Day 1: 

The first thing we set foot on Indian soil was the dollar. Unfortunately for us, we got a rate of only Rs. 81. This means 81 Indian rupees for 1 dollar. I did not expect to get such a low rate. Had to pay $50 to get going.

I left the airport and hired a yellow taxi to Marquis Street in Kolkata. I checked into a hotel there. Luck did not help us here either. The next day was the match between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A match between two teams in great form in this World Cup means a crowded affair. On top of that, it’s Virat Kohli’s birthday. All in all, a festive atmosphere prevailed in Kolkata. Given that, we had to book a hotel at a slightly higher price.

After check-in at the hotel, we all freshened up. By that time, it was afternoon. We left the hotel and wandered around Marquis Street to exchange dollars for a while. But hey, luck was bad. Finally, we broke the money at a rate of 81.78. There was no other way. This was the highest rate of the day. After learning how to exchange dollars, we entered a Muslim hotel. I looked at the menu and ordered rice, alugosto, and kalavuna. The food was also very tasty. Having eaten our fill, we set off for a trip to Calcutta.

Initially, we went to Newmarket. I wandered there and went to Zakaria Street. At first, I thought it was close, so I went on foot. But the distance was not short. It is safe to say that it was far from good. On top of that, we didn’t even know the road. So I had to walk very fast.

Anyway, upon reaching Zakaria Street, we tried some of the food there. After eating, I took the way back again. Now you can’t make the mistake of walking. So I asked the people and boarded the Dharmatala bus.

When I got down to Dharmatala, I was a little surprised to see the floodlights in the distance. I said to myself, “Is that not the Eden Garden?” Out of curiosity, we stepped towards it. As we got closer, our doubts disappeared. This is the famous Garden of Eden. We wandered there for some time, chatted, and then headed back to the hotel.

Cost:

Hotel fare = ₹425

Lunch = ₹75

Eating at Zakaria Street = ₹150

Zakaria Street to Dharmatala = ₹10

Total = ₹845 ($11)

Day 2: 

The second day of our India tour started with Big Dejeuner (Nihari) and chapati bread. It was accompanied by beef. Satisfied, we changed hotels. I found a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street at a relatively low price. Leaving our bags at the new hotel, we went out to enjoy the beauty of Kolkata in the daylight.

First, we went to the Indian Museum. I fell into irony while purchasing the ticket. The ticket price for Indians is only ₹70. There, the ticket price for us (foreigners) is fixed at ₹500. I did not expect such a huge difference. Besides, it didn’t seem like there was anything worth visiting the museum for ₹500. So finally, I skipped the museum. You can visit if you want. Many of those who went liked it, and many did not. We will visit again.

From there, we came to Dharmatala. Our destination this time is Salt Lake Ecopark. We boarded the bus and went to Biswa-Bangla Gate. From there, I took another bus and went to Ecopark gate number 2.

A ticket is also required to enter the Ecopark. But unlike the museum, there is no distinction here. The ticket price is the same for all. We bought the ticket and entered the Ecopark. It’s a very nice park. It would take a full day to explore this huge park. There are many beautiful places to take pictures inside. A place to visit with family.

But we didn’t stay long. We explored as much as possible in 3/4 hours. Then came out from there again to Newmarket. By then, it was evening. Meanwhile, lunch has not been eaten yet. So I immediately entered a Muslim hotel.

I washed my hands and ordered food. There wasn’t much. During the evening, there should be no. We ordered beef biryani. Everything was fine until biryani was served. I mean it looked pretty good. But I felt the fun with my mouth. How do people eat so much dry biryani? I was able to swallow a plate of Biryani with the help of 3 bottles of coke. There was nothing to do. I could bear it because I was hungry. Otherwise, it was not possible.

After dinner, I went to the hotel for some time. I washed my face and got fresh and went out again. This year’s destination is Eden Garden. I still don’t know the status of the match. There was no net on anyone’s phone, so there was no chance to see the score. Although I wanted to sit in the stadium and watch the game. But the ticket was not available. So I decided to go there to see the excitement of the audience after the game.

As I approached the stadium, I was startled by the sound of fireworks. What does it mean? Did India beat South Africa? But how quickly? Thousands of questions were running in my mind. I started walking a little faster.

That’s what I thought. India beat South Africa by a huge margin. Birthday boy Virat Kohli also played well. A century has also been scored. All in all, that’s a matter-of-fact. The entire Eden Garden area was full of cheers from the Indian fans. We spent almost a lot of time there and came back to the hotel.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹85

Hotel fare = ₹375

Dharmatala to Ecopark = ₹40

Ecopark ticket = ₹30

Ecopark to Dharmatala = ₹40

Lunch = ₹145

Dinner = ₹100

Total = ₹815 ($10)

Day 3:

The third day of our trip to India has begun. I went to that hotel yesterday morning. Had breakfast with chapati bread and beef lalbhuna. Then I hired a yellow taxi and went out to see the Howrah Bridge. The driver was also quite good. He showed us many things. Then at eleven o’clock, we were dropped back at the hotel.

After entering the hotel, I packed my bags and checked out. Our train to Jammu at half past noon. So I didn’t want to take any risk. I took a taxi and went straight to Sealdah station.

Took some dry food from inside the station. The price did not fall much. I got on the train with them. There were 2 Indians in our compartment. The rest of us 6 were natives. The train journey was very beautiful. We all became a family for two days.

At night I took food from the train. The food was completely rubbish. It was expensive and the food was not tasty. So later I did not dare to eat again.

Anyway, I fell asleep around 11:30. I slept till half-past nine in the morning. It was a very comfortable journey. The train reached Jammu on time. Then the driver gave the phone number of a Muslim hotel to be found in the Raghunath market. We got into the car with him.

We checked into the hotel and then went out to see Raghunath Market. It is a beautiful market. I took pictures there. But it was quite hot. I bought some things from there and then came back to the hotel. The whole day was gone like this. But it was good.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Hotel fare = ₹175

Taxi fare = ₹100

Food from Sealdah station = ₹150

Train fare = ₹600

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Total = ₹1400 ($18)

Day 4:

Today was the 4th day of our India tour. We spent the whole day in Jammu. We got up early in the morning. Then went out for a walk. At first, we went to Bagh-e-Bahu. There is a fort there. After wandering there for some time, we went to the temple.

The temple is quite big. There are many stairs to go up. But there are also many shops to stop by on the way up. So I stopped by and looked around. There was nothing good to be found. Finally, I took the way up again. There were not too many devotees there. The main temple was also quite big. I took a little longer to worship.

Then we went to see the Bagh-e-Bahu garden. There were many beautiful flowers. But the garden was not that big. After wandering there for some time, we went back to the hotel. There I washed my face and got fresh. After that, I took a little rest and went out again.

This time the destination is Raghunath Market. We went back to the same market again. But today’s main goal was shopping. After visiting many shops, we finally found what we wanted. I bought some clothes from there. The price was also reasonable. So I was happy.

After shopping, we returned to the hotel. After resting for some time, we went out again. This time the destination was Hari Market. There was nothing special there. Just ordinary markets. We didn’t stay there for long. I bought some fruits from there. Then we came back to the hotel.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Hotel fare = ₹175

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Shopping = ₹500

Total = ₹1050 ($14)

Day 5:

Today is the 5th day of our trip to India. We left Jammu and went to Pehelgam. We left the hotel early in the morning. Then I hired a taxi and went straight to Pehelgam. It took us about 3 hours to reach Pehelgam. We found a hotel in the city and checked into it.

Then we freshened up and went out. There are not many things to see in Pehelgam. Our main goal was to visit Vaishno Devi. But it was too late today. So we did some shopping today. There are many shops in Pehelgam. We visited many of them and bought some things.

Then we came back to the hotel. After resting for some time, we went out again. This time the destination was Banganga. We went to Banganga and took a bath there. The water was very cold. So we didn’t stay in the water for long. Then we went back to the hotel.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹100

Hotel fare = ₹175

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Shopping = ₹500

Total = ₹1150 ($15)

Day 6:

Today is the 6th day of our India tour. We started our journey from General Bus Stand and went to Pehelgam. We checked out of the hotel early in the morning. Then I hired a taxi and went straight to Pehelgam. It took us about 6 hours to reach Pehelgam.

We checked into a hotel in Pehelgam. Then we freshened up and went out to see the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is very beautiful. It is a very big temple. We spent almost the whole day there. After wandering around the temple, we went to the hotel.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹600

Hotel fare = ₹250

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Total = ₹1225 ($16)

Day 7:

The start of the seventh day of our India tour felt surreal. We had breakfast at the hotel and then went out to see the Aru Valley, Betab Valley, and Chandanwari. We hired a taxi and went straight to our destination.

When we reached the Wagah Border, we were surprised to see a huge crowd there. We had to stand in a long queue to get inside. It took us almost 2 hours to get inside. But it was worth it. The atmosphere there was electric. The energy of the crowd was contagious.

After the ceremony at the Wagah Border, we went back to the hotel. Then we freshened up and went out again. This time the destination was the Jallianwala Bagh. Jallianwala Bagh is a historical place. We spent some time there and then went back to the hotel.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹200

Hotel fare = ₹250

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Total = ₹825 ($11)

Day 8:

Today was the 8th day of our India tour. We left Amritsar and went to Delhi. We left the hotel early in the morning and hired a taxi to the railway station. Then we boarded the train to Delhi.

The train journey was quite comfortable. We reached Delhi in the afternoon. Then we checked into a hotel in Delhi. After freshening up, we went out to explore the city. We visited India Gate and Qutub Minar. Both places were very beautiful.

After sightseeing, we went back to the hotel. Then we had dinner at a nearby restaurant and called it a day.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹200

Train fare = ₹800

Hotel fare = ₹300

Lunch and Dinner = ₹300

Total = ₹1675 ($22)

Day 9: Today was the 9th day of our India tour. We spent the whole day exploring Delhi. We visited many places including Red Fort, Lotus Temple, and Akshardham Temple. All these places were very beautiful and we had a great time exploring them.

After sightseeing, we went shopping in Connaught Place. There were many shops selling all kinds of stuff. We bought some souvenirs and gifts for our friends and family back home.

In the evening, we went to a famous restaurant in Delhi and had dinner. Then we went back to the hotel and called it a day.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹200

Entry fees for attractions = ₹500

Hotel fare = ₹300

Lunch and Dinner = ₹400

Shopping = ₹500

Total = ₹1975 ($26)

Day 10:

Today was the 10th and final day of our India tour. We left Delhi and headed back home. We boarded the flight in the morning and reached our destination in the afternoon.

Overall, it was an amazing trip and we had a lot of fun exploring different cities and experiencing the rich culture and heritage of India.

Cost:

Breakfast = ₹75

Taxi fare = ₹200

Flight fare = ₹2000

Total = ₹2275 ($30)

Total Cost

1st Day = ₹845 (11$)

2nd Day = ₹845 ($10)

3rd Day = ₹1400 ($16.93)

4th Day = ₹1050 ($12.70)

5th Day = ₹1150 ($13.90)

6th Day = ₹1225 ($14.81)

7th Day = ₹825 ($9.98)

8th Day = ₹1675 ($20.25)

9th Day = ₹1975 ($23.88)

10th Day = ₹2275 ($27.51)

Total almost  160$ to 170$ we completed our excellent tour.