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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Travel Details & Documents

What is the duration of the Summer 2026 India Alumni trip? Tentative Dates?

The tour will cover 18 days in India and a day of travel at each end. We tentatively depart from North America, on May 13th, 2026, arriving in India on May 14th. We depart from New Delhi, India, the night of May 31, 2026 and arrive back in North America on June 01, 2026.

What is the time difference between India and East Coast Time in the U.S.?

India is 9 hours and 30 minutes ahead of New York City (East Coast time in the U.S.), and Canada.

How long is the flight to India from the U.S.? 

A non-stop flight to New Delhi, India, from the east coast is approximately fifteen hours in duration. Taking a sleeping aid like Melatonin on the flight, and getting some shut eye time, actually reduces jet lag when we arrive. From Los Angeles, a direct flight to New Delhi is 17 hours and 40 minutes. From Washington D.C. it's 14 hours and 10 minutes.

Since we will be flying in from different cities, we will need to coordinate flights so we arrive more or less at the same time in New Delhi, India in order to make our airport pickup easier to coordinate. The same applies for the return journey, so we can travel to the airport together.

We will discuss this further, but the tentative plan is to get into the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, late night of May 14, 2026. We'll depart India on the night of 31 May, 2026. 

How Will We Meet Up as A Group in India?

Participants will either join the faculty leaders in the airport we select to depart from (most probably Pearson International airport in Toronto, Canada) and take the same flight, or coordinate flights and meet up in the arrival lounge of the Indira Gandhi International Airport arrival lounge in New Delhi, India on the night of 14 May, 2026.
 

We will exchange flight details and phone numbers so that we can find each other.

 

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you download Whatsapp to your phone so you can call folks, using wireless, rather than suffer expensive roaming charges on your cellphone plan.

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Passport and travel visa (entry permit) requirements:

Please check to make sure you have an active passport that has not expired. It must be valid for six months after our return date (valid until 04 December, 2026), and must have at least 3-4 blank inside pages for immigration stamps. 

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We will need your passport photocopies by October 2025 in order to make tour and hotel bookings in India. You will also need your passport for international airline bookings, by then.

 

To apply for a new American passport, or to renew an existing American passport, please consult this page.

If you already have a passport, you may be eligible to renew it. You can also correct information in your passport or report it lost or stolen.


To apply for or renew a Canadian passport, please consult this page.

 

Guidelines for Americans who are applying for an Indian tourist visa can be found here.  Cost is $10 for a 30-day tourist visa, plus processing fees. 

Americans should use this portal only when applying for an e-visa. A sample e-visa form can be found here.

Photo specifications for the Indian tourism visa can be found here.


Canadian nationals should consult this page, to see how to apply for an Indian  tourist e-visa. The cost is $130 CAD (including processing fees).

Canadian nationals should consult this page and read the details carefully on how to apply for an Indian tourism visa.

 

For American participants, we will have a group session in early April 2025, during which we will apply for the tourist e-visa together. Please make sure you are at a computer terminal that is linked to a printer so you can print out any necessary documents during that process.​

Please also make sure you have a photo that matched the specified requirements, your passport, and a credit card handy.

Will there be Information Sessions Where We Can Learn More About the Tour & Costs?

Yes.  Zoom Information Sessions which will take place in fall 2024 and spring 2025. The first information session is on 10 October 2024 at 7.30pm ET.  You can register here.  A Zoom link will be provided to interested individuals who sign up online for these sessions.

Details regarding the online Information sessions will be announced through Allegheny College's 13th Plank email newsletter for alumni. You may also contact Sara Pineo, Senior Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Engagement (spineo@allegheny.edu) for information session dates, registration information, and details regarding reserving places on the tour.

 

Please email Prof. Ishita Sinha Roy at iroy@allegheny.edu with questions and inquiries regarding the tour. You may also email her and request an individual Zoom session if you have personal questions/concerns that need to be addressed. 
 

The Tour Cost breakdown and details are on the Allegheny College Alumni Tour website, and will be reviewed at the information sessions. Questions regarding costs, the deposit, and subsequent payments should be directed to Sara Pineo (spineo@allegheny.edu), Senior Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Engagement.

What Are the Online Pre-Departure Sessions in Spring 2026 About?

Pre-departure sessions will be held for tour participants on select Saturdays or Sundays (TBD) in Spring 2026, and will be on Zoom. During those sessions we cover:

  • Historical and cultural information pertaining to our tour and the themes we will be exploring

  • Travel logistics, including applying for the tourist e-visa, travel shots/medications and documents, as well as safety measures for our journey.

  • Information re: airport immigration and security; what not put in your carry-on bags; COVID precautions; documents to have at hand.

  • Packing tips and a review of clothing and technology advice

  • Cultural exercises, and preparations for interactions abroad; maintaining the group's safety, and health as we travel

  • Photography and other ways of capturing experiences.

  • Advice on currency exchange, shopping and bargaining, using credit cards, phones/whatsapp, and wireless.

  • Reminder to call credit card company and bank so cards aren't frozen; call airlines or go online to confirm reservations.

  • Contact information for baggage tags and for travel agent in Delhi, India, as well as for faculty leaders.

  • Details on meeting up in Delhi.

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