EASTERN HIMALAYAS WITH TAJ MAHAL

11 Days
London – Delhi – Bagdogra – Darjeeling – Kalimpong –
Gangtok – Bagdogra – Delhi – Agra – Delhi – London

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

Day 01 – Depart London

Day 02 – Arrive Delhi – City Tour
Early this morning you arrive at Delhi. You are met and transferred to hotel. Later embark on a sightseeing tour of Old & New Delhi. The places you visit include the Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate and the Qutab Minar Complex. Return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight stay.

Day 03 – Delhi / Bagdogra – Darjeeling
In the morning you are transferred to the airport to board flight to Bagdogra, the gateway airport to the hill stations of West Bengal & Sikkim. On arrival you are met and transferred to Darjeeling, the famous tea plantations. On arrival check into the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay.

Note: As per the present schedule of Jet Airways, the Delhi–Bagdogra flight operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays

Day 04 – In Darjeeling – Tiger Hill Excursion & City Tour
Early in the morning embark on an excursion to Tiger Hill to view the spectacular sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjunga. The viewing tower here provides an unparalleled 360° Himalayan panorama. Mt. Everest is also visible from here. Thereafter visit Ghoom, the highest railway station of the world and the destination of the famous Toy Train. The Monastery here is one of the most important in the region. Also visit the Batasia Loop, the name given to a portion of the Toy Train track. It is an engineering marvel where the railway line negotiates a graceful circle and descends 1000ft almost imperceptibly. Batasia also offers a grand view of the town of Darjeeling with the magnificent Kanchenjunga in the background.

In the afternoon tour the city of Darjeeling. Visit the Chowrasta, the commercial hub and the crossroad from where the Mall Road originates and culminates. It is the heart of Victorian Darjeeling. The Mall is an attractive promenade and a good place to sit and relax, the Victoria Falls, Tibetan Refugee Centre, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and a Tea Garden. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay.

Day 05 – Darjeeling / Kalimpong – City Tour
This morning drive to Kalimpong a remote and pretty hill station, which was a meeting point of the once ‘three closed lands’ on the trade route to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. On arrival check into the hotel. Later embark on a sightseeing tour of the town, which has a relaxed and unhurried air about it. Visit Dr. Graham’s Home, a school founded by the Scottish Missionary Rev. Dr. John Anderson Graham in 1900, St. Theresa's Church, that resembles a monastery, Deola viewpoint & Lake, the famous Flower Nurseries and the Kalimpong Bazaar. Overnight stay.

Day 06 – Kalimpong / Gangtok
This morning drive to Gangtok the capital of the State of Sikkim. On arrival check into the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay.

Day 07 – In Gangtok – Rumtek Excursion & City Tour
In the morning embark on an excursion to the Rumtek Monastery, a huge and wealthy monastery which is the seat of Gyalwa Karmapa, the head of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. It houses some of the worlds most unique art objects, ancient manuscripts and icons. Return to Gangtok and later tour the city. Visit the Royal Chapel, Enchey Monastery, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, the Orchid Sanctuary and the local bazaar.

Day 08 – Gangtok – Bagdogra / Delhi
In the morning drive to the Bagdogra airport to board flight to Delhi. On arrival you are met and transferred to the hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay.

Note: As per the present schedule of Jet Airways, the Bagdogra-Delhi flight operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays

Day 09 – Delhi / Agra
This morning drive to Agra en route visiting the mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar at Sikandra. Continue drive to Agra and check into hotel. Later tour the city of Agra visiting the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Overnight stay.

Day 10 – Agra / Delhi - Outbound
In the morning visit Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital, which is a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture unique in India. Built in red sandstone this nearly intact city is a beautiful blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural elements. In the afternoon drive back to Delhi. on arrival you are transferred to the airport to board your midnight flight back home.

Day 11 – Arrive London