North India Food Journey
From tandoors to thalis, sacred kitchens to royal feasts, explore the bold, storied, and soulful cuisine of North India.
Journey Highlights
From smoky tandoors to gilded dining halls, every plate has a past. And now, you’ll taste it all.
Cook in a Real Indian Home
Learn traditional North Indian recipes in a private session from a renowned home chef in Delhi, where spices are ground by hand and stories are shared across the stovetop.
Sit for Langar at the Golden Temple
Experience the world’s largest free kitchen in Amritsar, where thousands are fed daily with devotion and equality.
Walk the Lanes Where Food Created History
From Old Delhi’s spice bazaars to Lucknow’s kebab corners, explore how empires, poets, and migrants shaped a region’s palate.
Dine Like Royalty at Amber Fort
Enjoy a candlelit meal inside Jaipur’s historic fortress, where each course reminisces the grandeur of Rajput kitchens.
Witness a Border Ceremony Like No Other
Stand at the edge of India and Pakistan to witness Wagah’s theatrical ritual of pride, flags, and stomping boots.
Uncover Kolkata’s Creative Soul
Get introduced to one of India’s most unique cuisines where mustard, freshwater seafood and desserts are plentiful
The Route
Step into an 11-day journey through the royal kitchens, sacred kitchens, and street kitchens of North India. Each one carries the weight of memory, migration, and magic.
In this part of the country, food is not just nourishment. It is ritual, identity, power, and poetry. Every region is a chapter in a larger culinary epic:
- Delhi, where dynasties and migrants fused flavors into a rich street-to-palace culture
- Agra, where the legacy of the Mughals lives on in both architecture and richly spiced cuisine
- Amritsar, home to the world’s largest sacred kitchen and a cuisine of bold generosity
- Jaipur, where royal chefs cooked with honor, and spice was status
- Lucknow, the poetic heartland of etiquette, refinement, and melt-in-your-mouth kebabs
- Kolkata, where colonial legacies, Bengali nostalgia, and immigrant ingenuity create a cuisine like no other
Contact us to begin your journey
| Duration: | 11 Days |
| PRICE (per person) | Starting from USD 2900 |
| Regions Covered: | Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata |
| Trip Themes: | Culinary, Culture, Heritage |
| Best Time to Travel: | October to March |
| Perfect For: | Curious travelers, luxury enthusiasts, food lovers, history & culture buffs |
Itinerary
DAY
1
Delhi | The Mughal Gateway
Arrive in Delhi and settle into your luxurious hotel, where heritage blends seamlessly with understated opulence. After a warm traditional welcome and light lunch, soak in the first scents and spices of India in a setting that feels both refined and rooted.
As the sun softens, embark on a guided heritage walk through Humayun’s Tomb, a stunning symbol of Mughal architecture and philosophy. With storytelling led by a cultural historian, you’ll explore how the Mughal ideals of balance, beauty, and abundance shaped not just their monuments, but also their meals.
Dinner is a grand welcome at one of the capital’s most celebrated restaurants, where tandoor-fired meats and lentils speak of frontier ruggedness and slow-cooked tradition. The evening includes a chef-led introduction to dishes that have become global legends.
DAY
2
Agra | The Taj & a Taste of the Mughals
Rise early for a private chauffeured drive to Agra. Upon arrival, meet your expert guide for a tour of the Taj Mahal, a monument of eternal love and a pinnacle of Mughal design. As you stand before its white marble brilliance, hear stories of the emperor who built it, and the empire that shaped India’s cultural and culinary identity.
Lunch is reserved at an elegant restaurant inside a luxury hotel with unobstructed Taj views. You’ll enjoy Mughal-inspired delicacies such as kebabs, kormas, and fragrant pulao, all served with refined hospitality in a setting worthy of royalty.
Return to Delhi in the evening. You’ll have time to relax or take an optional massage or rooftop cocktail before dinner at leisure.
DAY
3
Amritsar | Bold Borders & Bigger Flavors
Fly to Amritsar and ease into Punjab with a leisurely lunch of bold, buttery flavours. Rich curries, seasonal vegetables, and flaky breads introduce you to the generous spirit of this region.
In the evening, step out with a local guide for a walk through the city’s old quarters. As you move through bustling markets, quiet shrines, and colonial relics, you’ll also stop to savour iconic dishes like Amritsari kulchas, tandoori snacks, and lassi in metal tumblers, each prepared with the kind of confidence that comes from generations of practice.
Return to your hotel for a restful night, or enjoy a quiet drink under the stars on the rooftop terrace.
DAY
4
Amritsar | Sacred Kitchens & Slow Wanderings
Begin the day gently, with a late breakfast and a moment to pause. Then step into the spiritual heart of Punjab with a guided visit to the Golden Temple. The scent of saffron, the chant of kirtan, and the soft sheen of marble beneath your feet create a space that feels timeless.
You’ll share a humble, nourishing meal at the langar, seated cross-legged beside strangers who feel like family. For those who wish, there’s the chance to volunteer in the massive temple kitchen, rolling rotis or drying steel thalis with the sevadaars. More than a meal, it’s an experience rooted in equality, humility, and service.
Later in the afternoon, you may witness the theatrical energy of the Wagah Border ceremony, a powerful daily ritual at India’s frontier. Or, if you prefer something quieter, choose a curated visit through Amritsar’s historic bazaars, handloom shops, or the Partition Museum, each filled with stories of resilience and reinvention.
DAY
5
Delhi | The Street Food Capital
After breakfast, fly back to Delhi. Return to the familiar embrace of your hotel and enjoy a slow moment before heading out again, this time into the soul of the city.
In the late afternoon, follow a local culinary expert through the labyrinthine alleys of Old Delhi. This is not just a food walk. It’s a journey through time, migration, memory, and spice. Taste legendary dishes from vendors who’ve fed generations: daulat ki chaat whipped to cloud-like perfection, paranthas stuffed with pickled lemon, kebabs seared over coals, and jalebis fried golden in ghee.
As you walk, you’ll hear how traders, poets, emperors, and refugees all shaped this city’s palate. Return to the hotel in the evening, your heart full and your senses wide awake.
DAY
6
Delhi | The Home Kitchen Experience
After a bustling day in Old Delhi, today offers a quieter, more personal immersion into the soul of North Indian cooking.
In the evening, you are welcomed into a private home where the kitchen is the heart of the household. With your host, an accomplished home chef and culinary storyteller, you’ll learn how spices are coaxed, how rotis puff, and how every dish begins with memory.
This is not a class, but a shared experience. You’ll grind fresh masalas by hand, prepare a full meal together, and sit down to eat at the family table. Stories flow freely, the food is soulful, and by the end of the night, it feels less like a cooking experience and more like being part of someone’s world.
DAY
7
Jaipur | Palaces, Pink Streets and Princely Platters
This morning, you fly to Jaipur, the flamboyant capital of Rajasthan, painted in shades of pink and filled with echoes of royalty. Upon arrival, check into your heritage palace stay, where hand-painted walls, courtyards, and quiet fountains welcome you into a world of old-world grace.
The day unfolds slowly. Ride a cycle rickshaw or take a guided walk through the old city, where you’ll encounter spice markets, flower stalls, artisans shaping bangles and block-printed fabrics, and glimpses of the city’s famed Hawa Mahal peeking through the bustle. Jaipur is not just a place, it’s a palette.
As twilight descends, make your way to the Amber Fort for an unforgettable dinner. Set within its candlelit ramparts is a private dining experience where courses arrive like poetry. You dine where kings once ruled, surrounded by silence, starlight, and centuries of culinary tradition.
DAY
8
Jaipur to Lucknow | From Rajput to Nawab
Wake slowly and enjoy a relaxed morning in your palace hotel. If you’d like, there’s time for a final stroll through Jaipur’s boutique stores, a quiet hour by the pool, or a visit to a local craft studio.
By early afternoon, you board a flight to Lucknow, the city of nawabs, nazakat, and timeless tehzeeb. It feels like the poetry of North India took the shape of a city.
On arrival, check into a beautifully restored heritage mansion. Courtyards, arches, and antique details whisper of a bygone era. You have the evening at leisure, with the option of a light Awadhi dinner served under the stars. The food is gentle, aromatic, and refined. A soft welcome to the city where every dish is part of a poem.
DAY
9
Lucknow | Tehzeeb on a Thali
This morning begins with the soft strains of sitar in the distance and a Nawabi breakfast laid out in the courtyard. Sheermal, saffron milk, and delicate breads set the tone for a day where refinement takes center stage.
You step into the old quarters of Lucknow with a food historian as your companion. Through hushed alleys, crumbling havelis, and grand gateways, you follow the scent of kebabs that melt at the touch, biryanis laced with ittar, and stories of etiquette that once governed how food was served, shared, and savoured.
The afternoon is yours to enjoy slowly. Perhaps you’ll explore chikankari workshops, sip kahwa in a shaded garden, or simply take a moment to rest.
As night falls, return to your haveli for an Awadhi dinner under lantern light. Rosewater, cardamom, and the gentle sound of tabla create an evening that feels like time has paused.
DAY
10
Kolkata | Sweets, Saints and Stories
Fly east to Kolkata, a city where every lane hums with memory. The colonial past lingers in its balconies, the scent of mustard oil drifts from kitchens, and the river runs thick with stories.
Upon arrival, settle into your elegant residence overlooking the Hooghly. After a gentle welcome, you head out for lunch at a traditional spice hotel, an institution of Bengali food culture where meals are still served on banana leaves and the flavours carry echoes of poets, revolutionaries, and grandmothers.
In the afternoon, wander through Kumartuli, the potter’s district where idols are born from river clay. Stop at College Street, home to one of the world’s largest secondhand book markets, and enjoy a cup of Kolkata’s iconic coffee in a heritage café that has hosted thinkers and artists for generations.
As the sun sets, take a private boat ride on the river. You’ll float past ghats, temples, and bridges that glow gold in the soft light, while the city reveals its quieter rhythm.
DAY
11
Farewell from Kolkata
As your journey ends, what remains is more than just the memory of flavours. You carry with you the sound of temple bells at dawn, the warmth of shared meals, and the wisdom of kitchens that never needed recipes. This was not a tour. It was a story told through the soul of India, one dish, one kitchen and one spice at a time.
As your journey ends, what remains is more than just the memory of flavours. You carry with you the sound of temple bells at dawn, the warmth of shared meals, and the wisdom of kitchens that never needed recipes. This was not a tour. It was a story told through the soul of India, one plate at a time.
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1
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2
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3
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India: One story, one plate, one journey at a time
At Anahat, we craft journeys that go beyond the itinerary. Rooted in luxury, story, and soul, each experience invites you to encounter India as it truly is: layered, intimate, alive. We work with scholars, monks, chefs, naturalists, and artisans to create meaningful immersions, in places both iconic and hidden. Handcrafted journeys designed with utmost care.
What sets us apart
Storytelling at the Core
Every journey is built around a story, not just a route. From rivers to recipes to rituals, we thread meaning into every moment.
Luxury, Redefined
We believe true luxury is space, stillness, and access. Our partners are India’s finest heritage homes, boutique retreats, and soulful hideaways.
Deep Local Wisdom
We work with spiritual teachers, forest guides, cultural anthropologists, and legacy artisans, not tour guides with scripts.
Wellness, Woven In
Whether it’s a guided meditation at dawn or slow, grounding meals, your journey with us nurtures body, mind, and spirit.