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TRANSCRIPT
North India Gourmet Tour
The assortment of cuisines in India is such that your head will reel with choices. It would be unfair perhaps to sort out a few cities in India that outshine others in gastronomy, but since we want to be nice to your stomach as well, we struggled to pick some. We believe cuisine is not only about the taste – the experience is incomplete without the perfect ambience & the typical manner in which the food is served. Indian food is mostly quite spicy by western standards. We have only made suggestions as it is practically not possible to taste everything in just 9 days tour. The guests decide their own menu from the options available. Those who have weak bellies & those who would want to avoid street food can make their own choices. The itinerary for sure will get your saliva drooling. Besides the amazing taste, you carry back home a few recipes you learn at cooking classes and some valuable tips you gather while conversing with master chefs at high end hotels. A visit to a spice plantation where you see the cultivation of various spices will be a spicy & aromatic end for your tour. We will provide you with some digestives to take after every meal. You must have as much water and butter milk with salt and roasted cumin seeds (where ever available)
Day 1 – Arrive Mumbai Arrive in Mumbai, where you will be met by a Wandering Monk Tours Representative. Transfer to your hotel to rest and refresh. Culinary Experience
-‐ Quench your thirst at the Leopold Cafe followed by rolls and kebabs at the most ancient and legendry jaunt of Mumbai.
-‐ Sample Malvani food-‐ cuisine popular in Maharashtra and Goa Cultural Component
-‐ Evening at Leisure. Overnight at hotel. Day 2 – Mumbai Breakfast at hotel and then a tour of Mumbai-‐ the commercial capital of India Culinary Experience
-‐ For lunch, enjoy delicious Parsi cuisine. The Parsis are of Zoroastrian origin who are believed to have migrated to India from Persia in the 10th century.
-‐ A snack break at Chowpatty in the evening where you’d always want more-‐ from Bhel Puri to Pav bhaji and Vada Pav
-‐ Dinner at the famous Khau Galli-‐ the literal translation for this being ‘Street for Foodies’
Cultural Component -‐ Make your way into Mumbai via the remarkable Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat-‐ Mumbai's 140 years old human-‐
driven laundry -‐ Explore Mumbai, taking in some of the key landmarks which are a brilliant combination of gothic and
traditional Mughal architecture -‐ such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum, Maharashtra Police Headquarters, Flora Fountain. Hutatma Chowk, Telegraph Office, India Post Office Building, Kala Ghoda Area, and the National Gallery of Modern Art.
-‐ In the early evening wander down Marine Drive to Chowpatty Beach. Overnight at hotel. Day 3 – Mumbai to Ahmedabad Transfer to the railway station to board your train to Ahmedabad (0625-‐1245). Arrive and check in to the hotel. Culinary Experience
-‐ A workshop on traditional typical Gujarati cuisine. -‐ Lunch will consist of the variety of Gujarati Thali (it stands for ‘platter’) – this will include the dishes that you
would have prepared yourself earlier! -‐ In the evening, take an optional street food tour and
sample more of the local food. Cultural Component
-‐ Evening at leisure (or a street food extravaganza). Overnight at hotel.
Day 4 – Ahemdabad Breakfast at hotel and then a tour of Ahmedabad, Culinary Experience
-‐ Sample Gujarati food-‐ fafada, deep fried jalebis, and homemade ice cream during the day
-‐ Save your appetite for dinner at an authentic Gujarati restaurant. Cultural Component
-‐ Take a morning heritage walk of the old city, visit the Utensil Museum, then continue on to (Sabarmati) Gandhi Ashram, where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917-‐1930. Also visit Calico textile museum and Syed Siddiqi Mosque.
Overnight at hotel. Day 5 – Fly Ahemdabad – Jaipur After breakfast at hotel, intime transfer to airport for your flight to Jaipur. Arrive at Jaipur & check into the hotel. Culinary Experience
-‐ A traditional Rajasthani Lunch spread which would include the pride of Jaipur -‐ Dal Baati with Churma
-‐ Pamper your taste buds with Aloo pyaz ki kachori-‐ the most loved evening snack here.
-‐ For dinner we propose you a visit to Choki Dhani, Men in traditional Rajasthani attire will serve you a sumptuous meal (ker sangria, gatte ki sabzi, bejad ki roti, bajre ki khichidi, lasan ki chutney and a lot more). Mind you, there are no tables and chairs & no forks and spoons either, but it will definitely be a down to earth experience! Top it all with a palate cleanser and breath freshener beetle leaf wrapped around areca nut, fennel seeds, sugar and other condiments
Cultural Component
-‐ Choki dhani is an ethnic resort that showcases typical Rajasthani culture – food, dance, music, camel ride, puppet shows & much more (along with a dinner spread that you’ll never forget-‐ details mentioned above)
Overnight at hotel.
Day 6 – Jaipur Breakfast at hotel, later enjoy city tour of Jaipur. Culinary Experience
-‐ A watch-‐and-‐learn soiree with a local family -‐ experience the traditional cooking practices and learn secrets of age old grandma recipes! This will be followed by a lavish dinner spread with your hosts
Cultural Component -‐ Excursion to The Amber fort, the ancient capital of the
Kachhawaha Rajputs till 1037. Enjoy an Elephant ride to the top of the Palace fort. En route, make a photo stop at the palace of winds-‐ The Hawa Mahal.
-‐ In the afternoon move on to explore of Jaipur-‐ The Pink City. A tour of The City Palace-‐it now houses the Royal residence and museums with collections of textiles and costumes, armoury, manuscripts, paintings and so on. Also visit the Jantar Mantar-‐ an astronomical marvel created by King Jai Singh II in the 18th Century **Sightseeing Time – Approx. 5 Hrs.
Overnight at hotel. Day 7 -‐ Jaipur – Agra via Fatehpur Sikri (225 Kms. / Time Approx. 5 Hrs.) After breakfast at hotel drive to Agra. En-‐route sightseeing of Fatehpur Sikri. Culinary Experience
-‐ Binge on some mouth watering Chaats such as Samosas with Imili ki Chutney. Cultural Component
-‐ 40 km (1 hour) before Agra, lies the beautiful and deserted medieval city of Fatehpur Sikri-‐ built by Akbar the Great in the 16th century to serve as the capital of his vast empire. It was mysteriously abandoned 13 years later. Today, it is perfectly preserved as a ghost city built at the height of the empire’s splendour.
-‐ Continue drive to Agra-‐ once the seat of the Mughal rulers, it is home to beautiful Mughal architecture, the zenith of art and an enshrined romance. ** Fatehpur Sikri Visit – Approx 2 Hrs.
Overnight at hotel. Day 8 – Agra Sight Seeing After breakfast at hotel, proceed to sightseeing tour of Agra Culinary Experience
-‐ A short break from all the amazing food-‐ Keep your appetite ready for Delhi
Cultural Component -‐ A visit to The Taj Mahal-‐ a poem in white marble, built
by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. Note: TAJ MAHAL IS CLOSED ON FRIDAY. **Sightseeing Time – Approx. 5 Hrs.
-‐ Evening at leisure to relax. Overnight at hotel. Day 9 -‐ Agra -‐ Delhi
After breakfast at hotel, drive to Delhi. On arrival, check in to the hotel and freshen up. Culinary Experience
-‐ A cooking class for North Indian dishes followed by a lunch spread-‐ the menu would depend on what you cook!
-‐ Dinner with the Master chef of Bukhara, ITC Maurya -‐ he’ll help you with his culinary skills and reveal before you some secrets about the art of cooking. (Served the likes of Bill Clinton. Rated amongst the top 50 restaurants in the world and the finest restaurant in Asia by "restaurant” magazine.)
Cultural Component -‐ A tour of Khari Baoli, Asia's largest wholesale spice market which is operating since the 17th Century. It is
located on the outskirts of Old Delhi and is full of bustling alleyways. Day 10 – Delhi After breakfast, embark on a full day of sightseeing in Delhi. Culinary Experience
-‐ Lunch at ‘Paranthe Wali Gali’ (an entire lane choc-‐a-‐bloc with shops selling different types of paranthas – stuffed rolled bread brushed with butter while on the griddle).
-‐ We recommend you the Chaats – spicy snacks in Chandni Chowk area and sweets of ‘Ghantewala’ shop.
-‐ Dinner at Karim’s – it is renowned for its Mughal Cuisine
Cultural Component -‐ Take a heritage walk and a rickshaw ride through Old
Delhi. Visit Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, the Red Fort, India Gate, the President House and the Parliament House. Stop by the magnificent Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO heritage site.
-‐ Return to the hotel and spend the evening at your leisure. Overnight at Hotel. Day 11 – Delhi – Lucknow Breakfast at Hotel. Later in time transfer to the airport for your flight to Lucknow. Arrive in the early evening and transfer to your hotel and freshen up. Culinary Experience
-‐ Feast on delicious Awadhi cuisine cooked for you by a renowned Chef. (The rich Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow region was made popular by the Nawab of Awadh who, to deal with food shortage, ordered his men to cook food in huge handis (vessels) to feed the hungry people. This eventually led to a style of cooking called ‘dum’ -‐ the art of sealing ingredients in large handis and cooking over a slow flame.)
-‐ Taste mouth watering Shami Kabab from old city eatries.
Cultural Component -‐ Rest of the day is free for leisure activities.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 12 – Lucknow Culinary Experience
-‐ Embark on a three-‐hour culinary walk to explore Mughlai Food at many traditional local eateries.
Cultural Component -‐ Take a half-‐day sightseeing tour of Lucknow, including
the famous Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, the British Residency and Hussainabad Clock Tower among others.
Overnight at Hotel. Day 13 – Fly Lucknow to Kolkata You will have the morning free to spend at your leisure before flying to Kolkata via Patna. Arrive in the early evening and transfer to your hotel. Culinary Experience
-‐ Dinner at an authentic Bengali Restaurant-‐ enjoy a spread of Maach and Mangsho (fish and meat), followed by a never ending menu of Mishti (desserts).
Cultural Component -‐ Rest of the day is free for leisure activities. Overnight at
Kolkata. Day 14 – Kolkata Take a morning walking tour of Kolkata after breakfast at Hotel. Culinary Experience
-‐ A workshop on ‘Making Fish the Bengali way’ with a local Bengali family and then binge on your own creation!
Cultural Component -‐ Drive to Dalhousie, Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial and Kumartuli. Kumartuli is a traditional potters’ quarter
renowned for making tens of thousands of clay idols of Hindu gods during festival times. Overnight at Kolkata. Day 15 – Kolkata – Fly back home
After breakfast, explore the visit Mother Teresa's Missionary of Charity, the Jain Temple Complex and Marble Palace. You will have the afternoon free to spend at your leisure. In the evening, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home.
Tour End Cost starting from USD4314 per person sharing
City Hotel Room Type
Mumbai Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Double Luxury Grand Seaview
Udaipur Oberoi Udai Vilas Double Premier King
Jodhpur Umaid Bhavan Palace Double Palace Room
Jaipur Rambagh Palace Double Palace Room
Agra Oberoi Amar Vilas Double Premier King
Delhi Leela Palace Double Grand Deluxe Room