Itinerary—Incredible India
A special note about travel to India:
Students traveling to India and another Asian destination will be departing the USA on Tuesdays to allow for more efficient program connections.  Students only traveling on India programs will be departing the USA on Wednesdays.  All students will be arriving to Delhi on Thursdays.  Please visit www.rusticpathways.com/traveldesk for more information.

Day 1:  Depart USA
Meet up with your group in Newark and board a comfortable nontop flight to New Delhi, India and start getting to know your fellow travelers.  You’ll be escorted by a Rustic Pathways flight leader to India.

Day 2:  Arrive to Delhi
Following the short flight to India, you’ll clear customs (don’t forget to obtain your India visa!) and be met by your trip leaders, who will take you to the hotel, so you can freshen up before getting a great night of sleep in a quiet and comfortable hotel.

Day 3:  Delhi Day tour
After a brief group orientation to India’s customs and your group’s expectations, you’ll head out for a day spent touring this bustling capital city.  Learn about Gandhi at a museum housed at the same place his life ended, learn about Sikh religion at Bangla Sahib temple, and take in the famous India Gate and parliament. 

Day 4: Delhi to Agra
The group will depart for the famous “Pink city” of Jaipur by a comfortable A/C coach bus, and spend the afternoon seeing how the intricate marble work is inlaid with its precious gems.  That night, enjoy a delicious dinner together sampling a wide array of traditional Indian dishes including dals, curries, and naan!

Day 5:  The Taj Mahal
Today you will visit the highlight of India, the Taj Mahal.  Experience the magic of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, one of the seven wonders of the modern world.  The rest of the day will be spent learning about Shah Jahan’s empire with visits to the Agra Fort, then Itimad-ud-Daulah, which is considered to be the ‘Baby Taj’ and hosts architecture that influenced much of the Taj Mahal’s design. 

Day 6:  Agra to Jaipur
Your day will be spent journeying through Fatehpur Sikri, which was the political capital of India’s Moghul Empire during famous leader Akbar.  You’ll then continue to India’s famous ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur.  That evening, you’ll have a cooking demonstration and dinner, where you’ll learn to prepare those tasty meals you’ve been eating throughout your trip.

Day 7:  Jaipur
You’ll spend today visiting famous Jaipur sights such as the City Palace and Hawa Mahal, and cap off the day with an elephant ride to the famous Amber Fort Palace.  You’ll explore within the well protected walls of the palace and see the secret caves that were used by former royalty to escape when the palace came under attack by invading armies hundreds of years ago. 

Day 8:  Return to Delhi
After your final night in India, you’ll travel by road back to Delhi.  You’ll reminisce over your group’s incredible adventure through India’s Golden Triangle over your final meal together, then students departing to the USA will catch their nonstop flight back and many students will be connecting to their other programs in India or Asia. 

Day 9:  Return to USA
Students returning to the USA will arrive to Newark on this day filled with great new stories and experiences to share with their family and friends! 

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

When packing, please be mindful of the conservative Indian culture and please leave skimpy clothing, sleeveless shirts, short shorts, and other revealing clothing behind.  Remember that part of being a good traveler is fitting in with your surroundings and clothing that is normal at home can be extremely suggestive and often times offensive in the areas we will travel to.  Most people in India rarely wear shorts, almost always wear pants or dresses, and keep their shoulders covered despite the sometimes high temperatures.  If you do not pack conservative clothing, our staff will request that you to purchase appropriate clothing upon arriving to India.
» Passport WITH MINIMUM 6-Month Multiple Entry India visa
» Airline Tickets
» Wallet with about $100
» 2 Photocopies of the front 2 pEdad of your passport
» 2 Photocopies of your Indian Visa
» T-shirt
» Comfortable pants or pajama bottoms
» Sunglasses
» Toothpaste (less than 3 oz tube though!)
» Toothbrush
» Journal and Pen
» Water Bottle (stay well hydrated on your flight, it helps with jet lag!)
» Snacks
» Deck of Cards
» Suggested reading:  Dalai Lama’s autobiography “Freedom in Exile” or Hermann Hesse’s classic “Siddhartha,” for Leh/Ladakh programs
>Camera and film (bring all of your film in your carry on and have it hand checked instead of putting it through the x-ray machines)

Checked Luggage: A medium sized duffel bag or large back pack work best - wheeled bags are OK as long as they are medium sized and can easily be carried like a duffle over rough terrain.  It is important that you try to keep your total luggage to one piece of checked luggage.  Often you will have to carry it through streets, so it should be easily manageable!
For all programs pack the following items in your checked luggage:
» Sleeping sack (can be purchased from www.rei.com item #627251 – cocoon cotton
  mummy liner)
» Lightweight long pants (3 pairs).  Ex Officio, REI, and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) all make nice ones.  You will wear pants most of the time in India, as showing your knees is considered inappropriate and even men rarely wear shorts!  Women dress VERY conservatively in India, so please respect the local culture.
» Underwear (7 pairs)  (sink washable underwear like Patagonia and Ex Officio travelers underwear are recommended and you can bring only 3-4 if you wash in the sink.
» Socks (2 pairs)
» Swimsuit
» T-shirts with sleeves (5 t-shirts)
» Long sleeve t-shirts (2 long sleeves, it can get chilly at night)
» Lightweight rain jacket (this rain jacket should be waterproof, the rains can be heavy at times in northern India)
» One pair of shorts (modesty is important in Indian culture)
» Tennis shoes (something you can work in)
» Sandals that are strapped (Tevas or Chacos are recommended)
» Soap in a plastic dish (Versatile liquid soaps like “Camp Suds” or “Dr. Bronners” can be more convenient for travel and biodegradable.  These can be used to wash your own laundry and yourself!)
» Biodegradable shampoo (pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Personal First Aid Kit (optional, we carry first aid kids on all of our trips, but personal Tylenol, medications, band-aids, etc… can be convenient)
» Small bag for day trips (this can double as your carry-on bag)
» Sunscreen (pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Chapstick
» Aloe Vera (optional)
» Insect repellant (one heavy in DEET and one natural citronella- pack in a zip-lock bag)
» Hand sanitizer (1 small bottles packed in a zip-lock bag)
» Handiwipes or towlettes
» Small packs of Kleenex tissues for public toilets in India, toilet paper can be hard to find sometimes
» Sweatshirt
» Hat for sun
» Flashlight or headlamp with an extra battery
» One towel (not white, a travel towel works great and can be found at any outdoor store like REI)
» Laundry bag or pillowcase
» Medications.  Bring with you whatever medications you will need during your trip, and you must disclose to your staff during orientation all of the medications that you are carrying.
» Contacts and solution if necessary (packed in a zip-lock bag)
» Small photo album of your family and friends to show the locals
» Musical instruments are always appreciated if they can be easily carried
» Frisbee, hackysack, or other fun, easy-to-carry items

Don’t leave home without your sense of adventure!!  Incredible India awaits! 
Optional Items:

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
The group flight to India departs from EWR (Newark) to DEL (Delhi) is a 14 hour and 15 minute nonstop flight and the return flight from DEL to EWR is 15 hours and 15 minutes. Students only traveling on India programs will travel on this flight and depart on WEDNESDAY’S. Students traveling on India and other Asia programs will be departing on TUESDAY’S on our Singapore Airlines flights. For more information on flights, please visit www.rusticpathways.com/traveldesk.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
A flight leader escorts all Rustic Pathways group flights between the USA and India. You will receive more detailed information about where to meet your flight leader closer to your departure date, along with your flight information.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
YES! All students traveling to India are responsible for obtaining their own visa for India. You must obtain a minimum 6-month, multiple entry tourist visa. The information for obtaining the visa can be found at: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/

You will need a reference for your visa, which is provided to you or you can email india@rusticpathways.com for this information as well.

4 – What areas does this program travel to?
This trip follows India’s famous “Golden Triangle,” which is made up of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. This area of northern India is full of India’s rich history and world-famous monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Amber Fort, and a rich weave of cultures. For more information on the day-to-day itinerary, please click the ‘Itinerary’ button above.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Rustic Pathways only requires an up-to-date tetanus shot for its participants.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
This program connects seamlessly with our other India programs. Students will begin and end their trip in Delhi, which acts as our international hub for India programs and makes transitioning to other Asia programs easy as well!

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
The climate during this time of year generally is hot and sometimes humid. During much of the year, temperatures in India can be in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. During the later summer months, the trips may see a bit more rain than the earlier trips, but rest assured they’ll still have an incredible experience!

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
This program does not include a service component as it is a touring and cultural immersion program.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
This program is not very strenuous, but students should be able to walk short distances, and be in fairly good physical shape. Students with health concerns should contact our India staff at: india@rusticpathways.com.

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy souvenirs. Students should also bring extra money if they wish to purchase additional snacks or soda from the local grocery store, phone calls home, and internet access along the way. We generally recommend approximately $150 per week of travel to cover these costs, but ultimately it depends on a student’s spending habits.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
This program does not have optional activities that will require a student to spend extra money aside from their normal allowance expenses above.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
Most of the meals on this program will be in restaurants throughout the trip.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
India is extremely vegetarian friendly, however some special diets may be more difficult to cater to during parts of the trip. If a student has questions, they should contact india@rusticpathways.com or contact our administrative offices for more information.

16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
Yes, students will be provided safe drinking water throughout their trip, as the water in India is not safe to drink.

17 - What will the accommodations on this trip be like?
Students will be staying in a mixture of comfortable guest houses and hotels. This includes a range of 3-4 star hotels and some even have swimming pools to cool off on those warm India days!

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
Public bathrooms in India are quite limited and often times, require students to use primitive bathroom facilities. Students should be prepared to use squat toilets throughout India that may not be up to the same levels of cleanliness as bathrooms at home. Sometimes this can be as simple as a hole in the ground. Don’t worry though, you’ll get used to it quickly! It is also recommended to carry some toilet paper with you during your travels. You can buy it here too! In most of our guest houses and hotels, students will have western style bathrooms with hot showers. Sometimes the hot water is limited.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
Our programs generally are between equal and sometimes leaning a little bit more to the female side of group balance at about 60% female and 40% male.

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
Depending on the program, we sometimes have a lower staff to student ratio, but with safety as our top priority, we maintain at least a 4 or 5 to 1 student to staff ratio.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have guides that are certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
During this program, students will be moving around a bit, so laundry will only be able to be done one or two times on the program. Students should keep in mind that they don’t need new outfits for each day and ‘rewearing’ clothing is perfectly fine! In fact, the less you pack, the happier of a traveler you’ll be. Many of your guides will be carrying just a small pack to travel with, you’d be amazed at how little you need! Since this is a one-week trip, students should plan on just packing for the week. Laundry will be the equivalent of about US$10 per load generally.

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
Students will have access to phones and internet throughout their travels and have the time to use them about every 2-3 days, but this can vary through the trip. Parents will receive safe arrival emails upon their student’s arrival and should also remember that many students get to India and to fully immerse themselves in their trip and new opportunities stay away from things like phone and internet which connect them back to their lives at home. This is completely normal and parents should remember that ‘no news is good news’ if they don’t hear from their child during the course of their trip.