India
President's Journey: The Royal Imprints of India
Program No. 25382RJ
Experience the royal heritage of India through its most luxurious palace hotels, UNESCO treasures, and exclusive cultural encounters on this immersive President's Journey.
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15 days
14 nights
28 meals
12B 7L 9D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
10
Jaipur, Drive to Udaipur
Udaipur
13
Mumbai Discovery
Mumbai
15
In Transit from Program
In Flight
At a Glance
India beckons with regal splendor and timeless mystique on this extraordinary President's Journey. Experience the pinnacle of luxury as you stay in former palaces and iconic heritage hotels — from the Oberoi Amarvilas with uninterrupted views of the Taj Mahal to the floating marble wonder of Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur. Journey through India's Golden Triangle and beyond, where each day is filled with opportunities to experience India’s renowned hospitality. Witness the Taj Mahal bathed in the golden light of dawn, explore the architectural wonders of Rajasthan's pink and blue cities and discover Mumbai's vibrant pulse. Throughout your journey, enjoy exclusive experiences reserved for this Road Scholar’s President’s Journey— from insights into Gandhi's enduring legacy to morning yoga sessions and intimate culinary demonstrations. This carefully curated experience balances iconic landmarks with hidden gems, providing a depth of connection to India's rich heritage that ordinary explorers simply cannot access.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to three miles per day at a moderate pace of 3 miles per hour in hot and humid conditions sometimes along heavily traffic streets, cobblestones paths and stairs (some without railings). Getting in and out of jeeps, boats, rickshaws and buses. Standing up to 1-2 hours at historic sites in sun without shades at time. Transportations between cities are via coach buses that vary from four to seven hours rides. Walkers, canes and wheelchair cannot be accommodated.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Indulge in royal luxury at former palaces and landmark heritage hotels, including the floating Taj Lake Palace and the majestic Rambagh Palace
- Marvel at the Taj Mahal in the soft light of sunrise, followed by exploration of the UNESCO-recognized Agra Fort.
- Engage with local experts for private insights on Gandhi's philosophy, participate in an authentic yoga session and discuss contemporary Indian life.
- Discover hidden wonders from the geometric marvel of Chand Baori Stepwell to experiencing a special Rajasthani dinner among rescued elephants at Dera Amer.
Suggested Reading List
(22 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
President's Journey: The Royal Imprints of India
Program Number: 25382
The White Tiger, A Novel
Mordant, funny, angry, horrifying, this Booker Prize-winning tale of a village pauper turned success (and murderer) skewers the ambition, inequity and corruption of 21st-century India.
Capital, The Eruption of Delhi
A fascinating look at sweeping economic changes in Delhi. Dasgupta examines how the influx of wealth into the city has spawned excess and gangsterism.
The Buddha, The Story of Siddhartha
The Buddha is a 2010 PBS documentary directed by David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere. The film follows the story of the Gautama Buddha's life and discusses the history and teachings of Buddhism. A simple and rich documentary explaining the Buddha's birth, live, death and his teachings.
Around India in 80 Trains
A terrific account of Rajesh’s epic four-month, 25,000-mile journey to the India of her youth. She begins in her hometown of Chennai, chugs up the Konkan Coast, watches for tigers in Ranthambore and survives Mumbai’s chaotic local lines.
Incarnations, A History of India in Fifty Lives
This sophisticated and entertaining collection of bite-sized biographies move well beyond Mahatma Gandhi to the warriors and film stars, entrepreneurs and corporate titans who have made India extraordinary.
India Northwest Adventure Map
A double-sided, full-color map of Northwest India at a scale of 1:1,400,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads, waterways and basic travel information. Printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper.
Mughal India, Splendours of the Peacock Throne
This illustrated pocket guide presents the history, culture and splendor of the Mughal court and its celebrated architecture in hundreds of archival photographs and drawings.
Eyewitness Guide Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
With chapters on the Taj Mahal, Amber Fort Palace, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, the Red Fort and dozens of other highlights for the traveler, this compact, gorgeously illustrated guide to Delhi and its environs features 900 color photographs, maps and site plans.
India, Land of Tigers and Temples
In his book of photographs, acclaimed wildlife photographer Axel Gomille brings readers up-close and personal with the exotic world of the Indian subcontinent. His simple, yet intriguing, collection includes tigers, sloth bears and elephants as well as holy sites and scenes of everyday life around the subcontinent.
Darsan, Seeing the Divine Image in India
Tremendously useful for the traveler, this rigorous guide explains the significance and meaning of Hindu temples, festivals and ritual. Darsan, which translates as "seeing," reveals religious expression in India.
Midnight's Children
Crowned Best of the Booker in 2008, Rushdie's greatest novel is a madcap, comic take on the birth of modern India in all its splendid and unexpected manifestations.
Nine Lives, In Search of the Sacred in Modern India
From Sufi dervish and Buddhist monk to outcast and temple worshiper: nine people, nine lives, all captured by Dalrymple as he journeys throughout India in search of remarkable individuals transformed by religion. At turns bemusing, dazzling and heart-wrenching, this is his first travel book in 15 years.
India, A Traveler's Literary Companion
Each of these 14 stories evokes place and landscape, providing an excellent introduction both to contemporary writers and to India's diverse cultures and history.
Lonely Planet India Phrasebook
A handy, palm-sized guide to pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Taj Mahal
An enlightening pocket guide to the myth, meaning and legends of the celebrated tomb, "the queen of architecture."
City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi
Dalrymple infectiously interweaves his own experiences over a year in Delhi with its art, architecture, history and literature.
Kaleidoscope City, A Year in Varanasi
Whether he is attending Ramalila -- the city's annual performance of the Ramayana, talking to members of the caste who man the cremation ghats along the Ganges or simply searching for the best mithai, or sweet, in town, Ede presents a vibrant, kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary Varanasi.
May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons, A Journey Among the Women of India
A wonderfully written and fascinating portrayal of Indian women from Bollywood stars to Indira Gandhi to prostitutes. It's an insightful portrait of the country as seen through the eyes of its women.
Gandhi, An Autobiography, or the Story of My Experiments with Truth
There is no substitute for reading Gandhi in his own simple, direct prose. A highly recommended glimpse into the personality and life of this remarkable figure.
India Birds
A folding wildlife guide designed for quick reference in the field. With full-color images and text, it features more than 100 birds often seen in India.
Culture Smart! India
A concise, well-illustrated guide to both social and business customs in India.
India
Wolpert's reflections on India -- its religion and philosophy, its art, culture and politics -- make for a literate, succinct primer.