Travel Watch: MakeMyTrip collaborates with the Ministry of Tourism to launch 350 guided tours across India

Updated on: Aug 15, 2026, 22:28:09 IST

By Neha Khandelwal

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MakeMyTrip partners with the Ministry of Tourism to bring hundreds of guided cultural, heritage, food and local experiences online across India. (canva.com)

MakeMyTrip and the Ministry of Tourism launch 350 guided tours across 60 Indian cities, with experiences starting at ₹500 from Independence Day.

India has plenty of places to visit, but the stories behind them can be harder to find. MakeMyTrip and the Ministry of Tourism are now trying to change that with a new partnership that brings more than 350 guided tours across 60-plus cities onto the travel platform.

The tours are available to book from August 15, Independence Day, with more experiences expected to be added to the catalogue. The initiative is aligned with the Incredible India and Dekho Apna Desh campaigns and covers India's heritage, culture, spirituality, cuisine, festivals and monuments.

The starting price is ₹500, giving travellers the option to add a local experience without spending a fortune.

From tea tasting in Palampur to ghost walks in Mussoorie

The new collection goes well beyond the standard city sightseeing tour. Travellers can choose experiences led by local guides and experts, with plenty of options for those who like their holidays to include something a little more unusual.

Some of the experiences include:

• Palampur: Tea Tasting Session across local tea estates
• Agra: Heritage play and kite flying experience
• Mussoorie: The Mussoorie Ghost's Walk through colonial lanes after dark
• Varanasi: Sacred Ganges Immersion, including sunrise over the Ganges and the evening Aarti
• Kolkata: Street Photography Tour focused on everyday city life
• Saligao, Goa: Village walking tour followed by high tea at a local home
• Jaipur: Meet the Artisans, including a hands-on block printing session
• Goa: Electric cycle ride through Salvador Do Mundo
• Mumbai: A tour covering Dharavi, Dhobi Ghat, Dabbawallas and India Gateway

There are also walking, cycling, vehicle-based and multi-day experiences, along with museums, heritage walks, treks, safaris and cultural attractions.

Booking local experiences gets a digital push

Finding a local guide in India has traditionally been something travellers sorted out after reaching their destination. Recommendations from hotels, friends and locals often filled the gap, while prices and availability could vary.

This partnership brings these experiences into an online booking platform, allowing travellers to plan them before their trip. It also gives local guides and communities a direct way to reach potential customers.

“Our guides, local experts and communities are the backbone of India’s tourism value chain,” said Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture. He added that the partnership allows them to reach travellers directly and share India’s stories.

For MakeMyTrip, the move is also about making these local experiences easier to find.

“India has never been short of stories worth telling,” said Rajesh Magow, Executive Director and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip. He said the partnership aims to make these experiences easier for travellers to find and book, while putting local guides and experts at the centre.

The initiative will be supported by a joint campaign launching on Independence Day, as well as a master film celebrating the partnership. With the catalogue set to expand, India's next travel plan could include fewer generic sightseeing stops and a lot more stories from the people who actually know the place.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neha Khandelwal
Neha Khandelwal Content Lead, HT Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Journalist With over 10 years of content writing experience, Neha Khandelwal is a lifestyle journalist and the Content Lead at HT Travel. She specialises in destinations, hotels, aviation, luggage, travel gear, and practical guides that help readers plan smarter and travel better. Her work combines first-hand experience, expert insights, and extensive research to create stories that are informative, useful, and easy to follow. Career Journey & Experience Neha began her writing career as a freelance journalist in 2010 before entering mainstream media with The Times of India in 2022. She later joined Hindustan Times, where she has written extensively across travel, lifestyle, home, and consumer trends. Her professional background extends beyond journalism. Before moving into digital media full-time, she spent nearly a decade in interior design, managing residential projects from concept to execution. She also trained in visual merchandising with Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons and worked with women-led startups across design and operations. These experiences continue to shape her storytelling, especially in how she evaluates hotels, design-led stays, hospitality spaces, and travel experiences. A naturally curious learner, Neha has completed beginner certifications in pottery, scuba diving, baking, creative writing, and other creative pursuits. She has read more than 2,000 books, trained in Bharatanatyam for 8 years, and ghostwritten a book on Ladakh tourism. Subject Expertise Travel is at the heart of Neha's work. She covers destinations, hotels, airlines, luggage, packing strategies, travel accessories, and emerging travel trends through a mix of reporting, product testing, and conversations with industry experts. A frequent traveller herself, she approaches every trip with a journalist's curiosity and a planner's mindset, focusing on experiences that readers can realistically recreate. From choosing the right cabin bag to decoding hotel openings and destination trends, her writing prioritises practical advice over promotional claims. Her background in interior design also gives her a distinct perspective on architecture, hospitality design, boutique hotels, luxury stays, and thoughtfully designed spaces. Education & Professional Background Neha holds a Master's degree in Interior Design. Her early experience in interior design, visual merchandising, and design operations gives her a unique understanding of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience, adding depth to her coverage of hotels, resorts, and travel spaces. Editorial Philosophy "As an avid, research-driven traveller, my goal is simple. To answer the questions you actually have before booking a trip. I cut through the promotional noise with honest reporting and expert insights. Making travel planning seamless, smart, and reliable so you always know where to go next."Read More

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