India Tours in Winter

Would thoroughly recommend this tour for a great experience of the Golden Triangle and so much more. Rajasthan is beautiful, full of vibrant colours and friendly people. As the tour details say, this is a full on tour and there are long coach journeys most days as the distances between the cities and sights are large. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of them though. The forts and palaces are amazing. Keshav was a brilliant tour leader, very knowledgeable about every visit and a great sense of humour. He was very supportive and aware of the groups needs.

I really enjoyed this tour. Wonderful itinerary taking in so many interesting and memorable sights, not only historic but also of life in one part of this extraordinary kaleidoscope of a country. An excellent taster, particularly if you haven’t been to India before and are a bit hesitant. Arrangements were spot on, with a brilliant guide (Satish), driver and driver’s assistant, warm welcomes everywhere - and the group of 12 was a very nice mix. Quite full on and we were glad we had the time to arrive in Delhi a day early (and visit the excellent textile museum and Gandhi’s house), and also to stay on afterwards for some slower paced days in Kerala.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The accommodation was all excellent - quite varied but all good. Our tour leader, Viru, was excellent. He kept everything running smoothly and dealt with the inevitable issues and challenges with aplomb. We had game drives in four different parks and all were great - we saw a lot of wildlife and managed a total of 21 tiger sightings including the amazing sight of a couple mating in Banhavgarh.

A wonderful introduction to the beautiful chaos of India. We felt very safe with Explore but our amazing guide, Varun, did not shield us from enjoying the full onslaught on all 5 senses that India provides. The Bollywood optional tour is a must. Some of the local guides were a bit tiresome I would have enjoyed to explore the sites like the Amber fort at my own pace.

A magical two weeks, tracing the old camel caravan routes through Rajasthan. Every day there were highlights, whether that be temples, forts, palaces to look at or stay in, and a wonderful array of colours, ladies in elegant saris, noisy markets, beautiful gardens. I particularly loved Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner ( the majestic Gajner Palace, have the massage), getting to travel on an Indian train ( left on time, arrived on time), and friendly locals wherever we went. Our outstanding guide Satish was very knowledgeable on sites, history and culture and good fun to be with, along with a nice group. A big shout out to our driver Ram Naresh and his assistant Sita Ram. Faultless driving and big smiles for us every morning as we got on the bus. Do read the trip notes! When Explore says this trip is full on, they really mean it. We had a couple of very long days, but overall I thought it was well balanced with breaks and some optional activities. With highlights popping up every day, I personally wouldn’t have wanted to miss anything. We also knew in late Jan/early Feb. it would be nice and sunny in the day but cold at night, so come prepared. All in all a special trip, highly recommended!

A brilliant introduction to India, covering the expected sites like Taj Mahal, but also the authentic India with visits to villages, temples and streets. The food and restaurants were always top quality, the transport was comfortable and safe and really enabled us to cover a lot of ground and see so much. The local guides were all very knowledgeable and passionate, as was Neha, our tour leader, who was flexible, warm and welcoming, compassionate and kind. She was the most perfect guide to the most perfect tour.