American Jewish World Service: Study Tour to India
February 4 – 11, 2024
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
The main program begins on February 4 in New Delhi and ends on February 11 in Udaipur. Arrival and departure flights are booked by travelers independently. Here are our recommended arrival and departure times:
- Sunday, February 4, 2024: Arrive into Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi (DEL) by the afternoon. The check-in time at your hotel is at 2:00 pm and the Study Tour will kick off with a Opening Session at 4:00 pm followed by a Welcome Dinner.
- Sunday, February 11, 2024*: Depart from the Maharana Pratap Airport in Udaipur (UDR) anytime. Note that Udaipur is not an international airport, so a connection will be required to return to the U.S. Most flights to New York will connect through either New Delhi or Mumbai.
*If you are joining the Golden Triangle Extension, you will depart on Thursday, February 15, 2024 from New Delhi.
While the program begins on February 4, please let us know if you would like to arrive earlier and we would be happy to assist with pre-trip arrangements. Note that February is peak season in India and room availability on the dates prior to your arrival is extremely limited through February 2. If you are interested in arriving early, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can explore your room options. We are also able to extend your room reservation (pending availability) in Udaipur if you would like to stay after the main program.
Flight Booking Assistance: If you would like assistance booking your flights, please contact Fiona (fiona@elevatedestinations.com) to introduce you to a flight booking specialist.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
Please note that your participation in the program is contingent on your ability to be covered under AJWS’s international medical and evacuation insurance policy.
American Jewish World Service’s policies are with Cigna and Global Rescue. Cigna health plans cover medically necessary claims related to infectious diseases and medical conditions per the terms of the health plan. Cigna health plans do not contain an exclusion for COVID-19 specifically or for pandemics more generally. Global Rescue provides relocation/evacuation services, as well as medical emergency services. In both cases, they will coordinate their own teams with those of local resources to assist in an emergency, and will coordinate with AJWS’s and an individual’s insurance carriers to manage coverage for whatever need arise. If you have or are purchasing additional insurance, please email us a copy, and if you have question about AJWS coverage please reach out to Andy Myhrum at amyhrum@ajws.org or via his direct line (212) 792-2872.
Elevate Destinations highly recommends travelers purchase supplemental travel insurance with Cancel for Any Reason level of coverage insurance. Please note that all Cancel for Any Reason insurance policies are time sensitive and require purchase within 1 to 21 days of making a payment for your trip. Elevate Destinations recommends that travelers evaluate the insurance options available for their needs and inquire with providers about “cancel for any reason” insurance.
Below are two insurance brokers that Elevate Destinations recommends.
- Dan Drennan, Travel Insurance Center (travel insurance broker)
Email: dan@travelinsurancecenter.com - Yonder Insurance
Email: hello@insureyonder.com
Phone number: 855-358-6433 (Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM CT)
PASSPORT
For U.S. passport holders, please make sure your passport is current and valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip departure date. Your passport should have at least 2 blank pages for the entry and exit stamps, or more if you are visiting several countries on this trip. Please note that the last two amendment pages are not acceptable for visas and immigration stamps.
Note that U.S. passport holders are required to obtain an e-visa to enter India. Find more information on how to obtain your visa below.
Please upload a scanned copy of the first page (photo page) of your passport to this secure Dropbox Folder.
If your passport expires before then, you will need to renew your passport. We recommend using A1 Passport & Visa Services. To do so, please email them at info@a1passportvisa.com and let them know you are working with Elevate Destinations on your travel arrangements.
VISA
Citizens from the United States are required to obtain an e-visa to travel to India. We recommend you begin your visa applications starting on January 4, 2024, which is 30 days before your trip. E-visas are typically approved in 72 hours or less.
Click here to apply for the e-Visa.*
Please note that travelers should apply for the e-tourist visa no less than 10 business days and no more than 30 days before the date of travel, so please apply between January 4 – 19, 2024.
*To minimize the safety and security risk for AJWS’s staff and grantee partners, individuals who are traveling internationally with AJWS are asked to follow the procedures below when obtaining a visa to travel to India. This applies for visas that are obtained in advance through the internet or consulate. Please be sure to read the visa requirements very carefully before applying as they do change from time to time. If you have any questions about your visa application process, please reach out to AJWS staff or Fiona (fiona@elevatedestinations.com) at Elevate Destinations.
When you fill out your visa application please always select a “tourist visa.” Do not mention AJWS, AJWS staff member(s) or an AJWS grantee partner by name anywhere on your application. This is for your safety and for the safety of AJWS staff members and grantee partners. We appreciate your cooperation in advance.
When applying for your e-visa for India:
- Review the visa requirements before applying
- Always apply for a TOURIST visa
- Do not mention AJWS or list AJWS staff member(s) or AJWS grantee partners by name anywhere on
your application - For trip purpose, you can list “Recreation/Sight-seeing”
- For places to be visited, you can list the cities and towns included on your itinerary
- For the “reference name in India” – please include the tour operator’s name and contact information (see below) or list the information of the hotel where you are staying. You can find this information here.
- For reference name in home country (country of passport holder) – please include your emergency contact or Fiona from Elevate Destinations (contact info detailed below), not an AJWS employee
India Contact
- Reference name: Mohan Narayanaswamy
- Telephone number: +91 981-1039-238
- Address: Travel Scope India Private Limited, 216 Qutab Plaza, DLF City Phase – 1, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002 India
USA Contact
- Reference name: Fiona Mokry
- Telephone number: +1 (508) 618-1354
- Address: Elevate Destinations, PO Box 480, Chilmark MA 02535, USA
The one-month e-Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days from the date of arrival in India, with two entries permitted. One-year and five-year e-Tourist visas are valid for 365 days from the date the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is granted, with multiple entries.
Be sure to print out your ETA form and a photocopy of your passport to bring with you. You will need to have these documents with you during your travels.
If you would like to acquire your visa for India with a visa-processing center, Elevate Destinations recommends A1 Passport & Visa Services in Washington DC. For questions regarding the visa application, you can reach A1 Passport directly at (202) 639-1500.
For assistance with the online visa application, please contact the visa helpline in India at +91 11 24300666.
Indian visa regulations change frequently, often with little advance notice, and changes may be poorly advertised and inconsistently enforced. Travelers are urged to check the website of the US Embassy in India before any travel to India to review the most current information.
