When I was in school, summer meant one thing—vacation. The sheer excitement of travel, the thrill of new places, and the unspoken family tradition of finding the nearest museum within minutes of arriving at our destination. My parents firmly believed that the best way to understand a city was to befriend its history. And honestly, they weren’t wrong.
Decades later, that lesson remains with me. History isn’t just about dates and battles—it’s about stories, identities, and the cultural threads that connect the past to our present. This summer, why not pass on that tradition to your children? Let them embark on an adventure where history isn’t confined to textbooks but comes alive through immersive experiences. Here’s a list of some of the most engaging heritage activities across India that will turn summer vacations into a journey through time.
1. Museum on Wheels: A Traveling Time Machine
Where: Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Telangana
Imagine a museum pulling up right outside your doorstep. That’s exactly what the Citi-CSMVS Museum on Wheels offers—an air-conditioned, state-of-the-art bus transformed into a traveling exhibition. Taking the magic of museums to children in remote corners, these mobile museums showcase history, science, and heritage through interactive exhibits, models, dioramas, and audio-visual presentations.
Instead of waiting for a field trip, let history come to your child. This hands-on experience ensures that young minds engage with India’s past, fostering curiosity and wonder. Book your experience here.
2. Walking the Footsteps of Freedom at Fort Aguada
Where: Goa
Picture this: the sound of waves crashing against the 400-year-old walls of Fort Aguada, a silent witness to history. Once a Portuguese bastion, later transformed into a prison for Goa’s freedom fighters, this site tells the story of courage and resilience. The former prison cells and kitchens whisper tales of defiance against colonial rule.
An interactive museum inside the fort lets visitors relive these stories, ensuring that history is more than just an abstract concept—it’s something you can walk through, touch, and experience. Book your experience here.
3. Kolkata on Two Wheels: A Colonial Odyssey
Where: Kolkata
Cycling through Kolkata’s historic lanes is like riding through a living history book. Calcutta Walks offers guided bicycle tours that weave through Chowringhee, Dalhousie Square, and the bazaars of the old city, tracing the remnants of British colonial rule.
Pedal past grand colonial-era buildings, once the epicenter of British administration, and ride through the narrow alleys of Black Town—where Indians lived under British segregation policies. This journey doesn’t just offer history; it’s an adventure through the architectural and cultural footprints of the past. Book your experience here.
4. Nandi Durg: A Trek Through Time
Where: Bengaluru
Bengaluru may be a tech hub today, but its history runs deeper than the glass towers of Electronic City. Every third Sunday, students of Sparkling Mindz Global School lead heritage walks, rediscovering the city beyond its urban sprawl.
The trek to Nandi Durg (Nandi Fort) is a chance to step back in time—exploring ancient temples, hidden lakes, and battle-scarred fortifications that once stood against invading armies. It’s more than just a trek; it’s a journey into Bengaluru’s forgotten past, one step at a time. Book your experience here.
5. The Nizams’ Hyderabad: A Royal Affair
Where: Hyderabad
Step into the opulence of the British Residency, a 19th-century mansion that once housed colonial officers and played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle. This heritage walk delves into the fascinating tales of Hyderabad’s Nizams, their lavish courts, and their complex relationship with the British.
One of the most intriguing stories is that of British officer James Achilles Kirkpatrick, who defied the East India Company by adopting Mughal customs and marrying Khair-un-Nissa, a Hyderabadi noblewoman. Their love story is woven into the very walls of this grand estate. Let your child witness history in its grandest form. Book your experience here.
6. Ghalib’s Delhi: A Poet’s Journey
Where: Delhi
Mirza Ghalib’s poetry has stood the test of time, but his home in Delhi remains a lesser-known gem. This summer, take your child on a poetic pilgrimage to Ghalib’s haveli, a modest yet historically rich residence gifted to him by an admirer.
Follow his footsteps through Ballimaran Street, once home to boatmen and traditional physicians, and wander through Dariba Kalan, the ‘Street of the Incomparable Pearl’, known for its exquisite jewelry and perfumes. End the tour at the National Museum, one of modern India’s finest cultural repositories. Book your experience here.
7. Mumbai’s Forgotten Fort: A City’s Origin Story
Where: Mumbai
Before Mumbai became a city of skyscrapers, it was a fortified town with a moat around it. The Fort Heritage Walk takes children on a fascinating journey back to the city’s colonial beginnings.
Cross the imaginary drawbridge and explore the original Fort of Bombay, walking past grand trading houses, gothic churches, and the old Customs House. Understand how the city evolved from a group of seven islands into the bustling metropolis we see today. Book your experience here.
This Summer, Gift Your Child the Past
History isn’t just something to read—it’s something to experience. These summer heritage activities will transport your child beyond classroom lessons, letting them touch, feel, and walk through India’s rich and complex past.
Because the best stories aren’t just told—they are lived.