East India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet Tour
Kolkata – Bagdogra – Darjeeling – Phuntsholing – Thimphu – Punakha
Paro – Kathmandu - Lhasa – Kathmandu – Hometown (16 Days)

01 Day: Arrival Kolkata
02 Day: Kolkata – Bagdogra – (By Air) Darjeeling (96 Kms/ 4 hours)
03 Day: Darjeeling
04 Day: Darjeeling - Phuntsholing (210 kms/ 9 hours)
05 Day: Phuntsholing - Thimphu (178 Kms/ 7 hours)
06 Day: Thimphu
07 Day: Thimphu – Punakha - Wangduephodrang (150 kms/ 6 hrs)
08 Day: Wangduephodrang - Paro (140 kms - 5 hrs)
09 Day: Paro
10 Day: Paro - Kathmandu (By Air)
11 Day: Katmandu
12 Day: Kathmandu - Lhasa (By Air)
13 Day: Lhasa
14 Day: Lhasa
15 Day: Lhasa
16 Day: Lhasa – Kathmandu (By Air)

01 Day: Arrival at Kolkata
Assistance on arrival at the Kolkatta airport and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is free for relaxation.  If time permits take a half day sightseeing tour of Kolkata visiting the High Court Building, St. Mary’s church, The Howrah Bridge, the Botanical Gardens, Victoria Memorial St .Paul Cathedral and Indian Museum. Return back to the hotel for overnight stay.

02 Day: Kolkata – Bagdogra – (By Air) Darjeeling (96 Kms – 4 hours)
After breakfast checkout the hotel and transfer to the airport to board the flight for Bagdogra, assistance on arrival and drive to Darjeeling, on arrival check in to the hotel. Rest of the evening free for leisure. Optionally you can visit to the Mall road. Overnight at the hotel.

03 Day: Darjeeling
After breakfast, take a sightseeing tour of Darjeeling visiting Batasia Loop, Ghoom Monastery, the monastery belongs to the Yellow Sect of Buddhists. Tibetan Self-Help Refugee Centre, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Mountaineering Museum, Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park. Evening walk around the Mall Area, the heart of the town. Overnight at the hotel.

04 Day: Darjeeling - Phuntsholing (210 kms – 9 hours)
After breakfast, drive today is long so we start early morning.  Drive is at first along the ridges of 3rd and 6th mile villages passing through the rich forest of Mongpoo where one gets to see the Chinchona plantation and finally meeting the national highway 31A. Then our road moves along the river Teesta till we reach the Coronation bridge. We then cross this bridge and drive towards the Western Doars area. The road we now take is large and is known as the Guhwati National highway. This road passes through numerous small towns, tea gardens filled with Assam tea bushes. Finally crossing through the small towns of Bagrakot, Damdin, Mal, Chalsa, Nagarakata, Binnaguri, Birpara, and reaching Hasimara we drive north towards the town of Jaigaon (Indian boder town). Where we fill our disembarkation form and Indian stamp out of India. The town Jaigaon is connected with the town of Phuntsholing and is jus separated by a Gate. Just a mins drive from the gate is our hotel “The druk” owned by the Bhutan tourism development Corporation. Overnight at hotel. 

05 Day: Phuntsholing - Thimphu (178 Kms – 7 hours)
After breakfast checkout and drive to discover the uniqueness of The Land of the Thunder Dragon. Here, each part of the sky and earth has a name from the sacred scriptures. The plains from which we have ascended are “eight-petalled lotuses” (symbols of purity), the mountains which surround us are “elephants in repose” (symbols of strength), “proudly-posed lions” (symbols of courage), and “garuda birds taking flight”, (symbols of the loftiness of metaphysical views). Lakes which abound are “vessels of plenty” or cups of amrita [ambrosia]. The parts of the sky seen between the peaks are like “spirals of joy” (gakyil) or daggers representing the destruction of mental poisons of desire hatred and ignorance. Every valley is a place of pilgrimage, every rock, river and cave we will see has its spiritual history. 4 km ahead of Phuntsholing, on the way to Thimphu, we visit Kharbandi Gompa, the beautiful monastery situated in a garden of tropical plants and flowers. The monastery contains paintings depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha and images of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and the plains of West Bengal with tea gardens beyond. We continue our drive to Thimphu with many very pleasant scenic spots en route. Lunch will be served at Bunakha cafeteria. Fives miles before Thimphu, we visit Simtokha Dzong, the oldest fortress of the Kingdom. Built in 1627, it now houses the School for Religious and Cultural studies. On arrival check in to the hotel. The evening is free, but why not take a stroll around Thimphu’s main street. The capital of Bhutan, and the centre of government, religion and commerce, Thimphu is a lively place, an interesting combination of tradition and modernity. Thimphu maintains a strong national character in its architectural style and way of life. Overnight at the hotel.

06 Day: Thimphu
After breakfast take a sightseeing tour of Thimpu. Bhutan is famous for the quality of its architecture, which finds its greatest expression in the dzongs, which are at once Buddhist monasteries and fortresses fulfilling a sacred function and administrative and judicial offices of each region. Each major valley has its dzong, and today we visit including Tashichho Dzong 'The Fortress of the Auspicious Religion', the finest in the Thimpu Valley. The beautiful mediaeval fortress-monastery now houses most of the Government's offices as well as the King's Throne room. It is also the summer residence of Je Khenpo, the Chief Abbot.  We then proceed to the National Library which houses an extensive collection of Buddhist literature, with some works dating back several hundred years. Visit the nearby Institute for Zorig Chusum (commonly known as the Painting School), where a six-year training course is given in the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. It is particularly famous for religious thangkha paintings. Also visit Textile & Folk Heritage Museum, a fascinating testimony of Bhutan's living traditions.  In the afternoon we visit the National Memorial Chorten. The building of this landmark was originally envisaged by Bhutan's third king, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk ("the father of modern Bhutan") who erected this Buddhist edifice as a monument to world peace and prosperity. Completed in 1974 after his untimely death, it serves both as a memorial to the Late King and as a monument to peace. Then drive to Zulekha Nunnery, which provides another insight into Buddhist traditions. In the evening we visit the government-run Handicrafts Emporium and privately owned crafts shops, which offer a wide range of handcrafted products, including the splendid thangkha paintings and exquisitely woven textiles for which Bhutan is famous. Today, we have arranged a performance of Bhutanese music and dance, which will give an insight into the meaning of religious festivals with their symbolic and didactic content, performed by both monks and lay people alike. Overnight at the hotel.

07 Day: Thimphu – Punakha - Wangduephodrang (150 kms – 5- 5 ½ hrs)
After breakfast you will drive to Wangduephodrang, with a stop en route for tea at Dochu La (3,100 meters), where on a clear day you can get spectacular views of the Himalayas. Drive over the 10,000ft Dochu La pass (about an hour outside Thimphu) into the balmy Punakha valley (about 3 hrs total time). The drive through the countryside affords a glimpse of everyday life in this most remote of Himalayan kingdoms. In the Dochhu La area there are vast Rhododendron forests. These grow to tree size and bloom in late April/early May, covering the mountains in a riot of glorious spring color. From the height of the pass, with its sweeping view of the snow peaks in clear weather, the road descends into the lush green Punakha Valley. Visit to the Punakha Dzong which is noteworthy both for being one of the most beautiful dzongs in Bhutan and also for having been built by the first Shabdrung in 1637. Today it is the winter home to the Je Khenpo the Chief Abbot. Down stream from the Punakha valley is the Wangduephodrang Dzong strategically located on a ridge overlooking the junction of the Sunkosh and Tangchu rivers; it is the gateway to Central and eastern Bhutan. Overnight in hotel.

08 Day: Wangduephodrang - Paro (140 kms - 5 hrs)
After breakfast checkout and drive to Paro. The beautiful valley of Paro encapsulates within itself a rich culture, scenic beauty and hundreds of myths and legends. It is home to many of Bhutan's oldest temples and monasteries, the National Museum and country's only airport. Mount Chomolhari (7,314m) reigns in white glory at the northern end of the valley and its glacial waters plunge through deep gorges to form Pa Chhu (Paro River). Paro is also one of the most fertile valleys in the Kingdom producing a bulk of the locally famous red rice from its terraced fields. On arrival we check in.  In the afternoon we visit the Ta Dzong, the National Museum of Bhutan. Built on a ridge immediately above Rinpung Dzong as a Watch tower, in 1968 it was inaugurated as the National Museum, and now holds a fascinating collection of arts, relics, religious thangkha paintings, Bhutan's exquisite postage stamps, coins and handicrafts, together with a small natural history collection.  Then we walk down the trail to visit Rinpung Dzong, meaning 'fortress of the heap of jewels', built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The Dzong houses the monastic body of Paro, the office of the Dzongda (district administrative head) and Thrimpon (judge) of Paro district. The approach to the Dzong is through a traditional covered bridge called Nemi Zam. A walk through the bridge, over a stone inlaid path, offers a good view of the architectural wonder of the Dzong as well as life around it. Overnight at the hotel.

09 Day: Paro
After breakfast drive up the valley to view the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, 18 km from Paro town on the northern side of the valley. It was from here that the Bhutanese repelled several invading Tibetan armies during the 17th century. Though largely destroyed by fire in 1951, the towering outer walls and central keep remain an imposing sight. On a clear day, there is a splendid view of Mt Chomolhari from the approach road to Drukgyel Dzong.  Then we take an excursion by horseback along Himalayan trails through rhododendron and moss forests to Taktsang Monastery viewpoint, the most famous of Bhutanese monasteries. It is said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery-hence it is called "Tiger's Nest". Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal visited this site, which has been recognized as a most sacred place, in 1646. Today it is a place of pilgrimage, which the Bhutanese try to visit at least once in a lifetime. In April 1998, a fire severely damaged the main structure of the building but it has been now fully restored to its original grandeur. The excursion to the monastery viewpoint takes about 5 hours for the round trip including lunch and extensive viewing. (For those not wishing to undertake the horse ride, an alternative program will be arranged and booked prior to departure.) Later, we visit a traditional Bhutanese Farm House for an opportunity to interact with a local family and learn something of their lifestyle. On returning to Paro town we visit Kyichu Lhakhang  one of the oldest and most sacred shrines of the Kingdom. Overnight at the hotel.

10 Day: Paro - Kathmandu (By Air)
Early morning transfer to the airport to board your flight for Katmandu. Assistance on arrival at Kathmandu and transfer to hotel. After relaxation take tour of the city visiting The Pashupatinath Temple, situated on the banks of River Baghmati around 8 km from the city, is one of the holiest Hindu shrines. Also visit Guheshwari Temple near Pashupatinath is considered as the place where Yoni of Shiva’s consort Sati fell when she was cut into pieces by Lord Vishnu. Later visit Boudhnath which is one of the largest stupas in the world. Also sightseeing of Kathmandu Durbar Square & Swayambhunath Buddhist Temple. Overnight in Kathmandu.

11 Day: Katmandu
Early morning take an excursion tour to Nagarkot at 0400 hrs to see the sun rise from Nagarkot, after Sunrise visit the Village of Nagarkot & return to Kathmandu, rest of the day free for shopping at Thamel, overnight in Kathmandu.

12 Day: Kathmandu – Lhasa (By Air)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board your flight for Lhasa. Assistance on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Enroute enjoy the one and a half hour drive along the Brahmaputra River and through Tibetan countryside and villages to Lhasa. Upon arrival at Lhasa, check in at the Hotel. The afternoon is free for complete rest to allow the process of acclimatization at such an extreme altitude. Evening take a walking tour of Jokhang & the bustling Barkhor market. Overnight at hotel.

13 Day: Lhasa
After breakfast visit Drepung Monastery drive 8 kms west of Lhasa to Drepung Monastery. Said to be the largest monastery in the world housing over 10,000 monks, it was founded in 1416 by the disciple of Te Tsonkhapa, founder of the Yellow Hat Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The second, third and the fourth Dalai Lamas lived and were entombed here. Drepung in Tibetan means ‘Rich mound’. Later in the afternoon Jokhang Temple Situated in the heart of old Lhasa houses Tibet’s most precious religious relic, a golden Shakyamuni Buddha which was brought as a gift by the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng on her wedding to the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo. Devout pilgrims prostrate themselves at the temple entrance and make the inner holy circuit of the temple to give yak butter offerings to the gods and pay homage to the golden statue of Shakyamuni. Surrounding the Jokhang Temple is the busy bustling Barkhor Bazaar, a market place which is the religious and social focus of Lhasa. This is the spiritual centre of Tibet and is also the heart of Lhasa. Overnight at hotel.

14 Day: Lhasa:
After breakfast visit Potala Palace this legendary palace built atop a single hill is synonymous with Tibet. The first foremost king, Songtsen Gampo expanded to its Present structure during the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama. This 13 storey, 1000 room citadel served as the headquarters of the former "church-state” of Tibet and was home to successive Dalai Lama who, from the later half of the 18th century, used it as their Winter Palace continue with the sightseeing tour visiting Sera Monastery 5 miles north of Lhasa. Sera’s setting is one of the prettiest. Once a community of more than 5,000 monks, it was virtually extinguished by the Chinese invasion. The restored monastery sits below the brow of the hill on which Tsongkhapa built a hermitage and spent several years meditating. One of the monks disciple started building Sera in 1419 completing in a few years later. Evening return back to the hotel for Overnight stay.

15 Day: Lhasa:
After breakfast visits The Norbulingkha the ‘Jewel Park’ as it is known in Tibetan, was built in the 18th century and served as the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas. This colourful garden landscape was the site of picnic and public gatherings. The place is richly decorated, creating an atmosphere of peaceful repose. Later visit the Tibetan Museum for a glimpse of the Tibetan history and its culture. Overnight at hotel.

16 Day: Lhasa – Kathmandu (By Air) – Hometown
Early morning checkout of the hotel and transfer to the airport to board your flight for Katmandu. On arrival board your flight to Hometown. On departure tour concludes with happy memories.