India: Women's Expedition

Namaste! Welcome to Delhi – India’s bustling capital city. Your women’s expedition begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel. Meet your local leader and fellow female travellers and find out what to expect over the course of your adventure. If you arrive early, maybe kick-start your adventure with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Humayun's Tomb. After the meeting tonight, get to know your group and have your first taste of India’s famous cuisine over an included dinner at a local restaurant.

Navigate the city’s metro system to discover Old Delhi on a walking tour. You may ride the metro in a female-only carriage today, giving you an insight into how local women travel around Delhi. Hitch a traditional cycle rickshaw ride through a typical Indian traffic jam in the streets around Chandni Chowk marketplace. Visit Delhi’s oldest and largest mosque – Jama Masjid, then duck into a Sikh temple for a quiet escape from the city and observe the spiritual side of this bustling metropolis. Visit the Dilli Haat market, where artisans from across the country showcase their wares and there’s a tempting array of food stalls – you might like to take your tastebuds on a trip with some momos from Sikkim, spicy chicken from Nagaland or kebabs from Jammu. Later tonight, you’ll leave Delhi on an overnight sleeper train to Bikaner.

Your overnight train will arrive in Bikaner just after 7 am this morning. Your group will be picked up by tuk-tuks and transferred to the hotel, where you can freshen up and grab some breakfast. Later, you’ll visit Junagarh Fort – built in the late 16th century, this red sandstone and marble fort is one of the most impressive forts in Rajasthan. You’ll explore the various palaces, courtyards and museums within the fort complex, then hop back in a tuk-tuk to visit a local home in the Old Town. Here, some local women will show you how they make poppadoms and bhajia. Try some of these savoury snacks and chat with the women while you sip on cups of chai together. This initiative, started by the RGAVP’s government program, nurtures the economic capability of women living below the poverty line in rural and urban areas. The women of Bikaner have created a platform through which they can support their livelihoods through their cooking.

This morning, take a tuk-tuk to the train station for an early morning journey to Jaisalmer. There’s no food cart on the train, but your local leader will recommend the best snacks for you to buy before you board, so you won’t be left hungry. When you arrive, rest and recharge at your hotel during a free afternoon and evening or head out and explore at your own pace – your local leader will know all the best spots to grab some delicious local cuisine.

After breakfast, jump into a 4WD and head towards the Thar Desert – covering 200,000 sq km, you’ll spend all day exploring the rolling sand hills before arriving at your desert camp. Here, you’ll meet some local men and women – the men will head off to prepare a traditional Rajasthani dinner while you watch the women perform Kalbeliya. This traditional dance is performed in long skirts to replicate the movements of a serpent as a representation of the snake charmer’s role in traditional Rajasthani society. Hear about what daily life is like for the local women and maybe even learn a few dance steps before tucking into an authentic local dinner.

After breakfast at the desert camp, travel back to Jaisalmer in a 4WD. When you arrive, check into your hotel and freshen up before heading out on a walking tour with your leader to get to know this storied desert city. The citadel was built by Rawal Jaisal of the Bhati Rajput in AD1156, and with a history that’s been carefully recorded by the bards of Rajasthan since the 12th century, it’s not hard to imagine what life here once looked like. Strung between the former trade routes of the Great Thar Desert, your leader will share stories of Jaisalmer’s prosperous past. Return to your hotel and transfer to the train station to board the train to Jodhpur, arriving in the evening.

Visit the striking Mehrangarh Fort that towers over the city. You’ll take a guided tour here to explore some of the ornately decorated palaces and visit one of Rajasthan’s most interesting museums to learn about historic battles. From here, you’ll continue to the Sadar Bazaar in the Old City for a guided market tour, where you’ll taste local delicacies like lassi and dal baati – both classics of Indian cuisine. You might like to spend the rest of the evening exploring the Old City – your local leader will be able to recommend some great places for dinner.