10 tours in India outside the beaten track

Would you like to travel otherwise to India? Apart from the beaten paths, here are some circuits to do in India!

Would you like to go to India by travelling otherwise? It's possible! And yes, we can make tours in India out of the beaten paths for an adventure full of bounces and especially, away from the crowds of major tourist sites. The Taj Mahal Mumbai, Calcutta , Bangalore, Jaipur, the Rajasthan: the circuits to be made in India are multiple, but are soon very crowded by travellers. The second most populous country in the world with a population of 1.29 billion inhabitants, India attracts all over the world for its unique historical and cultural heritage in South Asia. In the circuits in India outside the beaten paths, the most frequented places in the country will be avoided, like the Mumbai, Goa and Taj Mahal Gate of India.

If you want to travel otherwise in India you and if you are interested in the adventure, we have concocted a list of some ideas of tours in India where you will cross less tourists than elsewhere, while visiting the must-sees of this huge country as five times France.

De Delhi to Jaipur : India essential

You only have a week or 10 days ? You can travel to North India and travel outside the beaten paths, carrying your bag like a snail, through Punjab and Rajasthan through the Himmachal Pradesh, to see a spiritual, authentic and resolutely traditional India.

In Delhi, top start for your circuit in India ! Meet on the banks of the Yamuna River in Raj Ghat, which is the memorial dedicated to Mhatma Gandhi.

Take the train to Chandigarh, a capital (of Punjab) founded by Le Corbusier. The district McLeod Ganj , in Dharamsala awaits you: residence of Dalai Lama, it is called the "Little Lhasa". The city of Dharamsala is the capital of the Tibetan government in exile. Visit it in particular monastery of Gyoto . Then go to Anandpur Sahib, considered "Holy City" by the Sikhs.

To travel otherwise in India, go to Amritsar , where you can attend a pilgrim dinner in a Sikh temple, or see the closure of the Indo-Pakistan border. A day must be devoted to visit of Jodhpur the former capital of Mârvar. Don't miss visiting the Fort of Mehrangarh, considered the most beautiful of Rajasthan.

On the road between Jodhpur and Udaipur, stop by Ranakpur to see the temples of the city, considered to be a strong place of Jainism. Udaipur, south reveals its charms.

The circuit in India outside the beaten track continues with Jaipur the "pink city". Treat yourself to a movie evening to discover the Bollywood, or explore the city in cyclo-pousse.

In Agra, visit the Mother Teresa Foundation and the Red Moghol Fort Lal Qilâ » before returning to France.

From North India to Rajasthan: Wild India

You are not too historical monuments and you like to travel otherwise, for example by discovering local fauna? Rajasthan and Northern India are full of Nature park where many species live, like the Bengal tiger.

Between Delhi and the Madhya Pradesh, you can do a dozen safaris to observe animals in their natural environment, in full freedom. Go especially in Bandhavgarh National Park a park outside the beaten track 200 kilometres north of Jabalpur. It concentrates a large quantity of mammals and birds and is the one that houses the most specimens of tigers and leopards, living in the 448 km2 of meadows and forests of the park.

Parks Kanha , Pench, allow to observe many predators, such as wild jungle cats, leopards, jackals and dholes.

From Delhi to the Himalayas: Spiritual India

Would you like to travel differently through a circuit in authentic India? A circuit on the steps Siddhartha Gautama – become the famous Buddha – from Delhi to Agra, from Balrampur to Varanasi , will dive into India’s spiritual history. Beautiful temples and palaces are to be seen, as well as the landscapes of Northern India.

Through this journey on the footsteps of the founder of the Buddhist religion, you will discover the history of the life of Siddharta Gautama, following the stages of his life : Mathura, Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar, Varanasi (the most sacred city in the country). You will discover the countryside of northern India, from the Himalayas to the plain of Gange, through an authentic journey, outside the beaten paths.

The Gange Valley: Cultural India

This circuit in India between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is dedicated to art, culture and history lovers. The Gange is the sacred river of the country, known worldwide, with a length of 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers. This circuit allows you to visit the Taj Mahal, the medieval town of Varanasi, the Orchha temple , the cities of Jaipur, Agra, or Khajuraho.

The Kerala: Sports India

Want to heat the calves and move freely, in the open air, without coercion? Treat yourself to a circuit in South India, especially in Kerala .

Visiting and cycling makes it possible to travel other than by the prism of excursions to the sight of tourist monuments, while doing sports.

Between south beaches – Kovalam, Cochin – the hills of the interior of the land – where, in particular, the elephants of Vagamon Hill, a bicycle circuit can also provide the possibility to get in touch with the inhabitants of the small towns and villages. Between simplicity, ecology/sustainable tourism, freedom and visits, making a circuit in South India by bike guarantees a route out of the beaten paths of Kerala: Trivandrum, Veli Lagoon, Kollam, Backwaters by Kayamkulam, Vagamon Hill, Periyar National Park, Thekkady, Cochin.

Sikkim and West Bengal: the hidden face of India

Preparing a circuit in India off the beaten track means going to the popular, uncommon places or looking for ways to travel otherwise, living like the premises or in the living room. The Sikkim , a small state perched in the Himalayas in the north-east of India, and the West Bengal, allow to make a circuit in India much less known than those of Rajasthan or Kerala.

On the programme, the heights of India , the Himalayas, with unforgettable hikes and views. The steps can be: Calcutta, Darjeeling, Pemayangtse, Gangtok, Kalimpong or Bagdogra.

Indian villages: traditional India

What's better, to travel differently than to make one linguistic and cultural immersion when visiting a foreign country? Living at home is a sustainable eco-tourism that benefits everyone. This is an opportunity to stay with a producer engaged in organic farming – why not try wwoofing? -, or for example in organic farming panchayat – the village council – to discover how community life is governed and regulated.

The idea is that the trip has a goal: a circuit outside the beaten path that promises above all a unusual experience in India .

The Golden Triangle: India with small budget

Countless tourists come to visit India to see this major route of India: the Gold Triangle , which connects Delhi, Agra to Jaipur.

This tour in India can take place in a week, with the tourist monuments – the red fort Moghol, the Jama Masjid in Delhi, the Taj Mahal in Agra – and the escapades in nature: the Keoladeo Ghana National Park especially, which is considered one of the most beautiful ornithological reserves in the world.

Gujarat: ancestral India

To travel off the beaten paths in India, westbound, in the Gujarat , looking towards the sea of Oman. Nature and traditions still rhyme local social life, where the population still lives in handicrafts and food farming.

Discover the ancestral lands through this circuit outside the beaten paths: the hill of Palitana and its 850 jains temples – a high place of pilgrimage -, the old town of Ahmedabad, a cultural itinerary not practiced by tourists.

Here's one. example circuit Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Modhera, Patan, Dasada, Bhuj, Wankaner, Gondal, Sasangir, Diu, Bhavnagar, Palitana.

Rajasthan: A Gourmet India

During your tour in India, why not include Indian cooking class ? You visit Rajasthan – for example? Keep cooking classes in Jaipur! Learn how to cook Indian dishes, observe cooks to cook Rajasthan's flagship vegetarian recipes... Renowned, Rajasthan cuisine combines spices and vegetables, meat cooked in the way tandoor (in the oven).

To learn and taste specialties, specific to each city of Rajasthan: the gewhar in Jaipur, the laddoos in Jodhpur, the malpuas in Pushkar, the rasgullas in Bikaner and the dil jani dil of Udaipur. In any case, you will not be able to miss the famous tandoori chicken!