India and the Himalayas 2025
My 2025 tour to India and the Himalayas had an unusual genesis that was generated from my love for mountains. So in the fall of 2024 I booked the OAT tour Nepal and the Mystical Himalayas for November/December 2025. This tour included a pre-trip in Bhutan and a post-trip in northern India.
In December 2024 I did Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. While I was on that tour, I told my fellow travelers I had just booked the Nepal and Bhutan tour, and they all said I must do Heart of India. Several of them said it was their all-time favorite OAT tour.
So when I got back from southeast Asia, I found a date for Heart of India that would piggy-back well with Nepal, and I booked it.
I did something with this trip that I’ve never done before: I didn’t tell my friends and family where I was going. (A few people guessed, but all were sworn to secrecy.) I revealed each piece of my itinerary as I arrived.
I flew Turkish Airlines, which offers a free hotel in Istanbul for a stopover up to three nights. So I took advantage of that to see some things in Istanbul that I missed on my previous visit. From there I flew to Delhi for Heart of India. From Delhi, we went to Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra, Lucknow, and Varanasi, and then returned to Delhi.
I had three days off before the Bhutan pre-trip, so I stayed in Delhi, which is also where the pre-trip departed from. We flew to Paro and immediately headed to the capital, Thimphu. After that we went to Punakha before returning to Paro.
Next came Nepal, starting in Kathmandu. We spent most of the time in and close to the mountains, but the last few days we did a river rafting excursion and ended in the flat region of southern Nepal before returning to Kathmandu.
The post-trip started with a flight back to Delhi, where I got to see things I skipped earlier. Then we went north to the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, staying in Amritsar and Dharamshala.
Since I didn’t post the detailed itinerary in advance, as I usually do, I posted it after returning.
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My Secret Itinerary Revealed
I typically post all the details of my upcoming adventures before I depart. But since my next trip is a secret (which I previously wrote about), I’m not doing it this time. However, I do want to have a post that shows the complete itinerary for my upcoming trip to India and the Himalayas, so…
Photos and Videos
Istanbul
Everything (165 items)
India
Delhi (288 items)
Jaipur (130 items)
Ranthambore (117 items)
Lalsot and Abhaneri (53 items)
Agra (72 items)
Lucknow (64 items)
Varanasi (94 items)
Punjab (126 items)
Dharamshala (176 items)
The Himalayas
Everything (105 items)
Bhutan
Everything (274 items)
Thimphu (90 items)
Punakha (82 items)
Paro (69 items)
Nepal
Everything (542 items)
Kathmandu (32 items)
Patan (73 items)
Annapurna Valley (128 items)
Pokhara (74 items)
Seti River (112 items)
Chitwan (70 items)
Blog Posts
Istanbul
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Back to Istanbul and back to the Hamam
I’m back in Istanbul. Last time I was here was September 2022, just over three years ago. One of the highlights of my last visit was a Hamam (Turkish Bath) experience, so today I relived that. And I’m happy to say it was every bit as awesome as I remember. Maybe more.
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Wednesday in Istanbul: Blue Mosque and a Museum
Last time I was in Istanbul, in 2022, the Blue Mosque was under renovation. I learned it was filled with scaffolding, so I opted out of visiting. This time, it was my top priority for my Istanbul stopover.
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Istanbul Wrap-Up: Culinary Backstreets and more
I’m currently at Istanbul Airport awaiting my flight to my next destination. I’ll arrive tomorrow morning at 5:15. I’ll take this opportunity to share about my last day and a half in Istanbul: a food tour about more than just food, a visit to a church/mosque/museum with some beautiful mosaics, an ancient water storage system…
India
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First impressions of New Delhi
After an overnight flight from Istanbul, I arrived in New Delhi at 5:15 am yesterday. My OAT tour, Heart of India, officially begins today, but our trip leader, Ashish, gave those of us who arrived in time a short intro to the city. Here, then, are my first impressions of New Delhi.
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New Delhi Day Two: A visit to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib
Yesterday, our second day in New Delhi, we visited a Sikh temple, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. To say this experience was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or done is an understatement. It was a cultural earthquake.
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Last day in Delhi … for now
Yesterday was our last day in Delhi, but I’ll be back two more times on this trip. Today we head to Jaipur. Because I have extra time in Delhi later on in the trip, I haven’t pushed myself to see anything beyond our regular tour program. I’ve used my free time to catch up on…
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Jaipur: a quick rundown
I’m two days behind on my blogging; there’s just not enough free time. So I will have to give a very quick overview of my 1 1/2 days in Jaipur. For some reason, Jaipur is known as the “pink city.” Well, there is a reason. In 1876, Maharaja Ram Singh had the buildings painted a…
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Ranthambore: Hotel, Safari, School, and Village
I am currently in Ranthambore, at what may be the most amazing hotel I’ve ever stayed at. This is the home of Ranthambore National Park, and yesterday we took a safari through the park. And today we visited a school supported by Grand Circle Foundation and a village where we spent “A Day in the…
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From Ranthambore to Agra via Lalsot and Abhaneri
After a final morning in Ranthambore, we drove to Agra. But since that’s a very long drive, we stopped to spend the night at a village camp. I’m not going to write about Agra now; I’ll save that for the next post. This is mostly about Lalsot and Abhaneri. Lalsot was a town we were…
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Agra: The Taj Mahal and a lot more
Agra is the most touristed city in India. No doubt that is because of the Taj Mahal, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. And of course we visited this beautiful monument. But there is a lot more to see in Agra, so here’s the rundown of what I did.
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Off the tourist trail in Lucknow
I spent the last two days in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Although this is a beautiful city with some very interesting things to see, there were far fewer tourists here than anywhere else we’ve visited on this tour. This was a pleasant diversion after the throngs at the Taj Mahal.
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Varanasi: Holy and Wholly Fascinating
Varanasi is a fascinating city. It is a pilgrimage site for many thousands of Indian Hindus who arrive every day to bathe in the Ganges. They are tourists, like me. But their reason for being here is different from mine, so this was, for me, a mostly wonderful learning experience.
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Delhi: Toilets and Modern Art
I’m back in Delhi for a few days after the end of my Heart of India tour and the start of my next tour. I had a free day yesterday to visit a couple of museums. I read in Atlas Obscura about the Sulabh Museum of Toilets, so I decided to go see what it…
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Delhi: Haircut, Illusions, and Food
Yesterday started with a haircut. Then I visited the Museum of Illusions. And after that was a food tour I booked a few months ago. Here’s all the details.
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Delhi: Visit to two havelis
When I booked this tour with GetYourGuide months ago, I had no idea what to expect. The name of the tour is “Art Tour with Indian Classical Music & Dance.” The description says, “A cultural extravaganza in Old Delhi, savour classical music, dances and treasures of Arts. Along with our guide, explore deep cultural belly…
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Back in Delhi: Qutab Minar and more
I’ve managed to get to Delhi three separate times on this trip through India, Bhutan, and Nepal. This time, the highlight was Qutab Minar, a stunning sandstone brick tower dating from the 13th century. Along with its surrounding monuments, this UNESCO World Heritage Site might even be the highlight of all the beautiful things I’ve…
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Punjab: India, Pakistan, Partition, Sikhism, and a Massacre
This is going to be my feeble attempt to encapsulate all I’ve seen and done in the last day and a half. We flew from Delhi to Amritsar, arriving late yesterday morning, and I have had a whirlwind introduction to Punjab, a part of India so different from Delhi or Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh, the…
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Dharamshala and Tibetans in Exile
I’m now back in Delhi, in a hotel near the airport, and tomorrow I begin my journey home. The last stop on this wonderful adventure was Dharamshala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This is the home of the Tibetan government in exile, and it is the home of the 14th Dalai Lama. Visiting Dharamshala and…
Bhutan
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Welcome to Bhutan
Yesterday I flew from Delhi to Paro, Bhutan, and then traveled overland to Thimphu, the capital city. Here’s a look at what I’ve seen so far.
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Bhutan: from Thimphu to Punakha
Yesterday we drove from Thimphu to Punakha. This was a drive of just about 75 km, but the road was twisty almost the entire way, and we made a few stops, so it took more than four hours. Here’s a quick overview (quick because I’m tired and I want to get this done so I…
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Bhutan finale: Folk Dance and Tiger’s Nest
Yesterday we drove from Punakha to Paro for the last part of our Bhutan pre-trip. (Tomorrow we head to our next destination.) The two highlights of our time in Paro were a wonderful folk dance performance and a hike to Tiger’s Nest, which I didn’t get all the way to.
Nepal
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Kathmandu 101
I arrived in Kathmandu yesterday late afternoon, and spent the day on an introduction to the capital of Nepal. I don’t have a lot to share yet, but here is a little about what I’ve done so far.
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The Himalayas and Some Other Stuff
After an early morning flight for spectacular views of the Himalayas, the rest of the day today pales by comparison. Actually, that’s not entirely fair. We visited some very interesting, UNESCO-listed sites in the Kathmandu Valley, and we also had the opportunity, which I passed on, to meet a living goddess. But I did meet…
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From Kathmandu to Pokhara via Paradise: Three nights in the Annapurna Valley
We spent three nights at a mountain lodge in the Annapurna Valley. This is possibly the closest I’ve ever been to heaven. A good portion of the experience was trying to photograph the view (up top) in different light at different times of day and from different angles. And a better portion was spent just…
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Pokhara by land, air, and water
Just yesterday we arrived in Pokhara, but I’ve already been up in the air twice, as well as on water. And I’ve explored on foot, of course. Tomorrow we move on, so here’s my rundown on this popular tourist destination, gateway to the Annapurna range of the Himalayas.
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The Seti River: Rafting and Glamping
It turns out there’s more to Nepal than the majesty of the Himalayas. We drove a couple of hours from Pokhara to a point along the Seti River where we started a rafting adventure. We paddled downriver, stopped for a picnic lunch on a sandy riverbank, and continued to an immensely comfortable camp, where we…
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Rhinos, but no tigers: a visit to Chitwan National Park
I was hoping to see a tiger (or two) in Chitwan National Park, but it was not to be. I guess I will have to settle for the two tigers I saw in Ranthambore, India. There were a whole lot of Indian rhinoceroses and gharials, two animals I’ve never seen before, and a number of…
