Authentic India Tours

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Authentic India Tours Expertly crafted tailored tours to India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives 🧳

Explore the wonders of India and the Indian Subcontinent with one of our tailor-made private or small group tours. Each of our itineraries has been crafted by experts and designed to capture the must-see sights, traditions, heritage and everyday life of these delightful destinations.

06/10/2026

Thinking about joining Monisha in India in February 2027?

If India is somewhere you’d love to experience but you’re feeling a little nervous about taking the plunge, this one’s for you.

In this Reel, Monisha shares why the tour feels so personal, relaxed and well supported, with plenty of care along the way.

And, of course, there’s the food. Expect an unforgettable journey through India’s flavours, culture and stories, shared with a small group of like-minded travellers.

February 2027 could be the perfect time to finally do India. 💚

30/09/2026

What does a typical day on tour with Monisha Bharadwaj actually look like?

Think bustling markets, incredible food, hands-on experiences, fascinating cultural visits and plenty of stories along the way.

This isn’t just about tasting India’s food. It’s about understanding the people, traditions and history behind it, with Monisha bringing everything to life as you travel.

In this short video, she gives a glimpse of what a day on tour can look like.

🎥 Watch the video and imagine yourself there.

✨ Discover India through its flavours, culture and people with Monisha and Authentic India Tours.

👉 Find out more: https://www.authenticindiatours.com/small-group-tours-to-india/taste-of-south-india/

22/09/2026

Vimal certainly brought some luck with him to Sri Lanka… 🤩💎

He found a **Blue Sapphire worth $18,000!** 🌠

On our expert-led Gem Tour with , you’ll go behind the scenes of Sri Lanka’s fascinating gemstone industry, discovering how precious stones are mined, identified and transformed from rough stones into sparkling gems.

Want to experience it for yourself? Join us in Sri Lanka in **February 2027**.

✨ Spaces are limited. Visit our website to find out more.

Eastern India at its most quietly extraordinary. ✨There’s a particular quality of light in Calcutta in the early morning...
24/08/2026

Eastern India at its most quietly extraordinary. ✨

There’s a particular quality of light in Calcutta in the early morning: soft and golden, falling across buildings that have witnessed empires rise and quietly unravel.

The city’s streets hold stories in their stonework. Wander through the crumbling indigo merchants’ houses of Kumartuli, admire the grand colonnaded façades of Dalhousie Square, and step inside the Armenian Church, which has stood here since 1724. Each reveals another layer of the city’s remarkable past.

A walk through Calcutta’s colonial quarters takes you past Armenian merchants’ churches, crumbling Raj-era courthouses and ornate zamindari mansions — reminders of a world from another century.

If you’ve ever wanted to explore Eastern India at your own pace, with a knowledgeable guide who can unlock the stories behind the façades, we’d love to help you create a truly personal journey.

Tamil Nadu holds layers that only reveal themselves slowly — a bronze caster in Swamimalai shaping metal using technique...
21/08/2026

Tamil Nadu holds layers that only reveal themselves slowly — a bronze caster in Swamimalai shaping metal using techniques unchanged for a thousand years, the carved bas-reliefs of Mahabalipuram where Pallava kings commissioned stories in stone, the cool corridors of a Chola temple where priests have chanted the same verses for centuries.

We travel these roads not as visitors, but as learners. Every recce we undertake deepens what we can offer you — the family who opens their home for a meal, the craftsman who explains the geometry behind each cast, the lesser-known temples that don't appear in any guidebook.

This is how bespoke travel is built. Not from a brochure, but from time spent, conversations had, and trust earned.

South India speaks in spices. In the sour warmth of a tamarind-laced rasam, the coconut-green brightness of a Kerala cur...
14/08/2026

South India speaks in spices. In the sour warmth of a tamarind-laced rasam, the coconut-green brightness of a Kerala curry, the smoky char of a dosa lifted straight from a hot iron pan.

Once a year, we travel through this extraordinary region with food writer and cook Monisha Bharadwaj on our Taste of South India culinary tour. Markets, home kitchens, temple towns, coastal fishing villages. The kind of access that changes how you understand a place. Food as a way into a culture.

This is not a tour about restaurants. It is about the people who grow, cook and share the food. The grandmothers with their masala secrets. The spice traders in Kochi who can name every origin by scent alone.

This is the kind of journey where you leave knowing not just what South India tastes like, but why it tastes that way. The history, the people, the land.

Walk slowly enough through a Kerala spice plantation and the air tells you everything. Cardamom in the shade of tall tre...
11/08/2026

Walk slowly enough through a Kerala spice plantation and the air tells you everything. Cardamom in the shade of tall trees. Black pepper winding up a silver oak. The faint sweetness of vanilla where the light breaks through.

This is the kind of morning that doesn't appear on any itinerary — it simply unfolds, guided by someone who has tended this land for decades and knows it the way you know your own kitchen.

Slow travel in Kerala means arriving with no particular hurry. It means learning why Malabar pepper once moved empires and tasting a fresh cardamom pod before it ever sees a spice rack.

This is the kind of experience we love building into our Kerala journeys — unhurried, human, and genuinely rooted in place.

If a slower, more immersive India appeals to you, we would love to help you plan it.

A terracotta horse standing guard at the Ayyanar shrine in Kothadi. The smell of roasting spices drifting through the la...
06/08/2026

A terracotta horse standing guard at the Ayyanar shrine in Kothadi. The smell of roasting spices drifting through the lanes of a Chettinad mansion. The sound of a bronze chisel in a Thanjavur sculptor's workshop. These are the details that make South India extraordinary — and the ones that most itineraries never reach.

Our 15-day private journey moves from Chennai’s blend of colonial heritage and living Tamil culture to the French-washed lanes of Pondicherry, through the great Chola temple towns of Kumbakonam and Thanjavur, into the faded grandeur of Chettinad, and on to the mist-wrapped tea estates of Munnar. It ends, slowly and deliberately, on a private houseboat in the Kerala backwaters and two quiet days by the sea at Mararikulam.

Every detail — from your Kathakali evening in Fort Cochin to your cooking session in a restored Chettiar mansion — is arranged privately, just for you.

Talk to us about making this journey yours.

Each night in Madurai, as the city settles into darkness, the priests of Meenakshi Amman Temple perform one of the most ...
03/08/2026

Each night in Madurai, as the city settles into darkness, the priests of Meenakshi Amman Temple perform one of the most quietly moving rituals in all of Tamil Nadu. The deity is carried in procession to her bedchamber, accompanied by music, flowers, and the soft glow of oil lamps. It has happened every single night for centuries.

This is the Alangara Seva — the Going to Bed Ceremony — and to witness it is to feel time collapse gently around you. The scent of jasmine and camphor, the rhythm of the nagaswaram, the devoted crowds pressing forward with folded hands.

Curious what else a few days in Tamil Nadu might hold for you? We'd love to tell you more.

There is something truly captivating about Pondicherry – a charming blend of French colonial heritage and Tamil culture,...
23/07/2026

There is something truly captivating about Pondicherry – a charming blend of French colonial heritage and Tamil culture, where leafy boulevards, elegant villas and vibrant streets create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in India. At the heart of the French Quarter lies Palais de Mahé, a beautifully restored heritage hotel that perfectly captures the town's timeless character.

It's the kind of place that encourages you to slow down and savour the moment. Relax on shaded verandahs, unwind beside the peaceful courtyard pool, and enjoy thoughtfully designed rooms that combine historic charm with contemporary comfort.

We often include a stay here alongside visits to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, leisurely strolls or cycle rides along the promenade at sunset, and unhurried evenings exploring Pondicherry's cafés, boutiques and colourful streets. Everything is within easy walking distance – from the seafront and bustling markets to the elegant avenues of the White Town.

If you're planning a journey through South India, Pondicherry deserves far more than a brief stopover. We'd be delighted to help you discover this unique coastal town as part of a bespoke itinerary.

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