10 day itinerary
Day 1 | Saturday. March 9th, 2024
Welcome to India! You will be met by our tour guides in the arrival area of the airport after we clear all immigration and customs formalities. Depart for our hotel where we will check in for our overnight stay.
Delhi stands as the capital of Modern India. Here we can see the mingling of the Old and New India, the ancient and the modern. Delhi is made up of seven ancient cities, spanning the period from the 11th to 21st centuries. Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many emperors, which has left behind a plethora of monuments that commemorate the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. Very few cities in the world can express such a profusion of architectural styles. Rest of the day is free for independent activities.
Day 2 | Sunday - March 10th, 2024
We’ll start with breakfast at the hotel, then we will enjoy a special food tour along with a city tour of Old Delhi and in the afternoon visit New Delhi.
Explore a culinary experience curated and lead by a chef in Old Delhi . Walk through crowded markets of Old Delhi, a unique change to understand and savor street food available in Delhi from some of the oldest food places in the city. During the walk, we will visit 6-9 different food joints. Each one of which has been in business for decades, some being as old as 120 years. We will walk through some landmark and lively markets, ride rickshaws, and stuff ourselves with delicious street food of Old Delhi. Enjoy the insider’s view of the city’s food culture, food joints, kitchens and related businesses. After the tour we’ll visit Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India and drive past Red Fort before continuing back to your hotel in south Delhi.
Day 3: Monday - March 11th, 2024
In the morning, we will have breakfast and journey to the domestic airport to board our flight to Dehradun airport where we will be met and chauffeured to our ideally set lodge overlooking the Ganga river. Feel welcomed by our attentive hosts - an efficient team will settle us in and show us around this beautiful setting, our home for the next 6-nights. Enjoy an evening yoga session, followed by campfire, snacks and dinner before a good and well deserved night’s rest. Welcome to Uttarakhand!
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Fly to Dehradun
Evening yoga session
Campfire and snacks
Day 4: Tuesday - March 12th, 2024
Enjoy a morning yoga session, then climb from Atali to a high point overlooking Byasi and descend to one of the most beautiful mango trees you could see. Then we’ll continue higher through a great primary forest, with excellent bird life and barking deer, peacock calls in heavy undergrowth. It meets the Majhali trail and continues past the village and down to the road. From there we will do a quick descent to the river and walk back to Atali. Walking Distance: 4.8 km Walking Duration: 1-1.5 hours (+ 1 m additional back to Atalioptional) Grade: Moderate. In the afternoon, take time to relax and enjoy what our resort has to offer. Evening yoga by the Ganga river.
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Day 5: Wednesday - March 13th, 2024: Exploring Rishikesh
We’ll begin with a morning yoga session followed by a day visit to the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. Walk on the left bank of the river, the quieter part of Rishikesh. Visit the Beatles Ashram followed by a walk across the Ram Jhula in the evening to explore the town and witness a sunset Aarti ceremony, before driving back a little over an hour for dinner and a good night’s rest.
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Morning yoga
Day visit to the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh
Visit the Beatles Ashram
Walk across the Ram Jhula in the evening to explore the town
Witness a sunset Aarti ceremony
Day 6: Thursday - March 14th, 2023
We’ll start the day with morning yoga and then trail to the village of Byassi through the protected forest that surrounds Atali. An initial brief climb through lush subtropical flora is well rewarded by majestic views of the Ganga valley, before crossing the ruins of old Atali; the original village after which the resort is named. A beautiful walk that offers many a bird-watching opportunity, the trail finally descends through the village of Byassi to the highway, where a vehicle awaits for the short return drive to the resort. Walking Distance: 3.5 km Walking Duration: 1.5 – 2 hours (1.5km walk back to Atali) Grade: Moderate. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Day 7: Friday - March 15th, 2024 - BIG DAY
After morning yoga, we’ll journey to the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi rivers that forms the Ganga at Devprayag. There we will meet our rafting guide team for a safety briefing and float down some of the most serene and calm stretches on the Ganga river (some 20 river miles). We may see mountain goats, signs of leopards, a variety of birds including raptors and we will enjoy a delicious picnic lunch on one of the pristine sandy beaches along this quiet stretch of the Ganga river. At the end of our float trip, we’ll drive back home for a good night’s rest.
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Morning yoga
Journey to the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi rivers that forms the Ganga at Devprayag
Float down some 20 miles of the most serene and calm stretch on the Ganga river
See mountain goats, signs of leopards, a variety of birds including raptors
Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch on one of the pristine sandy beaches along this quiet stretch of the Ganga river.
Day 8: Saturday - March 18th, 2024
Enjoy a relaxed start to the day, a morning yoga session and later a short hike to visit the local school with some donation pencils that are always welcome. The Sirasu Trail runs along the Ganga. A short drive from Atali brings one to the Malakunti bridge across the River Ganga, where this beautiful hike commences. The ancient trail runs constantly above the majestic river, offering expansive views as well as the opportunity of a brief stop at one of the pristine river-beaches located close to the path. A short uphill climb brings one to the village of Sirasu, located on a small plateau perched above the river. Walk through this enchanting village before descending down to the Sirasu bridge, where a vehicle awaits on the other side for the fifteen-minute drive back to the resort. Walking Distance: 5 km Walking Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours Grade: Easy
Enjoy a leisurely evening with yoga on a pristine sandy beach on the banks of the river.
Accommodation: Atali Ganga
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Experience:
Day 9: Sunday - March 17th, 2024
We’ll rise to the sounds of rare birds and views of the Ganga as we enjoy a final breakfast at this ideally set retreat in the Ganga valley and say goodbye to our generous hosts before we are chauffeured to the airport for our return flight to New Delhi where we will be met and chauffeured to the JB Marriott that is only a few minutes from the airport.
Accommodation: JB Marriott (10 minutes for onward international connections and is also located on the outskirts of the city for onward inbound extensions for sightseeing) toward Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Experience:
Morning yoga
Fly back to Delhi
Day 10: Monday - March 18th, 2024
We will be chauffeured back to the international terminal or for sightseeing extensions of your choosing (not included in the price of this retreat).
