Overview
India's food story does not begin in a restaurant. It begins in the chaos.
In Old Delhi's Khari Baoli - the largest spice market in Asia - the chili dust hits you before you see a single stall. That first "Achoo!" is not an accident. It is India saying hello.
From there, the journey moves through five cities and five entirely different ways of eating. Jaipur, where Rajput royalty turned scarcity into sophistication - where the same pot of Laal Maas has been simmering, in one form or another, since the maharajas fed their hunting parties. Agra, where Shah Jahan's court refined Mughal cuisine to its peak, and where the marble of the Taj turns pink at 6am for anyone willing to arrive before the crowds. Lucknow, the city of Nawabs, where a kebab made from 160 spices melts before you can chew it - and where the man who invented it had one hand, which is why the kebab is called Tunday.
And finally Varanasi - the oldest living city on earth, where the food is not refined at all, where Kachori Gali serves the same piping-hot breakfast it has served for a century, and where the last thing you taste before you leave is a Banarasi paan wrapped by a man whose family has been wrapping them since before your grandfather was born.
This is not a tour about fine dining. It is a tour about what food reveals - about history, about class, about faith, about a civilization that has been feeding itself and everyone who visited for five thousand years.
Ten days. Five cities. One country's culinary soul - eaten from street level, exactly as it was meant to be.
Duration
10 Days, 9 Nights
Language
English
Price
US$160
HIGHLIGHTS
- Five cities, one journey — Delhi's spice chaos to Varanasi's sacred ghats
- Food walks, cooking classes, street food tastings & Ganges boat ride — all included
- In Old Delhi, "Achoo!" — chili dust at Khari Baoli hits before you see a single spice
- In Jaipur, cook Laal Maas in a royal kitchen — then eat what you made for dinner
- In Agra, the Taj marble turns pink at dawn — arrive before 6am before the crowds
- In Lucknow, Tunday kebabs made with 160 spices since the Nawab's era
- In Varanasi, dawn on the Ganges, incense in the air and Banarasi paan to finish
- Your guide, your car, your pace — North India Food Tour your way
Travel Itinerary
Arrival → Transfer to hotel → Check in → Evening at leisure
Arrive in New Delhi and transfer to your hotel. Check in - standard check-in is 12 noon. The evening is yours. If you arrive with energy, Delhi's neighbourhood food streets are open late and the city's street food is available twenty steps from most hotels. Tomorrow the real journey begins. Tonight, just arrive.
TTI Insider: If you land in the evening and want one first taste of Delhi before Day 2, ask your TTI driver to take you to Khan Market or Lajpat Nagar on the way to the hotel. Both are neighbourhood food streets that give you Delhi's evening food culture without the intensity of Old Delhi - a good first night warm-up before Chandni Chowk tomorrow morning.
Metro to Chandni Chowk → Khari Baoli spice market → Old Delhi food lanes → Evening superfast train to Jaipur
Board the Delhi Metro at 9am to Chandni Chowk. Your food journey starts at Khari Baoli - "Achoo!" - chili dust announces you before you see a single stall.
Walk the spice lanes, the paratha galis, the jalebi shops that have been frying since before your grandparents were born. Evening - superfast train to Jaipur. Overnight Jaipur.
TTI Insider: At Khari Baoli, stand at the entrance for thirty seconds before walking in — the smell builds in layers. Cumin first, then coriander, then something deeper and hotter you cannot immediately identify. That sequence is the smell of six hundred years of spice trade. Your guide will name every layer. Pay attention — this is the foundation of everything you will cook and eat for the next nine days.
Explore Amber Fort and its glittering Sheesh Mahal with stunning Aravalli Hills views. Street food lunch — Chole Bhatura, Pyaz ki Kachori, Jalebi and Gulab Jamun.
Evening — your cooking class begins with a surprise: a mauli bracelet tied on your wrist — the sacred red and yellow thread Hindus wear before a religious ceremony. Then — Laal Maas, Gatte ki Khichdi and fresh chapatis, all cooked by your own hands. Dinner is what you made.
Dawn aarti at 18th-century Govind Devji Temple — worshipped by Jaipur's royal family. Flower market where turbaned traders sell roses and marigolds. Hawa Mahal and City Palace museum. Evening free for shopping and leisure.
Drive to Agra with two stops — Abhaneri Stepwell, a 9th-century geometric masterpiece of 3,500 steps, and Fatehpur Sikri, the magnificent abandoned Mughal capital, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrive Agra, check in. Evening at leisure.
Arrive before 6am — the white marble turns soft pink before the crowds. Shah Jahan's eternal tribute to Mumtaz Mahal — part of an unforgettable culinary tour India experience. Later — Agra Fort, a 16th-century Mughal masterpiece.
Evening — locals swear by Deviram Sweets for bedai with potato curry and saffron lassi — the breakfast Agra wakes up to every morning. Then explore Sadar Bazaar Food Street for momos, golgappas and kulfi. Overnight Agra.
Morning train to Lucknow — the city of Nawabs. Arrive and begin your Lucknow culinary tour — 1.5 to 2 hours through legendary Awadhi eateries. Idris Biryani, Rahim's Pasanda Kebab, Nihari Gosht, Tunday kebabs made with 160 spices — and kulfi to finish.
(Not available Sundays, Muslim holidays or Holi.)
Morning train to Varanasi — one of the world's oldest living cities. Check in. Evening — Ganga Aarti ceremony at the ghats: claps, ringing bells, conch shells, enchanting mantras and sweet-scented incense. Let the magical aura awaken your soul. Overnight Varanasi.
Dawn boat ride at Dashashwamedh Ghat — incense, conch shells and devotion all around. Then Varanasi's food walking tour — one of India's most unique food experiences. Start at Kachori Gali for piping hot kachoris with potato curry. Kashi Chaat Bhandar for papdi chaat and dahi puri. Blue Lassi Shop for rabri malai lassi.
Finish at Keshav Tambul Bhandar for Banarasi paan. Visit Sarnath where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. Overnight Varanasi.
After breakfast, transfer to Varanasi Airport for your flight to New Delhi. Connect to your onward flight. Your North India food tour concludes here. Safe travels!
North India Food Adventure Tour
10 Days - Delhi to Varanasi through five cities, five food cultures and one country's culinary soul
10 Days / 9 Nights Private Car + Trains Old Delhi Spice Walk Jaipur Royal Cooking Class Lucknow Tunday Kebabs Varanasi Food Walk Ganga Aarti
You began in a spice market where the chili dust made you sneeze. You ended in a city where the last thing you tasted was a paan wrapped by a family that has been wrapping them for generations.
Ten days. Five cities. Five hundred years of culinary history — eaten from street level, exactly as it was meant to be.
TTI Tours
Every tour is private. Every group is yours alone. We know which stall in Kachori Gali opens first, which Lucknow eatery is closed on which day, and when to arrive at the Taj so the marble is still pink. That is the knowledge you are booking.
📱 WhatsApp: +91 93100 54485
✉️ Email: info@tti.tours
🌐 www.travelindiatourindia.com
GST invoice provided for all bookings ·
CF-530, 5th Floor, U:Fairia Mall Sector-16B, Greater Noida Pin 201318
INCLUDED
- 9 nights accommodation in standard hotels [Hotel Upgrades Available]
- All airport arrival and departure transfers.
- Private car services in entire tour plan with driver at all places.
- Daily Breakfasts at all the hotels
- Train fare for all the sectors as per tour plan
- Delhi Metro fare — Day 2 Chandni Chowk visit
- Sightseeing tours as per tour itinerary
- Cooking class with Dinner in Jaipur
- Heritage Rickshaw Tour in Jaipur as per tour plan
- Lucknow Food / Culinary Walking Tour
- Morning boat ride on River Ganges, Varanasi
- Varanasi Food / Culinary Walking Tour
- Sarnath Excursion from Varanasi
- Internal flight fare in economy class for Varanasi - Delhi sector only
- All applicable taxes and service charges and
- All road taxes, government taxes and driver allowances.
- Price calculated at US$ 1430 per person for 10 days based on a group of 2 travelling together. Price per person reduces further as group size increases. Contact TTI for a customised quote.
EXCLUDED
- Medical and insurance of any kind.
- Any meals ( Unless specified )
- Any monuments fees ( Can be arranged on clients requests ).
- Any thing which is not written under ” Inclusions ” headings
- Any expenses arising out of unforeseen circumstances like flight delay/cancellation/hike in fare, strike or any other natural calamities
- Personal nature Expenses i.e. Telephone Calls, Laundry, Soft / Hard Drinks, Meals, Tipping etc.
- Camera Fees at Monuments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly yes — Delhi, Jaipur and Agra have outstanding vegetarian street food traditions and the cooking class in Jaipur can be entirely vegetarian. The Lucknow culinary walk is the one day where vegetarian options are more limited — Awadhi cuisine is primarily meat-based. TTI will identify the best vegetarian alternatives in Lucknow and ensure you have a full experience. Tell us at booking.
It varies city by city. Delhi street food ranges from mild to very hot depending on what you order — your guide will advise. Jaipur's Laal Maas is traditionally very hot — the cooking class chef adjusts heat levels to your preference. Lucknow's Awadhi cuisine is aromatic and complex but not especially hot. Varanasi street food is mostly mild. Your guide will manage spice levels throughout — just tell them your tolerance on Day 1.
Nothing at all. The entire tour is designed to teach you as you eat. Your guides in each city explain the history, the technique, the ingredients and the stories behind every dish before you try it. By Day 10 you will know more about North Indian food than most people who have lived here for years.
Street food walks, local market tastings, Mughlai cuisine in Lucknow, and a Varanasi food and heritage trail.
Yes — the Jaipur cooking class, Varanasi thali and most street food stops are naturally vegetarian. Vegan options available on request.
Yes, all train and domestic flight fares mentioned in the itinerary are included.
Yes, the package includes 9 nights’ accommodation, private car transfers, and guided tours as per itinerary.
Book through our website or WhatsApp us at +919310054485 — we respond within 1 hour with availability and pricing.
HAVE A QUESTION IN MIND
Looking for more info? Send a question to the tour agent to find out more.
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For the love of Curry! AJ put together a great food tour for us. Everything went like clockwork, guides were there at arrival to every destination. Drivers were very courteous. Would definitely book with you again. We plan to visit Southern part of India. The highlight was Varanasi.