1st-16th November 2025
India Study Trip
India Study Trip
An Artist’s Journey Through Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
1st – 16th November 2025
Embark on a transformative artistic immersion through the otherworldly landscapes of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This unique study trip invites artists to explore the rich visual heritage of India, drawing inspiration from geometric and biomorphic patterns, and learning directly from master craftsmen and local historians.
Wander through rural India, visiting artisan workshops and awe-inspiring sites of natural and architectural beauty. Our journey will take us through Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Alwar, Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer—each offering its own story, colors, and textures to fuel your creativity.
Participants will stay in five handpicked heritage accommodations, including lakeside palaces, intricately carved havelis, desert forts, and serene rural retreats—each offering a deep sense of place and history.
The itinerary includes guided visits to over 8 major cultural landmarks, such as:
• The Taj Mahal
• Agra Red Fort
• Fatehpur Sikri
• Jaisalmer Fort
• I’timād-ud-Daulah
• Jodhpur Fort
• Bada Bagh
• Panna Meena ka Kund (stepwell)
Hands-on experiences include visits to local artisans’ workshops and specialized classes in traditional miniature painting and Jaali stone carving, led by renowned craftspeople.
What’s Included:
• All tuition and guided activities
• Internal transport throughout the trip
• Entry to all major sites
• Craft workshops and materials
Accommodation & Meals:
• Part 1: Full board (all meals included)
• Part 2: Half board (breakfast only)
Participants may register for either Part 1 or Part 2, with a choice of private occupancy or same-gender shared accommodation.
Receive a 10% discount when booking the full trip (Parts 1 & 2).
PART 1 ~ Golden Triangle
8 days – 1st – 8th November 2025
The Golden Triangle is home to India’s crown jewels—a stunning collection of UNESCO-listed architectural masterpieces stretching from Delhi to Jaipur and Agra.
Most of the course will take place at the heart of the Golden Triangle, within the 15th-century Ram Bihari Palace, nestled in the Aravalli mountain range and overlooking the serene Siliserh Lake. Here, we will create intricate ornamental patterns and paint alongside renowned Indian miniature artist Ajay Sharma.
Our journey includes visits to Jaipur’s majestic Amber Palace and the tranquil Alwar Lake. We will then travel across the region to the magnificent Laxmi Vilas Palace, which will serve as our base for excursions to Fathepur Sikri, Agra Fort, the exquisite I’timād-ud-Daulah, and the world-famous monument to love—Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal.
| Part 1 ~ Single sex twin shared occupancy – 8 nights – full board £1920 ~ Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £960 Part 1 ~ PRIVATE occupancy – 8 nights – full board = £2360 ~ Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £1180 |
PART 2 ~ Rajasthani Desert
8 days – 8th – 16th November 2025
We will drive from Jaipur to Pushkar, a temple town nestled around a stunning lake. After visiting the sacred mountain, we’ll venture deep into the Thar Desert to explore Jaisalmer, the Golden City and a former medieval trading hub. There, we will stay in an ancient sandstone haveli (courtyard house) and take drawing classes inside the intricately carved Jaheritage Mandir palace. We’ll climb the vast Jaisalmer Fort, a sprawling hilltop citadel supported by 99 bastions, and visit the ornate Maharaja’s Palace, the exquisitely carved Jain temples, and winding labyrinthine architecture adorned with stunning Islamic patterns.
Our journey will continue deeper into the desert as we explore Jaisalmer’s rich heritage as a Silk Road trading center. We’ll live and draw together in historic sandstone havelis, traveling by jeep convoy to the Jaali stone carving ateliers. There, we’ll bring blocks of famous sandstone out into the desert to carve under the shade of trees, sipping campfire chai with our local camel-herder guides. As the sun sets, we’ll share a meal cooked under the stars before returning to Jaisalmer Fort.
We’ll rise early for a sunrise drawing class at Gadisar Lake, surrounded by the gentle sounds of ringing cowbells, morning birdsong, and local prayers.
Next, we’ll drive through rural Rajasthan to Jodhpur, the Blue City. We’ll scale the 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort, perched on a rocky outcrop, and conclude our tour at the breathtaking Toor Ji ki Baoli stepwell — where we’ll fold a paper version of this stunning monument.
We will drive from Jaipur to Pushkar, a temple town surround a stunning lake, after visiting the sacred mountain we will venture deep into the Thar Desert to visit Golden City of Jaisalmer, a former medieval trading centre. We will stay in an ancient sandstone Haveli (courtyard house) and take drawing classes inside the intricately carved Jaheritage mandir palace. We will climb up into the Jaisalmer Fort, a sprawling hilltop citadel buttressed by 99 bastions and visit the ornate Maharaja’s Palace and intricately carved Jain temples and vernacular winding labyrinthian architecture covered in stunning Islamic patterns.
| Part 2 ~ Single sex twin shared occupancy – 8 nights Half board £1760 ~ Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £880 Part 2 ~ PRIVATE occupancy – 8 nights Half board £2080 ~ Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £1040 |
Full details and program itinerary is sent after registration, it can also be requested by emailing islamicpattern@gmail.com
| Full course single sex SHARED twin occupancy with 10% discount – 16 nights, P1 Full Board P2 Half Board £3312 – Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £1656 Full course PRIVATE occupancy with 10% discount – 16 nights, P1 Full Board P2 half Board £3910 – Reserve a place ~ 50% Deposit = £1955 |
