Highlights of India: Discover Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Varanasi

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport and Indian visa are required.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

India

• Your passport must have 2 blank passport page(s) for entry/exit visas in this country.

• A travel visa is required and it must be obtained in advance.

• The cost of this visa is not included in the cost of your trip.

• Your visa can be secured electronically. You may use the services of our designated visa service, Passport Visa Express, please see details on the process and the price at Passport Visa Express. If you prefer you may secure your electronic visa on your own, see the notes below for details.

Please note: An Indian e-Tourist Visa must be secured in advance online. Visas are available for 30 days, one year, or five years. We recommend the one-year e-Tourist Visa, which costs $40 (subject to change) and can be applied for up to 120 days before travel at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html You’ll need your passport details, a passport-style photo (JPEG), and a scan of your passport ID page (PDF). Hotel information and our India contact reference—both required for the application—will be provided in your participant mailing packet. If you need help with the visa application, Passport Visa Express can submit your e-Tourist Visa for you for a fee of $127 (subject to change) at https://www.passportvisasexpress.com/roadscholar Once the e-Tourist Visa is approved, you’ll receive an email with your Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Print it and keep it with your travel documents. **Note: An e-Arrival card is also required. Review program mailing for more info.

This is an active 'Let's go!' program. If you require wheelchair assistance to get through an airport, you are not fit enough to participate in this program. Though all efforts have been made to keep health and hygiene practices at the optimum standard, please note that diarrhea is the most common illness afflicting travelers. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites), fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). You should drink only bottled water with sealed caps and ensure any ice is made from purified, boiled water. Eat thoroughly-cooked food and only fruits you have peeled yourself. Avoid unpasteurized milk and any products that might have been made from unpasteurized milk, such as ice cream. Avoid food and beverages obtained from street vendors. Occasionally, travelers are also susceptible to having some respiratory issues when traveling to India due to pollution and fatigue. Please consult your doctor about how you can best avoid respiratory infections and keep yourself at optimum health while traveling to this part of the world. There are no vaccinations required to enter India unless visitors are coming from a contaminated area. However, it is always a good idea to check with your personal physician before going abroad. Routine vaccines, as they are often called, such as for Covid-19, influenza, chickenpox (or varicella), polio, MMR, and DPT, are given at all stages of life and should be up-to-date. We highly recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid shots as well. Anti-malaria medication can be considered based on the advice of your doctor, the CDC, and your personal comfort level. As of July 2026, travelers are required to complete a mandatory health self-declaration form through the Air Suvidha 2.0 portal before traveling: https://airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in The form includes details of the passenger's travel history for the previous three weeks. Complete the online self-declaration form within 24 hours before the start of their journey. Once submitted successfully, passengers will receive an acknowledgement email. Keep this as documentation to present to immigration authorities upon arrival in India.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on January 7, 2027

Meet the group at The Suryaa New Delhi in Delhi

Start of Trip:  2:00 p.m. hotel check-in; arrivals throughout the day. Orientation and Welcome Dinner the following day.

Getting to the site: Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare and are arriving on the day the program commences in India (Day 2) will be provided an arrival transfer from Delhi airport to the first program hotel. Participants who have not purchased Road Scholar airfare, or who are arriving early, are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements and the costs involved. Please refer to the “Taxi/Private Transfer” attachment at the end of your Information Packet for further transfer information. Hotel check-in is available from 2:00 p.m. on the program start date (Day 2). If you arrive a few hours early, the hotel can store your luggage at the front desk until check-in time. If you wish to check-in upon arrival in the morning or if you arrive a day or more before the program starts, we suggest booking additional pre-program hotel nights in advance with Road Scholar Travel Services, through the hotel directly or via a third party website.

Getting to the site by train or bus: Driving is not recommended.

Your trip ends on: Saturday, January 16, 2027 in Varanasi at Taj Ganges

End of Trip: 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out; 12:00 noon lunch followed by transfers to Varanasi Airport. Flights included from Varanasi to Delhi. Program ends at Delhi Airport.

Getting to the airport: All participants who depart on the official program end date (Day 11) in Varanasi, India will receive a departure transfer from the last program location to the airport. Additionally, all participants will receive a one-way flight ticket from Varanasi to Delhi provided to them as part of the program. This flight is coordinated by our partner in India and the flight schedule and details for this day will be provided while on the program. Typically, this flight departs at around 3:30 p.m. and arrives in Delhi at around 5:00 p.m. The flight time is subject to change based on seasonality and airline schedules. Once in Delhi, all participants will check-in for their individual international flights home. The program concludes in Delhi. Your international flight leaving Delhi to return home on Day 11 should depart no earlier than 9:30pm. Your program officially ends in Delhi at the Delhi International Airport. Any participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare with a layover at Delhi Airport longer than 6 hours will receive a complimentary airport lounge pass. The Group Leader will confirm these details prior to departure. Participants who depart after the program end date are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements and the costs involved. Please refer to the “Taxi/Private Transfer” attachment at the end of your Information Packet for further transfer information.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.