For centuries this mountainous countryside was extremely difficult to visit and only a handful of communities, occasionally overrun by Tibetan invaders, existed in the fertile foothills, but these days the intrepid traveler is able to visit a region that retains much of its Himalayan cultural identity despite being landlocked by the giant nations of India and China. This trip is designed to see the best of this little visited area, enjoying the small hill stations with faded touches of the Raj, beautifully preserved Buddhist monasteries, glorious views of the Himalaya and the unique Himalayan culture.
HIGHLIGHTS OF TOUR:
DESTINATIONS:
Delhi – Darjeeling - Pemyangtse – Gangtok - Kalimpong – Phuntsholing - Thimpu – Punakha – Paro – Delhi
BEST TIME TO VISIT:
April to October
Day 1: Arrive Delhi
Arrive in Delhi and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or for individual sightseeing.
Day 2: Flight Delhi / Bagdogra - Darjeeling - 90 Kms / 4-5 Hrs
Transfer in the early morning to the domestic airport terminal for the flight to Bagdogra. On landing at Bagdogra we join our vehicles, and take a beautiful drive from the heat of the plains through jungle, tea estates and pleasant hillside villages to the coolness of Darjeeling. We should arrive by late afternoon. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 3: In Darjeeling
A full day to explore the town and its surroundings. A visit is arranged to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre. All around are the world famous tea estates and there are several monasteries nearby, of which the most famous is at Ghoom (when the railway is working, it is possible to take the toy train to Ghoom and return by taxi). There are the bazaars and markets, and plenty of good restaurants and little eating stalls to tempt you. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 4: Darjeeling - Pemyangtse
In the early morning we will get up before dawn and make the short drive to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise on Kanchenjunga. After breakfast, we leave by road to descend through impressive scenery to the Teesta River. We follow this and then climb steadily to our hotel in Pelling. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 5: Pemyangtse - Gangtok
Morning we visit famous Pemyangtse Monastery and later in the morning drive to Gangtok. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 7: Gangtok - Kalimpong -80 Kms / 3-4 Hrs
Leaving Sikkim and drive to Kalimpong en route visiting famous Rumtek Monastery. We climb up through vast tea plantations to the scenic hill station of Kalimpong. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 8: Kalimpong - Phuntsholing - 185 Kms / 5-6 Hrs
After an early breakfast we return to the plains, and turn east along the main road through the extensive tea plantations of lower Assam, to reach the Bhutan frontier at Phuntsholing. Rapidly becoming the commercial centre of Bhutan, Phuntsoling is a bustling border town but has many traditional chortens and the Kharbandi monastery. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 10: In Thimpu
We spend today exploring Thimpu. We also visit the impressive golden spired Memorial Chorten and the magnificent Tashichoe dzong (fort). Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 11: Thimpu - Punakha - 80 Kms / 4-5 Hrs
In the morning after breakfast, drive to Punakha. We should arrive Punakha by late afternoon. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 12-13: Punakha - Paro - 130 Kms / 4-5 Hrs
The next two days are spent driving to and exploring magnificent Paro.
Day 14: Flight Paro / Delhi
Morning transfer to the airport to check in for your flight to Delhi. The rest of the day is free to explore the city or stock up on Indian souvenirs.
Day 15: Departure Delhi
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to home, arriving in the late afternoon
Indian Visa
Tourist visa to India can be obtained from the High Commission of India in respective countries. General requirements for a tourist visa are
Tourist Visa on arrival
Visas to the citizens of following countries are now given on arrival in India. These visas are for single entry strictly for the purpose of Tourism and for a short period of up to a maximum of 60 days. This visa is issued at arrival only at the designated international airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The visa can be arranged up-to 72 hours before departure. The fee for the visa on arrival is USD 60 (or equivalent amount in Indian Rupees). For the application of eVisa and eligible countries please click here
Restricted Areas Permit
Visitors to restricted/protected areas need special permits and for this purpose an additional form has to be completed. Please check our "Restricted Area Info" for same
Health Requirements
India has been considered a safe destination to travel. Unless you are visiting any remote area or an area affected by some epidemic, there is no compulsory health requirement before entering India.
Generally most tours enlist the Health- risks if there are any.
For some more details log on to Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
We harvest fresh ideas and deliver uncom intelligent design. We collaborate with atr forward thinking ats clients. Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently including. Dummy text of the printing and type setting industry. Lorem Ipsum
We harvest fresh ideas and deliver uncom intelligent design. We collaborate with atr forward thinking ats clients. Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently including. Dummy text of the printing and type setting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industrys standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make
