11-DAY TOUR ITINERARY
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A shorter tour for the busy traveler, with highlights of India's best sites and Jewish heritage, all at an amazing price!
-- Learn about the intriguing history, culture and customs of the Jewish communities of Mumbai, Cochin, and Delhi. -- Eat, pray, and mingle with members of the communities. -- Visit the Taj Mahal and other top attractions. -- Enjoy a bicycle rickshaw ride through Delhi’s bustling markets, a backwater tour along Kerala’s canals, an elephant ride in Rajasthan, and much more! -- Five- and four-star hotels, most meals (vegetarian), and all transportation within India included. -- Led by master tour guide Joshua Shapurkar. — |
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Day 1: DELHI
Namaste and welcome to India! Arrive in Delhi and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Delhi.
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Day 2: DELHI
City tour of Old Delhi features Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi, and a rickshaw ride through the markets and past the Red Fort. Tour of New Delhi includes a drive past India Gate, Parliament, and President’s House. Explore Humayun’s Tomb, said to have inspired the architectural style of the Taj Mahal, and visit the Sikh Temple. Overnight in Delhi.
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Day 3: DELHI-AGRA
Leave by road to Agra (four hours). Visit the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, built by the emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Enjoy shopping for Agra’s exquisite marble crafts. Overnight in Agra.
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Day 4: AGRA-JAIPUR
Drive to Jaipur. En route, stop at Agra’s Red Fort and Kohinoor, a private museum with an amazing tapestry collection. Enjoy a cooking demonstration followed by a home-hospitality dinner. Overnight in Jaipur.
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Day 5: JAIPUR
Prepare to be awed by the Amer Fort, the ancient citadel of Jaipur’s rulers, and ride an elephant! Stop at the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory. Take time to shop in this beautiful city, known for its textiles, jewelry, and carpets. Overnight in Jaipur.
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Day 6: JAIPUR-MUMBAI
Fly to Mumbai. Visit Magen David and Tiphereth Israel, two synagogues that reflect the thriving presence of the Baghdadi and Bene Israel Jews: Tour the city of Mumbai. Marvel at the Dhobi Ghat, an immense, colorful outdoor laundry, and drive past Victorian buildings. Enjoy Shabbat services and a sumptuous kosher Indian-Baghdadi dinner with the community at the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue. Walk back to the hotel. Overnight in Mumbai.
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Day 7: MUMBAI
Walk to the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue for Shabbat services and enjoy a gourmet kosher Baghdadi feast. After lunch, optional heritage walk featuring the David Sassoon Library and Prince of Wales Museum. The museum has a huge collection of art, archaeology, and natural history (tickets will be purchased in advance). Overnight in Mumbai.
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Day 8: MUMBAI-COCHIN
Fly to Cochin, on the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. Cochin was once home to a flourishing Jewish community. Today only 26 Jews remain. Drive to the 17th-century Chendamangalam Synagogue and museum. Its close proximity to a Hindu temple, church, and mosque highlights India’s religious tolerance. Stop at the Parur Synagogue, an architectural gem dating from 1616. Overnight in Cochin.
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Day 9: COCHIN
Visit the dramatic Chinese fishing nets and the Saint Francis Church, the burial place of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer who discovered India. Walk along Jew Street to the exquisite 450-year-old Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry; explore the area’s antique shops and spice markets. Visit the amazing synagogue in Ernakulam, part of Cochin (it’s hidden behind an aquarium and garden shop). Experience Kathakali dance drama. Overnight in Cochin.
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Day 10: COCHIN-MUMBAI
Fly to Mumbai. Walk through Crawford Market, a wholesale vegetable and fruit market. At Banganga Tank, you will see how the city looked a century ago. Observe a religious ceremony at a Hindu temple. Overnight in Mumbai.
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Day 11: MUMBAITransfer to the airport for flights home or post-tours.
Namaste! |
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