Colour and Craft

India has always been famous for its colourful jewellery, marble work, woodwork, intricate paintings and decorated silk and cotton textiles. This exciting tour aims to give you a taste of the best handicrafts as we visit the traditional centres of excellence.

We begin in the capital city of Delhi at the National Craft Museum with its unrivalled collection of traditional work gathered from all corners of the Indian sub-continent. In Agra, we will combine our sightseeing of the Taj Mahal with an introduction to the art of marble stone cutting. In the pink city of Jaipur, we visit workshops for miniature painting, carpet weaving, woodcarving and the ancient practice of block printing on cloth. In neighbouring Jodhpur, copperware and basket weaving are the traditional crafts. We travel to Udaipur, an important centre for silverware and jewellery work as well as home to many fairy-tale palaces. This is a journey of discovery as we are introduced to, and inspired by, the creative magic of India.

Recommended travel guide books: The India Lonely Planet Guide and the Rough Guide to India.

For further information please telephone 01225 868544 or email info@essential-india.co.uk

Special note: For groups of six or more people, this itinerary can be tailored to suit your own departure dates. Please contact Essential India Travel to discuss your travel arrangements.

Workshop Tutor: Philippa Russell

Philippa Russell has lived in Dharamsala for over 20 years, with her husband and their two children. Currently, Philippa is actively involved with the Norbu Lingka Institute, a centre for the preservation of Tibetan arts and crafts in Himachal Pradesh. In between her work there, she runs our cultural craft tours and workshops.

Scheduled Departure Information

Duration: 14 Days
Dates: Friday 23.11.07 until Thursday 06.12.07 , Friday 21.11.08 until Thursday 04.12.08 , Mid range: (Deposit £300 per person) Final payment is due 8 weeks prior to your departure.
Cost: £1370 Airline: British Airways (Land only £885)
Car Supplement Cost: N/A
Domestic Flight Cost: N/A

  • The listed price is per person for our scheduled departures in twin sharing accommodation.
  • In-country Domestic flights are not included in the listed price. Our flight providers are Gold Medal Travel, one of the UK's leading independent travel companies, offering access to airfares from more than 130 of the world's leading airlines to 1500 destinations. Please contact us for a competitive price quote. To convert Pounds Sterling into Euro's or any other currency please click on this link
  • We can accept online payments by credit and debit cards via our secure Barclaycard Business payment form. We do not charge bank clearance fees for this service.
  • For Indian visa and passport information please follow this Link:
  • Please follow this link to read our terms & conditions.
  • Prices include all Indian Government luxury taxes. If you are a single person booking onto one of our treks or special interest holidays, you do not have to pay a single room supplement. This is only payable if you wish to have a hotel room or a tent (or both) to yourself throughout your tour. The single tent supplement is £40 for the duration of any trek.
  • Top range prices are based on your staying in Government approved 5 and 4 star hotels and Mid range prices are based on your staying in 4 star and 3 star en-suite accommodation.
  • Train travel is in 1st Air-con carriage (fifties style 4 & 6 berth compartments) or the best available.
  • During Christmas and the New Year period, many hotels charge a peak season rate. You also need to be prepared to join in (and pay for locally) any entertainment that may be arranged.
  • The busiest periods for the airlines are Christmas/New Yearand Easter, July and August. If you take your holiday during these periods then please book your tour as early as possible.
  • Our escorted (Delhi to Delhi) special interest/trekking holidays are based on a minimum of 4 people. The maximum number is 14. If the minimum number is not met then your tour will be led by our qualified English speaking guides and tour leaders in India. We can tailor trek departure dates for a minimum of 2 people travelling together. Details of our trek grading can be found on the 'Indian Himalayas' page of our website.
  • We can offer group discounts for six or more people booking together on our fixed departures.
  • It is essential that you take out adequate travel insurance if you are travelling to Asia. Essential Travel Insurance Ltd offers wordwide insurance cover at competitive rates.
  • The meal plan is based on B&B and full board on our treks and culinary tours.

Back to Tours

Tour itinerary

Booking Information

To check availability for your chosen tour, please call us on 01225 868544

If you wish to pay for all or part of your holiday, please use our new Online Payment System

Essential India Travel Ltd is a registered company (No: 5380035, Registered in England and Wales) and is the holder of a fully bonded Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) Licence Number 6993 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.