India: ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ inspires this tour

It’s no secret that movies inspire travelers to visit places they see on the big screen. Now one travel company has designed a tour to India based on the movie “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” The film takes place in Rajasthan, and the 13-day tour follows suit. However participants stay in four-star hotels rather than the down-at-the-heel “hotel” shown in the film (though there’s a visit to that site).

The trip begins and ends in Delhi and includes a tuk-tuk ride, a visit to Kanota Castle where the Viceroy Club was set in the film, and a day trip to Rawla Kumpar to see the hotel featured in the movie. But the tour provides a deeper cultural experience too. Dinner with a local family in Rajashthan and a walk in Delhi with an underserved youth trained by an aid agency also is included.

Participants visit Agra and the Taj Mahal, take an elephant ride to the Amber Fort in Jaipur and board a train to Udaipur to view temples and take a boat ride on Lake Pichola.

Date: Tours are offered Oct. 1-March 31, with some blackout dates.

Price: $2,230 per person, double occupancy. This includes hotel stays, daily breakfast and some meals, guides, transfers, entrance fees and taxes. International airfare is extra.

Info: Geringer Global Travel, The Best Marigold Rajasthan Tour, (877) 255-7438