India tours

Paharganj provides the first experience of the Subcontinent for many budget travellers, but there is also a less visible underside to life here, in the shape of the street children. Many are runaways who’ve left difficult homes, often hundreds of kilometres away - most sleep on the streets. The Salaam Baalak Trust, a local NGO, organizes walking tours of the area conducted by former street children. Tours last two hours and usually start at 10am (daily except Sundays). Proceeds go towards providing shelter, education and healthcare for the children themselves.

In Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the president of India. It’s one of the largest and most grandiose of the Raj constructions, built between 1921 and 1929. Its majestic proportions can be appreciated on guided tours. The most interesting of the tours run around the main buildings, or (in season) the Mughal gardens at the west side; modelled on Mughal pleasure parks, the latter are a typically ordered square pattern of quadrants separated by waterways and refreshed by fountains. Other features include tennis courts, butterfly enclosures, vegetable and fruit patches and a swimming pool.

For luxury tours, all five-star hotels offer their own packages. Some hotels in and around Paharganj, such as Namaskar and Metropolis can arrange city tours by taxi for around ₹1000, which is good value when shared between three or four people. There are also walking tours of Paharganj and Nizamuddin available too.

Jaipur’s most instantly recognisable landmark, the Hawa Mahal, or “Palace of Winds”, stands to the east of the City Palace. It’s best appreciated from the outside during the early morning, when it glows orange-pink in the rays of the rising sun. Built in 1799 to enable the women of the court to watch street processions while remaining in purdah (a type of veil), its five-storey facade, decked out with hundreds of finely screened windows and balconies, makes the building seem far larger than it really is. In fact, it’s little more than a facade. Once inside, you can climb up the back of the facade to the screened niches from where the ladies of the court would once have looked down, and which still offer superb views over the mayhem of Jaipur below. There are audio guides and guided tours available of this well-known monument.

Boat rides around Lake Pichola in Rajasthan depart from the jetty towards the south end of the City Palace complex, offering unforgettable views of the various palaces. Circuits of the lake take 45min and cost around ₹450 before 3pm or roughly ₹800 afterwards, plus the additional fee for the City Palace general entry ticket. All trips stop at the Jag Mandir palace. Tours depart hourly on the hour from 10am to 6pm. You can also rent your own boat (seating up to seven people) here for around ₹5300. Alternatively, on the waterfront between the Jaiwana and Kankarwa havelis (hotels), you can take a short boat ride for approximately ₹250-400 (15-40min), or rent a private boat for around ₹1500 for up to four people (30min).

South of Bhirendiara and closer to Bhuj is Sumeraser Sheikh, where NGO Kala Raksha maintains an archive of antique textiles, a handicraft workshop, a museum and a fixed-price shop. Most of Kala Raksha’s participants are women from marginalized communities. This is a great place to learn about local embroidery, tie-dyeing, patchwork and inlay techniques. Call ahead to arrange a tour. Searching for India holidays? From Delhi to Jaipur and everywhere in between, India is home to a wealth of attractions.

Few visitors who make it as far as Jaisalmer pass up the opportunity to go on a camel trek, which provides an irresistibly romantic chance to cross the barren sands and sleep under one of the starriest skies in the world. Sandstorms aside, the safaris are great fun. Treks normally last from one to four days. Sahara Travels is a dependable operator which was established in 1989. They offer well-priced safaris with comfy cot beds, adequate blankets and a decent supply of food and drink, it’s a top choice for this type of tour.