Cycle Rajasthan 2022

When can I go?

17 November - 26 November 2022	On Sale
Duration	10 days

17 November - 26 November 2022

On Sale

Duration

10 days

What does it cost?

Cycle Rajasthan 2022

Get ready for a red-hot challenge cycling from the mesmerising Taj Mahal to the pink city of Jaipur.

Join us for a stunning 360km cycle and become immersed in the fascinating region of Rajasthan. Passing through charming local villages, beautiful countryside and the wonderful Ranthambore National Park, we’ll have the awesome opportunity to spot protected species, visit iconic temples and get an insight into the ancient culture of India.

You’ll make fantastic new friendships and amazing memories, as you conquer this incredible challenge, pedalling yourself to the limit for a charity of your choice.

Your itinerary

Days 1 & 2
London - Delhi - Agra

Our adventure begins at the airport in London, where we meet and depart for an overnight flight to Delhi.

Our wonderful ground handlers greet us on arrival and we transfer to Agra. On the drive, we get our first glimpse of the amazing Indian lifestyle as we pass through villages and end up at our comfortable hotel for our welcome dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 3
Agra - Bharatpur

We wake up to an exciting day beginning with a visit to the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra. This magnificent temple dates back almost four hundred years, originally constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife in 1631-1653. As with most iconic sites like this, photographs cannot do it justice.

In the afternoon, we travel to Bharatpur, famous for the Keoladeo Ghana National Park; a world heritage site, which is one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world, home to over 250 species of deer and several wonderful mammals, including the Indian porcupine, the jungle cat and even hyenas!

Settling down at our hotel in Bharatpur, we have our bike fitting and our challenge guides give us a briefing on the adventure ahead.

Day 4
Bharatpur - Karauli | approx. 66km

After breakfast, we transfer to our starting point at Bayana. Here, we mount our bikes and follow a scenic route that immerses us in the fantastic local culture. We cycle on quiet roads through many small villages and agricultural fields, where we may well spot locals in colourful clothes, tending to their crops. The traffic picks up once we reach Masalpur and we continue through the bustling town to the beautiful Karauli City, where we find our hotel.

Day 5
Karauli - Ranthambore | approx. 95km

We continue cycling to Ranthambore National Park, one of the prime examples of Project Tiger’s conservation efforts in Rajasthan; a favourite haunt of wildlife buffs and professional wildlife photographers.

The park is famous for its tigers, one of the most magnificent – and sadly endangered - animals of India. There are also many other species to see, including samba, cheetah, wild boar, leopard, sloth bear, jackal and hyena among others.

The park itself covers 1334 sq km and its scenery is beautiful. We stay overnight at the Tiger Den Resort. If you’re a wildlife lover yourself, why not choose an animal charity to support on your challenge?

You could even raise funds for tigers or elephants. It’s a fantastic way to help save the fast dying-out species we may see today.

Day 6
Ranthambore - Talabgaon | approx. 76km

Our ride today will take us to the historic town of Talabgaon. This area is steeped in the ancient culture of Rajasthan, rich in music and dance, with its own distinct style that plays a major part of the local traditions and celebrations. Tonight, we have the awesome opportunity to stay at the 200-year-old Talabgaon Castle.

Day 7
Talabgaon - Dausa | approx. 76km

We have a stunning cycle route today, which leads us through more of Rajasthan’s charming countryside and vibrant towns, until we eventually reach our hotel in Dausa.

Not unlike the other cities we see on this challenge, Dausa boasts archaeological significance and spectacular buildings. The city, which was the first capital of this region, is now a silent spectator of the bygone glory, with an old fort and small havelis (town houses) dotted all over the terrain.

Day 8
Dausa - Jaipur | approx. 48km

We start with a short transfer away from the traffic and then commence our final day of cycling! This takes us to our finish line in the lush district of Ramgarh, where were we enjoy a mini celebration over lunch.

Filled with a brilliant sense of achievement, we transfer to the colourful capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur, which is popularly known as the “Pink City” due to its rose-tinted architecture. We overnight in Jaipur.

Day 9
Jaipur

We have a full day to explore the sights and sounds in the city of Jaipur. In the heart of the old city, lies the City Palace, an incredibly well-preserved and interesting palace to explore, with museums and artefacts. Jaipur is the place to shop until you drop, you cannot beat its variety. You can browse the Johari Bazaar for everything from local handicrafts to precious and semi-precious gems to unique textile prints. Tonight, we have a special dinner to celebrate our achievements and have our final night’s rest in India.

Day 10
Jaipur - Delhi - London

Today sees us transferring to Delhi airport and catching our flight back home to the UK.

Book my place

How fit do I have to be?

This challenge is not designed for Olympic athletes – it is designed for people who are looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part in this challenge will have a low level of fitness when they sign up.

Cycle Rajasthan 2022 is the perfect motivation to get fit, visit an incredible part of the world and have the experience of a lifetime.

Once you've registered for the challenge, we give you a realistic training programme, which gradually builds up as the event gets closer.

I’m worried about signing up on my own…

Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the incomparable camaraderie and life long friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.

Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Cycle Rajasthan.

Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow cyclists on your training and fundraising.

You may also want to reach out to the fellow participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.

Am I too old?

Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about our challenges is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special to raise funds for the charity closest to their heart. Everyone over the age of 18 is welcome to join the fun.

What is included?

Your registration fee of £299 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.

Your challenge costs of £1,850 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the Sponsorship option) cover:

Your flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, approx. £400)
Meals throughout the challenge
Accommodation
All transfers in Borneo
Entry fees where required
A team of first-aid and COVID-19-trained challenge guides and Dream Challenges staff
Full support from the Dream Challenges office in the lead up to and during your challenge
Bike hire and mechanical support
Medical support, including at least one UK doctor with expedition medicine training, who will accompany us throughout the challenge
Your Cycle Rajasthan medal and t-shirt
Extra protocols taken to protect you from COVID-19 - please see our ground-breaking 14-step action plan here.

Do I need special equipment?

A cycling helmet is essential. Cycling shorts are also recommended and everyone will need their own water bottles or a Camelbak-type hydration system.

Apart from that no specialist equipment is required. We will supply you with a list of everything you will need to take before you go.

Cyclists will have the use of 18 or 21-gear bikes and it is suggested that you bring the saddle or gel cover you are used to riding on.

We'll also send all participants a free Travel Safety Kit ahead of the challenge and it's essential you bring this with you to minimise both your own and your fellow participants' risk of COVID-19.

Your Travel Safety Kit will include hand sanitiser, anti-bac wipes and face masks for each day of the challenge. Please note, you do not have to wear face masks while cycling.

Where will we sleep overnight?

We will stay in a mix of atmospheric heritage hotels and comfortable Western-style hotels throughout the challenge.

What happens if I don’t reach my fundraising target?

If you choose the Sponsorship option for your challenge and don't reach your fundraising target, you can either top up the additional funds yourself or simply forfeit your place on the challenge and lose your registration fee.

Can I extend my stay at the end of the challenge?

Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay you will need to come out of our group flights. Please let us know at least fourteen weeks before the challenge start date and we can arrange this for you.

What other costs will I have to pay?

In addition to paying your registration fee (£299) and either paying your challenge costs or raising the minimum sponsorship target, you'll need to budget for your:

Airport taxes and the fuel surcharge (approx. £350)
Personal travel insurance
Gratuities
Personal expenses
Optional excursions
Your visa for India, currently approx. £20 ($23) but subject to change at the discretionary of the Indian embassy. You will need to arrange this yourself. We'll send you details of this in the lead up to the challenge.

What about insurance and visas?

Travel Insurance

You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. Dream Challenges has a policy, which covers you for this type of activity and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19. We will send you details of this when you register for the cycle.

You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity cycle in India.

Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate cover for your challenge.

Visa
All participants will need a tourist visa for India, currently approx. £20 ($23) but subject to change at the discretionary of the Indian embassy. You will need to arrange this yourself.

Please don't apply for your visa until we advise you to do so. We will send you all the relevant information about how to do this before the challenge.

Please make sure to apply for your visa on the correct website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

This is the only website the High Commission of India uses and other sites are likely to be scams and/or charge unnecessary fees.

Can you offer travel vaccination advice?

As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.

We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.

NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home

Is it safe to book now with the coronavirus situation?

As we hope you know, the health and safety of our participants is always - and has always been - our highest priority.

Our team of experts here at Dream Challenges has created a brilliant 14-step initiative, to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety. Please click here to see our ground-breaking plan and rest assured that you're safe booking with us.

When can I go?

What does it cost?

Cycle Rajasthan 2022