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| Darjeeling |
| Darjeeling perched amongst
the clouds at 2134 mtrs. It retains its old colonial charm.
It is the heart & of premium tea. All around are waves &
waves of tea bushes flowing down the slopes, lovely vales &
dales, with magnolias & pines. Close by Tiger Hill provides
in clear weather, breathtaking sunrise view of Kanchandzonga
group and Mount Everest.
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| Gangtok |
| The capital of the tiny state
if Sikkim, is located in the shadow of the Chola range at 1767
mtrs. The road to Gangtok along the scenic Teesta valley through
magnificient forest & flowering trees gradually transport
you to the land of friendly & smiling people. Gangtok has
a rich cultural heritage, bustling modern bazaar erotic handicraft.
Above all Buddhist monasteries and local handicrafts center. |
| Kalimpong |
| Kalimpong, the exotic town
of beautiful people is mystical & enchanting, a rare ethnic
blend of cultural & religious harmony. Hospitality from
the days of the mule caravans, panoramic snow views, enchanting
flora & serene virgin forests – kalimpong , has the
imprint of recent history. Ruled by Bhutan for 155 years, &
annexed by the British in 1865, it flourished as the center
of the wool trade with Tibet, Gompas, Churches, temples, monks
and Christian missionaries, all co exist in a jovial & tolerant
society. |
| Paro |
| The Rinpung Dzong –
Paro ‘Fortress of jewels’ – commands a sweeping
view of the valley. Below the Dzong, cypress trees line shady
paths and weeping willows dip into the Paro Chhu. A charming
wooden bridge covered with a shingled roof spans the river.
Farm houses clustered together with gaily decorated facades
are sheltered by blossoming cherry and peach trees, and terraced
paddy fields spread across the valley. Paro is remarkably peaceful,
and it is here that Buddhism made its earliest inroads. According
to Buddhist tradition, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (AD 629-710)
built one hundred and eight temples to subjugate monstrous demons
who lay across the Himalayas and Tibet. The Jampey Lhakhang
in Bumthang was built on the demoness’ knee, whereas the
Kyiuchu temple in Paro pinned her left foot firmly to the ground. |
| Thimpu |
The Thimpu valley is at an
elavation of 2,350-m (7,700-ft.) Urbanization began here when
Thimpu was proclaimed to be the national capital in 1952 and
the Dechenchoeling Palace was built at this time. Even today,
the city retains its ethnic architectural style. Although many
new constructions incorporate only the façade of Bhutanese
style windows to confirm with government regulations, many houses
are still built in the traditional way.
Unlike other capital cities in the world, Thimpu remains essentially
pastoral in character and changes its demeanour with the seasons.
Agriculture terraces are farmed in the fertile valley; fruit
orchards line the gentler slopes while the high mountains are
blanketed by coniferous forests. The imposing Tashichhodzong
looks onto farmlands and a golf course. A riot of colour envelops
the dzong as wild cosmos bloom through summer into late autumn.
In springtime, cherry blossoms light up the well-manicured palace
lawns.
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Delhi-Bagdogra-Darjeeling-Pemayangtse-Gangtok-Kalimpong-Phuntsoling-Thimpu-
Punakha- Wangdiphodrang-Paro |
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| No. of days |
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20 |
| Best time to visit |
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October till April |
| Grade |
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Moderate |
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| Itinerary |
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 Day
01: Arrive Delhi |
| Arrive at New Delhi’s international
airport. A Mountain Trails representative will be waiting for you outside
the EXIT gate of arrival terminal, holding a Mountain Trails placard. Met
upon arrival and transfer to your hotel for overnight stay.
Overnight at Hotel. |
| Day
02: Delhi |
| After a buffet breakfast at your hotel,
proceed for a full day sight seeing of Old and New Delhi. Full
day combined city tour of Old and New Delhi visiting Qutub Minar,
India Gate (War Memorial), Lakshimanarayan temple – modern
Hindu temple, drive past President’s House, Parliament
House and Secratariat buildings. Also visit Raj Ghat and Shanti
Vana – cremation sites of Mahatama Gandhi and Jawaharlal
Nehru. Also visit Red fort and drive past Jama Masjid and Chandni
Chowk. Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day
03: Delhi-Bagdogra (Flight) 9W 602 10:10 -
2:05 Bagdogra-Darjeeling
(Drive 82 Kms, 3 Hours) |
| After a buffet breakfast,
you will be transferred to domestic airport to board the
flight 9W 601 for Bagdogra. Met upon arrival at Bagdogra
airport and proceed for a drive to Darjeeling, a three
hours drive uphill through tea gardens and small towns.
We will occasionally meet the famous Darjeeling toy train,
huffing and puffing across the road Rest of the evening
will be at leisure. Overnight at Hotel. |
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| Day
04: Darjeeling |
| Early morning visit Tiger Hill for
fabulous sunrise views of Mt. Kangchenzonga (8585 Mts.),
the third highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest and
a host of other Himalayan giants are also seen on the
horizon. On our drive back to the hotel we will stop at
Ghoom, a Tibetan-Buddhist monastery. After breakfast we
shall visit the old botanical gardens to see their collection
of rare orchids and other plants. After lunch visit the
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Refugee
Camp and the local market. Overnight at Hotel. |
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| Day
05: Darjeeling– Gangtok (Drive 98 Kms, 5 Hours) |
| After breakfast we shall
proceed for a 5 hours drive to Gangtok, passing through
the lush green fields the famous large Sikkimese Cardamoms
as well as Golden Rice. We stop to take an hour’s
uphill walk to arrive at Monastery of Tashiding, also
known as Chogyal Lakhang, stands on top of a thickly wooded
hill. Every spring, thousands of devout Buddhists trek
to Tashiding to participate in a festival and sip the
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| sacred
water from an ancient stone jar which, miraculously, never
runs dry. Continue your drive to Gangtok. Perched atop
a ridge at a height of 1520-m. lies Gangtok, a quaint,
colorful town. This small-modernized town is the capital
of Sikkim. Overnight at Hotel. |
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| Day
06: Gangtok |
| A short excursion early in the morning
brings us to the famous Rumtek Monastery, the seat of
the Karmapa Lama who heads the Kagyupa Sect of Buddhism.
Thangkas and frescoes decorate the walls of this ancient
monastery, now renovated. His holin ess Gyalwa Karmapa
was the 16th reincarnate. The style of the monastery,
strictly traditional has been patterned on the lines of
the Lamas series of Tibet. This monastery was first built
in 1717 but crumbled to ruins due to aging. The present
monastery was constructed by his holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa
in 1960s. The |
| monastery is certainly the largest
in sprawling over a huge area. It includes a school built
on modern lines to impart teachings in Tibetan and various
aspects of Buddhism. An aviary containing the most exotic
birds also exists in the monastery complex. Some distance
above the monastery is a hermitage in which monks go into
complete seclusion for meditation for period's up-to 3
years. Later, we visit the Institute of Tibetology, which
has a collection of almost 30,000 volumes on diverse subjects
like astrology, philosophy, magic and religion. After
lunch we visit the Orchid Sanctuary which has over 200
species of temperate and intermediate orchids on beautifully
landscaped grounds. Our next stop is the Epica gardens,
which has large collection of indigenous plants of Sikkim.
Overnight at Hotel.
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| Day
07: Gangtok - Kalimpong (80 Kms, 3-4 hrs drive) |
Morning drive to Kalimpong, arrive at
Kalimpong and check into your hotel. Kalimpong, once the headquarters
of a Bhutanese Governor, the word 'kalim' means King's Minister
and 'Pong' - the stronghold of the King's minister. The hill
people also call it ‘Kalibong’ or the black spur.
'Kalipong' in local dialect stands for ‘Kaulim’,
which is a fibrous plant, which grows in abundance in this region.
The meaning that has found the most favour is the Lepcha meaning
of the name - 'ridge where we play'. It is said that these local
tribesmen used to organise field sports while not engaged in
agricultural pursuits - hence its name. Somewhat secluded and
tucked away in the corner under the big Darjeeling umbrella,
Kalimpong offers a quiet and relaxed holiday against the backdrop
of Kangchendzunga.
Kalimpong was earlier the part of Bhutan. In 1865, after the
Anglo-Bhutan War, it was merged with Darjeeling, and became
a sub-division of Darjeeling in 1916, and developed as a hill
station. It flourished as a wool-trading centre with Tibet till
1950, when the Chinese took over Tibet. It continues to be part
of Darjeeling District.
Afternoon Sightseeing of Kalimpong including botanical gardens
and the local market. Overnight at Hotel. |
| Day
08: Kalimpong – Phuntsoling (230 km, 7-8 hrs drive) |
| After a early breakfast at you hotel
in Phuntsoling. After visa formalities at the border,
you will be picked up by our Bhutan representative. |
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| Day
09: Phuntsoling-Thimpu by surface (176 km, 7-8 hrs drive) |
| After breakfast, drive on
to Thimpu. Evening free to rest and relax. Overnight at hotel. |
| Day
10: Thimpu |
| Breakfast at hotel. Afterwards
visit : |
| Memorial Chorten |
| A prominent landmark in Thimpu is the
Memorial Chorten built as a tribute to the late King, H.M. Jigme
Dorji Wangchuk. Along with the Dungtse Lhakhang in Paro, this
is the only temple in Bhutan, which is shaped like a chorten.
The mother of the Third King in memory of her son erected a
pious landmark for Thimpu’s residents, in 1974. Bhutanese
pay their respects to his photograph inside the memorial. |
| Tashichhodzong |
| The Tashichhodzong, which houses
the Royal Secretariat as well as the chambers of the Je
Khenpo, is located in a picturesque setting by the banks
of the river. Unlike the other fortresses built in Bhutan
by the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, this is not intended
to be a bulwark of defence. The original dzong in Thimpu
was located at Dechen Phodrang, which is now a monastic
school. The Do Ngon Dzong, “Fortress of the Blue
Stone’, was strategically placed on a high promontory
and had a checkered history. The Shabdrung took control
of the dzong in the 1630s and rebuilt it. Calling the
dzong by its present name, Tashichhodzong, he made it
the summer residence of the monk body. The Tashichhodzong
was established at its present location in the latter
part of the eighteenth century by the Je Khenpo but was
reconstructed by the late king, H.M. Jigme Dorji Wangchuk
in the 1960s as the seat of government under the new dispensation. |
Exquisite collections of religious
thankhas adorn the walls of the Royal Secretariat and
the old Hall of the National Assembly where the king sits
on a gilded throne.
Overnight at hotel in Thimpu. |
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| Day
11: Thimpu-Punakha (60 km 2-3 hrs drive |
| In the morning, visit
the Institute of Traditional Medicine, Folk Heritage Museum
and the Handicraft Emporium. Afterwards drive to Punakha,
the old capital of Bhutan. |
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| Punakha |
| The Dochu La watershed
at 3,116-m (10, 200-ft) separates the Thimpu valley from
Punakha. Himalayan blue magpie’s glide from magnolia
trees to rhododendrons extending their long tails and
showing off their brilliant plumage. In winter, fir trees
droop under a heavy blanket of snow, and icicles hang
from frozen waterfalls. |
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| Punakha
Dzong |
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| The Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, built
Punakha Dzong in 1637, adjacent to a temple which had
been established as far back as 1328 by the saint Ngagi
Rinchen. The fortress remained under the tutelage of the
Dzongpoens until it became the capital of Bhutan. The
first King H.M Ugyen Wangchuk’s reign was inaugurated
here in the palace of Great Bliss on 17 December 1907,
the year of the Fire-Sheep. The coronation was attended
by a British mission under John Claude White, a personal
friend of the king, along with other officers and twenty-five
men from the Punjab Regiment. In January 1910, the Treaty
of Punakha cemented Bhutan’s ties with the British
Raj in India. Jigme Wangchuk, the second king was also
crowned at Punakha in March 1927 and it remained the seat
of government until 1952 when the third king H.M Jigme
Dorji Wangchuk, decided to transfer his capital to Thimpu. |
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| The Punakha Dzong
drives a great wedge between the Mo Chhu and Po Chhu. Flocks
of Brahman ducks and long-necked cormorants skim over the waters
in a tight formation. The magnificent Dzong is sprawled between
the Phochu and Mochu (river). |
| Day
12: Punakha-Paro |
After an early breakfast,
make a short visit to Punakha and drive to Paro.
In the afternoon visit the national museum, housed in
an ancient watchtower. Later visit Rinphung Dzong, the
fortress cum monastery, which houses the local District
administration offices, courts and also the living quarters
for hundreds of monks. Also included is a visit to a farm
house to get a glimpse of the rural bhutanese life. Upon
available time, stroll though the town square of Paro. |
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| Day
13: Paro |
Drive to Ramthongkha and hike to view
point of Taktshang, the Tiger’s Nest (2 hours). This magical
monastery clings to a vertical granite cliff 3,000 ft above
the valley floor. The monastery unfortunately got burnt in 1998
but it has recently been reconstructed.
Rest of the day is free to explore the down town. Overnight
in Paro at hotel. |
| Day
14: Paro-Kathmandu by KB 202 (DEP 0730 HRS ARR 0930 HRS) |
| After an early breakfast
at the hotel, transfer to Paro Airport to board flight
for kathmandu. Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer
to your hotel. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Patan city.
Visit Patan, the old Newar city and see the historic Durbar
Square,the Golden Gate, the sky piercing temple of Taleju
and the statue of Yogendra Malla, Krishna Mandir, Sati
Temple, Hiranya Varna Mahabiar (the golden temple), Mahabouddha
with views of old carved wooden windows through the streets,
curios shop and Bazaars. Later visit Tibetan handicraft
center and see Tibetan Refugees settlement and their Handicraft
working process such as Knitting weaving, finishing woolen
carpets. Overnight at Hotel.
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| Day
15: In Kathmandu |
Breakfast at the hotel.
AM Half-day tour of Kathmandu city and Swoyambhunath
Stupa. In this tour visit the 17th Century Durbar complex
and Hanuman Dhoka, temple of living goddess, Narayan Mandir,
and Kasthmandap a wooden temple built from a single tree, Shiva
Paravati temple, great Bell and Drum, Seto Bhairav, Kal Bhairav
and Taleju Temple. Later proceed to Swoyambhunath
one of the oldest Buddhist stupa overlooking the entire Kathmandu
valley also known as the Monkey Temple. |
| PM: Half day tour of Pasupatinath,
Boudhanth and Bhandgaon city |
| In Pashupatinath
area you can see famous Lord Shiva temple and Hindu cremation
ground. Though you are not allowed to go inside the temple
as it is strictly for Hindus only, you can clearly see
the temple and the activities from the eastern bank of
the Bagmati river. The two-tier golden roof and silver
doors of the temple is famous all over the world. Later
visit Boudhnath, the 2500 years old Buddhist
stupa in the Valley built in 5th century with four pairs
of eyes of Lord Buddha in four cardinal directions keeping
an eternal watch over the people and their doings. You
will find Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet going round the
stupa spinning the prayer wheels. Later visit Bhadgaon,
another Newar city founded in the 9th century. |
| Visit the ancient gateway, Durbar
Square the Royal Residential Quarter of Bhupatindra Malla,
famous five storied temple of Nyatapola in Pagoda style,
Batsala temple, Bhairavnath temple, Duttatraya temple,
Pujari Math and Palace of 55 windows. Overnight at Hotel. |
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| Day
16: Kathmandu/Chitwan (160 km-6 hrs drive approx.) |
| After breakfast transfer
from Kathmandu to Chitwan by surface. Proceed by road
to Royal Chitwan National Park, 160 kms 5/6 hrs drive
south west of Kathmandu. Upon arrival, check-in at Jungle
Lodge, refreshments and briefing about the programme.
Afternoon: Jungle activities of Elephant safari, walking
etc. Overnight at the Lodge. |
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| Day
17: In Chitwan |
| Full Day Jungle activities
include jungle safari on elephant back, nature walks,
jungle drive, canoeing and bird watching in the park having
360 sq. miles of tall grassland and thick forests. We
will attempt to search out some of the elusive animals
of the Terai, and with the skill of the fully will encounter
the one horned Rhino, various types of deer, boar and
leopard and if we are very fortunate the elusive tiger.
Overnight at the Lodge on Full board. |
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| Day
18: Chitwan/Pokhara transfer (165 km-5 hrs drive approx.) |
After breakfast, transfer from Chitwan
to Pokhara by surface. Upon arrival in Pokhara check-in
at hotel.
PM: Half-day sightseeing tour of Pokhara city
It is a beautiful valley which is situated at a height
of 2950 ft. with its rare combination of snow clad peaks
among the highest in the world, crystal-clear lakes, stream
and gorges, picturesque villages inhabited by friendly
smiling Gurungs, Magars and other ethnic tribes. |
| The scenery is breathtaking with
excellent views of an overwhelmingly beautiful mountain
range, which includes the Dhaulagiri, The Annapurna I,
II & III, Machha Puchhre or “Fish Tail”,
Lamjung Himal, Manaslu & Himalchuli. In Pokhara’
s immediate neighborhood are Tibetan villages. Legend
has it that there was once a beautiful city in the valley
now filled by the lake. One of the most popular excursions
is to paddle out the little island offshore from lakeside.
On this island there is a small temple. Also visit Local
Market, Bindebasini Temple, Mahendra cave, Phewa lake,
Tibetan refugee Camp, Davis fall. Overnight at hotel. |
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| Day
19: Pokhara/Kathmandu transfer (200 km-6 hrs drive approx.) |
| After breakfast transfer from Pokhara
to Kathmandu by surface. Evening free to rest and relax. Overnight
at hotel. |
| Day
20: Leave Kathmandu |
| In time departure transfer to airport
to connect flight for onward journey. |
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Bhutan Trek 
