In March members of the Society were asked if they might be interested in participating in a Society-led tour of India next year. There was a positive response which encouraged the working party to go ahead with making arrangements for the trip, which is now scheduled for 11 March – 2 April 2023. During the trip we will visit Mumbai, Darjeeling, the Sundarbans (to see tigers), Kolkata, Lucknow, Agra, Shimla and Delhi. This bespoke trip to India, tailored for the Society and run by a local travel agent, promises to be an experience like no other. As we see the best of India, we expect to bring together the Holmesian references to India, enjoy privileged access to private buildings, and travel in style with fellow Holmesians.

Details of the programme so far arranged are shown on the Society’s website at https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/to-india-with-sherlock-holmes/

It will be a couple of months before we can announce the final programme and costs for the trip. In the meantime those who have previously expressed a definite interest have been asked to make a returnable deposit to confirm their interest and we already have sufficient to ensure that the trip is viable. However, we could accommodate a few more pilgrims and hence this invitation is being repeated so that members at large who may not yet have registered their interest can do so.  Should more people want to come on the trip than there are spaces, priority will be given to those that have paid a deposit on the basis of ‘first come, first served’. This deposit will be refundable up to the point when we can announce the detailed programme and costs for the trip – probably in September or October. At that point any who wish to cancel their booking will have their deposit returned.

The deposit is £150 and you can pay via the Society’s website.

We expect the cost to be £3,500 – £4,000 per person plus out of pocket expenses while in India. Pilgrims will also need to make their own arrangements for travel to and from India and so of course you will need to allow time and cost for this.

We are looking forward to a first-class experience of India. However, getting the most from visiting the sites on our itinerary will involve mildly strenuous activity and our advice to those who are not mobile or in frail health is to consider carefully whether they will be able to get the most from the trip before firmly booking a place on it.