Tour · 17 nights · with Travelsphere
Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters
Travelsphere’s escorted tour from Delhi’s bustling streets to Kerala’s quiet backwaters, tracing India’s northern cities and southern hill stations before ending beside the Arabian Sea.
- Duration
- 17 nights
- Departures
- Oct 2026 - Oct 2028
- The operator’s season
- Countries
- India
- Operator
- Travelsphere
- From
- £2,799
- per person
Highlights
What makes this one worth it
Morning and afternoon safaris in Ranthambore National Park
Cycle rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk market in Delhi
Sunset view of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh garden
Toy train journey from Ooty to Coonoor past tea plantations
Overnight cruise on a traditional houseboat in Kerala backwaters
About the trip
This seventeen-night escorted tour with Travelsphere starts in Delhi, where a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk and visits to Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb give a sharp sense of the city’s layered history. The journey moves north-west to Ranthambore National Park for safaris that might spot tigers and leopards in forest punctuated by waterfalls.
From the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, the itinerary heads to Jaipur's forts and palaces, then makes a leap south to Karnataka’s Bangalore and Mysore, where markets and a hilltop temple to a vanquished demon set a dramatic scene. A toy train ride through tea plantations and botanical gardens breaks up the travel before the tour shifts to Kerala. Here, an overnight cruise along the palm-fringed backwaters on a traditional houseboat contrasts with the final days spent at a beach resort near Marari.
Meals with local families and a Kathakali dance performance add glimpses of everyday and artistic life. There’s a flamboyance to some places, but also stretches of calm and reflection before flying home.
- 1 Delhi
- 2 Ranthambore
- 3 Agra
- 4 Jaipur
- 5 Bangalore
- 6 Mysore
- 7 Ooty
- 8 Cochin
- 9 Alleppey
- 10 Marari
Itinerary
The route, day by day
Days 1–2
Leave the UK for Delhi
2 days here
Days 3–4
Delhi to Ranthambore
2 days here
Day 5
Ranthambore to Agra
Days 6–7
Agra to Jaipur
2 days here
Day 8
Jaipur to Bangalore
Days 9–10
Bangalore to Mysore
2 days here
When to go
Departures and prices
Departs between Oct 2026 and Oct 2028.
Travelsphere publishes a season rather than fixed dates for this trip, so we show it as they do. Their site lists the exact departures and the price for each.
Need to know
Before you book
- Price based on
- Per personThe operator confirms the exact basis when you book.
- Travelling alone
- Check with Travelsphere
- Flights
- Check with Travelsphere
- What’s included
- Check with Travelsphere
- Accessibility
- Check with Travelsphere
For full details of what’s included, check with Travelsphere. See the full details on their site
Questions people ask
- How long is Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters?
- Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters is a 17 nights tour holiday.
- Who operates Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters?
- Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters is operated by Travelsphere.
- How much does Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters cost?
- Prices for Contrasts of India: Northern Cities and Kerala Backwaters start from £2,799, subject to availability.
The operator
Travelsphere
Escorted tours with the details arranged
Escorted tours with a tour manager throughout, for travellers who would rather someone else worked out the trains.
You book with Travelsphere directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.
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