Heritage India Private Tours: The Stress-Free Way To Tour Rajasthan

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

As a millennial I consume reviews as part of my daily diet. In particular, as a foodie in New York, Yelp is my everyday pocket companion. So when it came time to plan my trip to India, TripAdvisor was a staple. My primary reason for coming to India in the first place was to attend a friend's wedding in Chandigarh, the capital of the northern state of Punjab. Seizing the opportunity, I decided to travel for two weeks afterward--but to where?

Why did I choose a private tour?

I considered visiting the north, particularly Amritsar. Many people also suggested Mumbai, which was a strong contender. My grandfather, an avid traveler, visited Varanasi and recommended that along with many cities in Rajasthan. The options were seemingly endless in this massive country. Figuring I shouldn't spread myself too thin, I narrowed my options to "the north". But work and other responsibilities consumed me, and I needed help.

Plus, I would be a solo traveler. While I am adventurous, I wanted safety, guidance, and even company on a potentially lonely journey. A tour perhaps? That would be a good way to meet people. But group tours are a throw of the dice. With rigid packages, the food is often included (and terrible) and the activities are unlikely to suit every traveler, since they have to solve for the masses.

How did I select my private tour company?

A private tour seemed more reasonable and was surprisingly affordable. I relied heavily on TripAdvisor to dig up some names and then emailed 5-7 different tour companies to evaluate offerings. I got responses back in waves, from two hours to nearly 48 hours post-inquiry. It took a fair bit of time to sort through the options. One or two I eliminated right away purely on price, but the rest were pretty comparable. Heritage India Private Tours stood out pretty quickly, though, because the owner Magan Singh responded very quickly to all of my questions--an impressive feat given the 10.5 hour time difference with New York.

Heritage India was quite similar to the others in pricing and itinerary. I'm sure all of the itineraries can be customized (I was looking for a private tour, after all), so that was not the basis for my decision. Rather, I tried to look for the intangibles like language, promptness, clarity, etc. I googled a few of the hotel suggestions to get a feel for what kind of trip the tour was suggesting. I asked many (many) follow-up questions to be sure I understood everything correctly.

Trusting an unknown entity halfway around the world is a daunting feeling, and I had to go with my gut. Magan's professional demeanor, quick response, and lovely hotel selections sealed the deal. I'm happy to say that my gut was right.

Heritage India Exceeded Expectations

Arranging a last-minute trip to Agra was easy and inexpensive

I would have two nights in Delhi pre-wedding, and another guest of the bride, whom I know, would be in Delhi at the same time. We decided to take a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal before flying to Chandigarh. I called the hotel to ask for prices, which seemed OK, but then checked with Magan whose price was less than half. We accepted the offer and were very pleased. It was a good "trial run" before my full-fledged Rajasthan tour.

The tour structure is a mix of private driver and private local guides

While Magan does run his own trips, Heritage India staff includes 4 full-time "core" drivers and a vast network of other drivers and guides. For the long-haul private tours guests are paired with one driver for the duration of the trip; individual guides are arranged at certain cities at an additional cost. (There were no hidden fees: this was explicit up-front, and a local guide was a flat 1,000 rupees--plus tip if desired--regardless of the city). Local guides are much more knowledgeable about their individual cities and historical landmarks and can weave through the tourist crowds more easily with special passes and connections.

I was pleased to see that Heritage India did not recommend a local guide for every city. A guide was strongly suggested for Jaipur and Jaisalmer, and I was given an option for a guide in Udaipur as well, which I accepted. The other cities were more manageable and had less to "learn"about (or had an audio guide as a substitute).

My driver was knowledgeable, friendly, and professional

When I arrived at the Jaipur airport Magan came to pick me up and introduce me to my driver, Sohan Singh. He would be with me throughout my trip and would act as a friend, guide, translator, driver, and basic point of contact. Though originally from northern India, Sohan has been in the profession for more than 20 years and is highly knowledgeable about Rajasthan.

Throughout the trip, I felt safe and comfortable with Sohan. He always showed up on time to pick me up and seemed to tame the Wild West of Indian roads. Though his days were long, usually starting at 8:30 or 9 AM and ending around 7 or 8 PM, he still offered to pick me up or drop me off for any dinners or evening activities of my choosing. (I came to find out later from friends who had booked a driver through another company that this flexibility and late-night service wasn't always a given. Their driver had made them fairly uncomfortable, suggesting that they were only paying for his service up to 6pm, after which point he was "off duty".)

Sohan even helped me when I contracted the Delhi Belly plague. With a dire case of food poisoning, my American medicine could only do so much. Without prompting, Sohan bought me Indian medications and made a few stops along the road to buy me some bananas so I had something plain to eat.

The tour was well planned yet flexible

I did nothing. Really. Despite being a solo traveler, I did no work. I didn't have to look up any restaurants, find anything on my own, figure out which monuments to visit and how, or complete any other typical travel task--Heritage India took care of everything. Yet, the trip was still very customizable. I, of course, could have made hotel or itinerary changes prior to the trip (but I didn't want to...that was kind of the whole point of getting someone else to do the work in the first place). And once traveling, I had the option to stay longer or leave earlier whenever I wanted, unlike with group trips. Sohan often directed me to specific lunch spots, as clean, "safe" restaurants only could be found by people "in the know" when we were traveling for long stretches of highway. However, dinner was up to me, though suggestions were plentiful.

While expensive, the price is very reasonable for value

The four-figure trip cost came with some minor sticker shock, but only because of the pre-conceived notion that everything is "cheap" in India. Looking closer, I realized that the per-day cost was very reasonable. Breaking it down further, it began to look like a tremendous deal when I accounted for the car (gasoline, wear and tear, etc.), the driver (his time, including all of his accommodations), and all of my hotels (only the best in each city). For a luxury, private tour, I paid a lot; but I also got a lot in value. (Those same folks who mentioned issues with their driver paid only slightly less than me and didn't get the same high-quality service and flexibility from their trip, nor were their hotels quite as exceptional).

Magan maintained communication throughout my travels

Magan had asked for my Whatsapp number even before I had made the booking. (It's a common form of communication in many ex-US countries, so I recommend downloading it if you don't have it!) He texted me several times before I met up with him, checking in on my international flights, my day-trip to Agra, and my general well being. Sohan communicated consistently, but Magan's check-ins said a lot about the company's service.

Conclusion

I do recommend hiring a private driver for India. I would even enhance this recommendation for single women, specifically. I'm all for female power and independence, but that doesn't mean that every person in India is. With Sohan and Heritage India backing me the whole way, I felt safe and confident throughout the trip. Heritage India provided tremendous value and helped me see a beautiful part of the world in comfort while still providing real insight into the country beyond the surface level of the glossy touristic facade. It was a truly stress-free way to travel, from beginning to end.