21 day Himalayan Kingdoms

Kathmandu, Nepal – Arrival
Namaste and welcome to Kathmandu, the eaves of the pagodas, the smells from the street stalls and the vibrant people all combine to make Kathmandu a truly intoxicating and evocative city. On arrival, you will be met by your local representative and transferred to your accommodation.

Overnight: Dwarika’s Hotel – Heritage Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Kathmandu, Nepal – Chitwan, Nepal
You will be transferred to airport to board your flight to Bharatpur, and driven to Chitwan, the oldest of the country’s national parks.

Wildlife in the Royal Chitwan National Park includes the Great Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, spotted deer, hog deer, Sambar and barking deer as well as a wide variety of birdlife – some 450 species have been recorded. There is also a chance of spotting the leopard, sloth bear, gaur (the largest of wild Asian cattle) and the majestic, highly endangered Royal Bengal Tiger.

Overnight: Taj Meghaulai Serai – Meghaulai Room
Meals: Breakfast

Chitwan, Nepal
Rise early to track one-horned rhinos through the jungle with an expert naturalist, perhaps even stealing a rare glimpse of that elusive Bengal tiger mentioned.

You will also get to spend some time in the Tharu Village, homeland of the Tharu tribe of this region. For centuries, the Tharu have lived close to this protected area and hence their tradition reflects their intimate relationship with the natural world.

Overnight: Taj Meghaulai Serai – Meghaulai Room
Meals: Breakfast

Chitwan, Nepal – Pokhra, Nepal
Following breakfast, you will be driven to the airport for your flight to Pokhara, a sleepy lakeside city in the heart of the Himalaya.

Spend the day exploring this quaint little town, lakeside district and museums, as well as a nearby Tibetan settlement and the serene Lake Phewa.

Overnight: Tiger Mountain – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Pokhra, Nepal – Kathmandu, Nepal
You will fly back to Kathmandu and explore the medieval art and architecture of Bhaktapur and the towering Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath.

Later, ride a rickshaw to Durbar Square and Taleju Temple. You will see the House of the Living Goddess (Kumari), explore the bazaar and old city, and visit the 1,500-year-old stupa of Swayambhunath.

Overnight: Dwarika’s Hotel – Heritage Deluxe
Meals: Breakfast

Kolkata, India
Today you will fly to Kolkata, the erstwhile capital of colonial India, Kolkata is a thriving city famous for its culture, cuisine and historical monuments. Often referred to as the City of Joy, it is also known for its unique ‘adda’, a freestyle exchange of socio-political ideas and intellectual debate that is enthusiastically engaged in, in public spaces over a cup of steaming chai.

Overnight: Taj Bengal – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Kolkata, India
Your day will start with a visit to river Hooghly which is integral to the very identity of the Bengal. It gives and sustains life for the millions that depend on it. From the wrestlers who exercise on its soft clay to the boatmen who ferry people across, from the flower sellers to the boys who throw magnets and retrieve coin offerings from its bed. We will explore this visual, aural, and olfactory riot from the flower bazaar to the clay idle makers’ den, Kumartulli, from the Howrah Bridge to the cremation ghats – it’s the buzz of life.

Next, visit the most prominent monument of the British Raj, what was created as a memorial to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India, and a reminder to the achievements of the British rule and its most important proponents. 

Overnight: Taj Bengal – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Kolkata, India – Gangtok, India
Enjoy a nice breakfast and then you will be transferred to the airport to board a flight to Bagdogra. On arrival you will be met by your driver for your transfer to Gangtok, irreverent, cheerful and pleasantly boisterous, Sikkim’s modern capital is layered along a precipitous mountain ridge, descending the hillside in steep tiers. You will visit the Rumtek Monastery in the evening.

Overnight: Taj Guras Kutir – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Gangtok, India
The day begins with breakfast, and a visit to Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, which promotes research in Mahayana Buddhism and the language and tradition of Tibet. It has one of the world’s largest collections of rare books and manuscripts on Mahayana Buddhism.

Afterwards, visit the Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts, established with the sole purpose of promoting and preserving the fine ethnic arts and crafts of Sikkim. 

Overnight: Taj Guras Kutir – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast

Gangtok, India – Darjeeling, India
Your journey will take you to Darjeeling today, with a spread in ribbons over a steep mountain ridge, surrounded by emerald green tea plantations, and towered over by majestic Khangchendzonga.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Himalayan Zoological Park, Tibetan Refugee self-help center and the market, Observatory Hill.

Overnight: Taj Chia Kutir – Luxury Room
Meals: Breakfast

Darjeeling, India
At crack of the dawn, visit the Tiger Hill, to view the sun’s first rays breaking over mighty Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest further into the distance.

Later visit Ghoom monastery, famous for its paintings and 15-feet high statue of the Maitreya Buddha, also explore the former colonial hill station and ride the toy train. And finally, visit Happy Valley Tea Estate for tea tasting.

Overnight: Taj Chia Kutir – Luxury Room
Meals: Breakfast

Darjeeling, India – Phuntsholing, Bhutan
After breakfast, you will be driven to Phuentsholing. A gateway to Bhutan, it is a fascinating place where different ethnic groups mingle, prominently Indian, Bhutanese, and Nepalese.

Overnight: Tashi Namgay Grand – Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Phuntsholing, Bhutan – Thimphu, Bhutan
This morning, you will continue your journey to Thimphu, the beautiful kingdom of Bhutan. It is the only capital in the world without streetlights relying instead on the elegant gestures of the traffic policemen. Spend the evening by strolling at the nearby places, for shopping, or whatever your heart desires.

Overnight: Le Meridien – Classic Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Thimphu, Bhutan
Today, you will visit one of Bhutan’s most unique creatures, the Takin Sanctuary, a wildlife reserve set on forested slopes above the city.

Later, visit the Folk Heritage Museum, which offers insight into the lifestyle, culture, and artifacts of Bhutanese villages as well as life in rural households.

Overnight: Le Meridien – Classic Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Thimphu, Bhutan – Gangtey, Bhutan
After breakfast, you will be driven to Gangtey, through forests of pine festooned with hanging lichen. Gangtey Valley is one of the most beautiful spots in Bhutan where dense forests are augmented by an impression of vast space.

Overnight: Gangtey Lodge – Farmhouse Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Gangtey, Bhutan
You will start your day with a visit to Black Neck Crane Center, which has an observation room equipped with a high power telescope and spotting scopes for catching the best view of the cranes. This late afternoon you will visit the striking Gangtey Goemba, sitting at the head of the valley, and later stroll through the quaint Gangtey Village.

Overnight: Gangtey Lodge – Farmhouse Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Gangtey, Bhutan – Punakha, Bhutan
Enjoy breakfast, and then proceed to Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. En-route you will stop at Chimi Lhakhang (Temple of the Divine Madman), built by the cousin of Lama Drukpa Kunley, it was constructed in his honor after the lama subdued the demoness of the nearby Dochu La with his “magic thunderbolt of wisdom”.

Overnight: Dhensa Boutique Resort – Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Punakha, Bhutan
Today, visit the majestic Punakha Dzong (the “palace of great happiness”). Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the dzong was originally built in 1637. Damaged over centuries by fires and an earthquake, it has been beautifully restored by the king.

Later walk through white-washed homesteads and farmland to Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten, a shrine recently built by the royal family (the Chorten can be clearly spotted from our breakfast table).

Overnight: Dhensa Boutique Resort – Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Punakha, Bhutan – Paro, Bhutan
You will be driven to Paro today, to visit Rinpung Dzong, a monastery and fortress along a mountain river. It houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag.

Overnight: Zhiwaling Heritate – Junior Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Paro, Bhutan
At crack of the dawn, visit Taksang, known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery, the monastery is perched on a high rocky ledge with incredible views. The climb from the car park takes two to three hours depending on the fitness, with small cafes to stop off for tea or coffee along the way.

Overnight: Zhiwaling Heritate – Junior Suite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Paro, Bhutan – Delhi, India – Departure
After a leisurely breakfast check out and transfer to the airport to catch your connecting flight to Delhi and onward flight home or to your next destination.

Meal: Breakfast