Day 07 · Varanasi
A bolt of Banarasi unrolls.
The Weavers' Hub pulls a 200-year archive from the back wall, one folded length at a time.
Seventeen nights tracing kantha, brocade, chikankari, Himachali knit and phulkari — woven together with vintage railway, cycle rickshaw, river boat and the slow narrow-gauge climb to Shimla.
From the Crafts Council of West Bengal to the SEWA chikankari ateliers of Lucknow, from the Vande Bharat Express to the UNESCO narrow-gauge climb to Shimla — a journey designed for travellers who love the feel of cloth between their fingers and the rhythm of trains beneath their feet.
A celebrated textile expert renowned for guiding travellers on worldwide textile journeys, Pat brings a decade of rich experience exploring India's regional textiles, weaving, and stitched crafts. Her passion for India's diverse traditions has not only deepened her expertise — it has inspired her own art quilts, turning age-old techniques into vibrant expressions of creativity.
Joining one of Pat's tours means diving into an immersive tapestry of knowledge and hands-on experiences. She delights in sharing stories, explaining intricate techniques, and even designing bespoke stitching projects for travellers — so every participant carries home not just memories, but their own stitched masterpiece of this extraordinary journey.
A diagonal stitch across northern India — by air for the long jumps, by Vande Bharat for the Gangetic plain, and by chartered vintage rail-bus on the UNESCO Kalka–Shimla line.
Check in for your overnight flight east. Pat and the team meet the group on arrival.
Marigold welcome at the airport. A relaxed heritage walking tour with chai and a butter bun at a local eatery. We close the day on a boat across the Hooghly, the floodlit Howrah Bridge silhouetted against the dusk.
A morning ride on the city's century-old tram network — still drawing 550-volt DC from the catenary. Afternoon at the Crafts Council of West Bengal: Kantha demonstration with the artisans, with time to browse and shop the studio.
Asia's largest flower market under Howrah Bridge at dawn. Kumartuli, the potters' colony where Durga's clay-and-straw idols are born. Mother Teresa's House. Victoria Memorial in white marble. Afternoon at a second Kantha centre lifting the stitch into haute couture.
Leisurely morning, then a midday flight to Varanasi — one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Transfer to our city hotel for three nights.
Hand-rowed boat at sunrise from Manikarnika Ghat. A drive past Banaras Hindu University — Asia's largest residential campus. At leisure for spa and pool, or join Pat's textile workshop. Cycle-rickshaw down to the river at dusk for the Ganga Aarti — priests, lamps, and the chants of the river goddess.
An optional 45-minute morning yoga session. Then to the Varanasi Weavers & Artisans Society — the Weavers' Hub — for a Banarasi silk-brocade demonstration and workshop. Afternoon with one of the city's oldest weaving families, looms clattering on the upper floors of their home.
Short transfer to Varanasi Junction for the 0932 Vande Bharat Express — India's flagship semi-high-speed service, built in Chennai. Arrive Lucknow 1432 with proper meal service on board. Transfer to our iconic hotel for three nights.
The Bara Imambara — the world's largest unsupported vaulted hall — and its labyrinthine Bhul Bhulaiya. The graceful Chota Imambara. La Martinière College, the only school in the world to hold royal battle honours.
A morning at the Self Employed Women's Association — demonstration, hands-on chikankari workshop, and time with the artisans through their daily routine (a head scarf for the prayer interlude). Afternoon stroll through the Hazratganj market for kebabs and shopping.
Morning at leisure with Pat's poolside textile workshop. Afternoon flight (just over an hour) to Chandigarh — Le Corbusier's grid city — for an early check-in and dinner.
Morning at Nek Chand's Rock Garden — three decades of one man's secret recycled-ceramic dreamworld. Then to Kalka station to board our exclusively chartered vintage rail-bus on the UNESCO Kalka–Shimla line — a 1903 two-foot gauge, 102 tunnels, 800-plus bridges, picnic lunch on board. Arrive Shimla by early evening for our colonial hotel on The Mall — home for three nights.
The Indian Institute of Advanced Studies — the former Vice Regal Lodge in full Gothic-Victorian theatre. A leisurely walk down The Mall through The Ridge, Scandal Point, the Gaiety Theatre (private tour) and Christ Church. Atrium-bar drinks before a dressed-for-dinner evening.
Morning at leisure — heated indoor pool, spa. Afternoon Himachali knitting workshop with the local ladies supported by the Rotary Club of Shimla — vibrant patterns, woollens, and the warmth of the hills.
A late breakfast, then three hours by armchair coach down the Shimla–Chandigarh highway with a relaxed valley-resort lunch. Onward by train from Chandigarh to Amritsar by late evening — luggage forwarded by road.
Morning at the Harmandir Sahib — the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith, founded 1574 — with the Akal Takht and the tower of Baba Atal. A walk through Jallianwala Bagh in remembrance. Bazaar shopping for embroidered juttis and pathani suits. Late afternoon to Wagah, the India–Pakistan border, for the flag-lowering retreat — an extraordinary piece of theatre.
Our final workshop — Phulkari embroidery in a recreated Punjabi village setting, with demonstration and hands-on stitching. Afternoon at the century-old Khalsa College and the Partition Museum, the world's first museum of Partition memory.
Breakfast and transfer to Amritsar airport for flights home — with a finished panel, a sketchbook of techniques, and a small library of bought cloth in the suitcase.
Personal and incidental expenses, international airfare, visa fees, travel insurance.
Ground-only price. International flights to Kolkata and from Amritsar are arranged separately — we're happy to advise on routings.
To secure your place: pay the $500 per-person deposit via the link, and complete the booking form. We'll be in touch with bank details for the balance.