1. More Info About Your India Trip

1.1 Fast Facts

1.2 Where We Visit

1.3 Weather

1.4 Itinerary Overview

1.5 Included / Excluded

1.6 Hotels

1.7 Room Sharing

2. Getting Prepared

2.1 Trip Countdown Timeline

2.2 Cancellations / Trip Moves

2.3 Visa Requirements

2.4 Vaccinations

2.5 Travel Insurance

2.6 Luggage

2.7 Local Currency

2.8 Phone, Internet & WhatsApp

2.9 Arrival Info & Entry Requirements

2.10 Departure Info

2.11 Airport Transfers

2.12 Packing Guidelines / Checklist

3. During Your Tour

3.1 Trip Execution & Tour Leader

3.2 Free Time

3.3 Schedule Changes

3.4 Behaviour On Tour

3.5 Safety Advice

3.6 Food Hygiene

3.7 Spending Money

3.8 Tipping

3.9 Laundry

3.10 Post Trip

4. Readiness Checklist

Checklist

1.1 FAST FACTS

Population

• 1.45 Billion (!)
• Capital city is New Delhi 

Geography

• India is the seventh-largest country in the world, occupying a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent
• Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides

• It borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the far east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India only by a narrow channel of sea

Language

• 43.63% of the total population speaks Hindi. It is followed by Bengali and Marathi (English is also an official language in seven states)

Currency

• Indian Rupee (₹)
• 1 USD = 84 INR (roughly)
• 1 GBP = 107 INR (roughly)

Religion

• Hinduism is the official and most common religion in India, but you will also find muslims, christians, sikhs, buddhists and more.

1.2 WHERE WE VISIT

Delhi (2 nights)

Home to 35 million people, it’s the hustle and bustle you would absolutely expect of India with heaving markets, temples, rickshaws and street vendors vying for your attention. The perfect introduction to the country.

Agra (1 nights)

Short stop in this pleasant city mainly as a base to visit the nearby Taj Mahal but also with the added bonus of visiting the Agra Fort which is a great example of the many impressive forts dotted around the country.

Ranthambore National Park (2 nights)

After a few days in the city, you’ll head to a more remote part of India in Ranthambore National Park. This nature reserve is home to several indigenous animals including the Bengal Tiger, but, more than that, it is a beautiful slice of nature and the perfect way to experience rural India.

Jaipur (2 nights)

Next, onto another city, but this time much smaller in scale and with a distinctly different feel. Jaipur is known as the ‘pink city’ and is home to the imperious Amber Fort, beautiful palaces and many speciality craftspeople. Don’t be surprised if you see elephants randomly wandering down the street here!

Varanasi (2 nights)

Another city, but yet again, it has it’s own unique feel and very different to what you would have experienced before. It’s located on the banks of the Ganges River, a highly spiritual spot in India where many people come to lay their relatives to rest while a hive of other/unrelated activity happens in parallel all around. It’s a moving place to visit and a real highlight of this trip.

Mumbai (2 nights)

The other mega-city of India (in addition to Delhi), Mumbai (formerly Bombay) will show you a much more modern side of India and it’s fascinating to contrast it with the more traditional feel of the other places you have visited.

Goa (2 nights)

And finally, after a fairly intense trip around India, you will finish up in the beach resort of Goa. We figured this was the perfect place to end the trip so you can unwind for a few days before making your journey back home.

IMPORTANT NOTES – 

1. Although Ranthambore National Park is a Tiger Reserve, it is not guaranteed that you will see tigers there. We will of course aim to seek them out, but it is a vast area where the tigers are living in the wilderness and many times they don’t ‘come out to play’. However, we have still included this in the itinerary because the park itself is very beautiful and it’s a great chance for you to experience rural India, away from the big cities.

2. We cover a lot of India with this itinerary and so there will be a fair amount of travel. For the first section (Delhi->Agra->Ranthambore->Jaipur) we will move between these places on our private bus. After this (Jaipur->Varanasi->Mumbai->Goa) you will travel by internal flights (3 in total).

1.3 WEATHER

We choose our trip dates based on when we believe are the best times to visit India. You can see the expected temperatures below. Note – we have shown Delhi (and you can expect similar for Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur and Varanasi) and Mumbai and Goa which are both typically a bit warmer.

New Delhi Weather Celsius

New Delhi Weather Fahrenheit

Mumbai Weather Celsius

Mumbai Weather Fahrenheit

Goa Weather Celsius

Goa Weather Fahrenheit

1.4 ITINERARY OVERVIEW

A summary version of the itinerary. You can find the more detailed version here.

A detailed hour-by-hour schedule will be provided 10 days before the trip.

1.5 INCLUDED/EXCLUDED

Included:-

• 14-days / 13-nights: 2 Delhi, 1 Agra, 2 Ranthambore National Park, 2 Jaipur, 2 Varanasi, 2 Mumbai, 2 Goa
• Accommodation in hand-picked 3 & 4-star hotels (based on sharing twin room)
• Meals – All breakfasts, 4 lunches & 10 dinners
• Airport pickups and drop-offs
• All transportation & activities within itinerary (excluding optional activities)
• An Indian host (“Tour Leader”) plus various local experts

Excluded:-

• International flights to get you to and from India
• Alcoholic drinks (except those specifically provided as part of itinerary)
• Water & soft drinks (outside of those provided with meals)
• Additional meals (outside of those explicitly stated as included)
• Optional activities during free time
• Tips (for Tour Leaders, local guides, bus drivers etc…)
• Travel insurance

1.6 HOTELS

As standard, we use the hotels listed at the bottom of our itinerary page.

From time to time we may need to change a specific hotel if for example it’s not available on those given dates. But in such situations, we will always replace with another hotel at the same quality.

Some special notes regarding hotels:-

• Hotel check-in is not until 2pm. Sometimes earlier check-in is possible, however, it won’t be possible to know in advance because it will depend on hotel availability that day (and what time other hotel guests check-out). The only way to guarantee an early check-in is if you’re willing to pay for the hotel from the night before.

• You will be sharing a twin room with a fellow traveler of the same gender, unless you specifically paid extra for a private room (these are dependent on availability, see prices in FAQ section of itinerary page).

• If you are planning to tag on extra days on either side of the trip, we can help book you into our hotels. We can only guarantee this if you let us know more than 70 days before the trip and we can only do this for a maximum of 2 nights on either side. Any longer and we recommend you book directly with the hotels. Note – contact us for rates for pre and post-trip accommodation.

1.7 ROOM SHARING

As standard, the default on all of our trips is that you will share a room with another traveler. These will be twin rooms, with 2 separate beds, and shared by a max of 2 people.

You will always share with another traveler of the same gender, and we will typically pair you with someone around the same age. You will share with this person for the duration of the itinerary.

Note that we operate this way because – by splitting the room cost between two people – it allows us to keep the overall OWR trip price down.

It is however possible for you to pay extra for a private room if you prefer. Prices for this are shown in the FAQ section of the itinerary page. We hold a limited number of private rooms and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis (therefore please check in with us for availability).

In our experience, most people are happy sharing a twin room and it typically works out well.

Some Important Things to Consider:-

SNORING

If you snore, then we highly recommend that you book a private room. While we understand that this will cost you more, it is important to think of the negative impact/experience the snoring could have on any potential roommate.

LIGHT SLEEPERS

Likewise, if you consider yourself to be a light sleeper and are easily woken by the sounds or movements or others, then we also recommend you also consider booking a private room in order to get the most out of the experience.

In addition…

If you would like to book a private room then it is much better to do this in advance of the trip! If you originally signed up for a shared room and then request to move to a private room during the trip, it will be much more challenging because:-

• We cannot guarantee that there will still be rooms available (since we will have released our OWR allocation by then).

• Our quoted OWR rates will no longer apply (it will be whatever last-minute rates the hotels provide).

Therefore, it is much better for you if you can make this decision ahead of time!

2.1 TRIP COUNTDOWN TIMELINE

This is what you should expect in the lead up to your trip.

• Book trip (secure your spot with a deposit)

• Book international flights (these can be booked at any point after we’ve confirmed your spot – don’t leave too late as price will go up closer to trip)

• Purchase travel insurance (this will cover for issues leading up to trip as well as during)

> 70 Days Before Trip (cancellation penalties kick-in beyond this point)

• Full balance must be paid
• OWR sends survey: requests flight information, dietary requirements, health conditions, emergency contacts etc…(must be returned within 7 days)

> 10 Days Before Trip

• OWR sends day-by-day schedule, optional activity recommendations & some final info to prepare you for trip

> 3 Days Before Trip

• WhatsApp group created with all trip attendees + Tour Leader

> Trip Start Date

• Welcome meeting is typically scheduled for 6pm on first day. This is where you will meet your Tour Leader and other guests (note – we may change this time depending on overall group arrival times. If it changes we will notify you).

2.2 CANCELLATIONS / TRIP MOVES

The £200/$250 deposit is non-refundable. However, if you need to cancel at any point, you can put this towards any future trip you book with us (in any location).

The rest of the balance is refundable up until 70 days before the trip. From that point the following cancellation terms will apply:-

> 30-70 days before trip – 50% refund

> 0–30 days before trip – 0% refund

Important Note – it is not possible for us to make exceptions to these terms since from the 70 days mark we will commit payments to our local suppliers in India and will be bound by their strict cancellation terms. This is why it’s very important for you take take out a travel insurance policy which includes trip cancellation (from the point of booking the trip).

This applies also to requests to change to an alternative future OWR trip, when such requests are made within 70 days of your scheduled trip departure. 

2.3 VISA REQUIREMENTS

Citizens from the UK, US, Canada, Australia/NZ and EU Countries require a tourist visa to enter India. Processing time is typically a few days but we recommend you apply for this well in advance of your trip. It will cost roughly £35 / US$41. You can apply here: e-visa

(if you are from a different country, please check elegibility from the link above).

2.4 VACCINATIONS

In general, there are no mandatory vaccinations for entering India, only recommendations *(see exception below)  

Standard travel vaccinations – information online tends to vary, we recommend checking with a reputable source such as those below (or the equivalent from your own country) 

US: 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/india

UK: 

https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-east/india

Please read through these and compare with your current vaccination status (it is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately vaccinated).

In addition to vaccinations, we advise to take measures to avoid mosquito bites throughout the trip. Good practise includes using mosquito repellant and also keeping arms and legs covered with long sleeve shirts and trousers in areas where mosquitos are more prominent.

* Exception – if you are travelling to India from South America or Africa, then you will be required to show proof of your yellow fever vaccination certificate.

2.5 TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is mandatory that all guests have travel insurance in place prior to joining our trips.

Some important info relating to this:-

• You must have travel insurance in place to join the trip. No exceptions.
• We will ask you to provide your policy number and 24hr emergency contact number (this will be part of the OWR survey 70 days pre trip).
• At a minimum it must cover the mandatory elements mentioned in our booking terms (personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation).
• However, we strongly recommend you also include the “trip cancellation” coverage. This will cover you for things that can happen between booking the trip and the trip actually starting. Examples are: changes to your personal circumstances, destinations becoming unsafe to travel, flight issues stopping you from joining the tour etc…
• We recommend that you start your coverage from the point of booking the tour.
• It is your responsibility to ensure your policy covers all of the activities specified on the trip itinerary, in addition to any optional activities you plan to do.

There are numerous policies on the market and you should choose whichever is most appropriate for you. Here’s a small selection to consider:-

World Nomads

Allianz Travel Insurance

BattleFace

Tru Traveller

2.6 LUGGAGE

• You can travel with a suitcase or backpack, the choice is completely yours (fyi most people typically do suitcase)
• There are three domestic flights with this itinerary, so we ask you to restrict your luggage to one standard hold piece weighting no more than 15kg/33lbs. Restrictions are placed by the airlines. 
• It’s worth considering whether you could do the trip with cabin luggage only – this would mitigate any risk of lost luggage by the airlines on your international flights (which is not frequent but does happen from time-to-time).

2.7 LOCAL CURRENCY

The local currency is Indian Rupee INR (pounds/dollars are NOT generally accepted).

2.8 PHONE, INTERNET & WHATSAPP

In most locations there is good phone signal and internet access and WIFI is available in hotels & restaurants.

Check out the plan of your phone provider to understand if data roaming is included as part of your package. If not, it is very easy to buy an e-sim for India, in which case we recommend Holafly or Airalo services.

You can also buy a local Indian sim at Delhi airport, you will see booths selling these as you exit arrivals, after luggage pickup.

We will use WhatsApp as a means of communicating with the group while on tour and recommend you download this to your phone if you don’t already have it.

2.9 ARRIVAL INFO & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

This tour starts in New Delhi and ends in Goa (we will get you between the two cities over the 14 days). 

To join the trip you will arrive into Indira Gandhi International Airport (airport code DEL).

Ideally you should arrive at the hotel by 6pm on the first day. This is when we have our welcome meeting and afterwards go for dinner (although if you arrive later it’s fine to catch up).

There will be someone there to meet you upon arrival as you walk through the gates (they will have a sign with your name on it). 

Hotel check-in is not until 3pm but if arriving earlier you can drop off your bags and go explore the surrounding area. 

Please ensure that you have read all of the India entry requirements (it is your responsibility to ensure you comply):-

US Citizen Entry Requirements

UK Citizen Entry Requirements

CA Citizen Entry Requirements

(if from a different country, please check those requirements specific to your home country)

When going through passport control in India you may be asked to show the following:- 

• Valid tourist visa
• Passport (must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from arrival date into India)
• Two blank passport pages
• Evidence of return flight leaving India
• Delhi hotel address: Le Meridien, Windsor Pl, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India

Please have this information on hand.

2.10 DEPARTURE INFO

You should arrange your flight home from Goa/Dabolim Airport (airport code GOI). We will arrange your airport transfer according to your flight time.

You can leave at any time on the last day. There are no activities scheduled for that day.

2.11 AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Airport transfers are included at both the start and end of the trip.

The following conditions apply:-

• We only do transfers between airports and our selected hotels. No other locations (other hotels, Airbnbs etc…)
• For those tagging on extra days, we will endeavour to include transfers up to 2 days outside of official tour dates. Beyond this we will not include transfers.
• Arrival and departure details must be submitted via our traveller questionnaire no later than 30 days before the trip start date. Flight dates, times, and flight numbers must be correct so that we can track flights and arrange transfers accordingly. If this information is not provided by the deadline, we cannot guarantee your included transfer.
• If your flight changes or is significantly delayed by more than 30 mins, please notify us by email or WhatsApp as soon as possible. As transfers are arranged and paid for in advance, we cannot guarantee changes to existing transfer bookings.

• If a new transfer is required, we will do our best to arrange one based on your updated flight details. However, if it is within 24 hours of your initial scheduled arrival, this will be charged as an additional transfer due to our local transport provider’s cancellation terms. In this case we will invoice you for the additional transfer. Alternatively, you can make your own way to the hotel by taxi, Uber, or other local transport.

• Any additional costs due to rearranged transfers may be covered by your travel insurance, so it is worth checking your policy to see what is included.

2.12 PACKING GUIDELINES / CHECKLIST 

We plan trips in India at times of year where we expect there to be warm / sunny weather.

(see weather predictions above).

There is no official dress code in India, but, for females especially, it is better to dress a little more conservatively than normal. It is still a male-dominated, and mostly conservative, society with an equally conservative dress code in most parts of the country. This blog post has some great advice.

We don’t recommend specific clothing items – because everyone has their own personal style – but below are some things to think about.

Documents

• Flight info (especially important to be able to show you have a flight leaving India)
• Travel Insurance info (especially your policy number & 24hr emergency number)
• Passport  (with 6 months validity)
• Supporting documentation for medications – see advice here
• Visa proof

Things To Think About

• Swimsuit (for hotel pools)
• Comfortable shoes/trainers for walking day-to-day
• Day backpack/bag
• Sunglasses
• Hat for sun protection
• Power supplies/batteries – for phones, laptops, cameras etc…
• Power adapters (to convert to local supply) – see type required for India
• Sunscreen
• Mosquito/bug spray
• Camera
• Ear Plugs (if sensitive sleeper)
• Personal entertainment (books, podcasts etc… for travel time)
• Toiletries
• Personal Medication
• Travel sickness pills (if necessary)
• Light rain jacket
• Sweater for evenings and for cold mornings in Ranthambore
• Refillable Water bottle
• Preventative remedies for potential stomach issues – rehydration sachets, diarrhea remedies 

Other

• Download WhatsApp on phone (to be used for group comms while on tour)
• Set up data roaming

3.1 TRIP EXECUTION & TOUR LEADER 

You Tour Leader is responsible for leading the group throughout the trip, they will be there from the welcome meeting at the start until the last morning when the trip ends. We will connect you with your Tour Leader – via WhatsApp – in the days leading up to the trip.

They will be your first point of contact for any issues during the trip but you can also contact us at [email protected]

3.2 FREE TIME

At various points during the trip the trip schedule will show ‘Downtime’ and ‘Free Time’ 

Downtime is where there are a couple of hours or so free between activities. There is probably enough time to go for a coffee, relax or go for a wander but not quite enough time to go do another activity. 

Free Time is where there is a sizeable chunk of time available – half day or full day – where you could feasibly go off and do another activity (outside of the OWR itinerary). It is there to give you flexibility to go do your own thing and explore your own interests. 

We will provide recommendations of possible activities for you to do during Free Time (we will send this 10 days before the trip).

We don’t recommend booking anything prior to arriving in India as typically most things can be arranged at short notice and often our guests decide to do things with other people in the group. 

3.3 SCHEDULE CHANGES

While we endeavour to operate all trips as described in the published itineraries we always reserve the right to change the trip itinerary (India and South Asia in general are very dynamic where things can often change at short notice). 

Changes may be necessary as a result of unforeseen circumstances, operational concerns, concerns for your health, safety, enjoyment or comfort. 

Any changes are at the discretion of OWR. 

This includes the right to replace Tour Leaders, alter accommodations, change transport, modify the order in which places are to visited, and make any other changes to the itinerary. 

We will inform you of any such changes as soon as reasonably possible.

3.4 BEHAVIOUR ON TOUR

We request that all guests take responsibility for their personal behaviour on the tour, specifically to:-

• Respect the decisions of the Tour Leader (and raise concerns respectfully)
• Show respect and consideration for the other members of the group
• Drink alcohol responsibly
• In addition we have an absolutely zero tolerance no drugs policy.
• Be on time to start activities as per the schedule (be respectful of the time of other members of the group)

We also ask that you read about our OWR Trip Style prior to joining the trip.

3.5 SAFETY ADVICE

In general India is a safe country to travel. 

Millions of foreigners visit every year and the vast majority of those are trouble free. 

However, we do recommend taking some extra precautions and being more vigilant than you typically would in your home country. 

• Leave jewellery / expensive handbags etc… at home
• Don’t go wandering outside the tourist areas without a local
• Don’t flag taxis – get the hotel / restaurant to call them
• Use ATMs inside banks / shopping malls rather than on the street
• Keep only small amounts of cash on you when out and about
• Drink alcohol moderately, avoid making yourself vulnerable (and don’t leave drinks unattended)
• Avoid walking alone at night
• Don’t go off to party with people you’ve just met! 

We also strongly recommend reading the travel advice provided by your government / consulate / foreign office.

3.6 FOOD HYGIENE

You may have heard of the infamous “Delhi Belly” but you can go along way to mitigating this by taking some of the following sensible precautions:-

• Wash hands very frequently and take a hand-sanitiser with you (also avoid touching face)
• Do not drink tap water in India. Only drink bottled water and it’s best to stick to well known brands and also check that the lid is fully sealed (to be really safe it’s also a good idea to brush teeth with bottled water)
• Do not have ice in your soft drinks
• Avoid raw vegetables/side salads, peeled fruit, ice-cream
• Try to stick to hot, cooked food
• Limit unverified street food (the places we take you on the tour we have tried and tested)
• Ask your Tour Leader for advice when selecting a restaurant
• Avoid eating too many foods with sauces. These can have many spices added which you are not used to and it’s good to alternate with dry food to give your body time to adjust
• Take probiotics before and during your trip

It is also a good idea to bring with you some remedies should you run into stomach issues – tissues, rehydration sachets, diarrhea relief.

You Tour Leader will discuss this topic in more detail during the welcome meeting.

3.7 SPENDING MONEY

We include include just about everything on the tour. 

The itinerary was designed so that while you’re in India all you need to do is focus on enjoying yourself. 

With that said you will likely need a little spending money which we estimate as follows: 

• $400 – $500 (US)
• £300 – £400 (UK) 

(for other currencies please convert)

These estimates factor in lunches and dinners not included within the itinerary; snacks and water; a couple of alcoholic drinks each day; and optional activities during free time. 

You may need more depending on your tastes and for additional items such as souvenirs. 

We also recommend you have access to additional funds in case of emergency.

 Important Note:-

We have received feedback from past guests that they would prefer us to create a tipping kitty for this tour. We will send details of this in the lead up to the tour

3.8 TIPPING

There is a very strong tipping culture in India and so it’s widely expected by the locals that they will be tipped for their efforts – this especially relates to drivers, tour guides and staff. Our past guests have advised us that they would prefer we collect a tipping kitty at the start of the tour so that the Tour Leader can distribute the tips throughout the tour, rather than guests having to remember and have cash at hand each day. In the lead up to the tour we will therefore send you details about this kitty.

Note that the tipping is always optional and if you prefer to manage yourself rather than join the kitty, that is absolutely fine. We do this simply to make the process easier for everyone.

At the end of the trip you my also want to tip your Tour Leader who would have been with you for the full duration of the trip. A recommended amount is $5-$10 (£4-£8) per day (per person), but this is completely up to you and you should only tip what you feel comfortable with.

3.9 LAUNDRY

Some travellers prefer to pack light and do laundry while on tour. There will be various points throughout the trip to do laundry (your Tour Leader will inform you during the trip).

3.10 POST TRIP

We will send you a survey asking for feedback on your experience.

If you enjoyed the tour we would love it if you could recommend us on Google and/or Facebook.

We also have some special offers to those on our trips:

• If you book a new trip within 2 weeks of your current trip ending, you get a £200 / $250 discount.

• If you book a new trip after this point, we still offer a £100 / $125 discount.

We know this is a lot of information to digest, therefore, here’s a quick checklist to ensure you’re ready for your upcoming trip.

Have you:-

• Purchased your international flights to/from India?
• Purchased travel insurance?
• Paid your full balance with OWR?
• Checked your passport validity? (more than 6 months from entering India)
• Checked that you have the recommended vaccines?
• Obtained your visa?
• Completed the OWR survey (will be sent 70 days before the trip)
• Checked our packing guidelines?
• Set up your data roaming + downloaded WhatsApp?
• Money for exchange or made plans to withdraw cash in India for tips etc…
• Read our OWR Trip Style document to ensure you are comfortable with what to expect?

If so – you are good to go!