajpat Nagar
February 21st: New Delhi ➜ Agra
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Aman Homestay
February 22nd: Agra ➜ Ranthambore
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Ranthambore Bagh Palace
February 23rd: Ranthambore
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Ranthambore Bagh Palace
February 24th: Ranthambore ➜ Bundi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Dev Niwas Hotel
February 25th: Bundi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast
➜ Accommodation: Dev Niwas Hotel
February 26th: Bundi ➜ Udaipur
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Lake Pichola Hotel
February 27th: Udaipur
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Lake Pichola Hotel
February 28th: Udaipur
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Lake Pichola Hotel
March 1st: Udaipur ➜ Varanasi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Sri Omkar Hotel
March 2nd: Varanasi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Sri Omkar Hotel
March 3rd: Varanasi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast
➜ Accommodation: Sri Omkar Hotel
March 4th: Varanasi ➜ Delhi
➜ Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
➜ Accommodation: Ibis Hotel Aerocity
March 5th: Delhi / Departure Day
➜ Included meals: Breakfast
➜ Wandering Earl Tours expert tour leader
➜ Small group (maximum 12 participants)
➜ Accommodation (14 nights – 3* hotels, guesthouses)
➜ Transportation within India (vans, internal flights)
➜ Local guides
➜ All activities and entrance fees
➜ Breakfast every day, 5 lunches and 11 dinners
➜ Gratuities at hotels/included meals
➜ All airport transfers
➜ Flights to/from India
➜ Passport/visa fees
➜ Meals and activities not mentioned
➜ Travel insurance (mandatory)
➜ Other gratuities
Please note that in the event of any interruption to your tour experience as a result of your testing positive for Covid-19, our staff will be on hand to assist with making any arrangements that need to be made. This could include accommodation booking, transportation, scheduling additional Covid-19 tests, etc. However, it is important to understand that you would be fully responsible for all expenses incurred related to interruptions to the trip and/or medical treatment needed as a result of a positive Covid-19 test before, during or after the trip. We highly recommend having a travel/health insurance policy that covers Covid-19 related situations. By participating in the tour, you are confirming your understanding of the above
That’s all for now! If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at team@wanderingearl.com.
