Discover sustainable travel in India! Explore our responsible and enriching cultural and wildlife experiences. Packages customizable upon request.

Sustainable Travel in India | Yugen Earthside

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Yugen Earthside connects mindful travelers to sustainable trips around the world. Carbon removals included with each booking!

Connecting mindful travelers to responsible experiences around the world.

Prices exclude flights to/from the destination.

Prices are for double room occupancy unless indicated otherwise.

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Discover self-guided, privately-guided, & small group tours around the world. Our sustainable adventures are customizable, and include carbon removals with each booking!

Trips | Yugen Earthside | Sustainable Adventures

A weeklong cultural tour of India’s Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur) is the perfect way to become acquainted with “Incredible India.”

[7 days] India: Golden Triangle Cultural Tour | Yugen Earthside

How you experience a country as massive as India makes all the difference. Especially great for first-time visitors, this immersive tour introduces you to the main attractions and hidden secrets behind the scenes. Our storytelling and cultural immersion enhance your experience and put this tour a class apart from just sightseeing. From walking tours to craft experiences to food tasting and spirituality, this is a holistic introduction to India.

Golden Triangle tour of the highlights: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur

Beautiful homestays with families in Delhi and Agra

Walking tours focused on food and heritage

Participate in Indian festivals with the families (see Seasonal Notes)


This tour is perfect when you have a limited number of days (7-10) to spare.  On this private tour of the Golden Triangle, you will experience not only the main monuments but also those hidden secrets about the three cities that tell the entire story behind their history and current society. For example, it is incomplete to see the Taj Mahal itself unless you do a storytelling tour of old Agra and visit the busy streets just the way locals do. You can choose from a range of activities within the ethos of sustainability and customize your tour of the Golden Triangle.
Normally, we do this tour in a private car. But you can get it customized for train journeys also. Speak to us for your customization needs. You can also opt to combine this tour with an extended tour of Rajasthan or a tour of Uttarakhand in the Himalayan foothills.

5 reasons why you should not miss this cultural trip to the Golden Triangle:

By visiting the capital city of Delhi, your senses will rejoice with tasteful street food, stunning views of UNESCO World Heritage sites as well as colorful and vibrant markets.

Storytelling makes your experience far more enriching than what typical tours and websites say about the Taj Mahal and other monuments on the tour. 

Your cultural understanding of India will be highly broadened, as you will participate in local festivities, see traditional handicrafts of marble inlay and embroidery, and stay at charming homestays. As India is a culturally diverse destination that attracts people from all over the world, you will also see traditions and practices from many different countries.

The block printing workshop in Jaipur uses the traditional technique of printing patterns on fabric using carved wooden blocks. This workshop connects you with the artist within you. 

Our walking tours give you a pleasant introduction to spirituality in multicultural and religiously diverse India. See daily morning rituals at beautiful temples from a local´s perspective. 

The best time to visit India is between September and March. During this period,  the weather is pleasant and comfortable. It is usually sunny and dry, with cooler temperatures in the north and more moderate temperatures in the south.  Besides, India's important festivals, such as Diwali, Holi, and Dussehra, also take place during these months. Diwali is in November, and Holi is in March; exact dates vary every year.

Summers (March to June) can be scorching hot, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104 °F) in northern India. During the monsoon period (June to September), there is typically heavy rainfall, which can often lead to flooding, landslides, and transportation disruptions. 

Although September through March are months in which tourist influxes abound, this trip takes you to off-the-beaten paths and offers local accommodations, making it possible to avoid crowded places and enjoy your stay in India. 

This private tour happens on a date of your choice.

Payment gateway fee for international transfers

Group pricing varies between 2 and 10 travelers; contact us with your group size for a quote.

Please contact us for solo traveler pricing.

Prices are for twin-share rooms (except for solo travelers).

These prices may not apply during Christmas, New Year, Diwali, & Holi.

As an award-winning tour for our sustainable practices, we prioritize responsible tourism by limiting our visitor capacity to 500 per season and embracing the principles of slow travel. We are committed to supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, specifically numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15. By doing so, we aim to contribute to a more sustainable future for both the environment and local communities

This trip is designed to prioritize environmental sustainability and animal welfare. We are committed to adhering to strict standards that ensure no animal-harming tourism. Our focus is on conserving ecosystems and preserving biodiversity during this holiday. We also prioritize low-carbon impact activities and have avoided in-destination flights to minimize our carbon footprint. In order to practice slow travel, we stay for more than one night in accommodations with a sustainable approach.

In addition, we emphasize vegetarian and vegan restaurants to reduce the environmental impact of our food choices. We have taken measures to minimize waste, including avoiding single-use plastics and water bottles.

To trim our carbon footprint, all of our cars are in line with the latest emission standards. However, we always recommend taking trains whenever possible. If our guests choose to travel by car, we ensure that it is an eco-friendly option. We provide all our guests with reusable stainless steel bottles, and hotels use glass bottles in the rooms to further reduce single-use plastics. Our focus is on sustainable eating, and we encourage vegetarian meals as they have more options in India.  However, non-vegetarian meals are also available. Our artisan visits ensure that guests only buy sustainable and Indian products, supporting local communities and businesses. Additionally, all of our raw materials for meals are sourced locally to promote sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint.

Our approach to tourism involves steering travelers away from popular tourist destinations and instead introducing them to lesser-known areas. By doing so, we promote tourism dispersal, which can help alleviate over-tourism.  Additionally, we educate travelers on responsible behavior in the destination, in order to raise awareness and promote sustainable tourism practices.

We offer a unique and authentic travel experience that connects travelers with the local community and culture. We prioritize meaningful engagement with locals and offer opportunities for travelers to stay overnight with them, providing an immersive experience and a deeper understanding of the local traditions and lifestyle. Besides, in the workshops we do, we engage local craftsmen and marginalized communities. 

We are committed to being mindful of local health and natural resources, ensuring that our trips are conducted sustainably and with minimal impact on the environment. We train and employ local guides only, and take great care to hire staff and contractors without any religious, racial, or gender bias, ensuring an inclusive and non-discriminatory work environment. 

Our experiences encourage interactions between guests and communities, while also educating both parties about each other's cultural aspects and promoting sensitivity. We offer small groups and private tours to ensure that we do not overwhelm the communities we visit and that each trip is conducted with respect and sustainability in mind.

This holiday goes beyond the typical tourist destinations and offers a deeper connection with the local community and culture.

Your days in India will support local businesses and the local community as a whole, not just a few businesses. With this trip, we provide local employment and fair wages as well as good and safe working conditions. 

Our travel company is committed to supporting local communities. One of the ways we achieve this is by training and employing local guides exclusively. This not only helps support the local economy but also ensures that guests have an authentic and insightful travel experience.

In addition, we engage local craftsmen and marginalized communities in workshops that we offer to our guests. This not only provides an opportunity for guests to learn new skills and crafts but also helps support local artisans and makes their traditional crafts visible.

We are proud to have a fair-wage policy that sets higher pay compared to the government guidelines. This ensures that our staff is well-compensated for their hard work and that they can support themselves and their families.

Our employment policy is also gender-neutral and based solely on a person's skill set. This ensures that all individuals, regardless of their gender, have an equal opportunity to be employed and contribute to the local community.

The workshops and conservation centers that we visit on our tours have an agreed payment policy with us, ensuring that everyone involved is fairly compensated for their work.

By purchasing goods directly from local artisans, you can be sure that any income generated goes directly to the grassroots community, helping support local businesses and families. We believe that supporting local communities in this way not only benefits them but also enriches the travel experience for our guests.

All the sustainable practices this trip implements have made it an award-winning one. 


This 2-week cultural tour of Rajasthan blends cultural & heritage experiences, immersion in artisanal communities, and connection to nature & animals.

[13 days] India: Rajasthan Cultural Tour | Yugen Earthside

This 2-week cultural tour of Rajasthan blends cultural and heritage experiences, immersion in artisanal communities, and connection to nature and animals.

Rajasthan is perhaps the most frequently visited destination in India for its vibrant colors, the Thar desert, and beautiful palaces. However, what really enhances your experience is the storytelling and visits to the village communities that give you an immersive view of the cultural fabric.
Our Rajasthan Cultural Tour is designed to help you leisurely explore not only the main sights, but also the hidden treasures, such as nomadic shepherds and Bishnoi, Raika, and Bhil communities. It is also our endeavor to create employment opportunities for these communities via tourism.

Visit the local artisans in less commercialized cities, villages, and their homes.  If you wish, participate in various art forms such as miniature paintings, bangle-making, brass artwork, and marble masonry.

Live with the community in traditional homestays

Hands-on experiences with weavers, potters, bangle makers, and block printers

Village walks and interacting with nomadic communities

Expect to see heritage homes, carved Hindu temples, ancient ruins, and more. You will also witness showcases of local music and traditional dances in a private ceremony.

In addition to a culturally immersive experience, we take you out into nature to explore the countryside. You will see lakes, stunning waterfalls, and a site of historic rock painting which pre-historic communities used to communicate with one another.

For the animal lovers, we will spend two days with camel herders understanding their nomadic lives. We’ll also visit a sheep herding community. There’s an optional extension available where you can take a full-day, ethical leopard safari.

Though we offer abundant guided activities, this tour also provides free time for you to leisurely explore on your own.

On request, we can extend this Rajasthan Culture Tour to include visits to Delhi and Agra.

We offer this tour during the best season for it – anytime between September 1st and April 15th each year. Guests choose their desired start date.

If guests want high-end accommodations different from what is included in the Itinerary, we can suggest places for an additional fee.

 Entry fees to any monuments wherever applicable. Not included in the trip price to give travelers flexibility. Generally, the fee for monuments is Rs. 500 (~$7 USD) per person

Any changes in the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control or an act of God  

Extensions of the itinerary to Delhi and Agra (Taj Mahal is in Agra) 

All accommodations in twin-share rooms at the hotels and homestays mentioned

Breakfast every day, 1 Packed Lunch, and 5 Dinners as mentioned

Prices are the same regardless of when you travel.

We cap the number of travelers we host per year to 500 to combat the risk of over-tourism. We stay free of touts (persistent salespeople). Instead, we engage with locals by doing hands-on craft experiences directly with artisans. Our trips support 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (#1, 5, 8, 10, 12-15). We pride ourselves on propagating and reviving local folk tales through storytelling. We support local artisans by involving them in tourism.

Our many environmental actions include strict care of nature, using energy-saving electrical appliances in our homestays, and efforts to manage waste responsibly. We minimize plastic on this tour and provide safe and healthy alternatives to plastic plates, packaged items, and bottles. We leave behind zero waste. We do not indulge in animal slavery, cruelty, or luring through bait during the wildlife experiences. 

All accommodations are personally reviewed by our team. Our homestays and accommodations focus on local & organic food (vegetarian options available!), recycling waste properly, and striving for using energy-saving lights and appliances as well as solar thermal panels.

We locally source raw materials for meals.

This 9-day tour of North India revolves around responsible wildlife experiences with a dash of luxury, city, and cultural village tours mixed in.

[9 days] North India Wildlife Tour | Yugen Earthside

Visit Delhi, Agra (home to the Taj Mahal), Sawai Madhopur, and Ghanerao over the course of your stay. Witness incredible wildlife as well as significant cultural sites. Experience stays in luxury wildlife lodges and charming homestays that are working directly with local communities in wildlife conservation, rehabilitation, and community development projects. For example, the wildlife lodge in Sawai Madhopur and the homestay in Ghanerao are working with tribal women and camel herders on several projects including creating alternative incomes via selling camel milk, selling wool products, and supporting a local school.

Visit a rescue and rehabilitation center for distressed wildlife, in particular, Indian bears and elephants

Stay in a luxury wildlife lodge for a guided safari in Ranthambore National Park, famous for Indian tigers

Spend a couple of days with camel herders witnessing their nomadic life and conservation efforts

Hear lesser-known, unique facts about the famous Taj Mahal from one of our storytelling guides

Free time to explore Delhi, including the President’s Palace, the India Gate, and the crafts market

Guided tour of Delhi through the spice markets, jewel markets, cloth markets, and more

Cultural tours, and visits to tombs, temples, forts, and monuments

Optional visits for extra time at cultural monuments, visiting with local artisans, seeing their crafts (requires adding a day or two to your tour)

Optional tour extension for a full day leopard safari

The combination of wildlife, conservation projects, and cultural experiences makes this tour equally great for families, couples, and solo travelers.
India has so much to offer! If you have a few more days to spare, we highly recommend that you add Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur to this tour. This can give you the opportunity to embrace a “slow travel” mindset and provide the time for an additional safari or to visit more wonderful cultural sites.

If guests want high-end accommodations different from what is included in the Detailed Itinerary, we can suggest places for an additional fee.

Entry fees to any monuments wherever applicable. Not included in the trip price to give travelers flexibility. Generally, the fee for monuments is Rs. 500 (~$7 USD) per person. Taj Mahal is Rs. 1,300 ($17.50 USD) per person. It goes directly to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Any changes in the itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control or an act of God

All accommodation in twin-share rooms at the homestays and lodges mentioned

Breakfasts every day, one lunch, and two dinners as mentioned

We cap the number of travelers we host per year to 500 to combat the risk of over-tourism. We stay free of touts (persistent salespeople). Our trips support 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (#1, 5, 8, 10, 12-15). We promote tourism dispersal by spending only limited time at bigger cities and main monuments, with the majority of the tour in less-trafficked areas.

Environmental Initiatives
Our many environmental actions include strict care of nature, using energy-saving electrical appliances in our homestays, and efforts to manage waste responsibly. We minimize plastic on this tour and provide safe and healthy alternatives to plastic plates, packaged items, and bottles. We leave behind zero waste. We locally source raw materials for meals. 
All accommodations are personally reviewed by our team. Our homestays and accommodations focus on local & organic food (vegetarian options available!), recycling waste properly, and striving for using energy-saving lights and appliances as well as solar thermal panels.



Sociocultural Initiatives
We pride ourselves on propagating and reviving local folk tales through storytelling. We support local artisans by involving them in tourism. This tour focuses on ethical animal and wildlife tourism. We do not indulge in animal slavery, cruelty, or luring through bait during the wildlife experiences. We visit rescue centers and speak with those caring for the animals..

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Golden Triangle Cultural Tour

Rajasthan Cultural Tour

North India Wildlife Tour

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