Our travel duo Harsh and Arti, under the banner of Photography Tours India, brings to you an adventurous India street photography tour for those willing to appreciate the depths of diversity that true Indian culture offers. The Streets of India Photo tour is designed to make sure our travelers and photographers get to explore the melting pot of mixed cultures and societies of central India. India Street photography is all about capturing the stories of daily life, every place has its own story. And when it comes to India, we have great opportunities for storytelling in street photography depending on the culture of the location, the occasion, the emotions of the subject & vision of the photographer to share as many as possible stories that are been untold till date.
This India street photography tour is designed for serious photographers as well as enthusiastic travelers alike who want to explore something more than the monuments and other touristy places of India. Even a traveler with I phone and a great vision can do wonders in street photography. This streets of India photography tour is for you if you like exploring lesser-known landmarks, streets, and markets with people going about their daily lives, walking through narrow alleys, observing the people, and roaming around like a local.
Apart from photographing monuments and iconic places of India, you will have ample opportunities to take pictures of streets, markets, houses, local people, their houses, and random moments of the daily life of local people which you would like to freeze. The photography guide takes you around, helps you communicate with locals, and provides you with technical details of photography if needed. This India street photography tour can be customized for amateur photographers as a photography workshop.
The Streets of India Photo tour starting right from Delhi is guaranteed to shower our travelers with some of the most authentic Indian experiences. Street Photography in India starts from bustling Delhi, the capital of India to the heart of North India including the Taj Mahal and some famous places of Rajasthan. Locations include Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. Rajasthan, the land of Rajputs and Maharajas is an epic photo adventure to royal palaces, magnificent forts, street markets, and the daily life of local people. Rajasthan is a land of colors and tradition, incredibly warm people dressed in vibrant colored turbans, the contrasting green and yellow dresses of ladies, and the home of camels known as the ship of deserts, all this will take you on a journey of a bygone era. We’ll see the most iconic places but also wander the backstreets to discover true local life and the soul of the people. This tour is slow-paced, with time for exploration and photographing the best of Rajasthan and North India.
Few regions on earth offer such cultural and diverse opportunities for documentary, travel, and street photography. This photo tour is designed to guide you to the most stunning locations, play with light and shadow, and portray locals in their natural environment.
Although it is pretty difficult to encapsulate the experience that awaits you in the India Street Photography tour, here are some of the highlights of what our package offers.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore and capture interesting sights on the Streets of India that are missed by most tourists.
- Explore lesser-known places and observe the daily life of locals, photograph, and interact with them.
- This is a custom-designed India Street photo tour, by a photographer, for photography enthusiasts.
- This tour focus on long walks on busy streets of cities, capturing day-to-day life, freezing moments, photogenic old wrinkled faces, searching for local people in traditional attires, some rare tribes in Jaisalmer almost on an edge of extinction.
- In Old Delhi, discover and take pictures of the century’s old markets, houses, and people who live and work there. Visit Asia’s largest wholesale spice market.
- Visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Capture different moods of the Taj Mahal from some lesser-known vantage points at different times of the day.
- Explore the Pink City of Jaipur and take capture pictures of colorful and vibrant markets.
- It’s a perfect blend of comfort in adventure travel and photography tours. Staying in luxury hotels and heritage hotels, long walks, traveling in tuk-tuks in the narrowest streets of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Varanasi, etc., sipping masala chai in earthen pots, enjoying every bite of Indian cuisine and roadside foods, etc.
- Witness the sunset in the heart of the Thar desert in Jaisalmer. Enjoy a camel safari and use your creative skills for capturing pictures of camels and local people. Play with light and shadow and create some beautiful memories.
- Two days in Varanasi to capture the real essence of this holy city, we make sure that our guests get to fully experience the city’s magic by going on walking tours of the Ghats and old city, visiting Sarnath, and witnessing the ceremony of evening Ganga Aarti.
The photo collection is copyright of Harsh Agarwal. You can check out his work on www.harshtravelphotography.com
Highlights of your journey
Day 01
ARRIVAL AT DELHI
- Arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Our representative will greet and assist you to the coach.
- Transfer to your Hotel. Check-in and overnight in Delhi.
- If time permits, we will have an orientation meeting for the India Street Photo Tour.
Day 02
DELHI
- On the first day of the India Street Photography tour, proceed for a full-day tour of Delhi, the capital city of India. Old Delhi offers a great opportunity for Street Photography.
- After a scrumptious breakfast, visit the Jama Mosque, India’s largest mosque, and drive through the famed Red Fort
- Explore the bustling market of Chandni Chowk. You can either take a Rickshaw Ride or walk through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi.
- The next stop is the famous Spice market – it is well known that India is famous for spices. A small walk-in the largest spice bazaar in Asia- this place is not only a wholesale market for spices but is also a highlighted place for India street photography tours to capture photos of the streets, crowds, and bazaars. Watch how spices of different colors, aromas, and flavors are loaded by rusty hands, carried and unloaded – a magical marvel in itself. It’s an opportunity for photographers to capture the daily lives of local people, the old houses, colorful shops and lanes, thousands of people, chaotic yet moving traffic, and much more.
- Visit Raj Ghat (Mahatma Gandhi memorial and Drive past India Gate and Govt Buildings (President’s house and Secretariat Houses)
- After lunch, explore the majesty and the beauty of Qutub Minar, the tallest stone tower established by the first Islamic monarchs of the country. In the evening, a short visit to a Sikh Temple, known as Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. You can watch (and join if you like) the langar, and the voluntary group cooking and feeding program at the Gurudwara.
- Overnight in Hotel.
Day 03
DELHI- AGRA (204 KMS/3.5 HRS)
- After breakfast, drive to Agra. On arrival, check-in Hotel
- In the evening, visit the Tomb of Itmad-ud-daula, known as Baby Taj. Later visit Mehtab Bagh, the famous garden overseeing the Taj Mahal located on the banks of the Yamuna River. Enjoy a magical sunset view of Taj Mahal.
- Evening at leisure. You will get an opportunity to buy or hire beautiful traditional dress to make your visit to the Taj mahal more memorable. Back to Hotel early to be prepared for the next day.
Day 04
AGRA
- Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal. Our expert photography tour guide will give you all the key information and take you to all the best sites for photography to make sure your experience of visiting the Taj Mahal is as fulfilling as possible.
- Return to Hotel for breakfast. Later visit the Agra Fort– one of the grandest forts in India. Spot beautiful demonstrations of Marble inlay work dispersed all around the city. Relish the ancient artistry of local artists of Agra.
- Later walking tour of the old city- another highlight of the India Street Photography Tour. Starting from Jama Masjid to some famous lanes of Agra. Used in a wholesale market, the lanes are named on the trade for which they were famous. Visit centuries-old Hindu temple and Spice market. The aroma of spices fills in the air, and witness the heaps of red chilies and pots filled with Indian pickles that are rich in variety with each having a unique flavor of its own.
- In the evening, we will shoot sunset and Taj mahal from a less explored vantage point. Back to Hotel. Overnight in Agra.
* Taj Mahal is closed on Friday
Day 05
AGRA- JAIPUR VIA FATEHPUR SIKRI (237 KMS/ 5 HRS)
- After breakfast, drive to Jaipur
- On the way, visit Fatehpur Sikri – known as the abandoned capital from the Mughal Empire.
- Later visit Abhaneri. This stepwell is regarded as one of the deepest and largest step wells in India. It’s a perfect example of ancient water harvesting and conservation system. The first sight of this stepwell will take your breath away with its intricate architecture and zig-zag steps built like a labyrinth. Visit the village around this stepwell. Visit a Potter’s house to see the centuries-old Indian traditional pottery making.
- Visit the famous Monkey Temple that has been taken over by local herds of monkeys.
- On arrival, check-in, and overnight in Hotel.
Day 06
JAIPUR
- After early breakfast, the 6th day of the streets of India photography tour will start with a photo stop at Hawa Mahal. We will make a quick visit to a stepwell – Panna Meena ka Kund. It’s relatively smaller than the Abhaneri stepwell but its pastel-shaded plaster makes it an excellent photogenic backdrop. The morning soft light provides a great photo opportunity to create a perfect illusion of a labyrinth on the criss-cross stairs.
- Later visit Amber Fort. Our Streets of India photography tour guide will make sure that you capture photos from different stops and angles. Play with your creative skills with palaces as backdrops and local people in their traditional attires as elements. Photo stop at Jal Mahal, the water palace.
- After lunch, Visit the principal residence of Jaipur’s present ruling family, the City Palace.
- Later visit Jantar Mantar. This UNESCO World Heritage site will amaze visitors for its several astronomical and astrological tools used by researchers of ancient India.
- You can experience carpet weaving, block printing demonstration, and Turban wearing which plays a vital role in Rajasthani life.
- In the evening, a warm session of Hi-Tea at one of the cafés opposite the Hawa Mahal offers a great way to conclude the evening by taking pictures of the Hawa Mahal in its full glory. Overnight in Hotel
Day 07
Jaipur –Jodhpur (335 kms/ 6 hours)
- After early breakfast, start your India Street Photography Tour with a visit to the famous Flower Market and Milk Market. In the morning the market is almost always buzzing with milk sellers, dressed in their traditional attires – white dhotis and kurtas offering the purest milk products available anywhere!
- Visit Patrika Gate, a massive gate famous for its gorgeous architecture, it is characterized by vibrant colors and intricate carvings that symbolize the Rajasthani culture.
- Continue your drive to Jodhpur. The drive is fascinating, as there are chances to spot hordes of local women baking dung paddies, drawing water from wells, and carrying water pots. Spot women and men dressed in colorful sarees and turbans respectively working in fields hand in hand.
- On arrival, check-in Hotel.
- After taking a rest in the hotel, enjoy an evening walk around the old city. Jodhpur is a photographer’s paradise for India street photography. A leisurely stroll around the beautiful Blue City of Jodhpur is the best way to explore Jodhpur’s ancient culture and traditions. You will witness Local women selling essential home items in shacks and stalls. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 08
JODHPUR
- Sunrise walking tour to a nearby hill to capture the view of Mehrangarh Fort and the old city of Jodhpur. Return to Hotel.
- After breakfast, visit Cloth dyers known as ‘Rangrez’ of Jodhpur. This place is renowned for Tie-Dye or Bandhej, a prevalent conventional craft of Rajasthan. Feel free to see this color dying process to give unique designs to dresses, most of which are done by the women of Jodhpur.
- After lunch visit Mehrangarh Fort, one of the grandest forts in India, and Jaswant Thada, the royal cenotaph.
- In the evening, walk around the Clock Tower market to capture the daily life of local people. The India street photography tour guide will take you deep into the laneways and homes of Jodhpur with its maze of brightly painted blue homes. The play of light in the passageways, the exotic architecture, colorful local dress, and the dramatic backdrop of the imposing Mehrangarh Fort provide an abundance of photographic opportunities.
- Enjoy the sunset view of Mehrangarh fort from the rooftop restaurant of the hotel. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 09
JODHPUR- JAISALMER (285 kms/ 6 hrs)
- On the 9th day of the India Street Photography Tour, we will drive to Jaisalmer. Today accommodation will be a swiss tent in mid of Sam Sand dunes.
- In the villages, we found the women in bright color dress, carrying multiple tiers of pots from the village well to their houses.
- On arrival in Jaisalmer in Sam sand dunes, check-in at Hotel.
- Witnessing the sunset in the sand dunes in the heart of the Thar Desert is a surreal experience that cannot be missed. You can plan some great shots with camels in sand dune. Before returning back to the hotel for the night, you can take a camel safari to explore the sincere life and pleasures of the desert.
- Enjoy the traditional tribal kalbeliya dance with dinner. Overnight in Hotel
Day 10
GOLDEN CITY OF JAISALMER
- After breakfast and check-out, visit some tribal villages. Traditional mud and thatched roof houses, local people doing their daily activities are some of the highlights of unexplored India.
- Later drive to Jaisalmer city. Check-in at the hotel.
- Explore the busy markets of Hanuman chowk. Locals can be found in their traditional attires haggling hard with local vendors and vegetable carts.
- Take a walking tour in the alleyways of the grand Jaisalmer Fort, one of the largest and perhaps the only living forts in the world. This region is inhabited by 2000 welcoming families, with almost all of them sharing their roots for centuries. You will be surprised to see the invitation cards of marriages/ auspicious celebrations painted on the walls of the houses.
- Visit some centuries-old Havelis (houses) and Jain temples. The Havelis are famous for their architecture, beautiful balconies, archways, and gateways. Hawkers and vendors display beautiful puppets and colorful turbans and veils, letting the colors of Jaisalmer come alive in contrast to the sandy hues that dominate most of the town.
- Enjoy your dinner in a rooftop café inside Jaisalmer Fort. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 11
JAISALMER- DELHI - VARANASI (FLIGHT)
- Sunrise visit to beautiful Gadsisar Lake. Gadsisar Lake is enclosed by attractively carved Chhatris, Shrines, and monuments.
- After breakfast, transfer to the airport to connect flight to Varanasi via Delhi.
- On arrival in Varanasi, check-in at Hotel. Overnight in Hotel
Day 12
VARANASI
- Rise very early this morning to experience the life of this ancient city. See the beauty of the rising sun on the boat ride on the holy river Ganges.
- Experience the early morning rituals of the Hindus being performed, thousands of people taking a bath in the holy river and offering flowers and holy water to the Sun God.
- After breakfast, excursion trip to Sarnath. Explore the deer park in Sarnath where Gautama Buddha first imparted knowledge regarding Dharma and Karma.
- In the evening Old City walking tour. Walkthrough the oldest and most famous narrow lanes of the city, past the endless human panorama – pilgrims, worshipers, sadhus, children selling flowers and floating lights to place in the river – to arrive at the Ghats at the Ganges to witness the Aarti Ceremony which is part of the evening pooja or prayers. The Streets of India Tour is incomplete without Varanasi.
- During the ceremony deepas (oil lamps) are offered to Mother Ganga with thanks and devotion for the light of the sun and for her divine light. As the fire ceremony takes place, bells are rung and chanting and singing provide a fascinating, magical, and spiritual conclusion to the day’s end. Overnight stay in the Hotel
Day 13
VARANASI
- Early morning, witness Akhadas (Mud Wrestling) and observe their wrestling styles. This Akhadas tradition goes back 5000 years in this old living City which still practices the old way of Wrestling.
- We will explore some other lanes as well on the streets of India Photo Tour. Return to Hotel for breakfast.
- Afternoon at leisure. Later visit the silk weavers colony of Varanasi.
- For one day is barely enough to capture the essence of Varanasi, we make sure that our photographers get to fully experience the city’s magic by going on walking tours of the Ghats. In the evening, take another chance to capture some shots of the Aarti ceremony.
- Overnight in Varanasi.
Day 14
Varanasi- Delhi (flight)
- After breakfast, transfer to the airport and connect flight to Delhi. On arrival, transfer to International Airport and connect flight for onward journey.
Price Details
2785 USD per person
Flight Supplement (Jaisalmer-Delhi- Varanasi, and Varanasi-Delhi): 320 USD per person
- Prices are in USD, Per Person, based on double occupancy.
- The prices mentioned are for Private Tour.
- Also available customized tours
- Flights supplements depend on the time of booking.
Hotels
City | Hotel |
---|---|
Delhi | Metropolitan Hotel and Spa/ Similar |
Agra | Trident/Similar |
Jaipur | Trident/ Similar |
Jodhpur | Pal haveli/Similar |
Jaisalmer Sam Sand dunes | Deluxe Swiss Tents/ Similar |
Jaisalmer | Nachana Haveli/ Similar |
Varanasi | Ganpati Guest House/Similar |
Package Inclusions
- 13 Nights’ accommodation at listed hotels or similar on double sharing basis.
- Daily breakfast.
- Private airconditioned vehicle during the tour
- English speaking Photography Guide cum Tour Escort
- All activities and visits specified in the itinerary
- Welcome dinner in Delhi.
- Rickshaw ride in Delhi.
- Dinner with traditional cultural dance in Jaipur
- Camel ride in Jaisalmer
- Boat ride in Varanasi
- Only at Jaisalmer: Tented Camp. Swiss tents with private attached toilets with running cold water. Hot water will be provided in the morning and evening. There will be proper beds as well as electricity in each tent.
- Dinner in Sam sand dunes with a tribal kalbeliya dance performance.
- Unlimited packaged drinking water.
- Sightseeing & Entrance fees as per the itinerary
- Government Service Tax
Package Exclusions
- International Airfares
- Meals not mentioned as being included
- Flight from Jaisalmer to Varanasi via Delhi and Varanasi to Delhi
- Personal extras, such as drinks, laundry, telephone, etc
- Tips & gratuities to porters, drivers and Guide.
- Visa fees, Airport taxes, Camera/Video fees
- Optional tours
- Travel Insurance
- Any other item not mentioned as included