Spiritual India
Duration : 14 Nights / 15 DaysTour Destination : Delhi - Chandigarh - Shimla - Mandi - Dharamshala - Mcleod Ganj - Dalhousie - Amritsar - Delhi
Day 01 : DelhiArrive in Delhi at any time.
Day 02 : Chandigarh
Head north out into Punjab, stopping at the provincial capital of Chandigarh. Sitting on the fringes of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas, Chandigarh is an anomaly in India - an entirely modern, planned city.
Day 03-04 : Shimla
Travel down the Kalka-Shimla Railway, the greatest narrow gauge engineering feat in India, en route to the Himalayan hill town of Shimla, the former summer capital to the British Raj.
Day 05 : Mandi
This is a very spiritual town: Mandi has a total of 81 temples, many devoted to Shiva only Varanasi has more. Work your mountain legs into shape and visit the best known of these, dedicated to Kali, perched high above the town on Tarna Hill (also a great place for sunsets). Of course, if you want to cheat you can always take an auto rickshaw.
Day 06-08 : Dharamshala
Wind your way through Himalayan mountain roads towards Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. Sometimes known as "Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, Dharamsala is home to generations of Buddhist monastaries.
Day 09-10 : Mcleod Ganj
McLeod Ganj, or Upper Dharamsala, is the residence of Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama. Dharamsala pulsates with the sights and sounds of old Tibet, and although certainly more modern, life here is sweetly simple. Shops strung out along the narrow streets sell traditional Tibetan arts and handicrafts and the aroma of delicious Tibetan dishes lingers in the air.
Day 11 : DalhousieHold on tight as your transport traverses narrow mountain roads to another mountain retreat, Dalhousie. Thankfully your sitting in the back seat, both so you can watch the mountains and valleys stream by and so you can’t see what happens on the road!
Day 12 - 13 : Amritsar
Descend from the cool mountain air and return to the familiar heat of lowland India. Amritsar is both the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh Religion, as well as home to many of its most holy shrines and temples, as well as being the closest point to the India/Pakistan border, making for an interesting flag ceremony at the end of each day.
Day 14 : Delhi
Return to Delhi for any last minute sightseeing or shopping as well as a final farewell dinner with your group.
Day 15 : Depart Delhi
