Witness the greatest wonders of India in just two weeks on a mesmerizing train tour!

This rare and amazing adventure will give you a real taste of modern India. You'll be whisked across the country from Kolkata in the North West to Jaipur in the fairytale kingdom of Rajasthan. Travelling in two-tier air-con ('2A' as it's known to the locals) you'll be living in comparative luxury as you watch the stunning countryside unroll outside your window. You'll explore northern India's major world-famous sites including the pilgrims of Varanasi on the banks of the Holy Ganges, Shah Jahan's testament to enduring love; the Taj Mahal, and the majestic 'Pink City' of Jaipur. To top it all, you'll soak-up the cultural sensation of India's peerless capital, Delhi and feel fulfilled after getting involved with vital volunteering opportunities at each destination.

Where does the tour go?

On this amazing two-week train tour you'll discover the key tourist destinations in India: Kolkata, Varanasi, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, while bonding with the local community to experience the real Asian culture! You will be met or escorted at each destination, starting your tour in Kolkata with a traditional Indian welcome before finishing in the cultural delight of Delhi. You will follow an itinerary which combines one to four days of volunteering, sightseeing and local excursions at each destination.

FULL ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrival in Kolkata.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your guesthouse. In the afternoon you will visit Dakhineswar and Belur and time permitting meet some of the local children at one of our projects.

Day 2: Kolkata.

Today you will visit the Victoria Memorial, Tagore's house, the Marble palace and have some time for shopping. In the afternoon you will volunteer at a local project.

Day 3: Kolkata.

You will continue your tour of the city, visiting the Botanical garden and the shopping centres. In the afternoon you will volunteer at a local project.

Day 4: Kolkata to Varanasi.

Today you will visit the Kalighat Temple and Mother Teresa's house. In the afternoon you will volunteer at a local project. Transfer overnight by train to Varanasi, arriving in Varanasi at 01:25.

Day 5: Varanasi.

Today you will have the whole day to explore the city. You’ll have a rest and breakfast before getting started at 10:00. In the evening you will travel to Delhi on an overnight Express train departin Varanasi at 18:45 and arriving into Agra at 05:50 the next morning.

Day 6: Agra and on to Jaipur.

You will arrive into Agra where you’ll stop at a hotel for a wash and to leave luggage. You’ll then spend the day sightseeing at the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. The train for Jaipur leaves at 17:35 arriving at 22:30 the same day. You’ll be taken straight to your guest house in Jaipur.

Day 7: Jaipur.

You’ll meet the Jaipur team in the morning and will have a brief orientation to introduce you to Jaipur. You’ll then be able to spend some time sightseeing the Pink City and will also be introduced to the community projects we work with in this area.

Day 8: Jaipur.

All day volunteering at the local community projects.

Day 9: Jaipur.

Excursion to Pushkar to see the numerous temples, ghaats and the holy lake of one of the most sacred Hindu Towns in India.

Day 10: Jaipur.

You’ll continue volunteering at the local projects but there will also be time for sightseeing and shopping.

Day 11: Jaipur to Delhi.

Today you will transfer to Delhi by train. You’ll arrive into Delhi at 22:45 where you’ll go straight to your guest house to recover from your travels.

Day 12: Delhi.

You’ll meet the Delhi team in the morning and will have a brief orientation introducing you to the city. You’ll then be introduced to the Chetanalaya organisation that works with rag picking children in the Jehangiripuri slums where you’ll spend some time volunteering. In the afternoon you’ll get time to sightsee in Old Delhi.

Day 13: Delhi.

In the morning you will return to the slum area of Delhi to assist with further volunteering. There is also an option to visit an alternative project that educates children with or without disability. In the afternoon you will be able to sightsee in central Delhi.

Day 14: Delhi.

The morning will be spent sightseeing and shopping in south Delhi. In the afternoon and evening you’ll experience the local culture with a Bollywood film and cultural activity.

Day 15: Delhi.

The tour ends today and you should arrange your flight home or onward travel arrangements on this day.

*PLEASE NOTE*: This itinerary is subject to changes due to circumstances beyond our control.

Why go on this project?

This trip enables you to combine sightseeing with meaningful volunteering. Over the 15-day trip you will get the chance to try your hand at a various community development projects for a taster into the world of volunteering. You will also travel to see India's top tourist attractions such as Varanasi, The Red Fort and The Taj Mahal along the way. The best of volunteer travel!

Your role as a volunteer

You will get stuck into a number of different volunteer activities during the trip. Your role will be to get as involved as possible, helping the local communities by educating and entertaining them. Your volunteering will be for short periods of time so it will be your chance to get the most out of each session and a taster for each type of volunteer work.

The skills you need

You do not need any specific skills to go on this trip; just a wish to help and get involved with the local Indian community along the way. You will receive our Online TEFL course as part of the trip to give you a start on teaching and communicating English with the projects. This is an action-packed tour with a lot of travel on some days, so be prepared to be completely wowed by the sheer quantity of things you'll discover!

Accommodation included

You'll be staying within various accommodation throughout the train tour; from homestays, hostels and hotels to train berths!

Project resources and advice

Resources are adequate at project, but we recommend that you bring photos and memories to share from home as you will be meeting many new faces.

*SPECIAL NOTE*: Minimum numbers apply: please call us for more information. This is a small group tour with a minimum of five and maximum of 15 individuals on each date. All train tickets will be purchased prior to your arrival.

Local facilities

This tour moves around the key triangle route moving between Kolkata, Varanasi, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and back to Delhi, which offer main amenities.

Food included

You will be provided with two meals a day, which will be traditional delicious Indian cuisine, although timings will vary due to train times and travel between locations.

Airport pick-up included

If you time your arrival to one of the designated arrival dates then airport pick-up is completely free. Please book your flight to arrive into Kolkata (airport code CCU). Should you require a different pick-up time, a charge of GBP£15 will be required to cover fuel and staff time to come and get you. Any additional nights needed at the orientation accommodation, for example if you arrive a day or two early, will be roughly 250Rupees per night, payable directly to the accommodation. Please note that you should book your return flight from New Delhi (airport code DEL).

Things that you will need to organize yourself

• Flights to India: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
• Travel insurance: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
• Visa
• In-country transport (except your airport pickup on arrival date)
• Tours, trips and add-ons: i-to-i can secure preferential rates, please ask us
• Extra food and equipment

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will be met at the airport on the arrival date and transferred to the guest house in Calcutta. There will then be a brief orientation introducing you all to the country; after this time the program will continue as described in the itinerary.

If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. Please contact us if you would like to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please contact your in country co ordinator directly to arrange where to go.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Country Guide

A little bit of history…

For over 5000 years the subcontinent of India, has seen the rise and fall of a succession of great empires, regional states and colonial powers. The first great Indian empire-builders were the Harrapans (The Indus Valley Civilisation) who flourished across parts of modern-day India and Pakistan from around 3500BC. The Harrapans opened up trade routes with Mesopotamia, built carefully planned cities and developed a pantheon of deities that over the years morphed into the Hindu deities Shiva and Kali. After the Harrapans came the Aryans who developed the caste system and wrote the sacred Vedas (including the Upanishads and the Brahamanas). These philosophical teachings were instrumental in the development of Buddhism and Hinduism – the religious foundation stones of the Indian cultural psyche.

After a brief incursion by Alexander the Great in 326BC, the Mauryan Empire gained control of much of central, eastern and western India. The first Indian empire to embrace Buddhism, the Mauryan civilisation reached it’s peak under the guidance of Emperor Ashoka and a long period of political stability enabled the caste system to flourish and allowed many cultural and technological advancements to be made. During this time envoys were sent to Sri Lanka and Nepal to spread the word of Buddhism.

Over the next 1000 years many empires gained control of regions of India – the Gupta’s in central India, the Chola’s and The Vijayanagar Empire in the south – but it wasn’t until the emergence of the Islamic empire of the Mughals that the whole of India came under the control of one power.

The Mughals ushered in a golden age of art and architecture, and have left us with many of the most recognisable symbols of Indian grandeur and architectural excellence – Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal, Agra’s Red Fort and Hamuyan’s Tomb in Delhi. They ruled from the early 16th century until the rise of the British East India Company and the advent of European control of the Indian subcontinent.

After much jostling for position, the British emerged as the dominant colonial force in India. While Portugal held sway over parts of Goa and Kerala and the French had small colonies such as Pondicherry, British influence spread from the verdant valleys of Kashmir to southern shores of Tamil Nadu. India was now under British rule and would stay that way for over 150 years – the British Raj had been born.

The European colonisers exploited the many natural resources found in India and the excesses of the Raj were many and spectacular. Every summer, as the heat in the central plains grew unbearable and the streets of Delhi shimmered in the heat haze, the entire apparatus of government was moved more than 300km north to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. To this day Shimla - a strange little town perched high in the foothills of the Himalaya - resembles nothing quite so much as a Victorian English village - complete with parish church and fun fair!

The excesses of British rule created widespread resentment across India and a succession of uprisings and civil disputes lead to independence from British rule in 1947 and the partition of India and Pakistan. Following independence much blood was spilled as Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims tried to ensure their place in the uncertain future of the subcontinent. Many wars have since been fought between Pakistan and India and to this day the Kashmiri borders are still disputed and fought over. The pristine valleys and glacial lakes still reverberate to the sound of gunfire and army convoys ply their trade across the mountain passes of the Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s recent history has seen relative peace and since the recent earthquake that hit Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, relations between the two countries have greatly improved. Although poverty and deprivation are still endemic in India, economic strides are being made and India now has a reputation as one of the world’s leading e-business nations.

Best time to go...

Due to the sheer size and the complex geography of the subcontinent, Indian weather is as complex as Indian history. While the people of the central plains are searching for shade and respite from the heat, the inhabitants of the Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for the last snows of winter to recede.

From as early as February the whole continent gradually begins to heat up and by May temperatures of 45C are commonplace. As the hot season drags on the country takes a collective deep breath and waits in anticipation of the south-west monsoon. When the monsoon finally hits, the hot, dry and dusty conditions are gradually replaced by intermittent heavy downfalls. It doesn’t rain all the time during monsoon, but it rains every day – heavy tropical showers are punctuated by warm sunshine that turns the parched subcontinent into something of a mudbath. During this time of year, travel can be difficult if not downright dangerous: rivers break their banks, floods bring cities to a standstill and the destructive power of the monsoon is clear for all to see. In 2005 parts of Mumbai were under 5 feet of flood water and hundreds of the cities slum dwellers lost their lives. After the south-west monsoon has subsided, the south eastern coast (primarily Kerala, Karnataka and Goa) experience a short but intense second monsoon.

When the rains have finally cleared the country experiences a brief but beautiful spell of warm sunny weather. The period from October until around early February sees much of the country experiencing comfortable conditions that are ideal travelling weather for foreign visitors. That being said, in the far north (Kashmir, Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh) winter has taken hold, snow covers the mountains and passes up into the Himalayan Plateau shut down as early as September 16th.

Getting around...

Air

Travel in India is unlike anywhere else on the planet, the distances are huge, booking tickets can be tricky and comfort is often at a premium. If you are short on time or just don’t want the many hassles of travelling through India, flying can be a good option. Local airlines such as Deccan, Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines offer services to destinations across the country.

Rail

India is home to the world’s largest railway system and offers the resilient traveller some of the greatest rail journeys known to man. Journeys can be long - Delhi to Chennai comes in at around 30 hours – but when you travel by train in India you get to see the vast complexity and natural beauty of the subcontinent roll past in all its glory.

If you decide to travel by train, the complex issue of booking a ticket must be addressed. First you’ll need to decide what class you wish to travel in: this can be tricky. There are 6 classes: 1st Class air-con (1A), 2-tier air-con (2A), 3-tier air-con (3A), chair car (CC), Sleeper (SL) and Second (II). For short journeys second is adequate, unless it’s really hot then it’s well worth paying for chair car. For longer journeys sleeper offers a cheap option with the added bonus of being able to mingle with the Indian masses. When the majority of Indians travel long distances by train, sleeper is their class of choice. Much has been said and written about the pitfalls of travelling by sleeper, but in my experience, it is the best way to truly experience Indian rail travel. 1A, 2A and 3A are more comfortable, but significantly more expensive and you’re less likely to strike up conversation with ordinary Indians. Whatever class you decide to travel in, you will need to pop down to the train station and book yourself a ticket. I won’t go into to much detail, but suffice to say, it’s probably best to put half a day aside for this little errand. Ah, the many joys of India!

Bus

Travelling India by bus and coach can require an almost saintly forbearance and an extremely hard backside. Short journeys by bus are great (if a little hair-raising) but for longer distances I’d suggest you jump on a train or a plane. The journey from Leh to Manali will see you sat in a rickety old bus for 2 whole days negotiating some of the highest motorable passes in the world on roads that seem more suitable for mountain goats that mass transport. That being said it is a spectacular journey and is will leave you feeling that you have really travelled.

When travelling within a state, bus travel is fine. Buses serve all major cities and often stop off at small towns and villages (and at shops owned by friends of the driver) along the way. On long journeys you may well be charged around ten rupees for having your baggage stored inside the bus. Although this is a little cheeky and can be a little annoying (the charge seems to apply only to foreign travellers), it is important to remain polite and to remember that the baggage handlers on the buses have much less money than you do.

Many buses have a small shrine to their deity of choice perched precariously on the dashboard and often make stops at roadside temples to make offerings. If asked for a few rupees to help with the offering, my advice would be to dig deep and hand over a few coins; bus travel in India can be a dangerous business and it can’t hurt to have a little divine protection!

Taxis, tuk-tuks and rickshaws

Travelling by tuk-tuks, cabs and rickshaws is a great way to travel around cities, although care must be taken. It is imperative that you agree on a price before you set off and don’t be afraid to haggle: if your driver says the price is 100 rupees, knock them down to about 70 and you’ll be getting a half decent foreigner-price. Travel by taxi is the most expensive, tuk-tuks are a little cheaper (but just as fast) and bicycle rickshaws are cheap and slow. Drivers will often try to take you to shops, hotels and restaurants where they receive a commission. Unless you really like the driver and don’t mind being over-charged, it’s best to refuse firmly but politely. When travelling in Mumbai, travel by taxi can be tricky. Taxi journeys are metered, but the meters are very out of date. Ensure that the meter is at zero when you start and make sure that the driver has an official tariff card in the car. When you arrive at your final destination, you’ll need to work out the price by comparing the price on the meter with the tariff card. It’s a pretty simple operation, but unscrupulous drivers often try to overcharge unsuspecting tourists and will insist that they don’t know what the tariff card is. As with all things in India, be polite and remain calm.

Useful links

www.lonelyplanet.com

Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.

www.fco.gov.uk

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.

State owned domestic airline which offers competitively priced flights to destinations across India.

www.jetairways.com

300 daily flights to 44 destinations across the country. Also good for flights to Sri Lanka.

www.flykingfisher.com

Good quality budget airline. Nice food on the flights too.

Train information, ticket reservation and general info for train travel in India. The reservation service saves a lot of time and hassle… when it works!