Golden Triangle & Kerala Backwaters Tour – 12 Days

Your Payless Tours India representative meets you at Indira Gandhi International Airport with a printed name board, and your private driver takes you to your hotel in central Delhi. After check-in and a short rest, your local guide joins you for an afternoon tour that focuses on parts of the capital many visitors skip. The first stop is Gurudwara Bangla Sahib near Connaught Place, the city's best-known Sikh temple, with a gold dome reflected in a large holy tank. Heads must be covered and shoes left at the entrance, and scarves are provided free of charge. Your guide will explain the history of the temple and its link with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishan.

The most memorable part of the visit is the langar, the free community kitchen that feeds thousands of people each day, regardless of religion. Volunteers roll chapatis by hand, stir giant pots of dal and wash steel plates, and you are welcome to join them for a few minutes or sit on the floor and share the simple meal. A short drive away is Agrasen ki Baoli, a stepwell of 103 stone steps hidden between office buildings off Hailey Road. Its date is uncertain, but the present structure is thought to be from the fourteenth century, when it stored water for travellers and residents through the dry months.

Later in the afternoon you drive south to Mehrauli for the Qutub Minar, begun in 1199 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak after his victory over the last Hindu kings of Delhi. The five-storey tower rises 73 metres, with bands of Arabic inscriptions carved into the red and buff sandstone. Your guide shows you the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque at its base, built with columns taken from earlier temples, and the iron pillar from the Gupta period that has stayed almost free of rust for over sixteen centuries. The complex looks particularly good in the soft light before closing time. Return to your hotel for dinner and rest after your long flight. Overnight stay in Delhi.

After breakfast you leave Delhi and take the Yamuna Expressway towards Agra, a drive of three and a half to four hours. The road is smooth and well signposted, with rest areas offering coffee, snacks and clean washrooms. As you approach Agra, your driver turns off to Sikandra, ten kilometres before the city centre, to visit the tomb of Emperor Akbar. Akbar planned the tomb himself, and his son Jahangir completed it in 1613. The southern gateway is decorated with white marble mosaics in bold geometric patterns, and the four minarets on its corners are an early sign of the design later used at the Taj Mahal.

Inside the walled garden, blackbuck antelope and langur monkeys graze freely on the lawns, which surprises many visitors. Your guide leads you through the dark entrance hall to the plain cenotaph of the emperor, where a guard calls out to show the echo under the domed ceiling. The tomb mixes Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist and Jain motifs, a reflection of Akbar's interest in different religions and his attempt to found a new faith, Din-i-Ilahi. After the visit you continue into Agra and check in at your hotel, where you have time for lunch and a short rest before the afternoon.

In the mid-afternoon your Agra guide takes you to Agra Fort, the walled citadel on the Yamuna that served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors until the capital moved to Delhi in 1638. You walk through the Delhi Gate area to the Diwan-i-Am, the hall of public audience, then on to the marble pavilions that Shah Jahan added for his court. Your guide will show you the Sheesh Mahal, the old royal bath lined with tiny mirrors, and the terrace of the Musamman Burj, from where the Taj Mahal is visible in the distance. The evening is free; ask your guide about the craft workshops where artisans demonstrate marble inlay. Overnight stay in Agra.

Your guide meets you at the hotel well before sunrise, and you head to the Taj Mahal for opening time. Small bags are allowed, but food, tripods and chargers are not, so keep only your phone, camera, passport and water bottle with you. After security you pass through the Darwaza-i-Rauza, the great red sandstone gateway, and the tomb appears framed in its central arch. Your guide explains the charbagh garden with its water channels, the optical tricks used on the minarets, which lean slightly outwards, and the work of the master builder Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, and the tour is scheduled to avoid that day.

Inside the main chamber, the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan sit behind an octagonal marble screen carved from single slabs. Photography is not allowed in this room, and the real graves lie in a crypt below. Back outside, walk to the riverside terrace at the rear of the tomb, where you can look across the Yamuna to Mehtab Bagh, and visit the red sandstone mosque on the western side, which is still used for Friday prayers. Return to your hotel for breakfast and check-out around nine o'clock, ready to leave Agra before the midday traffic gets heavy.

The drive to Jaipur takes four and a half to five hours on the national highway through Bharatpur and Dausa. As the road climbs gently into Rajasthan, you notice women in bright odhnis working in the fields, roadside stalls selling guavas or pottery, and small temples painted orange on top of rocky hills. Your driver will suggest a lunch stop at a highway restaurant where you can try kadhi pakora and bajra roti, a millet flatbread common in the region. You arrive in Jaipur in the late afternoon and check in at your hotel. The evening is free to rest or walk around nearby shops. Overnight stay in Jaipur.

After breakfast your Jaipur guide takes you to Amber Fort, eleven kilometres north of the city on a ridge above Maota Lake. Begun by Raja Man Singh in 1592, it was the seat of the Kachwaha kings until Sawai Jai Singh II founded the new city of Jaipur on the plains. You walk through its four main courtyards, including the Diwan-i-Am with its double row of carved pillars and the Sheesh Mahal, where mirrored glass covers the walls. Your guide will also take you into the zenana, the women's quarters, where twelve suites open onto a central courtyard so the king could visit any queen without the others knowing.

From Amber you drive up a winding hill road to Nahargarh Fort, built in 1734 along the ridge of the Aravalli hills to protect the city. The fort's Madhavendra Bhawan contains nine identical suites built for the queens of Maharaja Madho Singh II, all connected by corridors. From the ramparts you get the widest view in Jaipur, across the pink rooftops of the old city to the lakes and newer suburbs beyond. A rooftop cafe here serves tea and light snacks, which makes it a good spot for a break before you head back down to the old walled city.

Later you visit the Albert Hall Museum, the oldest museum in Rajasthan, built in an Indo-Saracenic style and opened in 1887. Its galleries hold an Egyptian mummy, Persian carpets, miniature paintings and arms and armour from the Jaipur state. In the evening, your driver takes you to Patrika Gate at Jawahar Circle, a colourful gateway whose walls and ceilings are painted with scenes from each region of Rajasthan. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city. Your guide can then suggest a restaurant for a Rajasthani dinner of laal maas, a spicy mutton curry, or ker sangri made with desert beans and berries. Overnight stay in Jaipur.

This day is planned at an easier pace. After breakfast you visit the City Palace, the home of the former Jaipur royal family, which was built between 1727 and 1732. The Mubarak Mahal displays royal clothes and the robes of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I, who was more than two metres tall and weighed over 200 kg. The Diwan-i-Khas hall holds two enormous silver urns made to carry Ganges water to England for the coronation of Edward VII. Your guide will also lead you into the Pritam Niwas Chowk, the peacock courtyard, where each of the four painted doors represents a season and a Hindu god.

Nearby, Jantar Mantar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh II. Its giant masonry instruments were used to track stars, predict eclipses and measure the time of day. From here you walk to the street facing Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 with 953 small windows so that women of the royal household could watch processions without being seen. Cross the road to one of the small rooftop cafes opposite for a clear photograph of the facade. Your guide will explain how the airflow through the windows kept the rooms cool in summer.

The afternoon is free for shopping in the walled city. Your guide can take you to Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Nehru Bazaar for textiles and Rajasthani puppets, and Kishanpole Bazaar for tie-dye fabrics. For something more hands-on, a short drive to the village of Sanganer shows how block-printed cotton and handmade paper are produced, a tradition carried on by local families for generations. In the evening, enjoy a final North Indian dinner at a rooftop restaurant in the old city. Pack your bags tonight, as you fly south to Kerala the next morning. Overnight stay in Jaipur.

After an early breakfast, your driver takes you to Jaipur International Airport for your included domestic economy flight to Kochi. There is rarely a direct service on this route, so the flight usually connects through Mumbai, Bengaluru or Delhi, with a total travel time of around five to seven hours depending on the airline. Economy tickets on Indian carriers normally include 15 kg of checked luggage, so let us know at booking if you need more. Your North India driver says goodbye at the terminal, and from here the Kerala team of Payless Tours India takes over your arrangements.

On arrival at Cochin International Airport, your Kerala driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the hour-long drive to Fort Kochi, an old trading town on a peninsula at the mouth of Kochi harbour. The humidity and the green vegetation tell you that you are in a very different part of India. Fort Kochi was the first European settlement in India, captured by the Portuguese in 1503, taken by the Dutch in 1663 and then by the British in 1795. Your hotel is likely to be a restored colonial house or a small heritage property within walking distance of the waterfront.

In the late afternoon, walk to the beach road to watch the Chinese fishing nets at work. These large cantilevered nets, thought to have been introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, are lowered into the water and raised by teams of four or five fishermen using stone counterweights. The fishermen often let visitors help pull the ropes for a small tip. As the sun goes down, the nets stand out against the sky, and fish vendors along the promenade sell the day's catch, which nearby cafes will cook for you. Overnight stay in Kochi.

After breakfast your Kochi guide takes you on a walking tour of Fort Kochi, where the streets are lined with Portuguese, Dutch and British buildings. The first stop is St Francis Church, built by the Portuguese in 1503 and the oldest European church in India. Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 and was buried here, and although his remains were taken to Lisbon fourteen years later, his gravestone is still on the floor inside. You continue to the Santa Cruz Basilica, rebuilt in 1905 in a Gothic style, with a white facade and a painted interior showing scenes from the Passion of Christ.

You then walk past the Dutch Cemetery, whose oldest tombstones date to the 1720s, and along Princess Street, one of the first streets in Fort Kochi, with old houses now used as cafes, art galleries and craft shops. Your guide will show you the warehouses where pepper, ginger and cardamom were stored before being shipped to Europe, and explain how Kochi's position on the spice route brought Arab, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders to the town. Lunch can be taken at one of the small restaurants nearby; try appam with stew or karimeen fish fried in a spicy masala.

In the late afternoon you go to a Kathakali theatre in Fort Kochi, arriving about an hour before the performance to watch the actors put on their make-up. The green faces, red eyes and elaborate headdresses are created with natural pigments mixed with coconut oil, and the process takes the actors over an hour. Before the main show, an artist explains the hand gestures, called mudras, and the eye movements used to tell stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The performance lasts around an hour, with drums and singing in the background. Return to your hotel for dinner. Overnight stay in Kochi.

After breakfast you leave the coast and drive inland to Munnar in the Western Ghats, a trip of around four to four and a half hours. The first part of the road passes through rubber plantations and small towns, then starts climbing through forest and cardamom gardens after Adimali. The Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls tumble beside the road and are at their fullest after the monsoon, from August to November. Your driver will stop at a spice garden on the way, where you can see pepper vines and cardamom growing under the forest trees. Higher up, the air cools noticeably and the hillsides become covered in neat rows of tea bushes.

Munnar takes its name from the meeting of three mountain rivers, the Madupetty, Nallathanni and Kundala. In the late nineteenth century, British planters cleared the forests here for tea, and the Kanan Devan Hills company, now partly owned by its workers, still runs most of the estates. You arrive by early afternoon and check in at your hotel, many of which have balconies looking over the plantations. After lunch, take a gentle walk along the estate paths and watch the tea pluckers at work, cutting the top two leaves and a bud by hand or with shears.

In the late afternoon, visit the Tata Tea Museum at the Nallathanni estate, which is closed on Mondays. It traces the history of tea in the High Ranges with old photographs, a rotor used in early tea factories and a working demonstration of how green leaves are withered, rolled, fermented and dried. At the end, you can taste different grades of tea and buy fresh packets to take home. The evenings in Munnar are cool, especially from December to February, so a light jacket is useful. Dinner is at your hotel or at a local restaurant in the town. Overnight stay in Munnar.

After an early breakfast you drive about fifteen kilometres to Eravikulam National Park, home to the largest surviving population of the Nilgiri tahr, a mountain goat found only in the Western Ghats. Forest department buses take visitors from the entrance up to the Rajamalai section, where the tahr often graze close to the road. The park also protects the Neelakurinji shrub, which covers the hills in blue-purple flowers only once every twelve years; the last mass flowering was in 2018. Please note that the park usually closes from February to March for the tahr calving season, and your guide will adjust the plan if your visit falls then.

Later in the morning, you head east towards Mattupetty Dam, built in the 1950s for hydroelectric power. The lake behind the dam is surrounded by tea estates and eucalyptus forests, and boating can be arranged at your own cost. Nearby is the Indo-Swiss dairy farm, set up with help from Switzerland in the 1960s to improve local cattle breeds. You continue to Echo Point, a lakeside spot where the hills bounce back any shout, before reaching Top Station, at about 1,700 metres on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. On a clear day you can see far down into the plains of Tamil Nadu.

You return to Munnar in the afternoon. Lunch can be taken at a local restaurant serving Kerala meals on a banana leaf, with rice, sambar, avial and a selection of pickles. The rest of the day is free; you might walk to the Mount Carmel Church, the first Catholic church in the region, or browse the small market for home-made chocolates and spices. If you are interested, your driver can drop you at a local Kalaripayattu centre, where performers show Kerala's traditional martial art with sticks, swords and acrobatic leaps. Overnight stay in Munnar.

After an early breakfast you check out and drive down from the hills to Alleppey, also called Alappuzha, a journey of four and a half to five hours. The road descends through tea, cardamom and rubber plantations to the flat paddy country of Kuttanad, where farmland lies below sea level and is protected by mud dykes. You reach the houseboat jetty around midday, where the crew of your private kettuvallam welcomes you with fresh coconut water. These boats were once used to carry rice and spices along the canals, and today they are fitted with bedrooms, bathrooms, a sun deck and a small kitchen.

The cruise begins with lunch on board, prepared by the boat's cook, who serves Kerala dishes such as fish curry with kudampuli, thoran made with grated coconut, and red rice. As the boat moves slowly through the backwaters of this golden triangle and Kerala tour, you pass villages built along narrow strips of land, ducks being herded on the water, women washing clothes on stone steps and children paddling to school in small canoes. The crew can stop at a toddy shop or a village where coir rope is made from coconut fibre. Tea with banana fritters is served in the afternoon.

By government rule, houseboats stop cruising at around half past five, and your boat will moor for the night beside the paddy fields or a quiet village. As the light fades, the only sounds are birds and the occasional boat passing by. Dinner is served on the deck: chicken or fish fry, vegetable curries, rice and chapatis, cooked fresh in the galley. All meals on the houseboat, from lunch on arrival to breakfast the next morning, are included in your package. Air-conditioning in the bedrooms usually runs from about nine at night to six in the morning. Overnight stay on the houseboat.

After an early breakfast on board, your houseboat cruises back to the jetty, arriving around nine o'clock. Your driver is waiting there, but before leaving Alleppey you switch to a small country canoe for a one-hour ride through canals too narrow for houseboats. A local boatman paddles you past homes, small shrines and fields where farmers plant and harvest rice by hand. You can see kingfishers, egrets and cormorants up close, and life here is so tied to the water that families keep their own boats instead of cars. This is a quieter, closer view of Kuttanad than the main houseboat route can give you.

You then drive back north to Kochi, which takes about one and a half to two hours, and check in at your hotel in the early afternoon. After lunch your guide takes you to Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese around 1555 and given to the Raja of Kochi. It is often called the Dutch Palace because the Dutch later renovated it. Inside, the bedroom and coronation hall are decorated with some of the finest Hindu mural paintings in Kerala, showing scenes from the Ramayana in red, yellow and green. You also see palanquins, royal costumes and portraits of the Kochi rulers.

A short walk leads to Jew Town, where the Paradesi Synagogue has stood since 1568. It is closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays, so the order of today's sightseeing may change. Inside, the floor is covered with hand-painted blue and white tiles from Canton in China, no two of them the same, and Belgian glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The lanes around the synagogue are full of antique shops, spice warehouses and ginger godowns, where you can still smell drying spices. Return to your hotel for a final evening in Kochi and a farewell dinner. Overnight stay in Kochi.

After breakfast and check-out, your driver takes you to Cochin International Airport, about an hour from Fort Kochi, for your onward flight. This ends your golden triangle and Kerala tour with Payless Tours India. Please send us your flight details in advance so the pick-up time can be set correctly.