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Overview

Highlights of India Cooking Tour

Explore the highlights of this vibrant country on an intense and fun Indian cooking tour. From the jaw-dropping architecture of the Taj Mahal and the Amber Palace, to the many religious temples and mosques, to Mughal monuments and remnants of British colonial rule, the north of India is full of amazing sites to see. Couple the cultural sites with the country’s rich history and incredible gastronomy, and you have the trip of a lifetime! Your excursions and foodie tours will be led by experienced, English-speaking guides who will give you a new and authentic insight into the diverse and multi-ethnic culture of India. You will taste the meats and vegetarian dishes, the curries and bread, the rice and street food that make Indian cuisine one of the most known and delectable.


Latest Review

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Overall this was a wonderful trip - I don't think any other agency could have done better. The hotels were all top notch, especially liked the manor since it was small and personable... Laura, IN

Trip Details

You will have 3 cooking classes during your Indian cooking holiday and will experience Indian cuisine through foodie tours as well, each teaching an appreciation of local cuisine. In each class, as well as in the included meals and the food presentations and tours, you will learn about the best ingredients and spices to use to make a perfectly traditional, or wonderfully innovative, Indian meal. Classes might include:

  • Cooking class in private home in Delhi
  • Class in a palace in Jairpur
  • Awadhi cooking class in Lucknow

Itinerary

Day One

Depending on season, itinerary subject to change. Please inquire with specific dates.

  • Arrival in Delhi, where you will be met and accompanied to your hotel. Check in and time to rest.
  • Overnight in Delhi.

Day Two

  • After breakfast, enjoy a tour of New Delhi, in which you will see such famed sites as Humayun’s Tomb and the Sikh Temple (where you can see the community kitchens where they prepare lunch for 15,000 people each day).
  • Lunch during the tour at a local restaurant.
  • In the afternoon, a cooking class in an Indian home with a friendly Indian family. Learn how to prepare some local dishes.
  • Dinner to follow and overnight.

Day Three

  • After breakfast, visit Old Delhi and walk the streets of Shahjanabad, including the Chadni Chowk market district. Experience the bustling city in this amazing quarter as you walk the bazaars, and try such street fare as Chat Papri, Laccha Tokri, Guliya, Desi Ghee Tikki, Moong Pakori, Kulche Chole, Dahi Bhalla, Bedwee Aloo and Kachori Alu, not to mention Samudra Kee Chat, Brown and White fresh milk cake, Kulfi, Ice cream, Hot Kadai Milk, Halwa Nangori, and more—there is no shortage of amazing food in the markets of India!
  • Later, travel to a Haveli (a private mansion in the old city where the same family has lived for many generations) for a traditional lunch.
  • Rest of day at leisure. Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Four

  • Breakfast, then begin the approximately 6-hour driver to Jaipur. (You will stop for lunch on your own during the drive.)
  • When you arrive, check in to your hotel.
  • In the afternoon, enjoy an amazing food walk. This walk gives you a fantastic experience of the street food, colorful shops, and plenty of photo opportunities. You will be taken to the LMB sweet shop (one of the oldest restaurants, established in 1949). Some popular sweets are Paneer Ghewar, Doodh Feeni, Sweet Lassi, and Rasmalai.
  • Overnight.

Day Five

  • After breakfast, depart for the Hawa Mahal (wind palace), followed by the famed Amber Fort, the beautiful hilltop palace known for its ramparts and cobblestone paths, and visit with a Jeep ride.
  • Next, take part in a hands-on cooking class in the Sujan Palace. Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
  • Rest of the day and dinner on your own.
  • Overnight in Jaipur.

Day Six

  • Breakfast and then depart for the approximately 6-hour drive to Agra. En route, visit the ancient city of Fathepur Sikri, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was built by Akbar, the Mughal emperor in the year 1571, and was built as a tribute to the great Sufi saint, Shaikh Salim Christi, who legend said had blessed Akbar with a son. Today it is one of the best preserved examples of Mughal architecture in India.
  • Stop for lunch on your own during the drive to Agra.
  • Arrival in Agra, check in, and rest of day on your own.
  • Overnight.

Day Seven

  • Today starts with a 6:30 am sunrise visit of one of the “Modern Wonders of the World,” the Taj Mahal (please note that Fridays it is closed).
  • Back to the hotel, followed by free time to rest or explore. Lunch on your own.
  • This evening, it is time for a food walk of Agra. You will be indulging in some of Agra’s best local foods and sweets including Petha, Kababs and Kulfi (Indian Ice cream) while exploring the busy streets.
  • Return to hotel and overnight in Agra.

Day Eight

  • Breakfast at the hotel and drive the approximately 40 minutes to the train station in Tundla to catch your 8:51 am train to Lucknow.
    • Arrival in Lucknow around 12:40 pm. Transfer to your hotel and check in.
    • Lunch on your own and time to rest.
    • In the evening proceed to dinner at Oudhyana. This is cooking elevated to a fine art. No pretentions. No hype. Simply original and true to the rich tradition of Lucknow. Some say it is the best Awadhi restaurant in Lucknow. Decide for yourself as you taste the Mughlai dishes on offer. Awadhi cuisine uses many spices, but it isn’t pungent. It is subtle, delicate and delightfully aromatic.
    • Overnight in Lucknow.

Day Nine

  • Breakfast at the hotel. Around 9:00 am depart on a tour of Lucknow.
  • Start with the Sadat Ali Tomb, driving past the “Chatar Manzil” (part of which was built by the French architect Claude Martin). Enter the Asifi Imambara, a monument built as a relief measure during a devastating famine by providing employment to the workers. It is the world’s largest upsupported hall – lacking any pillar support. The Nawab (Prince) who built it likes inside.
  • Next visit the Rumi Darwaza (Turkish Gate) and the Asfi Mosque.
  • Stop at the Husainabad Complex, whose clock tower is the highest in Asia and often compared to Big Ben. Then head to the Husainabad Imambara, known for its beauty.
  • Break for lunch at the Royal Cafe, which features fusion cuisine and which once served the American and British soldiers.
  • After lunch, head to Kotwara House, home of the legendary film maker, fashion designer, painter, and poet Muzaffar and his wife Meera. The house is part of the Kaiserbagh complex and is a sort of living museum. Experience the workshop of Chikan, Zari, and Mukaesh artisans. You might even get to meet the famous couple!
  • After tea, take a culinary walk down the lane adjacent to the Akbari Gate, where you can taste the best street food from the most authentic places, which have held their own in the age of MacDonald’s and KFC. Taste the original Tundey kebabs, Raheem’s Nihari, and Mobeen’s Pasanda kebabs, some of the best meat dishes from Awadhi cuisine. See the chefs at work in their small, rustic stalls, dishing out food as they have for generations. Your guide will explain the history and recipes of the various dishes, and will encourage your adventurous spirit by tempting you to try them.
  • Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day Ten

  • After breakfast, enjoy a tour of the rest of the city. Visit the architectural marvel La Martiniere School, which was designed by the Frenchman Claude Martin as a palatial home. Martin is still a revered figure in Lucknow history. Visit also the Lucknow Residency, where a bloody mutiny took place in 1857.
  • Break for lunch on your own..
  • After lunch, visit SEWA, the Self Employed Women’s Association. This is an association of Chikan artisans/embroiderers who had been highly exploited in the garment industry. The association provides a better life for this formerly poor and illiterate population.
  • This evening enjoy a special demonstration cooking class featuring Awadhi cuisine. Dinner to follow.
  • Overnight in Lucknow.

Day Eleven

  • After breakfast, depart for your fight to Delhi.
  • Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and check in.
  • The rest of the day on your own to relax.
  • This evening, dinner at the famed Indian Accent restaurant. Chef Manish Mehrontra is one of the most respected in all of India, and his restaurant showcases modern India food that marries global ingredients and techniques with Indian traditions. Your tasting menu might include such dishes as meetha achaar, chilean spare ribs, tandoori bacon prawns, rice-crusted John Dory moilee, and warm doda burfi treacle tart (beverages not included).
  • Overnight.

Day Twelve

  • Breakfast, then group transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Trip Details

Included in the 11-Night Trip

Accommodations

11 nights accommodation in 5* accommodations (4 in Delhi, 2 in Jaipur, 2 in Agra, 3 in Lucknow)

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 4 lunches
  • 6 dinners (including foodie walks)

Classes & Instructors

You will have 3 cooking classes during your Indian cooking holiday and will experience Indian cuisine through foodie tours as well, each teaching an appreciation of local cuisine. In each class, as well as in the included meals and the food presentations and tours, you will learn about the best ingredients and spices to use to make a perfectly traditional, or wonderfully innovative, Indian meal. Classes might include:

  • Cooking class in private home in Delhi
  • Class in a palace in Jairpur
  • Awadhi cooking class in Lucknow

Excursions

  • Tour of Delhi
  • City tour in Jaipur
  • Trip to the Amber Fort
  • Visit of the ancient city of Fathepur Sikri
  • Sunrise visit of the Taj Mahal (cannot happen on Fridays)
  • Two city tours in Lucknow

Transfer Details

  • Arrival transfer from Delhi airport to hotel on days 1 and 11
  • Transfer from Delhi hotel to airport on day 12
  • Additional transfers and transportation as per itinerary

Miscellaneous

  • Transportation from Delhi to Jaipur (approx 6 hours)
  • Transportation from Jaipur to Agra (approx 6 hours)
  • Transfer from Agra to train station in Tundla and train from Tundla to Lucknow
  • Tour escort in Jaipur, Agra, and Lucknow
  • Two bottles of water per guest per day

Not Included

  • Beverages during meals
  • Airfare for flight between Lucknow and Delhi on day 11 (will be charged at time of confirmation and will generally run between US$50-US$150 per person depending on specific dates)

Accommodation Information

Delhi’s Le Meridien is a modern building in the heart of New Delhi. It features over 300 rooms, several restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool. The rooms feature modern decor with views, a desk, flat-screen TV, high speed internet, bathrobes, hairdryer, room safe, and luxury bathroom.

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Stay at the luxury ITC Rajputana in Jaipur. The 218 guest rooms are equipped with all the amenities, and the hotel features restaurants, a spa, a fitness area, and a large pool. The king or twin bedded rooms boast luxurious bathrooms with rainfall shower and soaking tub, hairdryers, bathrobe, coffee/tea maker, flat-screen TV, sitting area, soundproofing, safe, mini-bar, and phone.

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The ITC Mughal Agra is a luxury hotel sprawling over some 35 acres of gardens. It traditional style is a tribute to the Mughal builders of the past. The hotel features a pool, a fitness area, several restaurants, and the largest spa in India. Rooms include coffee/tea makers, flat-screen TV, mini-bar, safe, telephone, bathrobes, hairdryer, and more.

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The Vivanta by Taj Gomti Nagar hotel in Lucknow mixes old-world comfort with chic sophistication. Each superior and deluxe room has king (or double twin) bedding, TV, telephones, WiFi, room safe, hair dryer, air conditioning, and coffee/tea makers. The hotel also boasts a spa, pool, and fitness center, and a popular restaurant that focuses on local North Indian and Awadhi cuisine. _(If unavailable a comparable hotel will be poroposed.)

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Pricing & Tour Dates



Year-Round Pricing:

11-night Program

US$5750 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$1600 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)

Price does not include domestic flight (Lucknow-Delhi), to be purchased at time of confirmation.

30% deposit due to confirm booking.

Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

Single occupancy: please inquire.


Tour Dates

2021 & 2022: Available any dates you choose for a minimum of 4 people.

Please contact us to start planning.

Reviews

No rating given with this review
Overall this was a wonderful trip - I don't think any other agency could have done better. The hotels were all top notch, especially liked the manor since it was small and personable... Laura, IN

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