India Program
Snow Leopard adventures
Explore incredible India in myriad ways. You will visit two unique parts of the country and also visit the world-famous Taj Mahal. In Delhi you will visit the Gandhi Smriti Museum and learn about the history of India’s freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. You will watch a live Bollywood drama and dance performance. You will get to explore a” bazaar” in the capital city where you can pick up souvenirs at the end of your trip. In Rishikesh you explore the city known as the ‘yoga capital’ of the country, zipline across and raft down River Ganges. You will also hike to remote village schools and work towards creating a positive impact in their lives. You will also get an opportunity to spot the Asiatic Elephant and leopard in their natural habitat.
*Accommodation for this program will include staying at Snow Leopards (pairs of students or more)
Draft Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
You will be met at Delhi Airport by our team members and transferred to a hotel (Four Points Sheraton triple occupancy per room) for dinner.
Overnight at Delhi Hotel
Day 2: Delhi – Haridwar – Camp
You will wake up early morning and you will be transferred to the railway station to board the train to Haridwar which departs 06:50 hours. The journey to Haridwar takes approximately 4 hours. Once you arrive, you will be transferred to the Snow Leopard Adventures Camp to rest and relax.
Post lunch zip-lining session across River Ganges.
Zipline- Soar 70 m high on the only zip tour over River Ganga. Two sensational zip lines about 400m long that catapult you across white water rapids offer you unbelievable views of the Himalayan foothills, the mighty Ganga, and rafts going down the river way down below.
Board a bus (30-60 minutes?)and drive to Rishikesh town where you will have the opportunity to explore the interesting town.
Rishikesh, located in the lap of lower Himalaya is surrounded by scenic beauty of the hills on three sides and the Holy Ganges flowing through it. The town is sacred to Hindu pilgrims and is often referred to as the `Yoga Capital of the World’. Back in the 1960s, Rishikesh gained instant fame as the place where the Beatles came to stay with their guru, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
After adequate time for exploration the group will reconvene at Ram Jhoola to walk down to the riverside for an evening prayer, “Aarti”. In Hindu homes and temples, “Aarti” ceremony performed at twilight, is one of the most important part of the day. The lighting of lamp, as the sun is setting, is supposed to ensure the presence of god of light and fire in the house. Amid singing and chanting of devotional songs and hymns, the devotees line up along the bank of the river and float lit “diyas” in the Holy Ganga. The sight of the flickering flames of thousands of “diyas” on the river is incredible.
Overnight at Snow Leopard Adventures Camp.
Day 3: In Camp
Session of Yoga by River Ganges before breakfast. After a delicious breakfast you will visit a village school where you will have the opportunity to meet and spend time with the local students. You will then begin your service project or building a boundary wall for the school. You will return to camp for an introductory session to Indian Cooking. Overnight at Snow Leopard Adventures Camp
Day 4: In Camp
Session of Yoga at the camp before breakfast. Today you will spend the day working on the school project. Take a break for lunch. After lunch you will head to Rajaji National Park for an exciting safari.
Rajaji National Park: Three sanctuaries in the Shivaliks – Chilla, Rajaji and Motichur- were merged in 1983 into a large protected area and were jointly named Rajaji National Park after the famous freedom fighter Lt. Shri Rajagopalachari. Spread over an area of over 800 sq. kms, the park is a magnificent ecosystem nestled in the Shivalik ranges. With the Ganga River flowing through, the park is the beginning of the vast Indo – Gangetic plain and is home to the Asiatic elephants, leopards and different kinds of deer.
Return to camp for dinner.
After dinner we will have a henna session, where an experienced henna artist will show you how to put henna. After which the students will have an opportunity to try it out themselves.
Overnight at Snow Leopard Adventures Camp.
Day 5: In Camp
Session of Yoga at the camp before breakfast. Post breakfast you will head to the village school where you will complete your project and spend some time with the students before bidding them farewell.
After lunch you board a bus to the put-in point for the rafting session where you will raft through a series of exhilarating Grade II & III rapids. This stretch of the river also has a body surfing rapid, where the you can jump into the river and float along the rafts, which is an awesome experience. This rafting session today is for about 2 hrs.
The rafting session will conclude close to the camp where you will engage in an exciting session of raft building, attempting to build a raft and navigate it across a small stretch of the river.
We will head back to the camp for evening snacks. Followed by an evening barbecue and celebration! Overnight at Snow Leopard Adventures Camp
Day 6: Return to Delhi
Early morning board the coach to go to Haridwar/ Dehradun, for the return train/flight to Delhi. Arrive Delhi. Lunch at a local restaurant. You will watch a Bollywood show, visit Gandhi Smriti (a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and his life) and explore a local market to buy trip souvenirs. Dinner at the Delhi hotel.
Day 7 : Day Trip to Agra and Fly back home Suggested Flight:
After spending Day 6 night at a Delhi hotel, post breakfast, transfer to railway station to board train to Agra departing at 8h10 hours. The journey takes approximately two hours. On arrival in Agra, board the bus and begin the tour of Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum by the Yamuna river in Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan’s tomb was also constructed in Taj Mahal, next to his wife’s tomb.
Post lunch at a local restaurant, proceed to visit Agra Fort.
Agra Fort was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas.
Transfer to railway station to board train back to Delhi departing at 17h45 hours.
On arrival in Delhi, farewell dinner and transfer to the airport for the flight back home.
Number of Days: 7 days / 6 nights
Minimum Number of Students: 20
Estimated price: 21,500 MOP