Details
Important
Before you decide to travel with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the program information on this page. Our programs are quite adventurous, and we find that travelers who review the full trip details are happier with their experiences.
Trip Notes & Expectations
ACCOMMODATION
We upgraded accommodation on this program compared to the hotels our tour operator G Adventures typically uses on this itinerary. It costs a bit more, but our guests have been very happy with the change. However, this is India so keep your expectations low as service level and amenities are often different than Western standards. The purpose of the accommodation is to provide a safe place for you to sleep. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised, but do not expect luxury. We will still have an overnight train and the homestay, so not all of the accommodation has been upgraded.
TRANSPORTATION
The same goes for transportation. We use a mix of transportation that gets our guests from location to location safely. Sometimes you will have full days and nights of transportation as our trips tend to cover a lot of ground. Transportation will often be an adventure in itself.
LUGGAGE
You must be able to easily carry or roll your luggage, so do not over-pack. Properties we stay in with only two stories may not have elevators installed and climbing the stairs with your luggage will be necessary. Carrying your luggage remains your responsibility at all times.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE
This trip includes plenty of walking and some light hiking, and requires at least an average level of fitness. On the more active days, expect to walk quite a bit. The hardest element to deal with is the heat and humidity. We have been running this program over the summer for several years, and while the weather is not ideal, the trip always receives great reviews. We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
GROUP LEADER
All GEEO programs are led by a G Adventures Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight.
MENTAL PREPARATION
Of all GEEO’s programs, this is the one most likely to cause culture shock. India and Nepal are dense with history, color, chaos, bureaucracy, and extremes—often overwhelming, always unforgettable. You will likely encounter poverty, feel uncomfortable, and yes, probably get a case of traveler’s diarrhea. The sooner you adjust mentally, the more you’ll enjoy what makes this region so fascinating. Be sure to read the Advice from Past Participants section below for practical insights.
Culture Shock: India is unlike anywhere else. The pollution, poverty, crowds, and noise can be intense—but they’re also what make the country so special. While not always easy to navigate, India rewards travelers with rich experiences if approached with an open mind.
Patience/Flexibility: Expect differences in timekeeping, cleanliness, personal space, and service. Electricity may cut out. Plumbing might be unpredictable. A menu may list 20 items but only have one available. People will stare and ask questions. A sense of humor and lots of patience go a long way.
Staying "Low Profile": As a Westerner, you’ll naturally attract attention. A brief conversation can snowball into a crowd gathering around you. It’s usually harmless, but can feel uncomfortable. In busy public places, check with your tour leader before engaging with strangers—especially men—who approach the group.
Local Connections: Bring photos or small items from home—your family, city, pets, or country—to help spark conversations with locals. These visual aids can break down language barriers and create memorable exchanges.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Single Travelers
Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same.
Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion.
Want a private room? Most trips offer a
“My Own Room” (single-supplement) upgrade. Check the price in the
Extra Services section, then email travel@geeo.org to reserve it. You pay the single-supplement only if you request it.
Emergency Contacts
Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS:
G Adventures Local Office (Delhi)
G Adventures South Asia Manager, Rishab (Delhi, India)
Emergency number:
From outside of India: +91 99 7179 5447
From within Delhi: 99 7179 5447
From within India, but outside Delhi: 099 7179 5447
G Adventures Asia Office in Bangkok (If for some reason you can’t reach any of India emergency numbers)
8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. CST (GMT +7)
Tel: +66 2 252 6642
If for any reason you are unable to reach the G Adventures local office, please call the numbers listed below to connect with their Sales team, who will happily assist you.
Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
If your call is specifically concerning Airport Transfer complications, please call the local transfer provider directly:
From outside India: +91 9278708888
From within Delhi: 9278708888
From outside Delhi: 09278708888
Airport Representative
From outside India: +919599193260 or +919599051397
From within Delhi: 9599193260 or 9599051397
Packing List
See our blog post of
staff-recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring
one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and
one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel.
As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like
Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling.
Suggested ItemsOptionalDocuments
- Clothes for religious sites – knees and shoulders must be covered
- Small towel and swimwear
- Raincoat and/or umbrella
- Personal clothing for hot weather – we recommend packing 8-9 days of outfits, so you only have to do laundry once; covering shoulders is advisable
- Shorts – covering knees is advisable for women; some would say men too
- Long pants
- Sturdy walking shoes – closed-toe is a good idea
- Sport sandals or flip-flops
- Daypack
- Insect repellent
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat
- Watch or alarm clock (or use your phone)
- Toiletries – your hotels will have soap and shampoo
- Camera (or use your phone)
- First-aid kit, including: lip salve, aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking
- Light weight silk sleep sheet – very nice to have on the train
- Travel pillow
- Lock for all bags
- Flashlight or headlamp (or use your phone)
- Money belt
- Water bottle
- Phone/tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
- Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
- AirTags or Tile trackers
- Packing cubes
- Earplugs
- Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can also buy snacks when you get there too, so don’t go crazy
- Ziplock bags for wet clothing
- Reading/writing material
- Hand sanitizer/baby wipes
- Headscarf for women
- Light fleece top
- Cover for backpack or plastic bags to keep clothes dry
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
- Travel insurance ID card
- Flight itinerary/boarding pass(es)
- USD/EUR cash
- Credit/debit card
- G Adventures vouchers
- GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent a few days before departure
: Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge, or you can ask your tour leader where the nearest laundromat is located. In case you want to do your own laundry, we suggest you bring your own non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Passports and Visas
Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries.
PASSPORT
All travelers must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps.
Need to apply or renew? Start here.
ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS
Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the
U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.
Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.
Money Exchange
Currency:The local currency in India is the
Indian rupee (INR), and the local currency is Nepal is the
Nepalese rupee (NPR), although the Indian rupee is also widely accepted. For current exchange rates, visit
www.xe.com.
Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel.
Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected.
Emergency Funds: Bring
at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling.
See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance.
For more advice, see our post,
Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad
Tipping
Tipping is optional but appreciated and goes a long way for the people who look after you on the trip. If you are happy with the service, use these ballpark amounts and adjust as you see fit:
- Service providers/Waiters:
10% of the bill.
- Local guides and drivers:
$2-3 USD per person per day.
- G Adventures tour leader (CEO):
$20-30 USD per person per week. We recommend tipping your tour leader in crisp $10 and $20 bills. You can pool contributions in an envelope and presenting it as a group.
Tipping Kitty: On some trips, your CEO may suggest a
“tipping kitty” where everyone contributes at the start of the tour, and the CEO uses that pooled amount to tip service providers for the group as a whole (not including your CEO). If your CEO doesn’t mention it and you’d like to use a kitty, we recommend asking about it early in the trip. Your CEO will advise the suggested amount and preferred currency for the kitty.
Vaccinations
GEEO cannot provide any medical advice, so it is very important to consult your doctor or a travel clinic about which vaccinations you will need for your trip. We recommend contacting
Passport Health, which has travel clinics located throughout the United States. You can also check the
CDC's recommended vaccinations for your destination. Please take this seriously!
Flights
Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed.
This program
begins in Delhi and
ends in Kathmandu. Check the itinerary for the required arrival date. Aim to arrive no later than mid-afternoon for the 6 p.m. Day-1 welcome meeting, and consider arriving a day or two early to buffer flight delays and see more of Delhi. You can depart from Kathmandu any time on the final day of the program. For about $100, you can book a short flight from Kathmandu to Delhi, in which case you could buy a round-trip flight from your home city to Delhi.
Plugs and Converters
India and Nepal use
Type C and D plugs and the voltage is
230V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider:
1.
Adapter (plug shape)
Adapts your U.S. plug to fit India and Nepal sockets. See our recommended
all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post.
2.
Converter / transformer (voltage)
Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage.
How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An
“Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows
“Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.
Weather
We run this trip before and/or after the peak of the monsoon season in South Asia (early to late July) to avoid the worst of the rain and flooding. It is still hot and will rain, but all of the trips we have run in the past at this time of year have gone fairly smoothly with regards to the weather.
Advice From Past Participants
We have collected some of the best advice from past GEEO travelers to India and Nepal. We've summarized the main tips below, but read on for more details to help you have your best experience:
Key Tips:
1. Pack light. Laundry is available at most hotels where you stay more than one night.
2. Wear comfortable slip-on sandals (you'll remove shoes frequently at temples).
3. Bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer - bathroom floors are often wet.
4. Stay hydrated and expect to sweat more than usual.
5. This is a fast-paced trip with early mornings - not a relaxing vacation.
6. The food is amazing, people are friendly, and the culture is rich.
7. Keep an open mind and say yes to new experiences.
The Good Stuff
“I wish I had known not to be so anxious about this trip! I was worried I would be uncomfortable, and hungry (or sick) the entire time, however, that was completely not the case. Yes, it is hot and humid, but it is tolerable. Dress appropriately with extreme heat fabrics and you will be fine, stay hydrated and well-fed and you will be fine. The food was amazing and one of the highlights of the trip. In order to avoid Delhi Belly, etc., I made sure to eat lightly while my stomach adjusted to the new spices, etc., and I never got sick. Most importantly have an open mind. Don’t expect to eat western or colonial food, don’t expect to blend right in with the locals (big group of Americans does attract attention), and don’t expect planes, trains, and automobiles to run flawlessly – but isn’t that all part of the adventure?”
“There are a lot of things that people tell you that intimidate people from going to India. In the end, though, the people are friendly, the hotels are great (with an occasional cold shower or power outage, which should be expected), the food is excellent, the culture is rich, and the tour guide showed a great deal of care for the group and our safety and well being. I’m so glad I went on this trip!”
“Choose to smile. And just enjoy the magic that is India and Nepal.”
What to Pack
“Don’t worry about dressing to cover your shoulders and knees unless visiting a temple (our guide let us know ahead of time). We all wore knee-length shorts and skirts, short-sleeved shirts, basically what we wear at home.”
"Although some folks in the group wore tank tops and shorts, I'm personally glad that I didn't because I didn't see any Indian women wearing shorts or tanks. You will be stared at no matter what, so I would rather make sure it's mere curiosity than shock, if that makes sense."
“Pack light – laundry is readily available. Bring a hat. It’s ok to bring tank tops and shorts. You won’t be able to wear them all the time, but sometimes it’s good to have some options. Bring a swimsuit – the upgraded hotel pools are very nice. You will sweat. A lot. I mean more than you ever have in your life. Bring extra undergarments, because you will want to change after sweating through everything at the end of the day.”
"You'll take off your shoes a lot to visit temples and floors are often wet. I had packed sneakers and didn't even touch them--I wore my Chaco sandals every day of the trip so that I wouldn't have to put wet feet back inside sneakers."
“Pro-tip: I travel with a small bottle of Dr. Bronner's to handwash bras, panties, and other small items in the sink."
“Be sure to have sunglasses and sunscreen. I never used my trusty reusable water bottle on this trip; I just drank bottled water because that was safest. A small crossbody bag or fanny pack is better than a day pack for everyday sightseeing.”
Health and Hygiene
“The mosquitoes weren’t as big of a deal as I had previously thought but still wear bug spray. Some people struggled with the air quality, so be sure to have your inhaler with you if you use one.”
"Bathroom floors are always wet and TP and towels are rarely provided.”
“Drink more water than you think you need.”
“Bring Nuun tablets for rehydration”
“Ladies, keep in mind humidity and dampness can mess with your pH balance if you know what I mean… Pack some Monistat!”
Money and ATMs
“Do NOT bring small U.S. bills to India, if you are bringing cash. A lot of the banks would only change $50 or $100 bills. The hotels would change money for you with NO charge and no crazy paperwork (as compared to money exchange places or banks). Do not bring Indian bills into Nepal bigger than 500 Indian rupees. The same would go in reverse for coming back to India. The airport would only take 1,000 Nepalese rupee notes. ATMs were plentiful and our tour leader was able to guide us to take out a certain amount if one was not available for a few days.”
Overnight Train
“Arriving at the train station, you will most likely see hundreds of Indians crowded in front of the station. Once on the train, the sleeping quarters are very crowded. You need to make sure you are traveling with luggage that is easy to carry and store. Less is better.
You will be provided with a blanket and sheet and pillow, but it is recommended that you bring a travel sheet. It will make sleeping on the train more comfortable. Don’t be surprised if you are in sleeping quarters with 6 people who are not in your group. They fill all the beds, which are arranged in bunk-bed style stacked 3 high, and they will have men and women sleeping in the same compartment.
There is no food or water on the train, so be certain to bring PLENTY of water and snacks. It is a 12-hour train ride and, after you leave the train, there is still quite a bit of travel until you will have an opportunity to eat a full meal.”
Adding Extra Days
“We recommend an extra day in Delhi at trip’s start to visit the National Museum, the Crafts Museum, and the Gandhi Smriti. Likewise, we added one extra day in Kathmandu. We hired a car and driver one day and went to the other two main cities in the valley, Bharatpur, and Patan. These were real highlights for us as was a stop at Paliputra on the way back to Kathmandu.”
Cultural Considerations (+ Poverty and Begging)
India and Nepal are incredible countries with rich cultures, but there are some realities to be aware of:
Women need to be mindful as they navigate on foot. In the cities, men are not as respectful to women and will sometimes grab and grope. There are “women only” sections on trains, which should be used.
As you navigate through the country on foot, tuk-tuk, bus, or train, you will often be accompanied by cows and goats and pigs, who use the streets to relieve themselves, along with humans. Garbage is everywhere. When you are walking, you might want to wear closed shoes because, along with garbage, you will most likely be walking through animal and human wastes.
A large percentage of Indians and Nepalese live below the poverty line. In India, you will be approached by many beggars. It can be intense, uncomfortable, and, of course, incredibly sad. As heartless as it sounds, our suggestion is you never give any money to beggars in India. It causes more harm than good.
