Mystical and colorful; a symphony for all of your senses, that is India. Allow Go Eat Give founder, Sucheta Rawal take you on second annual insightful journey through her hometown India. In New Delhi, discover monuments constructed by Kings, Colonial British architecture, places of worship from various religions and some of the best eateries in the world. Take a day trip to the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and soak in the beauty of the marble mausoleum. Head north to Chandigarh, one of the best designed cities in India and modeled after Paris, where you will volunteer with the local community. Head into the interiors of Punjab and witness true northern Indian culture. Visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, one of the most spiritual places on Earth and watch the changing of the guards at India/ Pakistan border. We will be visiting New Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Agra, and .
Inquire about booking a customized group tour at info@goeatgive.com
Price Range: $5,000-6,000 per person based on double occupancy. International airfare to New Delhi not included.
Accompanied by Go Eat Give founder, Sucheta Rawal
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Contact info@goeatgive.com for more information
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Inclusions:
- Airport transfers
- 14 nights lodging in 4-5 star hotels
- Local transportation
- Fare for train, plane, etc. between cities
- Daily breakfast at hotel
- Most meals including hosted family dinners
- English speaking guide & escort
- Sightseeing entrance tickets
- Cultural activities tickets
- Volunteering coordination
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Exclusions:
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- International airfare to New Delhi
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- Visa upon arrival fee
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- Trip insurance. Get our Volunteer Card
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- Tips, drinks and some meals
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- Extra nights stay
- Room charges (room service, laundry, spa, etc)
Payment and Cancellation Policy: Non refundable deposit of $250 due upon registration. Full payment must be received 60 days prior to departure. Cancellation is NOT allowed within 60 days of departure, unless Go Eat Give cancels the trip, in which case you will get the option to receive 100% refund or apply your funds towards a future trip. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance in case if you need to cancel due to unforeseen events.
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SAMPLE ITINERARY (subject to change)
Day 1| Arrival in New Delhi
- Arrive at New Delhi International airport. Private pickup and transfer to Hotel Royal Plaza, a 4-star luxury boutique property located in the city center.
- You are welcome to arrive a day early to relax & catch up with jet lag. .
Day 2| Old Delhi (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Lunch at Chor Bizarre, one of the most famous Indian restaurants in the world, inspired by the thieves market.
- Visit Jama Masjid, the largest mosques in India, built by Mogul emperor, Shah Jahan. Completed in 1658 this Mosque has three gateways, four angle towers and two 40 m high minarets
- Enjoy a thrilling Rickshaw Ride through the streets of Chandni Chowk and walk around the spice market.
- Witness the sound and light show at Red Fort, built in 1639, when Shah Jahandecided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Built in Red Sand stone this imposing fort is 3 kilometers in perimeter with the height of the wall varying from 18 to 30 meters at places.
- Dinner at famous Mughlai restaurant, Karims, established in 1913 and rated one of the top 10 restaurants in Asia. Overnight at Hotel Royal Plaza.
Day 3| New Delhi (Breakfast, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Visit Akshardham Hindu temple complex that displays millennia of traditional Hinduand Indian culture, spirituality, and architecture.
- Lotus Temple, the world famous Bahai temple set amidst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith.
- Enjoy lunch at Connaught Place (on your own). CP is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in New Delhi.
- Tour Qutub Minar and Humayun Tomb.
- In the evening take a stroll at India Gate built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers killed in World War I. India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931.
- Dinner with host family. Overnight at Hotel Royal Plaza.
Day 4| Countryside and Highways (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Check out and take a road trip from New Delhi to Chandigarh. Watch the Indian countryside which includes corn and wheat fields, huts, cows, tractors and much more. (Drive takes approx. 5 hours).
- Lunch on the way at a typical Punjabi Dhaba (truck stop), a must see!
- Check in to Hotel Maya in Chandigarh. Known as The City Beautiful, Chandigarh is the first planned city in India, and the capital of the states, Punjab and Haryana. Read more about Chandigarh.
- Dinner with host family (included). Overnight at Hotel Maya.
Day 5| Sucheta’s hometown (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Tour of Chandigarh starting with Secretariat; Rock Garden, an embodiment of imagination and novelty; and Sukhna Lake, entirely man made lake and a source of water for the city. Here you can take a stroll, go for a boat ride, or simple people watch.
- Enjoy Indo-Chinese lunch at one of Sucheta’s favorite restaurants (included).
- Thereafter, visit largest rose garden in Asia and in the evening enjoy sari-shopping for women and custom suits for men, at the city’s famous shopping sector, simply known as “Sector 17.”
- Meet Sucheta’s 80+ year old grandmother, a lifelong humanitarian who founded many charities and social organizations. Enjoy a home cooked dinner at the home Sucheta’s grew up in. Overnight at Hotel Maya.
Day 6| India’s Education (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Discussions with students and teachers at Carmel Convent Chandigarh, to learn about the education system of India. Carmel is rated top 4 schools for girls in India. Sucheta is a graduate of this school!
- For lunch, taste typical street food of India. Sucheta will take you to a renowned Halwai (sweet and snack shop), Gokul that has been pleasing the locals with popular foods such as pani-puri, aloo chat, South Indian dosa, chana bhatoora, and north Indian sweets for generations. This is the shop where Indians dry fruits, mithai and festival gift baskets.
- Free afternoon for shopping, spa or Ayurveda treatment.
- Dinner tonight is on your own. Overnight at Hotel Maya.
Day 7| Volunteering at Women’s Shelter (Breakfast, Lunch)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Volunteer workshops at Savera, a women’s shelter that houses battered and trafficked women. Speak to the staff about the domestic violence issues faced by women in India. Volunteer teaching life skills such as English, photography, journaling, typing, computers, etc.
- Lunch at Sucheta’s favorite Indian fast-food restaurant, Hot Millions (on your own). Choose from Indian fusion options, such as chicken-tikka pizza, paneer kathi wraps, veggie sandwiches and more.
- After lunch, visit the workshops established by Chandigarh Rotary.
- Free afternoon to visit Rose Garden and Sector 17
- Dinner with host family. Overnight at Hotel Maya.
Day 8| Volunteering at the City Village (Breakfast, Lunch)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Volunteer at Aangan Wadi village project. We will serve snacks to the children at the community center of the village, and give gifts to the women and children. We will also tour the homes of some of the locals and discuss with them important issues that they face.
- Lunch at local restaurant.
- Free afternoon for shopping at city’s famous markets, Sector 17 and 22.
- Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Maya.
Day 9| The heart of Punjab (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Early morning drive from Chandigarh to Amritsar (approx. 5 hours).
- Take a break for Indian chai and semolina halva at a Punjabi village-style restaurant.
- Check in to Khalsa School guest house and lunch with staff.
- In the afternoon, visit Wagah Border, the international borderline between India and Pakistan.
- Spend the evening shopping for wool shawls and scarves at the open-air markets of Katra Jaimal.
- Dinner at local Dhaba. Enjoy famous Amritsari Kulchas, or stuffed bread, Amritsar fish fry, or other local delicacies. Overnight at Khalsa guest house.
Day 10| Spiritual Sikhism (Breakfast)
- Breakfast at your guest house.
- Volunteer at Khalsa school and orphanage.
- A special visit to the Golden Temple, the holiest abode of the Sikhs.
- Watch the communal lunch, known as Langar, at the Golden Temple. Lunch on your own.
- Stop by at Jallianwala Bagh a sprawling memory of the great tragedy, which evokes the patriotic spirit in every Indian.
- In the evening, board flight for Agra. Overnight at Hotel Double Tree by Hilton.
Day 11-12| Dharmsala (Breakfast, Lunch)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Activities TBD
Day 13| World’s Wonder (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Visit Taj Mahal with your tour guide.
- Brief stop at the marble factory to see local artists and shop for souvenirs.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Visit the magnificent Agra Fort at sunset
- In the evening, witness the magnificent beauty at Mohabbat by Taj live Broadway style show at Kalakriti.
- Dinner at a local restaurant, Pinch of Spices. Overnight at Hotel Gateway by Taj.
Day 14| Souvenirs and Back Home (Breakfast)
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Checkout and trader to airport for flight back to New Delhi.
- Free day for shopping for souvenirs for your friends. We will go to Janpath’s Tibetan market famous street that sells antiques, silver, crafts, clothes and much more. You may choose to visit one of the local museums, malls or attractions on your own.
- Spend the evening at Dili Haat. Taste foods from all around India and shop for handicrafts displayed by different states.
- Farewell dinner at local restaurant or host family.
- Transfer to airport for your flight home.
*Carefully check the date and time of your flight. If you like to stay extra nights in New Delhi, or have an extended trip, let us know, so we can arrange your bookings.
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Rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk Volunteering at Khalsa orphanage Lunch at Chor Bazaare India Gate Jama Masjid by night Volunteer at women’s safe house Flying kits in Old Delhi Home cooked meals Golden Temple in Amritsar Lotus Temple Karim’s Restaurant Shopping for spices in the wholesale market Lunch at a highway Dhaba Hosted dinners Sari shopping experience Dinner with host family Ayurvedic treatment center Jama Masjid Sucheta & her grandmother Himayun’s Tomb (mini Taj) -
The sights, sounds, smells and people of India are vivid memories of mine. The most important of these are the generous people who hosted us for dinner in their homes. We were not strangers to them, and we were welcomed with flowers, gifts, henna, astrology, in addition to a wonderful home cooked dinner. Thank you, new friends! I hope to see you again and would love to entertain you in my home. ~ Elizabeth Etoll, retired IBM executive. (India 2014)I loved traveling to India with Go Eat Give. We experienced the culture, dined on delicious cuisine and established new friendships.
Sucheta and our tour guides were amazing. I loved that we felt like we were seeing the home country of friends. Personally I enjoyed our volunteer projects, helping and meeting organizations striving to improve the quality of life for those with diverse needs. And wow! we had fun, from rickshaw rides, shopping in the spice market, sari shopping, photo shoots at the Taj Mahal, enchanting rooftop dining,to unique and comfortable accommodations. Everything was an experience to enjoy. I have lifetime memories and experienced India in away that only Go Eat Give can offer. ~ Janice Mathis (India 2016)I’ve had the privilege of traveling to many places in my life, but going to India on this trip was one of the most incredible and enriching experiences. The culture is so diverse, the food – so rich, the temples – breathtaking. And being an outsider, there is only so much that I could absorb if I wasn’t being lead by someone who knows the best places to go to, and also had a program that enabled us to see and understand the Indian lifestyle of both rich and poor, at a deeper level. Not only that, but the cultural exchange with locals who hosted us for dinner, enabled us to get a much more personal experience than any other tourist. Amanda Villa-Lobos, media student at SCAD. (India 2014)The Go Eat Give trip to Northern India was an incredible experience. Sucheta took the time to show us areas where most tourists don’t go, and spent time with each member of the tour making the experience a very personal one. The group size, and her experience made this a trip not to be missed. I would not hesitate to tell my friends to go. Ann Schreiber (India 2014)Although I was only a part of the Go Eat Give trip for a couple days, it was an incredible experience. We got to see things lile the spice market and take a rickshaw ride through New Delhi and visit the non-tourist spots like Karim’s restaurant. All in all a fantastic way to visit India! ~ Malika Bowling, Author, Writer, Online Marketing Consultant, Community Manager (India 2014)I would encourage everyone to go on a trip to India with Go Eat Give if you want to feel more like a guest than a tourist. We visited many historic and scenic places but we also were entertained in the homes of Sucheta’s family and friends who all were fantastic hosts. Sucheta also had the background knowledge to make us feel confident when we were buying saris and other Indian items at the shops. I am sure the personal attention we received on this trip is what made my time in northern India extra special. ~ Linda Harris, Retired Educator (India 2014) -
Read An Introduction to India by Sucheta Rawal
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