The Programme in Brief

Day 1 – Departure from Copenhagen

Day 2 – Agra & the Taj Mahal

Transfer by private minibus to Agra with our lovely driver, whom we have worked with for the past ten years. Here we experience the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. This is certainly not a traditional tour of Rajasthan, but we have chosen to include the Taj Mahal because its story is so beautiful and closely connected with devotion and love. It also represents an architectural perfection that is extraordinary to experience.

Day 3 – Sunrise & on to Jaipur

After watching the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, we continue on to Jaipur, also known as The Pink City. On the way, we visit one of India’s largest and most beautiful stepwells, where endless rows of steps seem almost infinite. We arrive in Jaipur in the afternoon and begin with lunch at one of the city’s best cafés, followed by time to explore some of the finest shops, where colourful textiles, handmade crafts and unique finds offer both inspiration and wonderful purchases. We stay in a restored haveli, a small family-run hotel with a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the rooftops and temples of the Pink City.

Day 4 – Jaipur Awakens

We experience Jaipur together with the women of the Pink City Rickshaw Company. We move through the city’s flower market, attend the morning aarti and see Hawa Mahal in the early morning light. We visit the City Palace and feel the contrast between royal Jaipur and the city’s busy streets. After a delicious lunch in one of our favourite oasis-like spots, we visit a shop that also has a charming small museum focusing on traditional craft techniques, cultural heritage and sustainable production. A calm and remarkably beautiful place, and a must-visit when in Jaipur. Dinner in the evening includes inspiration and tips on how to recreate Indian dishes at home.

Day 5 – The Fort on Foot

In the morning, we visit a small family-run workshop that has won awards for generations and works with the beautiful art of block printing. We also visit a small family-owned paper workshop producing the finest paper from cotton remnants. Here we see how the paper is formed in frames, pressed and laid out to dry, exactly as it has been done for generations. In the afternoon, we walk through Amer, the former capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs, and hear stories about life in and around the breathtaking Amber Fort, where sandstone walls, mirrored halls and views across the lake create a fairytale setting. We also visit the charming Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing.

Day 6 – On to Chandelao

Today we travel to Chandelao, a small village outside Jodhpur, The Blue City. Just outside Jaipur, we visit our dear and passionate friends, who share their knowledge of ways of life connected to textile-based craft traditions. We walk through a village where life still revolves around traditional crafts and experience the entire process, from dyeing and printing to washing and drying. At the same time, we gain insight into how this deeply rooted craft community is also influenced by various global impulses. In the evening, we have dinner under a clear, star-filled sky in Chandelao.

Day 7 – Dabu & Sunder Rang

We stay in a small fort in the village and take an early morning walk, experiencing the rhythm of the day and seeing how life unfolds in the countryside. We greet some of the women who later go to work at the craft centre and may be offered a cup of chai. After breakfast, we drive to another village where we learn about the traditional mud-resist technique, dabu, and the work with beautiful indigo. In the afternoon, we visit Sunder Rang Arts and Craft Centre, located by the fort where we are staying. Here, local women work with traditional crafts and are also busy with different orders from international designers. It is a place we have collaborated with and developed projects with for many years, and a very warm welcome always awaits us.

Day 8 – The Blue City

A full day in Jodhpur. We walk through the old town with its beautiful blue houses and experience the city from the top of Mehrangarh Fort. There is time to wander the narrow streets, explore the bazaar around the Clock Tower and sense how the desert landscape gives Jodhpur its distinctive atmosphere. We visit our favourite small places and greet those we know.

Day 9 – Farewell & Departure

We take one final morning walk in Chandelao and take time to say a proper farewell, perhaps until next time, to the women at the craft centre. We continue to Jodhpur airport and fly to Delhi in the afternoon.

Day 10 – Arrival in Copenhagen

We depart on a morning flight to Copenhagen and land in Kastrup in the late afternoon.