School Expedition to Northern India

Visit the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur on your school expedition to India and enjoy a wealth of unforgettable experiences which will broaden your students’ horizons and make them better global citizens.

You’ll visit a small rural village just outside of Jaipur, where your students will volunteer at a local primary school, either teaching or helping to improve the facilities, leaving a lasting mark on the village children.

You’ll also visit a Bear Rescue Centre near Agra, where you’ll learn more about the sad practice of bear dancing, before discovering the cultural and economic issues behind it. You’ll see how the project is not only aiming to improve the lives of the bears, but also those of their former owners, so they don’t have to resort to the exploitation of wild animals in order to feed their families.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Evening

Overnight flight to Delhi.

Day 2

Morning

Arrive in Delhi and transfer to your hotel.

Afternoon

Central Delhi tour with a visit to Bangla Sahib Gurdwara to see its community kitchen which feeds thousands of visitors every day.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight in Delhi.

Day 3

Morning

Early morning cycle tour of the walled section of Old Delhi, through bazaars, past temples and colonial buildings. Breakfast at a local restaurant. Visit Deepalaya, an NGO working on issues affecting the urban and rural poor. Visit the shelter and school which look after around 150 children from the local slums.

Afternoon

Visit the brick minaret of Qutab Minar.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight in Delhi.

Day 4

Morning

Depart for Agra by coach.

Afternoon

Visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before you continue on to the beautiful Taj Mahal. Visit the Sheroes Hangout Cafe for a cup of coffee. The cafe is run by survivors of acid attacks.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight in Agra.

Day 5

Morning

Visit the Bear Rescue Centre. Gain an insight into the world of sloth bears through a presentation and expert discussion before seeing the bears.

Afternoon

Transfer to Jaipur

Evening

Evening meal and time to relax with an overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 6

Morning

Volunteer work at the local primary school in Jhinjha village.

Afternoon

Explore the village, meet the locals, visit their homes, share a cup of tea with then, visit the farms and have lunch on a local farm.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 7

Morning

Volunteer work at the local primary school in Jhinjha village.

Afternoon

Spend time exploring local life in and around the village.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 8

Morning

Volunteer at local primary school in Jhinjha village.

Afternoon

Spend time exploring local life in and around the village.

Evening

Evening meal and overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 9

Morning

Head to Amber Fort (aka Amer Fort) by Jeep before visiting Hawa Mahal - the Palace of the Winds.

Afternoon

Visit the Maharajah's City Palace and Jantar Mantar Observatory. Take a cycle rickshaw ride in the bazaar of Old Jaipur.

Evening

Evening visit to the Birla temple to see the Aarti ceremony. Evening meal and overnight stay in Jaipur.

Day 10

Morning

Depart for Delhi for your return flight to the UK.

Afternoon

Return flight to the UK.

24-hour assistance from Halsbury Travel in the UK
8 nights' half-board accommodation plus 3 lunches
Air-conditioned coach
Airport tax and passenger duty at current rates
English-speaking guide
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Return flights from the UK

Accommodation

Hotel Africa Avenue

This popular, modern hotel offers elegant, tranquil accommodation with excellent facilities, making this the ideal base from which to explore New Delhi. Close to many of the city's key historical sites and just 15 minutes from Delhi (Indira Ghandi International) Airport, this hotel offers free Wi-Fi throughout. There is also a lovely restaurant serving both Indian and international cuisine. All guestrooms feature an en-suite bathroom and air-conditioning, as well as a flat screen TV. Reception provides a 24-hour service.

Hotel Royale Residency

The Hotel Royale Residency is a three star hotel in Agra. The hotel boasts large and spacious rooms, all decorated with a somewhat regal elegance befitting the home of the Taj Mahal. There's also a lovely large lawn and a great on-site restaurant serving international cuisine.

Ikaki Niwas

‘Ikaki Niwas’ means ‘one-of-a-kind home’ in Hindi and the hoteliers, who live on-site, really do offer a very warm welcome to their guests. The hotel offers some great facilities, including a library, swimming pool, WiFi and a great on-site restaurant. The food showcases the best of Indian cuisine a lot of the produce is sourced from an organic farm just outside the city.

Tour highlights

Volunteer at a Local Primary School

Spend three days in Jhinjha volunteering at the local primary school, where your students will gain valuable skills and find out what life is really like in a small, rural Indian village. Your group can teach maths, English and science, or even run a drama workshop. You can prepare meals for the students, or help with repairs and improvements of the school facilities. And because our local partners contribute to the school’s upkeep and improvement, your visit will help to ensure that this vital support is able to continue.

Did you know?

The village is home to the Berwa people, whose main occupation has historically been agriculture and animal husbandry.

Bear Rescue Centre

In 1972 the Indian government banned bear dancing, but the practice is still relatively common in India because it is often the case that the owners of the bears have no other source of income. And for many years there was nowhere for the bears to go even if they were confiscated. When the bear sanctuary was set up in Agra it meant that there was somewhere safe for the bears to go. Most are taken from the wild as cubs. Their teeth and claws are also often removed, and their experiences leave most traumatised. This makes it impossible to release them back into the wild. Your group will have the opportunity to learn more about the bears and how they ended up at the centre. They’ll also have the chance to see the effects of the practice on the bears themselves. And they’ll find out how the former owners are supported, to ensure they don’t return to bear dancing to feed their families.

Did you know?

In the wild, sloth bears can live up to 20 years – in captivity, dancing bears rarely live past the age of 7 or 8 years.

Deepalaya

Deepalaya is a non-governmental organisation in Delhi that works on issues affecting the urban and rural poor in India, with a particular focus on children. The organisation believes that ‘every child deserves a chance’ no matter what their gender, economic status or physical abilities. It runs projects in education, female empowerment, healthcare, institutional care and vocational training. You’ll be able to visit the Deepalaya Children’s Home, which cares for around 150 underprivileged children, many of whom come from the city’s slums.

Did you know?

Deepalaya is the largest operational NGO in Delhi and has helped around 50,000 children.

Educational Activities

Agra Fort

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is just 2.

Amer Fort

The structure, which is today known as Amer Fort or Amber Fort, was initially a palace complex within the original

Qutab Minar

In 1199, Qutbuddin raised the Qutab Minar either as a victory tower or as a minaret to the adjacent mosque.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built under the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of

Cultural Activities

Bangla Sahib Gurdwara

The Bangla Sahib Gurdwara is one of the most important in Delhi. This is a tranquil haven away from the

City Palace

City Palace forms one of the most famous tourist attractions and a major landmark in Jaipur. The beautiful palace was

Cycle Tour of Old Delhi

The best way to see all the sights of Old Delhi is on a bike. You’ll cycle through bazaars and

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is a major landmark and famous tourist attraction in Jaipur. The splendid Rajputana architecture still speaks of the

Jantar Mantar Observatory, Jaipur

On first appearances, you might assume that Jantar Mantar is a sculpture park. But you would be wrong. It is,

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.