Top India Budget Historic Sightseeing Tours & Packages 2025/2026

Highlights

• The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, with its poetic history and beauty having the power to surprise even the most jaded travellers.
• Discover the rich history and architecture of the Amber Fort, with the expertise of a local guide. The kaleidoscopic magic of the Hall of Mirrors is unforgettable
• India is famous for its great sleeper trains and you'll be tucked up nicely in your own padded bunk
• The Thar Desert is a vast space, but the locals treat it as their own back garden. Relax watching the sunset and sleep under the stars
• A hot air balloon experience above Jaipur is extraordinary. Float high over the spectacular palaces and forts with the ultimate bird's eye view

Highlights

• This is our most popular trip to Rajasthan and one of the top-selling trips in our entire range. Opulent, whimsical, and endlessly fascinating – Rajasthan will no doubt capture your imagination and your heart too.
• Don't worry if you find the idea of travelling to India daunting at first - your local leader will be on hand to give you all the insider info to help you have a memorable experience of this captivating, but sometimes challenging, country.
• Walk past hills, shimmering lakes, and marble palaces of Udaipur – India’s most romantic city and one of our favourites.
• Keep your adrenaline charged with an evening tiger-spotting safari among the lakes and jungles of one of India's best known national parks - Ranthambhore.
• Visit our local friends in their home on the border of sacred Pushkar Lake and the evocative Thar Desert. Share a meal together and gain insight into local life.

Highlights

• Experience the character of Old Delhi on a rickshaw and walking tour, weaving through the narrow alleyways and exploring Delhi’s oldest mosque.
• See the Taj Mahal up close and wonder at the intricate optical illusions that decorate the marble on this sumptuous masterpiece of Indian architecture.
• Tour the spectacular hillside Amber Fort and wonder at the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), where the walls are covered in a mosaic of reflective and coloured glass.
• Take a break from bustling cities in rural Rajasthan, where you can catch your breath and spend the night in the faded opulence of your heritage stay.
• This trip is perfect for people short on time, as long travel days are kept to a minimum on an itinerary that hits several icons of North India.

Highlights

• Bigger and more beautiful than any photo can capture, the Taj Mahal is a triumph of Mughal architecture that promises to inspire even the most seasoned travellers.
• Learn to whip up some central Indian staples during a cooking demonstration at home with friends in Orchha; the perfect opportunity to experience an authentic slice of Indian family life.
• See pilgrims praying and bathing along the ghats of the sacred Ganges River during an unforgettable sunrise cruise in Varanasi – one of India's holiest cities.
• Stay in a lodge and wake to the calls of the jungle in Chitwan National Park, then embark on a safari in search of rhino, deer, monkeys, and a wide array of birdlife.
• Spend a memorable night atAmaltari Madhyavarti Homestay – staying here provides sustainable incomes and encourages local communities to conserve the wilderness and wildlife around them.

Highlights

• Explore the waterfalls, tea plantations and spice markets of South India’s Western Ghats – a jungle-clad mountain range older than the Himalayas and one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
• Step back in time among the hills of the British ‘Snooty Ooty’ – home of snooker and the Nilgiri toy train.
• Search for elusive wildlife, including elephants, sloths and birds on a safari around one of the best places in India to observe nature up close – Periyar National Park.
• Experience a unique way of life with a family homestay and home-cooked meals in the idyllic backwaters of Kerala.
• Soak in India’s changing landscapes on a trip that uses rail travel. By choosing trains to get around, you’ll be giving yourself the best opportunity for local interaction, at a more relaxed pace.

Highlights

• Dive into a nature lover’s paradise at Khao Sok National Park, exploring, hiking, relaxing, and cruising by longtail boat on a limestone cliff-circled lake.
• Taste Thai traditions while learning how to cook authentic dishes with your host, during a village visit in Krabi.
• Encounter the fusion of cultures that gives Penang a unique atmosphere; walk down the backstreets where historic buildings, tumble-down shops and hawker-filled alleyways meld with cool street art.
• Find a slice of paradise on an included sea kayaking trip through the stunning inlets, caves and hidden lagoons of the Baan Bor Tor mangrove forests.
• By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, EcoThailand Foundation. Donations help educate school children on important environmental issues like climate change, nature appreciation, conservation and sustainability.

Highlights

• The cool mountain air of Shimla Hill Station and a scenic ride on the World Heritage-listed ‘toy-train’ are the perfect way to experience this Himalayan hideout.
• Explore the home of the Dalai Lama – Dharmasala. This highland haven is the ideal place for an enlightening experience of Tibetan spirituality, culture, and history.
• Witness a unique ‘performance’ of the flag ceremony at India and Pakistan's Wagah border – a daily practice conducted since 1959, drawing crowds for its unconventional and ostentatious practices.
• Learn about Sikhism on an included visit to the one of most sacred monuments of the faith – the luminous Golden Temple in Amritsar.
• Breeze through the self-proclaimed ‘Yoga Capital of the World’ in Rishikesh, walking along the holy Ganges, and explore the crumbling beauty and famous mural-lined walls of the Chaurasi Kutia ashram.

Highlights

• Rise in the cool half-light of dawn and watch the sunrise while you glide over the River Ganges on a small riverboat.
• Stay in a riverside jungle lodge in Chitwan National Park, then embark on a safari in search of rhinos, Bengal tigers, monkeys, and more.
• Join pilgrims during a visit to the birthplace of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, where evidence of a shrine dated before 550 BC was uncovered in 2013.
• Enjoy a relaxing evening at a community homestay in the Madi Valley, a lush Nepalese valley bordered by forest and river.
• Immerse yourself in the holy city of Varanasi, exploring the Old City by day and soaking up the atmosphere of a candle flower ceremony as the sunsets.