Rajat Gupta
I believe making people travel to discover new cultures & geography is a divine & fulfilling job. Travelling makes world a better place as it promotes cross culture understanding and peacefulness. It is said that life is itself a journey, but travel makes this journey worthwhile. I am strong believer of giving back to the society, and hence I design trips which are contributing to local communities in strong form.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Making unforgettable trips for leisure and/or adventure to Bhutan and other Himalayan regions like Ladakh, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, & Sikkim-Darjeeling."
How did you get involved in travel?
"My father is an India tour operator with more than 35 years of experience, which gave me taste of tourism from teen days. Due to this interest, I pursued masters in tourism with specialisation in travel & leisure. In the meantime, I was developing my core interest in promoting Himalayan places with focus on sustainable tourism. "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"I was born in Rajasthan and brought up in Delhi, both primarily plain region. To see fresh snowfall was my dream. During my early travel to Bhutan, I was stuck in Gangtey (Phobjikha valley) due to rainfall and road closure. A nearby Monastery happily arranged accommodation for my guide and driver and served fresh hot meals. That was one the most delicious meals. One because of the freshness, and other mostly because it was prepared and served with warm gesture from the monks.
Post dinner me and guide came out to look for weather conditions before retiring to bed and make plans for next day, and there it was. A tiny snow flake came down falling on my cheek. Soon, the rain stopped and it started snowing.
Next day I woke up quite early due to excitement and as soon as I set eyes outside, it was all white. Everything covered in fresh snow. I was awestruck and mesmerised with the view. Almost started crying in happiness with what I was seeing.
And this is the memory which is unforgettable. Warmth of Bhutanese people and coldness of of my first snowfall. (Maybe people living in Cold places will not relate to this much, but a humble person from plains will either remember their first snowfall experience after reading this or will be waiting for it.)"
Rajat's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
The kingdom of Bhutan remains one of the last unspoiled gems of the Himalayas. Closed to foreign visitors until the 1970s, Bhutan's past and present are firmly grounded in...
Explore the most iconic highlights of Western Bhutan on this six-day itinerary. In the capital of Thimphu, you'll see how ancient traditions coexist with modernity and learn...
This 10-day itinerary includes the three cities of India's Golden Triangle, as well as a few days exploring the Shupas and palaces of Kathmandu. Explore Delhi, then fly into...
Recent trip reviews for Rajat
An Adventure to Remember in Istanbul, India and Nepal
India
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Oct 29 - Dec 4, 2025
Our 2025 trip was close to ten months in the planning. Working with Rajat Gupta was fantastic. Rajat was very responsive to our goals and objectives. This trip started with attending a family wedding in Lucknow and expanded to a 37-day adventure around the family function. My wife and I realized we were covering a lot of ground, but we wanted to get a sense of the places we might choose to revisit in the future for a longer period. The trip was customized for just the two of us and all our guides and drivers were wonderful. We felt very safe and in good hands every step of the way.
We especially want to thank our driver Rajinder, who carried us everywhere in the first half of the itinerary. He always had water for us and he was always there waiting for us at every site. We felt like rock stars finding Rajinder with the car door open ready to take us to the next location. We also want to thank Hemant, Rahul, Anu and Kumar for their insight and knowledge. We saw so much and feel fortunate to have experienced the wonders of the region. More UNESCO World Heritage sites than we could ever imagine. And we literally had a trip of trains, planes and automobiles.
The main sites like the Taj Mahal were of course great, but one of our favorite places visited was in Ranakpur. We stopped at the Kumbhalgarh Fort, built in 1443. It took 15 years to complete. This fortress is overwhelming with the second longest wall in the world. Our guide that day introduced us to custard apple fruit bought from a roadside vendor. He made sure it was safe and ripe and it was amazing. That day we also visited the Ranakpur Jain Temple with amazing carved marble throughout supported by 1444 unique pillars and a ton of peace, spirituality and tranquility. We also had one of our best meals at Harmony Restaurant on our way to the Jain Temple. And if you are so inclined, the owner of the restaurant guides nature adventure tours. We were also fortunate to attend the Pushkar Camel Festival. Here's where Rajat did wonders for us. Some friends highly recommended the festival. I chatted with Rajat and he adjusted our itinerary to make it happen.
Another favorite was Nepal. The grandeur of the Himalayas was breathtaking and we were able to see the Annapurna range on a clear morning at sunrise. We also enjoyed the scenic boat ride on Phewa Lake, one of Pokhara’s most iconic attractions. We made our way across the lake to start an 1100 foot hike to the top of the hill leading to the serene Buddhist stupa, perched on high overlooking the valley. Overall, we felt we got the best of everyplace we visited. After our family event, we headed south from Lucknow. Our houseboat experience in Kerala was fantastic and one night was perfect. Finishing off our trip in Mumbai was terrific and High Tea at the Taj Hotel is worth it.
We took three cooking classes on the trip. They were all different in their own way, but we learned a lot about the techniques of Indian and Nepalese cooking. As for the food in general on the trip, we never got tired of the local cuisine...both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We did have to convince some restaurants to prepare our meals "medium spicy." However some places still gave us mild. We enjoyed many of the curated retail stops, some benefitting local women and children...and other well established family businesses known for their quality.
For those planning to follow in our footsteps, we did learn a few things. The air quality in the big cities of India is pretty bad. My wife and I suffered from upper respiratory issues for the entire trip. Make sure you bring plenty of cold remedies on your journey and wear a mask often when air quality is bad.
Be prepared for flight changes when flying Indigo Airlines. In fact, I would not recommend Indigo. Make sure to check when sites are open. Some are closed on specific days. And ask your guides if you need walking sticks to help with some of the long walks.
Overall, this was an adventure to remember and we will choose KimKim for our future international travel.
Hotel Reviews
We would not recommend this hotel for a variety of reasons. The bathroom flooded with two inches of water on the floor when using the shower. The water temperature fluctuated and at times was very hot. Our room was situated right next to the elevator on an upper floor. Members of the staff stood by outside our room carrying on conversations late into the night. The restaurant staff, while accommodating did not guide us effectively with the menu choices.
Very comfortable accommodations on board the houseboat. Food was very good. Very relaxing experience.
This hotel could have potential. Unfortunately, we found our spacious room with carpets on the floor stained with cat pee. The air conditioning was inadequate. The bathroom was spacious but far detached from the bedroom. Coming in late made things a bit more difficult.
Lovely hotel with a nice room. We did not have a chance to enjoy the amenities.
Beautiful natural setting. Our room was lovely with a patio. Common areas are wonderful. Observation areas are very nice to be able to see the Himalayas. The bathroom was a bit difficult. The shower tub wall was very high making it hard to enter and exit. The single glass on the shower did not keep water from getting on the floor of the bathroom.
Incredible hotel. The room was lovely and the grounds spectacular.
Beautiful Hotel with a great deal of historical significance. The room was nice. Did not like the shower without a door, so water tended to get on the floor.
Room and bathroom were smaller than average.
The nicest Ramada we've ever stayed in. The owner often camps out in the lobby keeping tabs on quality control. He's the guy with Mala beads wrapped around his wrist.
A business hotel. The food was good. The room was ample, yet smaller than other accommodations.
Great natural setting. Not an urban hotel. Room was smaller than other accommodations.
Amazing hotel. Historical significance. Very large accommodations. Good food.
Beautiful Hotel! Fantastic room! Wonderful grounds and common areas. Great outdoor dining.
Wish we could have stayed longer. Beautiful public areas with a long pool beautifully landscaped. A place of real serenity. The room was spacious and clean.
We had an upgraded room (the honeymoon suite). We were at the top of the building up four flights of stairs including a spiral staircase. The view was tremendous.
Great hotel. They gave us a room upgrade as well.
The best feature of this house is meeting the owners. Photos of the family travels from their government postings adorned the walls. The room was comfortable and clean. Be aware, they do not take credit cards.
Activity Reviews
The sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal was fantastic. The weather proved favorable and the sky was clear. Rahul guided us well and we took a lot of pictures. Seeing the Taj was a highlight of our trip.
Planned itinerary went very smoothly.
We enjoyed the safari experience, although we have been to Africa and spent a great deal of time in the bush. The morning safari was in a large vehicle and apparently there was a little mix up in the planning, but we went with the flow. We saw a lot of animals, but no tiger for both safaris. It was still a wonderful experience ti get out into nature.
This cooking experience was very different from the first in Delhi. We were invited into a private home. The owner, Himanshu Rathore runs a catering business out of his home as well as a bed and breakfast. We were welcomed into his entire family. He is also a hunting guide and we had a great deal in common. We cooked in the kitchen and helped prepare the dishes for the evening meal. We all sat together like a family and enjoyed good food and great company.
Great day! Covered everything planned in the itinerary. Rahul shared a lot with us.
In Jodhpur, we met up with our new guide Rahul. He would be with us through Agra. After checking into our hotel, we had a wonderful tour of the Blue City as planned. We really liked Rahul and of course Rajinder was terrific too.
We said goodbye to Hemant. Rajinder drove us to Ranakpur. We connected with our new guide who escorted us to the Fort, the Jain Temple and we had a great lunch on the road at the Harmony Restaurant.
Great Day!
We made our way to Udaipur. We checked into our hotel. That evening, Hemant escorted us to the Bagore-Ki-Haveli and the dance performance. Great fun!
We hd a fantastic time at the Camel Fair. The sites and smells were amazing. We had a chance to be invited into a special horse breeder's tent to get to know Indian Horses. His stock was magnificent. At this time, My wife Susan was showing signs of a bad cold. Hemant and Rajinder helped us find medication to help Susan.
After an early morning train ride, we arrived in Pushkar. Hemant showed us the planned sites and we checked into the hotel to relax for the rest of the night.
Wonderful cooking experience. It started with touring the market for local ingredients. There were two others in the class with us (a brother and sister from Sweden). so the experience was very intimate. Anchal of Tastsutra was excellent and we enjoyed learning the ins and outs of Indian cooking...of course enjoying what we cooked was great. The best, was Anchal sending us a full array of recipes to try when we returned home.
Great Day! Thank you Hemant and Rejinder.
First day of site seeing was great. Connect with out guide Hemant and driver Rajinder. Had a wonderful old market experience and Hemant helped us try some of the best delicacies. Unfortunately we did not make it to the Red Fort because there was a private event taking place there.
We arrived very early in the morning. Had the pleasure of meeting Rajat Gupta, our trip organizer. Got to the hotel and unfortunately had to wake up staff to check in.
Great tour of the new city along the waterfront. Everything was timed well and we made our transfer to the airport cleanly.
Great experience of Istanbul. Haghia Sophia was a bit dissapointing because of its disrepair. The palace was wonderful. Sadik was an excellent guide.
Fantastic! No lunch because we arrived late.
To Rajat (Agent), Hermant (Guide) and Mr Sing...
India
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Oct 22 - Oct 31, 2025
To Rajat (Agent), Hermant (Guide) and Mr Singh (Driver), thank you all so much for creating an amazing experience for us in India.
As a family travelling with kids aged 9 and 7, we wanted culture and adventure (plus a bit of time to unwind) and that is exactly what we got.
The itinerary creation and execution were flawless and KimKim nailed the brief.
A massive shout out to Hermant and Mr Singh who made our travel immensely comfortable and allowed us to flex our trip on the fly - as life is not always clockwise work with kids in tow.
The transport was super comfortable and always safe, and our heads are stuffed with more facts than we could ever hope to remember. Hermant is my phone a friend. Little touches like water and treats for the kids were provided and the hotels treated us impeccably.
There were great (authentic) food recommendations, cultural stops and simply. An awesome time.
Beautiful country, beautiful people - we hope to see you one day again.
Nathan, Ruth, Audra and Wilf x