• Rishikesh: Gather at the Ganges for the evening aarti. The priests perform synchronized rituals, brass lamps glow against the dusk, and chants echo along the riverbanks. You’ll watch diyas float across the water and feel the energy build as day turns to night. It’s a powerful way to experience Rishikesh after dark.
• Rishikesh: Ease into the morning with a guided yoga session designed to stretch out travel-tired muscles and reset your mind. All right here, in the home of yoga.
• Rishikesh: Walk through Rishikesh with a guided orientation past markets and ashrams, then head to the Beatles Ashram to explore old meditation huts, bold graffiti and forest trails overlooking the Ganges. It’s part spiritual retreat, part open-air art gallery (and seriously photogenic).
• Lucknow: Hop into a tuk-tuk for an orientation spin around Lucknow’s key sights, taking in the city’s grand facades and everyday rhythm from the street. We’ll see the landmarks from the outside, soaking up the vibe as we go.
• Varanasi: Zip through Varanasi on a guided e-rickshaw tour, weaving between temples and bustling lanes before heading to the Ganges for the evening Ghat Aarti ceremony. Watch the flames rise, hear the chants build, and feel the riverfront come alive after dark.

Zip by guided e-rickshaw tour through Varanasi’s labyrinth of lanes to the riverfront. As dusk settles, take your place for the Ghat Aarti ceremony, where priests circle flaming lamps, conch shells sound, and incense drifts over the water.

This nightly rite at the sacred ghats frames centuries of devotion and the city’s ceaseless rhythm. Expect a surge of light and sound balanced by intimate moments of contemplation along the Ganges.

Taste Lucknow’s Awadhi flavors on a street food tour at additional cost, bookable on tour. Seek out galouti kebabs at Tunday, rich nihari, fragrant biryani and saffron-tinged sheermal as vendors share family traditions.

Hear how royal kitchens perfected dum slow-cooking and subtle spice balance, then finish with creamy kulfi or paan. It’s an edible primer in refinement and indulgence, savored curbside.

Drift along the Ganges on a sunrise boat ride (optional, additional cost), watching temples and ghats emerge through golden light. Oars tap softly as bells ring and morning rituals ripple across the steps.

From the water, view ceremonial and cremation ghats from a respectful distance and capture striking photographs without the crowds. The river’s hush and first light bring a contemplative counterpoint to the city’s intensity.

Visit Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first teaching (optional, additional cost). Walk quiet gardens and stand before the massive Dhamek Stupa, a touchstone for pilgrims amid ancient monastic ruins.

Explore the Archaeological Museum, home to the Ashokan Lion Capital that inspired India’s national emblem. Timeless symbols and serene pathways offer a thoughtful change of pace from Varanasi’s Old City.

Ride a tuk-tuk orientation through Lucknow’s Nawabi-era quarters, taking in domes and gateways from the street. Glide past the Bara Imambara, the grand arch of the Rumi Darwaza, and elegant Hazratganj boulevards.

Hear stories of Awadhi etiquette, courtly poetry and the 1857 siege as you pause for photos and reflection. The city’s layered heritage comes alive in the open air, with traffic, aromas and color all around you.

Contiki

Gather at the Ganges in Rishikesh to witness the evening Ganga Aarti, as priests move in unison with brass lamps and conch shells. Watch the river glow with floating diyas while hymns and handbells weave through the dusk air.

Set at the Himalayan foothills in India’s yoga capital, this ritual honors Mother Ganga and the city’s devotional rhythm. Pause for photos and reflection as the waterfront shimmers and the ceremony’s cadence settles the senses.

Begin the day with a guided yoga session in Rishikesh, tailored for all levels to ease travel-weary muscles. Flow through classic asanas and focused pranayama while the river breeze and temple bells set a calm tempo.

Practised for centuries in the home of yoga, this mindful hour connects posture, breath and calm focus. Expect practical tips you can take home and a clearer headspace to frame the rest of your journey.

Walk with a local guide on a guided orientation walk through Rishikesh’s markets and riverside ashrams, tracing incense-scented lanes, saffron-clad sadhus and street-side chai stalls. Discover how pilgrimage and daily life flow together along the Ganges.

Continue to the Beatles Ashram (Chaurasi Kutia) to explore meditation cells and mural-splashed walls amid sal forest. Hear how the band’s 1968 stay shaped songs and placed Rishikesh on the global cultural map.