Get your travel plans on track with these new escorted tours
Whether it's riding a heritage toy train through the Himalayas, witnessing the red-rock landscapes of Australia or exploring the centuries-old temples of Southeast Asia, Great Rail Journeys ' new itineraries for 2026 promise plenty in the way of once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
And if you're looking to go long-haul but don't fancy the hassle of arranging it all, its group tours can help you get there with ease. With over 50 years of escorted-travel expertise to call upon, and with a tour manager on hand to make sure every step of your trip is unforgettable, you can focus on making new friends, enjoying unique cultural experiences and creating lifelong memories.
To help inspire your next big adventure, here are some of the best group tours to book for next year.
See India's Golden Triangle in style
Experience India's most impressive sights with a dose of luxury on Great Rail Journeys' Exclusive India's Golden Triangle & Oberoi Hotels itinerary. This 14-day tour features luxury accommodation throughout – including stays at four historic Oberoi Hotels and the plush Six Senses Fort Barwara near Ranthambore.
You'll start in Delhi before travelling by train to the Himalayan city of Shimla – the former summer capital of the British Raj. Enjoy a ride and lunch aboard the lavish Rail Motor Car, built for the Viceroy in 1928, before a day exploring Old and New Delhi and a visit to the royal 'pink city' of Jaipur.
Highlights include a private jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park in search of Bengal tigers, a visit to the red sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri, and catching sunrise over the Taj Mahal. You'll also enjoy plenty of culturally immersive experiences, from a ride on a pink rickshaw in Jaipur as part of a women's social enterprise project to lunch at a former prince's home.
Get spiritual in the Himalayas
See India in a different light on the 16-day Spirit of the Himalayas & Amritsar's Golden Temple itinerary, where you'll stay in the city of Rishikesh, a spiritual pilgrimage centre on the banks of the Ganges.
Enjoy optional sunrise yoga, craft classes and meditation in this unique city before visiting the striking Golden Temple in Amritsar, a key pilgrimage site for Sikhs, where you'll witness the sacred Palki ceremony.
Visit a tea plantation in the Kangra Valley for a tour and tasting amid the rolling hills; travel to the picturesque hill station of Dharamshala, the home of the Dalai Lama; and embark on two toy train journeys: the Himalayan Queen and the Kangra Valley Railway (India's longest narrow-gauge track). Expect mesmerising views as you amble between snow-capped peaks, taking in the country's most extraordinary regions.
Explore Australia and New Zealand's incredible landscapes
Combine Australasia's must-see spots on an epic 23-day Highlights of Australia and New Zealand trip – from Melbourne, where you'll take in the cultural attractions on an evening cruise, to Uluru, to witness sunset over the rock before tucking into a three-course dinner and stargazing session.
Elsewhere in Australia you'll visit Melbourne, enjoy a full-day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef and ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway between the waterfalls and soaring trees of the Cairns rainforest.
Over in New Zealand, highlights include witnessing the steely blue waters and dramatic, towering peaks of Fiordland National Park's pristine wilderness; riding the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch into the Southern Alps; and cruising crystalline Lake Wakatipu aboard TSS Earnslaw, the oldest passenger-carrying steamship in the southern hemisphere. You'll also enjoy a Maori cultural evening with hangi (the traditional way of cooking underground), see the steaming sulphur vents of Rotorua, explore vibrant Auckland and visit the adventure capital of Queenstown, set amid mountain views.
Delve deep into Southeast Asia
Explore Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia on an all-encompassing, 18-day Grand Tour of Southeast Asia. You'll visit Bangkok, taking in highlights such as Wat Pho temple, home to the giant, gold-leaf Reclining Buddha.
You'll ride a traditional long-tailed boat through the klongs (canals) of the city's historic quarter before heading north to cross the famous bridge over the River Kwai. From here you'll ride the Burma Railway, learning more about its history and its construction by Allied prisoners of war. In Laos, ride the modern Laos-China railway from Vientiane to Luang Prabang – one of the fastest trains in Southeast Asia – and take part in a cooking class, heading to a market with a local chef before preparing a Laotian feast.
In Vietnam, sail between the mystical limestone karsts and emerald waters of Unesco-listed Ha Long Bay, among other highlights, and in Cambodia, travel by tuk-tuk to see the silhouetted spires of Angkor Wat, once the capital of the Khmer Empire, whose silhouetted spires form the largest temple complex in the world.
Expect to be mesmerised from start to finish, with an expert Great Rail Journeys guide there to show you the ins and outs of this fascinating, heritage-rich part of the world and experiences hand-picked by experts to help you get to its real heart.
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Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Devastated and broken, I headed to the Himalayas to heal my heartbreak
This time last year I was standing in cold, bright sunlight at the top of a mountain in the Nepalese Himalayas. As I took in the blue sky and air as pure as the snow under my feet on Mardi Himal, for the first time in months, I felt a sense of release. It was day five of my seven-night trek in Nepal, a country that only opened to tourists 70 years ago and where I had first visited nearly 25 years ago. I loved everything about the place, from the kind and genuine people to the traditions and the sense of peace. I had been called back the second time after a breakup last year, which blindsided me. One minute we had happily been together for an intense 10 months and he was helping me buy a puppy. Two weeks later he disappeared. Completely ghosted, I was left devastated. So, while I didn't get the dog – I did go back to the Himalayas in a bid toprocess and dissipate the pain I felt in every cell. I contacted the company who'd organised my previous trek based in Pokhara, central Nepal. Called 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, it was set up by sisters Lucky, Dicky and Nicky Karki Chhetri in 1994 to train Nepalese women to become guides to empower them and offer financial independence. Plus, they'd heard of some bad experiences female travellers had with male guides, so it made sense – even though 30 years ago it was unheard of for a woman to be a guide. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Today, the sisters lead treks to India, Bhutan and Tibet, as well as Nepal which run up to 21 days and are usually for solo travellers or groups of friends. When I went in 2000, I'd been laid off and used my redundancy money to go on my travels, randomly choosing Nepal from the globe in my parents sitting room. I signed up to climb to Annapurna base camp with just a guide and not a big group. At over 4,000 metres high, it took a very long 12 days when it was meant to take nine, but it was the best and hardest thing I have ever done physically and mentally. So almost 25 years after Annapurna – and older and wiser – I contacted 3 Sisters to book the Mardi Himal trek towards Machhapuchhare, also known as Fishtail mountainbecause of it's unique shape. After three flights from London which took me over 36 hours, I arrived at the 3 Sisters Guest House, in the lively city of Pokhara – which has doubled in size in the last 25 years. The following day I met my guide Lila and her trainee, Manila, who had the task of carrying my 12kg rucksack. I felt embarrassed about it, but it was better than me toppling over backwards on a Himalayan mountain – a real possibility. Taking a lift to our starting point, the hamlet of Kalimati, the Tibetan peace flags gently floated in the breeze. After the bustle of Pokhara, I couldn't wait to be distracted from confusion, shame and pain. In the heat of 30 degrees and surrounded by mountain oak, birch trees and hemlock we started up the paths that alternated with steep steps. Concentrating hard on putting one pole and foot in front of the other, I knew it would take some time for the chatter in my head to slow down, but it was all meditative movement, and the air felt calming. After seven hours of walking with a break for lunch, we reached our first destination Duerali, a village at 2100 metres with half a dozen lodges. We stayed at Shangri-La Guest House and I leapt on my dinner of dal bhat, the traditional Nepali meal made of vegetables rice, dahl with pickles; the ingredients up the mountains are locally grown and are utterly delicious. I could pay for a hot shower, WIFI and to charge my phone but I had decided to go mobile free, as I didn't want the temptation of checking my phone for messages in case he had messaged and the disappointment when he hadn't (since you ask he didn't. Idiot man). Thankfully I was so tired, for the first time in ages I fell into a long nightmare-free sleep. The next day we continued our uphill climb and the scenery magically changed as we entered what Lila called the jungle. Surrounded by rhododendrons, Manila told me that they are the Nepalese national flower, which sounded so incongruous to me as they were just so 'British', I had one of the first belly laughs in months. Being a slowcoach, it took us six hours rather than four to get to lunch and then another six until we reached the camp for the night. Although the altitude hadn't affected my breathing, by then, I felt incredibly weak. There was also another issue – my tummy felt like a balloon has blown up inside it. That night I woke desperate for the loo and stood on my glasses in a rush to get there. I spent the rest of the night sweating, blindly, only to add to my confusion. When Lila woke me the next morning I explained I wasn't well, but I knew we had to go on. She was incredibly sympathetic and ordered me black tea, light Tibetan bread, like a large pretzel shaped light bagel. I hunted down the Imodium in my rucksack and we took off. Still feeling incredibly weak – with my bra hurting, too – I started to cry behind my sunglasses. I felt like I was about to have a tantrum. Thankfully, we stopped for me to change my bra, which solved at least one problem. But I was so slow we only made it to the lodge where we were meant to be having lunch by the evening. I collapsed in the guesthouse sitting room where the male guides were playing cards beside a log burner. I was desperate for bed and rest, but as this was meant to be our lunch stop, we hadn't booked it to stay in and the place was full. Somehow Lila managed to arrange a room for us to share, gave me Coke with salt and gently fed me (oddly delicious) garlic soup, which had a miraculously settling effect. I slept from 7pm for 12 hours – apparently sleep talking, which is unsurprising as I had some peculiar dreams, an apparent side effect of eating vast quantities of garlic. I woke up feeling restored and even treated myself to pay £3 for a hot shower, so grateful for my caring and sympathetic female guides. The day before affectionately became known as 'bra Tuesday' and we began yet another day of climbing. I could feel it was getting colder, while the landscape went from paddy fields and jungle to vast planes. Further up I was reminded of Scotland – while on the way down it could have been the prairies of Switzerland, especially when we came across a cow with a bell around her neck. More Trending We had a lot of distance to catch up on, and finally, after two days, we made it to the top of the mountain. In a thick down jacket, standing outside on the snow and looking at the majesty of the mountains, I celebrated this moment with a coffee (banned before by nurse Lila) and momos, Nepalese dumplings freshly made at each lodge. Taking in everything at the top, I finally understood why I had come on this trek. Having to be fully present and concentrate, I was on the path to processing my pain. Yes, I had been near breaking point, but my body had become stronger and so was my resolve to get through my heartbreak. The Himalayas, their power and beauty gave me strength and made me realise that it might be a long process, but starting with one foot in front of the other I was on my way. I took on the Machhapuchhare Kiss (7 nights 8 days), which costs around £810 per person. Price Includes: Two nights accommodation at 3 Sisters Guest House, guide, assistant, all food, accommodation, backpack and sleeping bag. For more information, click here. MORE: The underrated Swiss lake town that's like Como without the crowds MORE: The teenage Orkney killer who got away with murder for 14 years MORE: I visited the 'Santorini of Tunisia' with cool coffee shops, local art and flights from £76
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
India vows to keep up development in Kashmir after tourist attack
NEW DELHI, June 6 (Reuters) - India is committed to efforts to develop its restive territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, accusing neighbour Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April's deadly attack on tourists. He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since Islamist attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours that ended in ceasefire last month. "The atmosphere of development that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attack ... I will not let development stop here," Modi said in remarks after inaugurating infrastructure projects. Key among these was a $5-billion rail link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India, which has been more than 40 years in the making and features the world's highest railway arch bridge. Others include highways, city roads and a new medical college. India has accused Pakistan of backing the April attack, a claim denied by Islamabad, and they engaged in four days of fierce fighting last month before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan aimed to disrupt the livelihoods of the poor in Kashmir, who rely heavily on tourism, Modi said, adding that he would face down any obstacle to regional development. Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Modi's remarks. Last month, Islamabad said a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential to ensure lasting peace in the region, known for its snow-topped mountains, scenic lakes, lush meadows, and tulip gardens. The region, which drew more than 3 million visitors last year, is at the heart of the hostility between the old foes, both of which claim it in full, but rule it in part and have fought two of their three wars over it. India also accuses Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants battling security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation. Trains run in the Kashmir Valley but the new link is its first to the wider Indian railway network. Apart from boosting the regional economy, it is expected to help revive tourism, which plummeted after the April attack. ($1=85.7500 Indian rupees)
Sunday Post
29-05-2025
- Sunday Post
Travel: G&Ts and glamour on a girls' work trip to Kimpton Blythswood Square
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up I challenge anyone to name a better feeling than hearing the words 'we have upgraded you to a suite' at a reception desk. Especially in Glasgow's only five-star hotel. Standing in the lobby of Kimpton Blythswood Square, black and white marble tiles beneath my feet and crystal chandelier drooping above a dark grand piano to my left, I was already feeling pretty fancy. I politely declined the offer of a concierge taking my battered backpack upstairs to try and maintain that aura. My friend Julia and I looked at each other as we selected the top floor in the lift and headed up, not exactly sure what we were about to walk into. I can honestly say I have never seen a hotel room like it. One wall of the suite was made entirely of windows, with a view out onto a sprawling balcony and the city beyond. Waiting for us were all the makings of a Glaswegin G&T, which we assembled before continuing to explore. © Supplied by Kimpton Blythswood S We moved through the large seating area, along the windows and onto the bedroom, passing the black marble bathroom between. The balcony had not one, but two seating areas, the TV was hidden in the foot of the bed and the bubble bath was primed and ready to be poured into the huge tub. Though everything screamed luxury, it also felt homely. I would quite happily have moved in. Julia and I were in Glasgow for a big awards ceremony, taking advantage of the occasion to have a bit of a girly sleepover. Of course, part of the fun of going to an event is getting ready with friends. We sipped our G&Ts in front of the huge bathroom mirror, slightly ruining the vibe by scattering our make-up everywhere, and turned the corridor between the rooms into a catwalk as we finalised outfit choices. © Supplied by Kimpton Blythswood S While we were out, we took great pride in telling people where we were staying, and – a tad boastfully – showing off pictures of our suite. We got back late, but still with plenty of time to have the genius idea of ordering room service breakfast for the following morning. After a glorious sleep, we started the day in the only way you should after a late night: in the spa. Right on the bottom floor of the hotel, it felt a little like we were going down to another world; one of ultimate calm. Used to spas with a pool, sauna and steam room at best, maybe a jacuzzi if lucky, I couldn't believe how many things there were to do. It was almost like the most tranquil of water parks. The pool had a dark section, with stars on the ceiling mimicking the night sky. There were multiple saunas, one that was raised above the pool so you could sit inside and watch others swim. We didn't last long in the snow shower but it was fun to try, and the clarifying air of the Himalayan salt room really cleared us out. I think the tepidarium was my favourite area, with the heated marble loungers hard to leave. © Supplied by Kimpton Blythswood S Just as we had planned, breakfast arrived in our room as we did. We had ordered an array of fruit, yoghurt, pastries, tea and coffee, which were delivered on a tray for us to enjoy. Though we had a lot of fun on our trip, we were also there for work, so this was very convenient to give us time to catch up on emails. Continuing on the work theme, the hotel's gorgeous Iasg restaurant is the perfect place for meetings, which we had set up for the morning. We nattered over coffee, and it was lovely to be able to do that in the peace of the hotel rather than having to rush out into the city. Before heading for our respective trains home, we decided we had to try out some of the dishes on Iasg's new menu. The restaurant space itself is so stylish, with a 360 bar in the centre and black and white flooring tiles carrying through from the lobby. I sent photos to my boyfriend in the hopes we could take inspiration during our house renovations. © Supplied by Kimpton Blythswood S Luckily, both Julia and I are the kind of people who enjoy ordering a little bit of everything to share. We opted for the seared scallops, beef carpaccio, Shetland mussels and burrata, tucking in and mixing and matching. Everything was delicious, championing Scottish produce to the max, but our standouts were definitely the scallops and carpaccio. We had mocktails on the side because that felt like a necessary addition to finish off our girly sleepover. And, why not? There are cheaper hotel options in the city, but if you want a guaranteed treat Blythswood Square will deliver on all levels. The decor is gorgeous and you are made to feel special – even if your backpack is a little battered. From the calming spa and branded robes to the balcony views and delicious food, I will be dreaming about my next sleepover. © Supplied by Kimpton Blythswood S Factfile Rooms in Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel & Spa start from £190 for bed and breakfast. For more information, go to P.S. Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel & Spa has been a prestigious address since the early 19th century. It boasts 114 rooms and suites, ranging from double and twin rooms right up to a new two-bedroom penthouse. The hotel is around a 10-minute walk from Glasgow's Central Station, and not much further from Queen Street, so it's an easy option even if you are on a quick trip to the city.
