Ready for an adventure? Come and awaken your senses in Jaipur, India with Lise Condis of TréLiz ! as we learn about textile traditions and spend time delighting in the very modern patterns created by the remarkable knitwear designer, Nidhi Kansal.  Nidhi is designing a pattern just for you with  TréLiz's latest yarn, Samskara, a rich blend of super fine merino and recycled yak & cashmere!  Our 10-night, 11-day tour will start with 2 nights in Delhi where we will visit a remarkable folk art museum, wander the market streets in search of treats and treasures, be assailed by the rich smells of the spice market, and be introduced to Nidhi Kansal of knidhiknits and her amazing designs.  

Cast on our exclusive Samskara knitalong kit designed by Nidhi, then it's off to Jaipur for 6 amazing nights! There we will explore textile traditions through workshops in block printing and Gota patti embroidery.  We may even try our hands at a traditional form of painting!  Amazing architectural monuments are not to be missed, and we will stop in to meet some very important and well treated elephants.  Each evening we will retire to our garden oasis at a family run hotel to swim in the pool and work on our knitalong. 

Finally, it's off to Agra and The Taj Mahal!  Really, we can’t not… in addition to its elegant grandeur, there are many other excellent historic sights to round out our trip as we make our way back to Delhi for one last night before returning home.  We will be sure to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise when fewer crowds and gorgeous light make for an unforgettable experience!

This trip is sure to delight your senses with all of the remarkable sights, smells and tastes of this northern area of India.  But we will not shy away from the complex history, traditions, and social structure that make India so intriguing.  We will have local guides with us each day to help us interpret both the past and the present and to facilitate conversations with locals.  Most days will find us eating lunch out and about on a direct payment basis, with dinner included at the hotels.

This tour has been announced a "Go!" 

Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations (click here to see our Terms and Conditions).

Tour Activity Level 

We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander.

Mobility Comfort Level = Mobility Level 3+

Uneven terrain and crowded markets can pose a challenge to anyone who is unstable on their feet. We have a long day in Agra starting with a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal and visiting two other sites before a long drive to Delhi.  On this day there will be quite a bit of walking around the sites.

Review our Tour Activity and Mobility Comfort Levels here.

Visa Requirement

A Tourist Visa is required to visit India and must be applied for online between 4-30 days prior to your arrival. 

Travel Insurance 

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight by clicking here or through your own provider.

Arranging Your Flights 

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

Please Note the Following 

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

DELHI

Welcome to India! A kingdom that has created more than one empire, ‘Delhi’ today is an incredible combination of the ancient and the contemporary. The twin cities of Old and New Delhi show a stark contrast to each other and we will get to experience both during our time here.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.  

DELHI

Our full day in Delhi will include a deep dive into craft, cuisine and culture.  We will meet after breakfast for a brief group orientation before delving into the sights of this magnificent city.

We will begin our immersion in Indian culture with a visit to Old Delhi with Rickshaw Rides at Chadni Chowk and a walking tour of Kinari Bazaar & Spice Market.  Then it's on to the National Handicrafts Museum where you can purchase a very nice lunch of various regional cuisines. After all, food is a craft itself!  After lunch, you will have time to explore the many galleries of this special museum.  It is a center dedicated to exhibiting various examples of handicrafts, textile and local decor, and to preserve, protect and revive the tradition of local handicrafts.  

If you still have energy and time allows, we can visit Dilli Haat - a lifestyle and food market in New Delhi known for its wide variety of handicrafts, textiles, and foods from all over India. 

JAIPUR

After breakfast in at the hotel we will drive to Jaipur, a journey of about 6 hours including breaks along the way. A city planned according to the ancient Indian architectural science Vastu Shastra, Jaipur is the only city in the world symbolizing the nine divisions of the Universe through the nine rectangular sectors sub-dividing it. This fascinating city with its romantic charm takes us to an epoch of royalty and tradition.

Once settled into our hotel we will learn about the practice and history of the art form of Rangoli and have the opportunity to try our hands at making our own.

JAIPUR

In Jaipur, we will be joined for our first three days by knitwear designer Nidhi Kansal. Our time here will be a mix of morning excursions to see the amazing sights and relaxed afternoon knitalong time with Nidhi, getting to know all about the contemporary knitting scene in India and starting on the project that she has designed for us.

On Sunday we will embark on a sightseeing tour including the Amber Fort, the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, and a photo stop at Jal Mahal.  Meaning "Water Palace," the Jal Mahal is a majestic structure that stands proudly in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. This architectural marvel is an iconic landmark of the city.

Monday morning sees us at the Jaipur City Palace - a unique and arresting complex of several palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples. We will also visit Jantar Mantar which features the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

We begin Tuesday with a relaxed morning at the hotel before driving out to embark on a unique elephant experience where we will spend time with the elephants followed by lunch together. While at EleDay we will learn about the efforts being made to preserve these magnificent animals, have the chance to observe them in their natural environment and learn about their behavior, diet, and daily routines. In the evening there will be a visit to the home of a local family to learn some traditional Indian and Rajasthani recipes and techniques. After our cooking class, we will enjoy our freshly cooked dinner with the family.

On Wednesday we make an excursion to Sanganer where we will embark on a captivating journey into the heart of a town renowned for its rich heritage of block printing and hand-crafted artistry. We will step directly into the world of traditional block printing by participating in an interactive workshop with local artisans. As we experiment with different patterns and colors, we gain a deeper appreciation for the artistry and skill that goes into creating each exquisite block print. 

We continue our explorations today by venturing into the alluring realm of handmade paper factories where we can witness the fascinating process of transforming raw materials into delicate sheets of paper, each imbued with a unique character and charm, and conclude our Sanganer adventure with a visit to a traditional blue pottery workshop and to the narrow streets of the Old Market of Jaipur to experience a gota patti workshop.

We will have the opportunity to continue practicing our block-printing skills on Thursday during an excursion to Bagru where we will create our own pieces of art under the guidance of a mentor and which we then can take with us as mementos of our travels in India.

Returning to Jaipur after lunch we will have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the vibrant atmosphere of Bapu Bazaar followed by a miniature painting workshop. 

JAIPUR | AGRA | DELHI

After breakfast on Friday we embark on our journey to Agra, breaking up this 4.5 hour drive with stops at Abhaneri, a village in the Dausa district of Rajasthan and known for its ancient Chand Baori Stepwell and Harshat Mata Temple, and at Fatehpur Sikri - a world heritage site rated as one of the best-preserved collections of Mughal architecture in India. Once we arrive at our hotel in Agra, the rest of the day is one to rest or explore as you see fit.

We begin Saturday before breakfast with a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal. A spectacular time to visit this white marble marvel on the south bank of the Yamuna River. We will return to our hotel for breakfast before setting out to visit Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon we drive back to Delhi (4 hours) for our final dinner together before departures home on Sunday.

Lise Condis is a mix of Greek, French and Syrian blood. Born in Switzerland and raised in Greece, she was from an early age influenced from different cultures, ideas and mentalities. Growing up, Lise would battle between Science and Arts as she wanted to become a veterinarian or a painter. Destiny, made her an Optometrist when she decided not to pursue an artistic career after passing the entry examinations of the Beaux Arts. However, when she learned how to knit and crochet she discovered a new fibery world, and more importantly, she came across after an head injury that she could dye and spin her own yarn. It was an epiphany, Science and Color made peace in her mind and TréLiz was born. Lise is interested in creating unique colorways, in a limited quantity.

She specializes in luxurious hand dyed yarns and fibers, and a few handknitted items. And now she is joining us to help you explore the wider world of fiber that inspires her yarns!