Darjeeling & the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan

An overnight flight to Kolkata

Your Indian and Bhutanese holiday begins at London Heathrow, where you meet the Tour Manager and group of fellow travellers, ready to board the flight to India. The journey pauses overnight in Delhi, where you switch planes and continue onwards to the West Bengal province.

Arrival in Kolkata, the 'City of Joy'

Landing in Kolkata, you are transferred by coach to a five-star hotel in the heart of the state capital. Breakfast on arrival, then the remainder of the day is free to relax, acclimatise or explore at leisure. The evening features the first group dinner together.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Discovering Kolkata on a guided tour

A guided city tour of Kolkata includes the Mullick Ghat flower market, Mother House (convent and final resting place of Mother Teresa), the white-marble Victoria Memorial, the railway museum, the historic centre, the potter's colony, and a ride on the Circular Railway to the James Prinsep memorial.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Crossing the revered Ganges by modern rail

A relaxed morning in Kolkata before lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to Howrah Junction to board the Shatabdi Express in AC Executive Class for a 350-mile, eight-hour journey to New Jalpaiguri, crossing the sacred Ganges River en route. Picnic-style dinner on board. Transfer to hotel in Siliguri on arrival.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climbing the Himalayas on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Visit Salugara Monastery before travelling by jeep to Kurseong for lunch at the Cochrane Place Hotel. Board the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway ('Toy Train') and climb almost 7,000 feet into the Himalayas, arriving at the five-star heritage hotel in Darjeeling late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Toy Train to Ghoom Monastery

Optional early morning excursion to Tiger Hill for sunrise over the Himalayas. After breakfast, board the steam-hauled 'Toy Train' to Ghoom to tour Ghoom Monastery. Return to Darjeeling by coach, with free time for lunch, a visit to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (resting place of Tenzing Norgay), and a walking tour to St Andrews Church.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Tea time in Darjeeling

After breakfast, meet the son of a Gurkha veteran who shares stories of his father's service in WWII. Visit the Golden Tips stall for a Darjeeling tea tasting, then take a heritage walk through the city to see the clock tower and head post office. The afternoon is free to explore independently.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Crossing into the kingdom of Bhutan

Coach journey from Darjeeling towards Bhutan, passing waterfalls and crossing the Coronation Bridge over the Teesta River. Lunch stop at Chalsa surrounded by tea plantations. Cross into Bhutan at Jaigaon under an ornately decorated gate. Check in to hotel in the border town of Phuentsholing.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A journey into the Bhutanese Himalayas

Scenic drive from Phuentsholing deep into Bhutan's Himalayas to Paro, with a lunch stop en route. Guided tour of historic Paro including the oldest Buddhist temple in the country, concluding with a guided tour and beer-tasting at the Namgay Artisanal Brewery.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Tiger's Nest Monastery

Trek up to the Tiger's Nest viewpoint to admire the 17th-century monastery clinging to the cliffside above the Paro Valley. Lunch on the walk back down, then excursion to the 7th-century Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rinpung Dzong temple and the Dochula Pass

Visit the National Museum of Bhutan in Paro (housed in a 17th-century watchtower with over 3,000 exhibits), then the 15th-century Rinpung Dzong fortress. Drive along the snow-covered Dochula Pass with its 108 memorial chortens, with lunch en route. Arrive at hotel in the Punakha Valley; opportunity to create a spiritual mandala from coloured rice before dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sacred sights of the Punakha Valley and arrival in Thimphu

Visit Chimi Lhakhang (the temple of fertility) and Punakha Dzong ('Palace of Great Happiness'). Lunch at a local farmhouse. Arrive in Thimphu for an exploratory walk including the 17th-century Tashichho Dzong and a local craft bazaar. Check in to centrally located hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Exploring the Bhutanese capital

Full day in Thimphu: visit the Memorial Chorten, the Buddha Dordenma statue (nearly 180 feet high), the Royal Takin Preserve, and the Simply Bhutan living heritage museum for a traditional lunch. Afternoon visit to the National Institute for Zorig Chusum and a tea-offering ceremony with nuns at Zilukha Nunnery. Cultural performance before dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Back across the Indian border to Kolkata

Fly from Paro airport back to Kolkata. Check in to five-star hotel; the rest of the day is free. Optional cruise along the Hooghly River (payable locally). Final group dinner together at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

A final day to explore Kolkata

Free morning and afternoon in Kolkata to explore the historic centre including the General Post Office, Writer's Building, St John's Church, and Kolkata's Town Hall. Coach transfer to Kolkata airport in the early evening for the overnight flight back to the UK via Delhi.

Meals: Breakfast

Homeward bound

Arrive back at London Heathrow and free to make your way home.