Itinerary 1 - 2008 departures
Day 1 Fly from London Heathrow to Calcutta arriving early the following morning.
Day 2Transfer to the 5-star Taj Bengal Hotel where rooms will be available for immediate occupancy. After a late breakfast
depart for visits to the Victoria Memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mother Teresa’s House and the Kalighat Kali Temple.
Day 3 Morning flight to Bagdogra. Continue by road to Darjeeling for a two-night stay at the Mayfair Hotel.
Day 4 View the sunrise over the Himalayas from Tiger Hill and continue to the Yellow Hat Monastery at Ghoom. Afternoon tour of Darjeeling, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and zoo.
Day 5Drive from Darjeeling to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, for a two-night stay at the Norkhill Hotel.
Day 6Full-day sightseeing of Gangtok including a drive through emerald green rice terraces to the Rumtek Monastery, head of the Kagyud (Black Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Day 7East to Kalimpong arriving after lunch at the Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa. Consecrated by the Dalai Lama this monastery is famed for its wall paintings, rare three dimensional mandala and amazing mountain views. Overnight at the Silver Oak Hotel.
Day 8Continue to Phuntsholing, the gateway to the legendary kingdom of Bhutan and an overnight stay at the Druk Hotel (or similar).
Day 9Depart along a steep, winding road to an altitude of 2000 metres before beginning the descent through light mountain jungle, sprinkled with lianas and orchids, to Thimpu. Once a rustic village sitting in a broad fertile river valley this is now the nation’s bustling capital. A two-night stay at the Druk Hotel (or similar).
Day 10Full day to visit Thimpu at 2350 metres including the 400-year-old Tashichhodzong, the fortress of the glorious religion and the monastery of the Simtokha Dzong.
Day 11 Visit the National Library with its extensive collection of Buddhist manuscripts before departing for Paro and visiting a typical Bhutanese village home en-route. Two nights at the Hotel Olathang or Hotel Pelri Cottage (or similar).
Day 12 This area is home to some of Bhutan’s oldest temples and monasteries including Rinpung Dzong, the wonderfully named ‘fortress of the heap of jewels’ commanding spectacular views over the valley. Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the most sacred shrines of Bhutan dating back to the 7th century when Buddhism was first introduced to the country, and finally Drukgyel Dzong which commemorates the triumph over Tibetan invaders in 1646.
Day 13 Morning flight from Paro to Calcutta. Transfer to Hotel Taj Bengal. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 14Early morning flight to London reaching Heathrow later the same day.
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