India Real Food Adventure
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Experience Overview
Dig into the sights, sounds and tastes of India on this 13-day food adventure. Savour the flavours of street food, homecooked meals and thalis as you travel through Delhi, Mumbai and Rajasthan. Visit the Taj Mahal, the Amber Fort and a few quiet temples. Spend the night in the countryside in a former royal palace, where you’ll sit down to a farm-to-table meal. See Jaipur’s breathtaking Palace of the Wind and spend time in rural Rajasthan living it up in a 17th-century fort. With a taste of India’s vibrant markets and the chance to cook up a storm yourself, this unforgettable journey will take you to the cultural and gastronomic heart of India.
Highlights
- Get a true taste of some of India’s finest culinary traditions – Mughal and Rajasthani – while feasting in local restaurants, street food stalls, rural homes and cooking classes.
- Leave with authentic recipes under your belt after you take part in a plant-based cooking class in a Jaipur home and learn how to make thali in Udaipur.
- See the rich tapestry of India’s culture and history, meeting chai wallahs in local markets, visiting local farming communities and spice growers and dining in Sikh temples.
- Bask in the ivory glow of the inspiring Taj Mahal in Agra, explore Old Delhi and Jama Masjid and stand in awe of the Hawa Mahal and Amber Fort in Jaipur.
- Grab a fork and dig in – this trip introduces you to some of India’s most iconic dishes like kachori, kulfi, chai, paratha, chaat, thali and heaps more.
Trip Details
Product Code: 2140
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Plane, private vehicle, taxi, train, overnight train
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Budget
Tour Operator:
Intrepid Travel
Supplier Code: HHZM
Starts: Delhi, India
Finishes: Mumbai, India
Duration: 13 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Light
Includes
Meals: Breakfasts (12), Lunch (7), Dinner (7)Accommodation: Hotel (9 nights), Heritage property (3 nights)
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2695 ($207 /day)
Itinerary
Namaste! Welcome to India. Delhi is an exciting and chaotic capital city filled with historical sites, museums, galleries, shops and bazaars. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. After, celebrate the start of your adventure with a short stroll to a local restaurant for your first taste of North Indian cuisine – a delicious (and completely vegetarian) thali feast. A thali is an assortment of small dishes put together on one platter – the perfect way to sample a range of flavours. After, your leader will take you to a hole-in-the-wall eatery where you may like to sample some of Delhi’s best kulfi falooda (a delicious ice cream-style dessert).
Included Activities:
- Delhi - Welcome dinner
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Start your day with authentic local chai tea then jump on the city's metro system to venture out to Old Delhi. Ready your appetite as you wander through alleyways for an authentic street food breakfast. Maybe pick up some bedmi, potato curry, sweet fried jalebi or paratha flatbread. Next, head to Jama Masjid, Delhi’s oldest mosque. After some time at this ancient building, hop aboard a rickshaw and head to Chandni Chowk – one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. Visit the spice warehouses in the back alleys of Khari Baoli and meet a seller to learn about the spice mixes they take to market. Visit the Gali Paranthe Wali (lane of parathas) – parathas are one of the most popular unleavened flat breads in Punjabi North Indian cuisine, and you’ll taste some filled with potatoes, cauliflower and paneer. While Hinduism is the dominant religion in Delhi, there is also a significant Sikh population, which you’ll learn more about over a vegetarian lunch at a local Sikh temple. Tonight, you’ve got the option to visit a local family for a homecooked meal- – this is great insight into the day-to-day life of Delhites, so find out some secret recipes, get involved or just chat with your welcoming hosts.
Included Activities:
- Delhi - Leader-led Old Delhi walking & rickshaw tour
- Delhi - Street Food Breakfast
- Delhi - Visit to the Jama Masjid Mosque
- Delhi - Lunch at a Sikh Temple
- Delhi - Spice warehouse visit
Optional Activities:
- Delhi - Dinner with local family (3000 INR)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Jump aboard a local train for an air-conditioned ride to Agra. Famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal, Agra is a city of fascinating history, rich in Mughal heritage. Agra is also home to one of the finest looking forts in India – Agra Fort. Enter the dark red sandstone stronghold and search through throne rooms and tiny but ornate mosques. After, head to the Taj Mahal to explore the grounds and take in the changing scenes as day turns to evening – a truly unforgettable experience. For dinner, join a Mughlai cooking demonstration. Influenced by Central Asian and Islamic recipes, Mughlai cuisine is unique and fragrant. Meet a passionate cook who'll teach you how to prepare classics such as malai ki sabzi (vegetables cooked with cream) and onion paratha (flatbread stuffed with onions and potato), depending on the season.
Included Activities:
- Agra - Agra Fort
- Agra - Taj Mahal
- Agra - Mughlai Cooking Demonstration
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Today, you’ll drive from Agra to Karauli for your stay in a royal-palace-turned-hotel in Karauli. The estate is expansive – as it’s a palace property, and they grow their own vegetables, fruits and seasonal crops. Take a walk through the estate’s landscaped gardens, vegetable patches, orchards and cow shed, where the milk used in the kitchens is sourced – an important element of traditional Indian cuisine. Everything grown and produced on the estate is organic! If you’d like, you can also visit the Madan Mohan Ji Temple and Karauli Palace this afternoon. The stay also provides a welcome opportunity to slow down and unwind after the busy sightseeing schedule in Delhi and Agra and tonight, you’ll sit down to a farm-to-table dinner with your group to settle in.
Included Activities:
- Karauli - Farm to Table dinner
Optional Activities:
- Madan Mohan Temple - Karauli - Free
- Karauli - Palace visit (200 INR)
Accommodation:
- Heritage Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Say goodbye to your royal digs this morning and drive to Jaipur. Designed by royalty, the city has delighted visitors for centuries with its pink-hued buildings and buzzing bazaars. Jump on a rickshaw and swing by one of India’s most photographed buildings, the Hawa Mahal or ‘Palace of the Winds’, to snap some pictures yourself. Then, you’ll have the chance to try kachori (a deep-fried snack and local favourite, typically made from a spiced dough filled with vegetables and lentils) at the iconic Rawat Mishthan Bhandar. In the evening, you may like to check out the extravagance of a Bollywood blockbuster, with all the Hollywood-style elements of action, romance, drama and music (sometimes all rolled into one) at the Raj Mandir Cinema.
Included Activities:
- Jaipur - Leader-led orientation walk
- Jaipur - Hawa Mahal photo stop
Optional Activities:
- Jaipur - Bollywood Movie at Raj Mandir Cinema (400 INR)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Travel to the old capital of Amber today to explore the hilltop complex known as the Amber Fort. Overlooking Maota Lake, this opulent palace is the legacy of a fallen empire and a great example of Rajput architecture. One of its most spectacular buildings is the Sheesh Mahal – with its walls completely covered with tiny mirrors, the hall becomes a dazzling fantasy with the light of a single match. For lunch, follow your leader to LMB, a local restaurant opened in 1727, and try their ghevar. After the meal, sample the mawa kachori (deep-fried pastry stuffed with dried fruits and milk solids, coated in sugar syrup). Finish the day in a local home where you’ll take a hands-on cooking class to learn how to make some plant-based Rajasthani dishes like ker sangri, using dried ker berries and sangri beans. Enjoy the fruits of your labour in the peaceful garden, where your hosts grow fresh greens.
Included Activities:
- Jaipur - Rajasthani Cooking Class and Dinner
- Jaipur - Amber Fort
- Jaipur - Street Food Lunch
Optional Activities:
- Jaipur - Balloon Safari (290 USD)
Accommodation:
- Heritage Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Leave the city behind and drive to a local heritage stay located in the Vindhyanchal Hills in the Mewar region of south-central Rajasthan – a great opportunity to learn about rural life and culinary customs. You’ll stop for lunch along the way at a local restaurant. Your accommodation for the next two nights will be at 16th-century Castle Bijaipur – now a heritage hotel with domes, arched windows and doorways, all within the original fortified walls. Take in the palace’s blend architecture as you relax by the pool or in the gardens, enjoying the famous Mewar hospitality.
Accommodation:
- Heritage Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Today you’ll jump in a jeep and explore the surrounding farming communities. This is a major agricultural area and, depending on the season, you’ll pass through fields growing wheat, corn, maize, lentils, aubergine, spinach, fenugreek, okra, green chilies, tomatoes, potatoes, gourd, onion and garlic. Some of India’s most-loved spices, such as turmeric and cumin, are also grown here. Return to your heritage stay and join the estate’s chef to discover how the ingredients you’ve seen today are used in Rajasthani cooking. Savour the results over a delicious lunch on the lake side with your group.
Included Activities:
- Bijaipur - Rajasthani Desert Cooking Demonstration and Meal
- Bijaipur - Countryside jeep safari
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
This morning, travel to Udaipur – a charming city known for its Hindu temples and palaces, and small but renowned Jain temples. Jainism is a minority religion in India and is considered among the most rigorous and spiritually motivated diets in India. When you arrive, visit a Jain temple where you’ll learn about the religion and the food connected to it. Jain cuisine is strictly vegetarian and excludes the eating of root vegetables like carrots, onion and garlic due to the belief that uprooting the plant kills it and the micro-organisms around the roots. Taste Jainist cuisine at the famous Natraj restaurant, serving delicious thali since 1960s. Tonight, you’ll have a free evening for dinner. Udaipur has several inviting rooftop restaurants, so climb some stairs and settle in to watch the sunset over one of the city’s shimmering central lakes.
Included Activities:
- Udaipur - City Palace
- Udaipur - Lunch at Jain Restaurant Natraj
- Udaipur - Leader-led orientation walk
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
This morning, hop in a tuk-tuk for a unique local experience. Visit a bustling vegetable market where most of the vendors are women, and with the guidance of your local hosts, purchase fresh ingredients for your hands-on cooking class. You’ll prepare some traditional Rajasthani dishes, then sit down and enjoy them for lunch with your group. The evening is free for you to relax or explore Udaipur at your own pace.
Included Activities:
- Udaipur - Thali Cooking Class
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
This morning, fly to Mumbai and check into your hotel. In the evening, head out for a Chowpatty Beach food crawl, where you’ll sample some of Mumbai’s most iconic street and beach food specialties while experiencing the city’s vibrant seaside atmosphere.
Included Activities:
- Mumbai - Chowpatty Beach Street Food Crawl
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
This morning, experience Mumbai like a local with a ride on the city’s famous suburban train network. Visit Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest open-air laundry, followed by the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) and the iconic Gateway of India. Then, tuck into a traditional Parsi lunch in the fort area. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your own pace or simply relax before joining your group for a farewell dinner at the renowned Mahesh Lunch Home, celebrated for its authentic local coastal cuisine.
Included Activities:
- Mumbai - Leader-led Heritage Walk
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Your food adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend more time in Goa and explore more of the city, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.
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Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
Reviews
Kim - Traveled, March 2024
My husband and I have just had our first small group adventure with Intrepid and we couldn't have picked a better organisation to travel with. Our tour leader Yadvendra Singh Rathore was very knowledgeable and approachable. Nothing was too much trouble and we saw and ate some gorgeous things on our real food tour of India, which we would never have found on our own. We felt safe and cared for at all times and would highly recommend this tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/05/2024
Ginny - Traveled, March 2024
I have just completed an incredible Intrepid tour of India. It was everything I had hoped for and more. It was the perfect mix of adventure and organisation. Our guide and group became family. I could not recommend higher.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/06/2024
John - Traveled, March 2024
Excellent trip with a perfect blend of food experiences, sightseeing and free time. Great way to see parts of India
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/05/2024
Martin - Traveled, March 2024
The sights, sounds, food and activities were all amazing! A great way to see India in a short amount of time. Yaddu went above and beyond to make it easy and memorable!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/06/2024
Maria - Traveled, March 2024
This itinerary is brilliant, starting from the busiest place to gradually improve until ending in paradise (beach). It's not all about the food, the inclusions are fantastic – must do’s. Each stop/city is better than the previous: Great to get a sense of India from different perspectives. Ideal for beginners in the country.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/28/2024
Stephen - Traveled, March 2024
This was a fantastic introduction to India. Great food. Great adventure. Great experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/25/2024
Alex - Traveled, March 2024
An expansive introduction to Indian cuisine that could do with more cooking activities than cooking demonstrations. The tour hits all the sites of note and the overnight train, a primary reason for booking this itinerary, is an experience I shall not readily forget.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/26/2024
David - Traveled, February 2024
If you want a great balance of the cultral aspects of India, mixed with eating (lots of!) great food this is for you. Our guide Pradeep was a real asset. Arrive hungry!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/27/2024
Virginia - Traveled, February 2024
Had a fantastic trip. The food was amazing and varied. Mixed with all of the visited sites gives a great insight into India. I recommend you take this trip
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/01/2024
Calandra - Traveled, January 2024
Our food tour of India wildly exceeded my expectations due to our amazing guide, Bhagi! I wish he could lead all my tours! Request him if you can!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/06/2024
George - Traveled, January 2024
Our guide, Bhagirath, made this trip for us! For almost three weeks we didn’t have to worry about a thing, the food was great, and even when we wanted to do something not on the itinerary our guide made it happen. This is my first Intrepid trip but if I have more guides like Bhagirath I’ll gladly book some more!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/07/2024
Jacinta - Traveled, January 2024
I thoughly enjoyed this adventure. It was a very well organised trip with lots of planned activities and experiences that were managed well thanks to our brilliant guide Bhagirath.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/10/2024
Lucy - Traveled, January 2024
What a phenomenal trip! Ajay our guide made this trip amazing! It flew by! Going home full of delicious Indian food and ready to try to recreate some yummy recipes!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/18/2024
Lauren - Traveled, January 2024
A really enjoyable tour; taking in the big sights, and eating along the way! A fascinating insight into Indian food and culture. Highly recommended.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/18/2024
Benjamin - Traveled, January 2024
If you love Indian food, you simply have to do this trip. Cooking classes, street food discovery and demonstrations make it worthwhile. Experience India in the company of fellow foodies.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/18/2024
Celeste - Traveled, December 2024
This is a trip of a lifetime. India is an incredible country with lovely people and excellent food. Our guide Saurabh made this trip go from good to excellent. He was a great storyteller and knowledgeable historian. He was kind, professional and supportive. Thank you Intrepid, Saurabh and India!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/19/2024
Cali - Traveled, November 2023
Could not be happier with this trip and with our guide, Pradeep. It was my favorite guided trip yet and I am so happy we chose Intrepid for India.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/09/2023
hayley - Traveled, November 2023
Amazing trip through beautiful cities. Experience India in a small intimate group, visiting homes, places and famous sites. The experience is topped when you’re lucky enough and have Bhagirath, “Bhagi” as your guide
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/01/2023
Tammy - Traveled, November 2023
Exploring India with our leader Bhagi was a delight. His knowledge and enthusiasm for every place and experience we had was refreshing. We accessed experiences we would not have otherwise been able to do, street food delights, home cooked meals, it was so much fun, thanks Bhagi!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Janice - Traveled, November 2023
The India Food tour was a real adventure into the culture, history and life styles of India made possible by having an entertaining and knowledgeable local guide, Bhagi. The small group (9) was diverse from UK, USA, STH Africa and Australia and ranged in age from 20s to 70s which made conversations interesting. And, the food was fabulous - street food, home cooking and restaurants- a feast indeed.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
