flavour of the hills

Day 01 Arrival Delhi Arrive at Delhi International Airport. You will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel. You will receive a traditional welcome garlanded with flowers.
Overnight stay is arranged at the hotel.

Day 02 Delhi Get ready for full day sightseeing of Delhi. After breakfast, leave for the city tour of Old Delhi. You will be pleased to see Old Delhi, which offers ancient monuments, narrow streets and bustling bazaars. Drive past the Red Fort, built in 1648 and board a 'cycle rickshaw' near Red Fort for a ride to "Chandni Chowk" a bustling bazaar, experiencing the sights and sounds of this very busy market. Later visit the Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah Jahan who also built the Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Guests can continue exploring the city as afternoon descends and later come back to hotel. A delicious dinner awaits you at another ethnic restaurant. This is run by one of the most renowned chefs of India and offers varied Indian and Internantional Cuisines.

New Delhi
Afternoon sightseeing tour of New Delhi - drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including the India Gate & the Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era & predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal. End the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 Delhi - Bagdogra - Darjeeling Morning transfer to the airport for flight Delhi/Bagdogra Upon arrival at Bagdogra, the guests will be transferred directly to Darjeeling (90 kms/3 hrs) On arrival at Darjeeling - check into hotel. Darjeeling at an altitude of 2134m facing the Himalayas dominated by Mt. Kanchenjunga, was the summer resort of the British after they acquired it in 1835. Manor houses, bungalows & cottages sprung up and English-style gardens flowered everywhere. The first tea plantations appeared in 1840 & they thrived in the perfect climate. By 1881, when a narrow - gauge "Toy Train" was commissioned, the hill station of Darjeeling was completely anglicized. The population comprise Nepalese, Leach, Tibetan and Bhutia. Rest of the day at leisure for own activities Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 Darjeeling - Pemayangtse Excursion to Tiger Hill (10 kms south of Darjeeling) for a sunrise view of Mt. Kanchenjunga. On a clear day the entire chain is visible, with the 'Kanchenjunga' in the center and the 'Kabru' and the 'Pandim' peaks on either side. To the right are the "3 sisters" - Everest, Makalu and Lhotse. To the east, in the distance are the Tibetan peaks. Return to Darjeeling via Ghoom - visiting the Yiga-Choling Buddhist Monastery which is oldest gompa in the area established by a Tibetan astrologer in 1850m, and belongs to the Yellow Hat Sect. Afternoon drive to Pemayangtse (75 kms/4 hrs). Upon arrival - check into hotel Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Pemayangtse - Gangtok Drive to Gangtok (110 kms) (with packed lunch) capital of Sikkim. The route passes through beautiful hills covered with tea plantations around Darjeeling, before plunging towards the Tista river and then up along the river to Gangtok. Spread over one side of a hill, Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, directly faces the Kanchenjunga mountain range. Upon arrival - check into hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 Gangtok Drive out to Rumtek Monastery the seat of the gyalway Karmapa, head of the Kagyapa seat of Buddhism and built by him when he took refuge in Sikkim. It houses some of the world's most unique artefacts, ancient manuscripts and icons. Visit the Institute of Tibetology with its superb "Thanakas" and also the "Orchid sanctuary" which is a botanical garden offering 500 varieties of Orchids. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07 Gangtok - Kalimpong Morning drive to Kalimpong (86 kms / 3½ hrs ) - is a tiny hill station. Walks offer views of the Deola Hills to the north; the Durbindara Hills to the south; and, on a clear day, the plains of Nepal's terai and the lofty summits of Kanchenjunga Upon arrival - check into hotel Visit the two Buddhist Monasteries - Tirpai Choling at Tirpai belonging to the Yellow (Gelug) Hat Sect and the Zang dog Palrifo Brang on Dubindera Hill at the other end of Kalimpong which is a replica of a celestial borten that was destroyed by the chinese in Lhasa and took the Lamas two years to construct. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08 Kalimpong - Bagdogra - Delhi You will be picked up from hotel as per the flight schedule and transferred to Bagdogra airport (79 kms/3 hrs) to connect flight to Bagdogra/Delhi Upon arrival transfer to the hotel where rooms will be available for wash & change Dinner at the hotel Later transfer to the international airport for onward flight.

Day 09 Departure Delhi On-board International flight