Acem Travels 2026 – Day by day program
Saturday 24 October to Friday 6 November 2026
This 14-day long trip includes a 6-day Acem Meditation retreat with Dr. Are Holen at the Ratan Villas, a beautifully resort located at the Siliserh Lake in Alwar in southern Rajasthan. Our 8-day post-retreat tour goes to the Ranthambore and Keoladeo National Parks and proceeds with a comfortable train ride on the Vande Bharat Express from Agra to our exploration of Varanasi in southeastern Uttar Pradesh. From Varanasi we return to Delhi by the Vande Bharat Express.
Gathering at Delhi airport Saturday 24 October
The tour program starts Saturday morning, after individual plane arrivals from Europe. We gather at a designated location at Delhi Airport after passport control and luggage retrieval. Here we meet the rest of the group and make ready for transport to the retreat venue in coaches (comfortable buses) at 11:00. The journey from the airport to Ratan Villas takes three hours. Lunch is served upon arrival and check-in, followed by free time to settle and relax before the retreat program commences at 17:00.
RETREAT IN ACEM MEDITATION AT RATAN VILLAS
Saturday 24 October to Thursday 29 October
The retreat program includes long meditations, in-depth guidance, seminars, discussions of meditation psychology and social interaction with other meditators. The rhythm follows the sun; we get up and go to bed early.
Photo: Ratan Villas
The resort is very well suited for a pleasant and comfortable stay, creating a stimulating atmosphere for cultural and personal exchange between participants from India and European countries. The houses are sheltered in lush gardens with nesting birds and walking paths.
Tasty vegetarian meals are served at the buffet three times per day in the resort restaurant. In the afternoon, we will mingle at high tea in the garden. It is also possible to relax at the private swimming pool facing the beautiful Siliserh Lake, or get a massage at the spa.
Are Holen, Acem's founder and chief lecturer, leads the retreat. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
See Ratan Villas website for more photos.
While being in the meditation retreat, you may explore the local village life.
POST-RETREAT TOUR IN RAJASTHAN AND VARANASI
Friday, October 30 to Friday, November 6
Day 1: Friday, October 30
From Ratan Villas to Ranthambore – 241 km / 4:40 hours
Early Friday morning, we embark on our post-retreat tour in coaches. First stop is the the stepwell palace Chand Baori and our final destination is the Ranthambore National Park.
Chand Baori
This architectural marvel was constructed around the 8th or 9th century by King Chanda. It stands as one of the deepest, largest, and oldest stepwells in the world. The structure comprises over 3,500 narrow steps, meticulously arranged in a precise geometric pattern, descending 13 stories deep.
Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Originally built to store water in the arid region, Chand Baori also served as a community gathering place. The adjacent palace pavilion adds a touch of royal architecture, harmonising practicality with elegance.
The entire structure is made of porous volcanic rocks and stones, allowing water to seep through and reach the bottom of the water pool or well. As one descends towards the bottom end of the steps, the temperature drops by 5-6 degrees compared to the temperature on top.
The king who built Chand Baori also constructed a temple adjacent to the stepwell, dedicated to the local goddess of joy and happiness.
From the temple walls. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Ranthambore Fort
After lunch, we head to the Ranthambore Fort, a structure nestled within the Ranthambore National Park. Built around the 10th century, it rises atop a high hill, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding forests and plains. Inside the fort, visitors can explore ancient temples, palaces, stepwells, and massive gateways.
The fort's rugged walls and ruins blend seamlessly with the wild landscape, creating a unique fusion of history and nature. Despite the passage of time, the remains of the palace still showcase intricate stonework and hints of its former grandeur. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
One abandoned temple. Photo Øyvind Ellingsen
The fort was a royal stronghold of a Hindu Rajput dynasty before being later taken over by Muslims.
Ranthambore Fort, strategically located, served as a formidable defence against invaders. In 1303, it faced a prolonged siege by invading Muslims. Despite the Rajputs' valour, their resistance was ultimately overcome.
Realising defeat was inevitable, the women of Ranthambore, led by the queens, performed Jauhar—a mass self-immolation to avoid capture, enslavement, and dishonour at the hands of the invaders. The men then performed Saka, riding out of the fort in saffron robes to fight to the death.
Historical records provide an estimate of the number of women who performed Jauhar, suggesting it was a large-scale event involving thousands.
Ranthambore Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Day 2: Saturday, October 31
Ranthambore National Park
This day is dedicated to jungle safari in the Ranthambore National Park, a cherished destination for international as well as domestic nature lovers. The park offers a unique and rewarding wildlife experience. Its combination of rich wildlife, striking scenery, and centuries-old history makes it one of the most inviting parks to visit in India.
Ranthambore covers over 1,300 square kilometers and is home to around 88 wild tigers as of late 2025—a number that makes sightings relatively frequent compared to most tiger reserves.
Photo Øyvind Ellingsen
On the brink of extinction in the 1970s, the Indian tiger population plummeted below 1,500 animals. Project Tiger reversed this trend: by 2022, the number grew to 3,682. Ranthambore National Park reflects this triumph and its challenges. The tiger population here has grown from a perilously low base to the healthy population of today. The park is both a symbol of conservation success and a laboratory for current challenges like inbreeding, territorial conflicts, and human-wildlife interactions.
The landscape is varied and offers views of ancient temples, lake shores, green valleys and majestic jungle.
We will visit Ranthambore in guided safaris in open vehicles. Photo Torbjørn Hobbel
Tiger sightings are by no means guaranteed, but the possibility is there to encounter not just these impressive and powerful creatures, but also leopards, sloth bears, jackals, crocodiles, antelope, deer, and over 300 bird species. Wildlife is often spotted around small lakes, where animals come to drink and cool off.
Ranthambore National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
Day 3: Sunday, November 1
Transit to Bharatpur – Visit to Fatehpur Sikri or Taj Mahal – 253 km / 4 hours
Today's destination is Bharatpur, home of the Keoladeo National Park. The city is an excellent point of departure for two other UNESCO World Heritage sites; the historic fortress town Fatehpur Sikri close by and the world-famous mausoleum Taj Mahal in Agra.
Since some of our participants have already visited "the ultimate symbol of love", our afternoon program includes a visit to the former fortress town. However, first-timers in India may instead take an optional longer trip to the Taj Mahal outside Agra.
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was constructed in the 16th century as the capital of the Islam Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar, widely regarded as one of India's greatest rulers. Akbar's reign spanned from 1556 to 1605, during which he expanded and consolidated Mughal rule over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent.
The complex was founded primarily to honour the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, whose blessings were believed to have ensured Akbar's heir. The city served as the Mughal capital for only fourteen years until it was abandoned in 1585 due to water scarcity.
Akbar's appreciation for diverse cultures is evident in the architecture of Fatehpur Sikri, which harmoniously blends Islamic, Persian, and Hindu styles.
Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate), one of India's largest and most impressive gateways. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
The Tomb of Salim Chishti. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
More photos from Fateput Sikri:
Day 4: Monday, November 2
The Keoladeo National Park
This is a relaxing day, dedicated to exploring the Keoladeo National Park in small groups lead by a local naturalist.
Keoladeo National Park is one of the world's most renowned bird sanctuaries and a vital oasis in an urban landscape. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
We will roam silently along the lakes and wetlands on foot and by el-rickshaw, getting close to the unique bird populations, monkeys and other mammals, until lunch is served in the park's peaceful picnic area. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Photo: Folke Gravklev
The afternoon offers free time for recouperation before a very early departure next day. Enthusiasts may return to the park on their own for a second guided session.
The Keoladeo National Park was originally developed as a hunting reserve for the local maharajas and later served as a protected nature reserve until it was granted World Heritage Site status in 1985.
Through an advanced network of dikes and sluices, a unique wetland ecosystem has been created. Keoladeo is now home to more than 370 species of birds, including storks, spoonbills, cormorants, ducks, geese, waders, owls, eagles and other raptors. The park is a crucial stopover and dispersal site for bird populations along the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world's most important migration routes for shorebirds and waterfowl.
Migrating birds find food and sanctuary here during the critical months of their journey, before continuing further south or west to their wintering grounds. Thereby, the park's wetlands support the survival and reproduction of large bird populations that would be at risk without such a vital staging area.
Photo: Folke Gravklev
The experience of Keoladeo is as rich as its bird populations—especially in winter when the wetlands come alive with migratory flocks and the sound of thousands of wings fills the air.
Day 5: Tuesday, November 3
Vande Bharat Express to Varanasi (7 hours) – Evening Arti at Assi Ghat
After a very early coach ride from Bharatpur, the famous Vande Bharat Express train takes us from Agra to Varanasi. Our reservations include comfortable seating and vegetarian meals. Lunch will be served upon arrival at the hotel in Varanasi, and the afternoon offers free time for recouperation and discovering the local area.
At sunset, we walk together to watch the colourful evening Arti (a ceremony in which lights are lit and offered up to the gods) on the Assi Ghat bank of the Ganges River.
Varanasi – Holy city for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains
Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Also known as Kashi or Benares, Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, situated on the left bank of the Ganges River in the southeastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Between the confluence of the Varuna and Assi rivers, Varanasi holds immense spiritual significance for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.
With over 23,000 temples, Varanasi serves as a site for religious rituals and a gateway to liberation. Many Hindus aspire to visit Varanasi or to be cremated in one of its ghats, believing that it leads to moksha, or freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
The city's history spans thousands of years. About 500 BCE, the Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, a few kilometres from Varanasi. Today, the city also thrives as a hub for classical music, dance, and education. Benares silk saris are still world-famous for their rich patterns and high quality.
Day 6: Wednesday, November 4
Sunrise boat ride on Ganges – Visit to Sarnath
Sunrise over Ganges is special. This morning, we will board the boats in groups at dawn and slowly float downstream to capture the day as it begins in the magic morning light, all the way from the traditional Assi Ghat down to the recently established Namo Ghat.
On our way back, we will observe life on the riverbed, with stops at some famous ghats (steps leading to the water) where you can choose between setting foot on land in small groups or watching from the boat.
Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Photos from the ongoing life on the banks of the Ganga River.
The afternoon includes a tour to Sarnath, where several historic and cultural centres can be visited. The Sarnath Museum, the oldest archaeological museum in India, exhibits the findings recovered from the site where the Buddha first spoke to the people after his enlightenment.
The park next to the museum is home to the Dhamek Stupa, an impressive 43-meter-high monument, erected by King Ashoka more than 2000 years ago. For Buddhists, this is one of the eight most important pilgrimage sites worldwide.
Buddhists from all over the world come to Sarnath. Photo: Torbjørn Hobbel
Several other significant temples are located within walking distance in the area. An especially interesting one is the Shri Digambar Jain Temple, a significant Jain pilgrimage site. It is a friendly temple to visit for foreigners, with lots of basic information easily available for those curious about the Jain faith and its remarkable living customs.
Day 7: Thursday, November 5
Exploring traditional Varanasi – Free activities / shopping
This day, we will explore quarters of the traditional Varanasi in the vicinity of Assi Ghat in small groups on foot, or venture further away to traditional markets and modern shopping venues by auto-rickshaws. Here are some examples.
Thanks to local contacts, we may stroll the narrow back streets of Varanasi to a school where boys from brahmin (priest) families learn the ancient chants, observe traditional mud‑pit style of wrestling practised in sacred gymnasiums, and visit a well where ten thousand childless couples come every year to be blessed with a baby.
It is also possible to visit the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple dedicated to the god Shiva. Many Hindus regard it as one of the holiest spots on the planet. It was previously reserved for Hindus only, but has recently opened access at a special gate for "foreign devotees".
Some may just want to relax in a boat ride on the Ganges river or enjoy a quiet day near the hotel to charge the batteries before the early return to Delhi next day.
Day 8: Friday, November 6
Vande Bharat Express to Delhi (8 hours) – Homebound flights to Europe
The final day of the tour is dedicated to our return. After a very early coach ride from the hotel, the morning Vande Bharat Express train takes us back to Delhi. According to our current information (December 2025), the train will arrive at New Delhi Railway Station at 14:00. Transport to Delhi Airport (15 km) by taxi takes minimum 1 hour, depending on traffic.
Our registration fee also includes a lounge function until midnight in a hotel near the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Many flights for Europe depart between 23:00 late Friday and 04:00 Saturday morning, and individual taxis can be arranged accordingly.
Those who wish to extend their stay in Delhi for sightseeing and shopping, can get help to make reservations for a suitable hotel. It is also possible to return from India by flights out of Varanasi on your own.