Top India Local Immersion & Homestays Trips & Packages In 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

• With so much going on in the chaotic capital of Delhi, a local leader is a must. Get to know the city with your leader helping you navigate.
• Have your expectations smashed by the spectacular Taj Mahal during a guided tour that illuminates the building’s fascinating back story.
• Spend sunrise along the holy Ganges River in Varanasi, watching thousands of Hindu pilgrims bathe in the water as the sun soaks everything in warm light.
• Tordi Garh is a place few travellers get to see, but you’ll stay in this rural Rajasthani village in style during a night at a 16th-century palace.
• Travelling across India wouldn’t be complete without a journey on a sleeper train. With padded bunks for comfort and vendors selling chai and samosas, it’s a quintessential Indian experience.

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

• Embark on full day trips to vast national parks, including Kaziranga National Park, home to two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinos, as well as wild boar, tigers, elephants, panthers and some incredible birdlife.
• Learn about the proud warrior traditions of the Naga people and their resistance against colonial forces, exploring hillside villages like Khonoma and Kigwema.
• Visit a lush Khasi village dubbed the cleanest in India by the former prime minister, then hike to a living root bridge that looks like something out of a fairy tale.
• Gaze out at the Himalayas from the Darjeeling Toy Train as it winds its way through the mountains – it doesn’t get much more fun than a steam-powered locomotive ride.
• Travel to parts of India seldom seen by tourists, and be rest assured that with a local trip leader by your side every step of the way, you’ll find the best lookout points, dinner spots and local secrets.

Highlights

• Golden beaches and age-old fishing villages make Goa one of India’s most popular retreats – and a perfect place to consider extending your southern India adventure.
• Take the atmosphere of Shimla or Darjeeling, add lush tropical jungle and you have the Western Ghats: a hotspot of thundering waterfalls, tea plantations, spice markets, and echoes of a colonial past.
• Glide through the backwaters of Kerala on a pole boat, going ashore for a village homestay – a beautiful break from hotels and a perfect way to get close to local customs and culture.
• Cross into Kochi – a colonial centre and major port city in India’s southwest. Explore the seaside Fort Kochi area and consider watching a traditional Kathakali dance performance in your free time.
• Paddle by canoe to your guesthouse in the temple town of Hampi to enjoy a special stay on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

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.