A Food and Wine Tour for the Soul

Discover the best that India has to offer by tasting Indian food and wine, learn to cook Indian food in cooking classes, attend insightful wine tasting sessions, get to know local culture and history in detailed heritage tours, and relax on beaches and hotels. Prepare your taste buds for a fresh adventure on this culinary tour of Western & Southern India.

TRAVEL ROUTE

MUMBAI – NASHIK – PUNE – AKLUJ – KOLHAPUR – GOA – BADAMI – HAMPI – BANGALORE – MYSORE – KABINI – MANGALORE – THALASSERY – KOCHI
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

The famous Khau Galli in Mumbai and taste some local street food of Mumbai
The Sula Vineyards in Nasik and learn the process behind the making of Wines
Attend a culinary workshop at a local home and learn the art behind Konkani cuisine in Goa
Experience winemaking and tasting at the KRSMA Estate vineyard near Hampi
Experience the Game drives in the Kabini National park
Visit Udupi – the origin city of all time favourite South Indian dish – Dosa
Attend the cooking demonstration and taste the Syrian Christian Cuisine in Kochi
Cruise through the backwaters from Alleppey to Kochi in a houseboat
Try your hands and taste the Mappila cuisine (mix of South Indian & Arabic cuisine) in Thalassery

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: ARRIVE MUMBAI

Arrive at Mumbai International airport. After clearing the customs and immigration formalities, you will be greeted by an
Indebo representative and transferred to the hotel.
Rest of the day will be free to relax and regain the circadian rhythm
Overnight in Mumbai

Day 2: A DAY IN MUMBAI

Breakfast at the hotel
Later leave for the sightseeing of Mumbai visiting the Gateway of India, Prince of Wales museum, followed by Kala Ghoda walking tour of Bombay Stock Exchange, Central library, Post office and Victoria Terminus.
In the evening, get ready to taste some authentic street food in a walk through the famous food street of Mumbai known as Khau Gali
This tour takes you into the heartland of Mumbai’s street food and gives you cultural insights into the city. Sample some delicious treats amidst colourful street stalls at Girgaon Chowpatty, take a sip of tea in a hundred-year-old Irani Cafe and take a bite of colourful snow cones among other street knick knacks
Return to the hotel after the tour
Overnight in Mumbai

Day 3: DRIVE TO NASHIK

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Nashik
Arrive Nashik and check in at the hotel located within the vineyards
Overnight in Nashik

Day 4: IN NASHIK

Breakfast at the hotel
Later proceed for a vineyard tour with a wine expert who will take you back to Sula’s early years as well as every step along the way in the making of your favourite wines. Tours take place every hour and end with a personalized wine tasting at The
Tasting Cellar where the team will take you through the five steps of tasting wines
Spend the evening at leisure in the hotel
Overnight in Nashik

Day 5: DRIVE TO PUNE

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be picked up from the hotel and driven to Pune
Arrive Pune and check in at the hotel
In the late afternoon proceed to visit the Shaniwar Wada and the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum
Overnight in Pune
Day 6: DRIVE TO AKLUJ
Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be driven to Akluj for another vinery experience in the state known as Fratelli Vineyards
Arrive and check in at the hotel located inside the vineyards – this remote vineyard produces some excellent reserve wines on its 240-acre estate. The outstanding Sette reserve red is among the best red wine in India. Its introduction has been followed up by the launch of two reserve white wines in 2014 — Vitae (a Chardonnay) and Vitae Tre (a blend of Muller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, and Chenin Blanc).
On arrival, proceed for a lunch that will be followed by a visit to the vinery and wine tasting
Return to the hotel after the visit
Overnight in Akluj

Day 7: Drive to Kolhapur

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be driven to Kolhapur
Arrive Kolhapur and check in at the hotel
In the evening proceed for a culinary walk of the city where you will taste some authentic Kolhapuri dishes that will include –
Mutton dishes for which Kolhapur is known for. Taste some ambada rassa and Pandhara rassa, dry and fried mutton, and mutton pickle. Also taste the Misal Pav – traditionally a mixture of boiled moth beans, potatoes, farsan, sev and kat, a spicy soup like gravy made with garam masala, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and dry and wet coconut., Batata Vada – a simple preparation of potato sabzi balls dipped in gram flour batter & deep fried, Vegetarian meal comprises of pithala and bhakri, leafy and sprouted vegetables with dahi (curd) or buttermilk. Also, taste some Jaggery famous for this region
You can also shop some Kolhapuri Chappals (footwear) – these chappals are stout, sturdy, day-long usable. These are very popular in rural areas of Maharashtra.
Return to the hotel after the tour
Overnight in Kolhapur

Day 8: DRIVE TO GOA

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be driven to Goa
Arrive Goa and check in at the hotel
Rest of the day at leisure on the beaches of Goa
Overnight in Goa

Day 9: IN GOA

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will experience a culinary workshop of Konkani cuisine at a local home. Understand the basics of this typical local food, the various spices that go into making each flavourful and tasty fish curry and vindaloo, that have become so famous all over the world. The tour includes a visit to the fish, fruit and vegetable markets to procure the ingredients, followed by a cooking demonstration before you will be treated to a sumptuous meal with a Goan family at their home.
In the late afternoon, you may choose to visit the old city of Goa and see the Basilica of Bom Jesus where the incorruptible remains of St. Francis Xavier are kept.
Return to the hotel and spend the rest of the evening at leisure
Overnight in Goa

Day 10: DRIVE TO BADAMI

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be picked up from the hotel and driven to Badami
Arrive Badami and check in at the hotel
In the evening you will visit the Badami Caves
Overnight in Badami

Day 11: DRIVE TO HAMPI

Breakfast at the hotel
Later, you would be driven to Hampi visiting Pattadakal group of temples en route
Also, visit the KRSMA Estates – a vineyard perched on the slopes of Hampi Hills at an altitude of 590 meters above sea level. Hampi Hills, hitherto unknown for its wines or even as a wine producing region, is unique in many aspects. The terroir consists of iron-rich schist type soils, receives minimum rainfall and is cool during nights, especially at the time of ripening.
Visit the vineyards and understand the process of Winemaking and tasting
Arrive Hampi and check in at the hotel
Overnight in Hampi

Day 12: A DAY IN HAMPI

Breakfast at the hotel
This morning you will experience and see the ruins of Hampi
Return by the afternoon and relax for some time at the hotel
In the evening explore the streets of Hampi tasting some Karnataka street food and bakery food
Overnight in Hampi

Day 13: DRIVE TO BANGALORE

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be picked up from the hotel and transferred to the Bellary airport to board the flight to Bangalore
Arrive Bangalore, where you will be met and transferred to the Grover Zampa Vineyards
Arrive and check in at the hotel
Evening will be free to relax at the hotel
Overnight in Bangalore

Day 14: IN BANGALORE

Breakfast at the hotel
Later proceed for a winery tour that starts from the crushing unit. Sufficient information required to understand the wine-making process will be provided at this point. After that, you will move to understand filtering, processing, fermentation, storing in tanks, bottling, labelling and packaging of wine bottles which are ready for sale.
This tour will be followed by lunch at the vineyards
Return to the hotel after the visit and spend the evening at leisure
Overnight in Bangalore

Day 15: DRIVE TO MYSORE

Breakfast at the hotel
Drive to Mysore with enroute visit to Somnathpur – a small village – famous for its splendid and grand Keshava temple that has been built in the Hoysala style
Arrive Mysore and check in at the hotel
Evening will be free to relax at the hotel
Overnight in Mysore

Day 16: IN MYSORE

Breakfast at the hotel
Morning proceed for a guided tour of Mysore Palace
In the afternoon visit the famous Hanumanthu hotel, a pretty old establishment. Well, in 1932! You can imagine how old it must be! Try their famous mutton pulao which is cooked from bullet rice and mutton fat.
Proceed to taste some classic home-based Karnataka dishes we visited, Anima Madhva Bhavan. Here try some, well-known heritage platter which is served without any onion and garlic. The platter consists of paddu, these are steamed rice balls and they are deep-fried served with coconut chutney.
The next item is, nuchinunde these are dumplings made up of lentils. This was followed by gojjavalakki, a popular breakfast dish prepared using beaten rice with rasam powder and tamarind. End the meal with ghodi payasa, which is cooked broken wheat kheer.
After this proceed to taste one of the most loved sweets Mysore Pak, which is made up of gram flour, ghee, cardamom, turmeric and sugar. This was originally invented in the royal kitchen of Mysore by Kakasura madappa. The sweet dish later went on to win the hearts of many!
Overnight in Mysore

Day 17: DRIVE TO KABINI

Breakfast at Hotel.
Later you will be picked up from the hotel and driven to Kabini
Arrive Kabini and check in at the hotel
In the evening, after the meal, you may embark on night safari if that entices you. As night descends upon the Kabini landscape a whole world of nocturnal life emerges. Armed only with flashlights and a sense of anticipation and wonder, your naturalists will skillfully escort you around the areas just outside the resort and by the Kabini waterline that harbours a small universe of creatures that do most of their living at night. You will encounter the fascinating nocturnal world of beetles, spiders, owls, moths, lizards and even plants as you go about this unusual night expedition. An absolute walk for all nature lovers but particularly for the adventurous and the curious, this is an experience that is as unique as it is educative.
Return to the hotel after the safari
Overnight in Kabini

Day 18: IN KABINI

Early this morning after a warm cup of beverage accompanied by savouries set off for a jeep safari in the Nagarhole National Park.
Return to your hotel and spend the rest of the morning in the comforts of the hotel.
In the late afternoon hours, proceed for a boat safari in the Kabini river. On the Boat Safari, you will be taken upstream from the resort on the Kabini River to where the river itself separates the Nagarhole National Park from the Bandipur National Park.
Return to the hotel after the safari
Overnight in Kabini

Day 19: DRIVE TO MANGALORE

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be driven to Mangalore
Arrive Mangalore and check in at the hotel
Evening will be at leisure to relax at the hotel
Overnight in Mangalore

Day 20: IN MANGALORE {excursion to Udupi}

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will be driven to the Udupi – a place from where Dosa was originated and made popular by the local restaurants.
You will be taken to a local restaurant to try the authentic Dosa and Goli Baje – a popular Mangalore evening snack
After the meal, drive back to Mangalore for overnight stay
Evening will be free to relax at the hotel or explore the nearby area by own
Overnight in Mangalore

Day 21: DRIVE TO THALASSERY

Breakfast at the hotel
This day you would be driven to the Thalassery
Arrive Thalassery and check in at the hotel
In the evening, spend time with a local person to learn the cuisine of “Mapillahs” the Muslims of North Kerala) with a cooking demonstration followed by Dinner
Drive back to the hotel after the visit
Overnight in Thalassery

Day 22: TRAIN TO KOCHI

Early this morning you will be transferred to the railway station to board your onward train to Calicut
Arrive Kochi, where you will be met and transferred to the hotel
In the evening proceed for a cooking demonstration where you will visit a local family to have a hands-on experience on Syrian
Christian cuisine followed by a meal with the family – The family is also a perfect example of Indian diversity where the lady of the house is a Syrian Christian & the male member belongs to a traditional Hindu family – so the family practices both the cultures.
Return to the hotel after the visit
Overnight in Kochi

Day 23: IN KOCHI

Breakfast at the hotel
This day you will explore the Fort Kochi area – this will give you the glimpse into Kochi’s rich history and heritage, showcasing the mixed Dutch, Portuguese, British and Jewish influences that make the city unique. The places that you would cover are St.
Francis Church, Chinese fishing nets, Dutch cemetery.
After the visit take a brief walk past the seaside beach & broadway Bazar and explore several winding streets with their fruit and vegetable shops. Take delight in the exotic smells surrounding spice shops. Then visit a bustling fish market. There are also cloth merchants, hardware stores, footwear shops and grains and oils stores. Many of these shops are proudly owned for many generations by the same family. Learn how these businesses work and get insight into the unique Kerala cuisine by observing local spices and the fish and vegetable markets.
After the walk proceeds to a local restaurant to taste the authentic Sadya meal famous for this region. Sadhya is a vegetarian feast or banquet that is served during Onam, Vishu, family get together and weddings (Kalyana Sadhya). The multi-course meal is served traditionally in banana leaf.
Overnight in Kochi

Day 24: KOCHI – ALLEPPEY – KOCHI

Breakfast at the hotel
Later you will drive to Alleppey and board your houseboat for a day cruise
On arrival, embark on ‘kettuvallams‘ or the houseboat to cruise on the backwaters. As you traverse through the lakes and canals, you will see the locals engaged in the day to day activities.
Taste the toddy – an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the Palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms
Traditional Kerala lunch will be served on the houseboat
Deboard the houseboat in the evening and drive back to Kochi
Overnight in Kochi

Day 25: DEPART