If the changes in the following conditions have been clearly communicated in writing to the client before the conclusion of the contract and they are properly provided for in the program;
Any changes subsequent to the conclusion of the contract are subject to prior agreement of both the agency and the client, except as provided in the "impossibility of comply" clause.
These general conditions comply with the provisions of Decree-Law 61/2011 of May 6th, as amended by Decree-Law 199/2012 of August 24th.
The general conditions, which refer to an organized trip described in this program, along with the specific conditions provided to the client in the travel documentation at the time of booking, constitute the travel contract that binds the agency and the client.
The technical organization and sale of the activities included on this website are the responsibility of Papa-Léguas, a travel and tourism agency, with home office at Rua Manuel Assunção Mestre, nº22, 7780-199 Castro Verde, registered in the Commercial Registry Office of Lisbon with Taxpayer Identification Number 504163590. It has a share capital of €99,759.60 (ninety-nine thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine euros and sixty cents). Papa-Léguas is also registered with the National Registry of Travel Agents and Tourism Operators (RNAVT) nº2275 and the National Registry of Tourist Animation Agents (RNAT) nº67/2014.
At the time of registration the client must deposit 30% of the service price, paying the remaining 70% up to 21 days before the service begins. If the registration takes place 21 days or less before the service begins, the total price of the service must be paid at the time of registration. Papa-Léguas, Agência de Viagens e Turismo Lda. reserves the right to cancel any booking that has not been paid for under the conditions mentioned above. Reservations are subject to the obtaining of a confirmation from suppliers for all services.
The prices of tours are presented per person and based on the occupation in a room shared by two people. The organizing agency will group clients who sign up individually for the same tour in pairs, by gender, and in chronological order of registration. Clients who are singled out must pay the respective individual supplement, when required by the service provider.
INFORMATION UNDER LAW N.º 144/2015 OF SEPTEMBER 8:
According to Law No. 144/2015 of September 8th, we inform that the customer may resort to the following Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution Entities:
i) Customer Authority of Travel and Tourism Agencies at provedorapavt.com;
ii) Arbitration Commission of Tourism in Portugal at turismodeportugal.pt;
iii) Or any of the entities indicated in the list provided by the Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs at http://www.consumidor.pt, which we recommend consulting.
Complaints will only be considered if submitted in writing to the agency within a maximum period of 30 days after the completion of the services.
In the event of a complaint regarding non-compliance with contracted services, the customer may activate the Travel and Tourism Guarantee Fund provided for in DL 61/2011 of May 6, in its current wording, by submitting the respective complaint:
i) To the Customer Authority, as Papa-Léguas, Travel and Tourism Agency Ltd., is a member of the Customer Ombudsman for Travel and Tourism Agencies at www.provedorapavt.com. To benefit from this service, you must submit your written complaint within 20 business days after the end of the trip. Agencies are bound to comply promptly with any decisions issued by this entity.
ii) To Tourism of Portugal I.P. at www.turismodeportugal.pt within 30 days after: (i) the end of the trip; (ii) the cancellation of the trip attributable to the agency; (iii) the date of knowledge of the impossibility of its realization due to the agency; (iv) the closure of the establishment.
iii) To any of the entities listed on the website of the General Directorate for Consumer Affairs at http://www.consumidor.pt.
1) The agency is responsible for the luggage in the legal terms;
2) The Client has the obligation to complain to the service provider at the moment of subtraction, deterioration or destruction of luggage.
3) In international transport, if the luggage is damaged, the complaint must be made in writing to the carrier immediately after the damage is verified, and no later than 7 days after delivery. If the luggage is merely late in delivery, the claim must be made within 21 days from the date of delivery.
4) The presentation of such a claim will be an essential basis for Papa-Léguas, Agência de Viagens e Turismo Lda. to hold responsible the entity providing the service.
The responsibility of the agency will be limited to the maximum amount that can be demanded from the service providers, in accordance with the Montreal Convention of May 28, 1999, on International Air Transport, and the Bern Convention of 1961, on Rail Transport.
Regarding maritime transport, the liability of travel agencies, concerning their clients, for the provision of transport services or accommodation, when applicable, by maritime transport companies, in the event of damages resulting from their willful misconduct or negligence, will be limited to the following amounts:
a) € 441,436, in case of death or physical injury;
b) € 7,881, in case of total or partial loss of baggage or its damage;
c) € 31,424, in case of loss of a motor vehicle, including the baggage contained therein;
d) € 10,375, in case of loss of baggage, whether accompanied or not, contained in a motor vehicle;
e) € 1,097, for damages to baggage resulting from the damage to the motor vehicle.
Where applicable, the liability of travel agencies and tourism for the deterioration, destruction, and theft of baggage or other items in tourist accommodation establishments, while the client is staying there, is limited as follows:
a) € 1,397, in total;
b) € 449 per item;
c) The value declared by the client regarding the items deposited under the custody of the tourist accommodation establishment.
The agency's liability for non-bodily damages may be contractually limited to an amount corresponding to five times the price of the service sold.
For each reservation the following will be charged:
Reservation Expenses:
Alteration Expenses:
For each alteration (names, dates, type of apartment or room, travel, etc) : 50€ (fifty euros). Please note that the acceptance of such changes depends on the acceptance by the respective suppliers.
The client must have their personal or family documentation in good order (identity card, military documentation, authorization for minors, visas, vaccination certificates, and any other documents that may be required). The agency disclaims any responsibility for visa refusal or the client's denial of entry into a foreign country. The client is solely responsible for any costs incurred as a result of such a situation.
Travel in European Union:
Travel outside the European Union:
If the travel suppliers involved allow it, whenever a customer who is registered for a particular trip wishes to change their registration to another trip or the same trip with a different departure date, or any other changes, they must pay a fee as alteration expenses. However, if the change takes place 21 days or less before the departure date of the trip for which the customer is registered, or if the service providers do not accept the change, the customer will be subject to the expenses and charges specified under the “cancellation (termination)” section.
Once the trip has started, if a request is made to change the contracted services for reasons not related to the agency (e.g., extending the number of nights of stay, changing the flight), the prices of the touristic services may not correspond to those published on the website that prompted the contract.
The customer may transfer their registration by being replaced by another person who meets all the required conditions for the trip, provided that they inform the selling agency at least seven days in advance and such transfer is possible under the applicable air transport regulations. In the case of cruises and air travel, the prescribed period will be fifteen days in advance.
The transfer of the registration makes both the transferor and the transferee jointly responsible for the payment of the trip price and any additional charges incurred.
Whenever there are external reasons that justify it, the organizing agency may change the order of the itineraries, modify the departure times, or substitute any of the planned hotels with others of similar category and location. The agency must inform the client of such changes as soon as they become aware of them.
When the tour is dependent on a minimum number of participants the Agency reserves the right to cancel the organized tour if the number of participants reached is less than the minimum. In such cases, the Client will be informed in writing of the cancellation within 15 (fifteen) days.
The prices in the program are based on the costs of services and exchange rates in effect on the date of printing of the program, and are therefore subject to change resulting from variations in the cost of transportation or fuel, duties, taxes, fees, and exchange rate fluctuations up to 20 days prior to the date of departure.
Once the tour has begun, no refund is due for services not used by the client due to unforeseeable circumstances or for reasons attributable to the client, except for refunds by the respective suppliers. Failure to provide services foreseen in the travel program for reasons attributable to the organizing agency and if it is not possible to replace them with equivalent ones, entitles the client receive a refund for the price difference between the originally anticipated services and the services actually provided.
If, prior to the start of the journey and due to circumstances beyond the control of the organizing agency, it becomes unable to fulfill any essential service included in the travel program, the client has the right to cancel the trip and immediately receive a refund of all amounts paid, or alternatively, accept a modification and possible price variation.
If the aforementioned circumstances beyond the control of the organizing agency result in the cancellation of the trip, the client may choose to participate in another organized trip of equivalent price. If the proposed replacement organized trip is of a lower price, the client will be refunded the price difference accordingly.
The client or their companions are free to cancel the trip at any time.
i) Such cancellation implies that the client is responsible for the payment of all charges arising from the beginning of the fulfillment of the contract and their withdrawal, as well as a percentage that can go up to 15% of the price of the trip.
ii) If applicable, the client will be refunded the difference between the amount paid and the aforementioned amounts.
iii) The cancellation of travel services/organized trips whose reservation has been made using the voucher issued under Decree-Law No. 17/2020 of April 23rd is subject to a cancellation fee equal to the price of the service, in order to prevent simulated or fraudulent reservations made solely with the intention of anticipating the receipt of the voucher-entitled values.
If for reasons not attributable to the client, the agency has to cancel the organized tour before the departure date, the client can choose to:
i) Being immediately refunded all amounts paid;
ii) Optionally, choose to participate in another organized tour and be refunded for any difference in price.
The liability of the travel agency organizing the trips included in this program and arising from the assumed obligations is covered by a civil liability insurance policy with Fidelidade Insurance Company, under policy number 9257343, for an amount of 75,000€ (Seventy-five thousand euros), in accordance with the applicable legislation.
The prices mentioned in this program already include the Value Added Tax at the current rate of 23%
This program is valid from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022
Arrival or departure times:
Departure and arrival times are stated in the local time of the respective country of destination and according to respective airline schedules at the time of printing this program, and may therefore be subject to change.
Hotels / Apartments:
Apartments - In case the accommodation is contracted in apartments, the client is responsible for informing the number of people that will occupy the apartment. If there are more people than booked, the apartments may refuse admittance.
Hotels - The prices shown are per person and are based on double occupancy. Not all hotels have triple rooms and usually an extra bed is placed in the room, which may not be of equal quality. In rooms equipped with two beds or a double bed, the triple may consist only of those beds.
The list of hotels and apartments in the program is indicative, as is their category, which is based on local criteria and classifications that are sometimes different from those used in Portugal.
Meals:
Unless otherwise indicated, the prices shown for the Half Board and Full Board supplements do not include drinks.
On arrivals at the hotel after 7PM the first meal service will be breakfast the next day, on the last day and except for the possibility of late check-out, the last service of the hotel will be breakfast.
Check-in and check-out times:
The check-in and check-out times on the first and last day, will be defined according to the first and last service. As a rule, without binding character, the rooms can be used from 2PM on the day of arrival and should be left free by noon (12PM) on the day of departure.
In the apartments, the entry takes place generally at 5PM on the day of arrival and must be left free by 10AM on the day of departure.
Special conditions for children:
Given the conditions applied for children (destination and provider) it is recommended to always question the special conditions that may apply to the tour in question.
Insurande:
The agency offers the sale of insurance that can be purchased depending on the tour to guarantee assistance situations and cancellation expenses.
The maximum age limit, for the insurance, is 75 years-old.
See our full Data Protection and Privacy Policy here.
Documentation
The necessary documentation may vary, depending on your nationality, the country of origin and the places you will travel to. For further information, consult the relevant embassy websites or contact Papa-Léguas.
A visa is required for India: see https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/ and read the information carefully (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registration).
The visa payment is online and the visa confirmation is sent to you by e-mail.
Individual Supplement
The single room supplement does not apply to nights in a train.
Transfers
For this trip, Papa-Léguas determines a “group flight” and sends you a proposal for it. You can buy the flight from Papa-Léguas, from another agency or online.
The transfer is not included for those who arrive at a different time than the “group flight”, but can request an extra transfer from Papa-Léguas.
Tour Leader
This is a trip of adventure and cultural discovery. The tour leader is a person with experience in the country to be visited, having a network of contacts and knowledge that facilitates interaction and a unique cultural experience. Their mission is to lead the group during the whole trip facilitating the interaction and integration of the group with the places to be visited.
The tour leader’s role should never be confused with that of a tour guide. No specific knowledge about monuments, museums, or other places of tourist interest is required of the tour leader.
If your trip includes places that, due to their historical, geological, biological or artistic complexity, need a guide, this will be hired in advance and there will be an explicit reference to his existence in the trip program.
In the groups I lead, I bridge the gap between these people who make up their spaces and travelers while immersing themselves together in local cultures and habits through these guides, friends and travelers that life has brought my way 😀
Estamos a preparar o seu programa de viagem.
Aguarde por favor...
Namasté, Namaskar, Salam Alekum, welcome to India! More than a greeting, these expressions are a bridge between the sacred in ourselves and in others, they are a motto for peace and dialogue.
They are also the reflection of a territory where culture and religion have fused together since time immemorial. This subcontinent fills with dreams and fantasies anyone who hears about it. A journey in India is a journey of contrasts, of outer and inevitably inner discovery, such are the unique experiences and moments we will live.
The human landscapes, with marked traces, rich in colors, adornments, clothing; the confusion of the streets with the honking and the chaos of traffic; the animals and the intense smells of real life and everyday life that cannot be avoided or hidden; the social differences stripped of prejudice or filters; the delicious and unique food; the dancing, the movies; the religions that are as bizarre as they are fascinating. The list is already long and full of adventures that we will experience firsthand during two weeks together in a country where everything is possible, where everything happens, and where everything is magical, from the worst to the best.
A country where gods mix brutality, sensuality and divinity, and where people with strange clothes and exotic features enhance its uniqueness. Together we praise diversity and contrast at the end of this sensory and unforgettable journey.
Today's day is dedicated to the flight between the origin city and Mumbai.
Note: the arrival/departure dates may vary, depending on your origin city. If you have any doubts, contact Papa-Léguas for further clarification.
You should arrive in India by the end of the day or the beginning of the morning of the following day, where you are set to meet the guide at the airport and the transfer to the hotel (if you are on the "group flight").
Night in Mumbai.
Mumbai, previously known as Bombay in the time of the Portuguese presence, is the result, as we know it today, of the joining of seven islands through the draining of several marshes and the leveling of canals by the British, thus bringing together several towns and villages that came to form the larger center known as Mumbai. By granting the British access to the northwest region of the country, it enabled them to exert effective authority over India and its neighboring nations. This strategic positioning allowed for the connection of present-day Pakistan and present-day Burma (both considered part of India at that time), in a Karachi - Mumbai - Delhi - Calcutta - Dhaka - Rangoon axis of influence.
Gives an idea of the contrast between an array of monumental buildings from the India Gate, to the university, the courthouse, the monumental Victoria station known today as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and many other architectural icons with the luxury of the villas of the rich; the skyscrapers of the giant economic companies and the slums.
It is the city of Bollywood and the Indian film industry, but also where India's largest number of millionaires and billionaires live and cohabit in their luxurious residences and neighborhoods, among one of the largest slums in the world.
After resting from the flight and having breakfast, we will start by meeting the group that will accompany you on this trip and we will immerse ourselves in the cultural and religious complexity that is India.
Different religions, people from different cultural backgrounds, from Persia to fishermen and vendors from central India.
First we go to the Gateway of India, built to welcome King George V and his wife on their tour of the country and from there we walk through the most emblematic and architecturally beautiful areas of the city, with the Building of Justice, the library and other buildings of the Victorian and British colonial era.
In the afternoon, we'll go to the Crawford Market to feel the vibrant atmosphere and from there we walk to the Marina Drive, to watch the sunset from one of the most emblematic places in the city.
We return to the hotel after dinner.
Today we head to the Dadar neighborhood, a very important place for the locals, which is the dhobi ghat, a laundry where hotels, hospitals and clothing companies take their linens to be washed. We will be able to understand the dynamics of the place and see firsthand how the people who live there support themselves and work.
Then we go to the Bandra area to see a different part of the city. From there we return to the center to pick up our bags and board the train at the emblematic Victoria Station that will take us to Udaipur where we will arrive the next morning and the calm waters with the remaining tranquility around the lake will be a peaceful contrast after the chaos of Mumbai.
Night in night train.
If we think of the one thousand and one nights, we can find its reflection in the forts, palaces, havelis, and atmosphere of the cities of this state. Rajasthan is unique and unrepeatable which will surely provide unforgettable moments of the trip.
For those who like photography, it is a paradise at hand, and there will be no shortage of moments, people, and places to capture with our lenses. Culturally it still preserves much of the old and we will set our own pace to explore the history of this amazing place.
We then start visiting Rajasthan through its greenest city. Udaipur is a city planted on the shores of Lake Pichola and famous for its huge, magnificent 16th century palace. Built to be the seat of regional power, this city was surrounded by lakes that thus ensured the continuous flow of water to the city. Today, is a "must stop" to feel the energy of the pujas in the Jagdish temple and explore the rooms of the palace that is also a fort.
In the morning, after disembarking the train, we head to the hotel to leave our bags and have a snack and head towards the City Palace and the Jagdish Hindu temple, dedicated to Vishnu, which is followed by lunch.
After lunch we will have a test of our artistic skills and each one will create and draw a miniature postcard that they can then send home. We will continue to walk through the ghats and at dusk we will take a boat trip across the lake to see the sunset and the incredible late afternoon light over the city and with it, comes dinner.
Night in Udaipur.
Today is a day to have breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake and enjoy the morning tranquility before we head towards the northern region of Rajasthan, where we will encounter places with less water and discover other fascinating stories. We then departure by private van to Ranakpur temple, one of the most famous and beautiful Jain temples in India with its white marble.
Besides the castes, the antiquity and diversity of India, religions are also one of the basic and daily life factors of Indians. India is the birthplace of renowned religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Among these, Jainism, predominantly followed within India, promotes non-violence towards all living beings, including animals.
We start by visiting a temple full of sculptures and details of various divinities, not only Jain but also Hindu, because, of course, everything is mixed in this country and religions are no exception. During the visit we took the opportunity to get to know this religion more in depth and also begin to learn about the history and identify some other deities of the Hindu pantheon.
We will have a typical Jain lunch at the temple canteen, which is totally vegan, and from there we will continue our trip to Jodhpur, the blue city where we will arrive in the middle of the afternoon.
The city of Jodhpur is the city where Anita and Sukesh - who are one of the Indian families that adopted our tour leader - live, and with whom we are scheduled to meet in these days. The blue city is a mystery that we will unravel the next day, but which this day will have the edges of the veil lifted as we walk through the streets and alleys of the city.
From the hotel to the frenetic and vibrant Sardar bazaar, where the clock tower sets the time of business, we can see the famous bangles, lacquer bracelets, jewelry, fabrics, fruits, vegetables, in short everything that makes up a true Indian bazaar.
Dinner and back to the hotel for a quiet evening. Night in Jodhpur.
Jodhpur is a city that grew up around its imposing fort, Mehrangarh Fort, one of the largest in India and also one of the most beautiful, with its exterior details.
We start the morning walking through the blue alleys of the old quarter of town and from there we walked up to the entrance of the fort. We descend into the city past the mausoleum of the city's former maharajas and the stair-stepped tank, where even today, young people still cool off on the hottest days with acrobatic jumps into its greenish waters.
After enjoying the delicious omelette sandwiches at Ramkishan's, we met up with Anita and Sukesh for a special moment: an Indian cooking workshop where we would learn to prepare an Indian meal ourselves. Under their experienced guidance and tips (there will definitely be cumin-flavored fries, Indian style), it is sure to turn out delicious.
Dinner is with family and relaxation that goes on into the night with conviviality and quiet conversation with this couple that welcomes us and makes us feel truly at home.
Night in Jodhpur.
We leave in the morning by private transport from Jodhpur towards Jaisalmer, the golden city. It rises from the sands of the desert and from where the top of its hill allows us to travel back in time and feel the splendor and magnitude of the trade that once flowed over land, between the East, the Middle East and Europe.
Being a mandatory stopping point of immemorial routes of camels, merchants and their goods, the city grew with taxes and thanks to its relative isolation, it prospered for centuries untouched.
After arriving, we head for the hotel where we can freshen up and enjoy the feeling of being in a frontier town, with people who are different from those we have encountered so far. Here turbans gain a place of honor on the heads of men who display them with pride, with different shapes and colors that compete with the full or slender well-groomed mustaches. Women's sarees also seem more alive and full of desert stories with their reddish patterns and colors. In general the traits are different, of people used to the ferocious climate of the desert and surviving in the conditions it imposes on them.
Gold and silver are key metals of constant adornment on both men and women, but in Rajasthan there have long lived the warrior castes who take pride in their blood, their nobility and their possessions, showing and extolling all this in their way of walking, dressing and living.
We then stroll a bit through the ancient alleys as traditional as the desert sand, that gives them color, making our way through the alleys filled with old houses and piled with knick-knacks, jewelry, textiles and stories to reach the Jain temples at the heart of this fort.
From the temples, we walk a little further through the city's photogenic alleys and descend from the fort to where the richest ministers and merchants lived in the city's prosperous times. Outside the fort, they had the privilege of constructing their exquisite mansions known as havelis.
We return at the end of the day to the fort after dinner, to contemplate the city and fall asleep lulled by the starry sky. Night in Jaisalmer.
We woke up full of energy to explore a little more of the alleys and bookstores that make up the fort. After lunch, we head out into the desert that stretches all around the fort and continues virtually unstoppable all the way to the middle east.
On the way we visit the Bada Bag complex with its cenotaphs of the Maharajah and we have time for a jeep safari to see the vegetation, camels and other animals that inhabit the dunes.
After the sunset on the dunes, dinner will be traditional, under one of the most amazing starry skies we will have the opportunity to see and that will make this trip even more special.
We then return to the hotel for one last night among the golden walls that brighten our dreams.
Night in Jaisalmer.
Today's day is largely dedicated to travel. We leave early by train from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur and from here a van takes us straight to Pushkar.
Pushkar, the temple city, with its temples along the banks of the lake, that is the nerve center of the city and it is also where we find what should be the only Hindu temple, dedicated to Brahma in India.
Legend has it that the goddess Savitri was on her way to the city to help the god create a sacred protection against demons through a ritual, but would be late for the ceremony, making it impossible. Now, Brahma did not want to wait, so he married a mortal woman to perform the ceremony with her.
When Savitri arrived in Pushkar he did not like what had happened and to punish Brahma he put a curse on him according to which he would have no place of worship in the world. The other gods found this curse so unfair, after all he was the creator god, that they asked the goddess to reconsider. She did so and allowed only in Pushkar Brahma to be worshipped.
But these are stories for the next day, now it's time to rest. Night in Pushkar.
After breakfast, we walk along Pushkar Lake, where we can see some of the Hindu rituals.
Pushkar is the city of eternal celebrations and festivals, where Hindus get married and dedicate their requests and wishes for a fertile and full life to Brahma, in the most diverse fields. Here, blessings are also sought for new ventures or phases of life, if not for Brama, the Hindu god of creation.
We stroll through the streets with their wedding processions, shops and colors, around the lake and visit the sacred temple that makes the city a place of Hindu pilgrimage.
There will be time to buy fabrics and jewelry in silver and gold, for those who wish, as this is the best place where we pass on our tour, to buy this type of goods.
After this walk, we'll head to the school run by the Fior di Loto Foundation, which not only supports girls from the poorest families to gain access to education and makes it possible to break out of their families cycle of poverty. It also has training and empowerment of women from rural communities in this area, contributing to development and breaking the cycle of exploitation and submission of women in Indian society.
After visiting the school, we have lunch and go to another school, Saraswati, but now for a dance class with Hemant (who is one of the most acclaimed dancers in Pushkar and Rajasthan) and his family who welcome us into their home for a traditional Rajasthani and Bollywood dance class and show.
After dinner, we rest with a walk along the lake to the hotel, to digest a day full of adventures, learning and discoveries. Night in Pushkar.
Today we get up early to go to the top of one of our tour leader's favorite hills and from where we can contemplate a sunrise to remember.
We take advantage of the rest of the morning for final purchases or simply enjoying the energy near the lake, where people follow their pujas and offering ceremonies, the offerings of thanks and requests for blessings to Brahma for the success of the various dimensions of life that start with us.
Back in Pushkar, we'll pick up our bags and a private transport will take us to Jaipur, the pink city, which already awaits us with its famous eight open gates and a tour of some of the most emblematic places in the center of the city, with emphasis on visiting Jantar Mantar, one of the largest and best-preserved stargazing complexes in India. See the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, before going to a movie session (optional) in one of the country's iconic cinemas, the Raj Mandir, to see one of the latest bollywood hits in all style.
Then follows dinner at a very special dhaba (local restaurant), as authentically as possible, simple and good quality food. Night in Jaipur.
This day is dedicated to slow motion, we'll walk through Jaipur, explore the bazaars and the city palace. We will have the afternoon free for everyone to enjoy themselves and do what they would like.
We get together for dinner and share our day and the days to come. Night in Jaipur.
After sunrise and breakfast, we leave the hotel for a short drive to Amer that will allow us to explore the imposing and iconic Amber Fort.
We climb up to the fort and can observe the saffron garden and the entrance bastion of this imposing and famous fort.
We then visit the palace and its three main courtyards before heading down and on to Agra where the Taj Mahal awaits us to share its hymn to love.
Night in Agra.
In the morning we wake up early to visit the Taj Mahal and marvel at this impressive building.
Much has been said and written about this mausoleum, which is considered one of the new wonders of the modern world and dates from the XVII century, dedicated by the Mughal emperor Jahan to his Persian empress Mumtaz.
In this phase of Indian history, it is the Mughals who control the country and its vast resources, putting them to use for projects like this and more. We take this opportunity to explore the Mughal period and the Islamization of the country.
After this visit, we return to the hotel for breakfast and plan the day, which is free and has several activities that are optional, such as visiting the Red Fort, the Baby Taj or going for a walk behind the Taj Mahal and unraveling the mystery of the black Taj.
At the end of the day, we embark on the last night train journey towards Varanasi, the mythical city devoted to the god Shiva.
The Ganges River descends from the heavens through Shiva's hair and travels through northern India until it passes in Varanasi where Indians cremate and cast the ashes and remains into the river for these to follow their spiritual journey and allow liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. This city is therefore dedicated to the breaking of this cycle and becomes a major player in the religion and lives of millions of Indians.
Varanasi is one of the seven holy Hindu cities and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and throughout its ghats history and religion are alive side by side in rituals and ceremonies of all kinds dedicated to the gods and liberation. The exploration of this city requires strong hearts and minds as its life is fascinatingly brutal and visceral between variations of genius and "mundanity".
The day will be for wandering the very narrow streets and alleys where its inhabitants mix with cows that sometimes block the way, with traders, with monkeys, with sadhus and babas (religious devotees to Shiva and hermits/gurus). In short all of Hindu India concentrated in a single place that we will explore and discover by walking among the temples, ghats (stairways to the river), cremation sites, and other mysterious places behind this undisturbed city. At the end of the day we attend the puja, a purification and cleansing ceremony by the river, where we ask the goddess of the river and other deities to wash our souls and spirits, leaving us ready to ascend a few more steps in the spiritual quest.
At the end of the day we have time for dinner, conversation, and an evening to think and share all this discovery and exploration of a cultural, religious, traditional India, of deserts, lakes, and thousand-year-old cities, of unique people, noble characteristics, and to digest the emotions and sensations of a full power country that invaded our senses and soul.
The morning starts with a boat ride at sunrise and taking advantage of one of the best times of the day to photograph and observe the rites and rituals of the city and say goodbye, to the incredible India that will now populate our imagination and our conversations in another way, more intense, more alive, more realistic and heartfelt. We took the opportunity to walk around a bit more in the morning and have a last meal all together.
Depending on flight schedules, the tour leader will take all members of the group to the airport. For those who have to wait longer for their flight, the tour leader can share, follow or recommend places to visit.
Night on board.
Arrival in origin city and end of Papa-Léguas services.
Note: the arrival/departure dates may vary, depending on your origin city. If you have any doubts, contact Papa-Léguas for further clarification.
