NORTH EAST INDIA - DARJEELING & SIKKIM  

 

Day 1                     Kolkata                                   

Arrive Kolkata by flight

Perhaps no other city overwhelms a visitor as Kolkata does - crowded, alive, vibrant, a city with a rich intellectual and cultural heritage.  Kolkata owes its origin to the British merchant Job Charnock.  During the British Raj, Kolkata was known as the Jewel of the East, and was the capital of the country until 1911.  Today it is still the most important city in the East, the nerve center of trade and industry, a city bustling with a population of around 15 million.

Upon arrival you are met and escorted to your hotel

12 Noon           Check in at the hotel

Rest of the day at leisure for independent activities

Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 2                     Kolkata                                   

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Today the tour of this sprawling city begins with the

Howrah Bridge; this bridge is built on river Hooghly and connects the city of Kolkata with the industrial town of Howrah. After which you are taken to the daily flower market to see the normal life of the common man with the different colors of flower. We now drive pass the Dalhousie Square where we see the Writers Building (State Secretariat), Raj Bhawan (Governor House), General Post Office Building, Kolkata High Court, Kolkata Town Hall and the St.John's Cathedral. We than move to the Mother Teresa House, in 1952 Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity began the work.  Apart from paying our tributes on the tomb of Mother, we also visit the photo gallery on the works of Mother Teresa.

Lunch at a local restaurant on direct payment

Afternoon        Visit the Victoria Memorial - It is a massive domed building of white marble from Rajasthan.  It was inaugurated in 1921 by the Prince of Wales (later, briefly, Edward VIII).  It houses a collection of Victoria memorabilia and also history related objects and documents on Bengal.

Continue on to one of the largest and most impressive museums in India, the Indian Museum, founded in 1814 on the basis of the collection of the Asiatic Society.  Its widely varied exhibits include such oddities as a roomful of meteorites and a number of (stuffed) man-eating crocodiles. 

Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 3                     Kolkata                                   

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Transfer to airport.  We take a flight to Bagdogra,

                          10:35 hrs           Depart Kolkata by 9W 7081

                          11:40 hrs           Arrive Bagdogra and drive to Darjeeling (93 kms approx. 3 hrs.)

Lunch will be provide at a Restaurant near airport

Darjeeling                                Nestled in the green Himalayan foothills. During the British Raj, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station for the British to escape from Kolkata's heat.

Enroute comfort stop at Kurseong for refreshments.

This lovely town is circled by snow-tipped peaks and terraced tea plantations and still boasts many grandiose Victorian buildings. Darjeeling is known for its tea industry and some of its plantations date back to the mid 19th century.

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 4                     Darjeeling       

E. morning       Rise early for a spectacular pre-dawn trip to Tiger Hills (8364 Ft / 2550 Mts at around 4 AM)

It is the highest point in the area. Here, you'll watch a glowing sunrise over Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, and the neighbouring East Himalayas, maybe even catching views of mighty Everest if the weather is clear. Afterwards, travel to Ghoom Monastery, a lavish mountain monastery housing rare Buddhist manuscripts and a priceless Maitreya Buddha.

Return to the hotel for Breakfast

Morning           Visit a local tea plantation.

(On Monday at Tea Gardens, there is no processing & during winter at tea gardens there is no plucking or processing).

Afternoon        Later, take an trip on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway's legendary 'Toy Train' - a UNESCO World Heritage site - a quaint steam locomotive.

Toy Train operation will be subject weather conditions

Lunch at Local Restaurant

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 5                     Darjeeling                               

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Drive through stunning mountains to Pelling (110 kms / 5 hrs approx), a remote hill station in India's Buddhist Sikkim province. Set beneath mighty, snow-tipped Kanchenjunga, the town stands 6,840 feet above sea level and commands heart-stopping views over the peaks and glaciers of the Himalayan Singalila range.

After checking in at your hotel, day is at leisure.

Lunch at Hotel

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 6                     Pelling                                     

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Walk to Sangacholing Monastery

Lunch at Hotel

L. Afternoon     Pay a visit to the marvellous 18th century Pemayangste Monastery, located just outside Pelling. Set high on a hill, this old-world monastery is decorated with traditional frescoes, antique carvings and multicoloured prayer flags

Also visit  Rabtense Ruins.

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 7                     Pelling                                     

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           More delights that are scenic await today as you travel through phenomenal mountainscapes to Gangtok (127kms/6hrs approx), the capital of Sikkim. En route, pass through cardamom, ginger plantation and paddy fields - all under the constant gaze of the Himalayas.

Packed Lunch will be provided

Arrive Gangtok, proceed to hotel

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 8                     Gangtok                                 

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Today, admire its many delights, including the beautiful Rumtek Monastery with its intricately painted exterior and priceless Buddhist manuscripts. Explore the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (Closed on Sunday)  with its rare statues and embroidered scrolls, charting the intertwined Buddhist cultures and histories of Sikkim and Tibet, before viewing the Do-Drul Chorten, an imposing stupa ringed by prayer wheels.  

Note: Passport is required for entry into the Rumtek Monastery.

Visit the Orchid farm at Cymbidium Hills and Saramsa gardens. The sanctuary, with its 454 species of Orchid collection, is a boon for the nature lovers.

Lunch at Saramsa Gardens

L. Afternoon     Enchey Monastery & Cottage Industry (Both Closed on Sunday)

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 9                     Gangtok                                 

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Say goodbye to Gangtok as you travel through the hills to Kalimpong (83kms/3hrs approx), a bazaar town set on the hillside overlooking the Teesta River.

A Comfort stop at Martam Village

On arrival, check in at your hotel

Lunch at The Hotel

L. Afternoon     City tour of Kalimpong - Visit Zang Dog Palri Fo Brang Monastery, a flower & cactus nursery before visiting Dr Graham's School, founded in 1900 to support and educate the children of local tea workers by Rev. Dr. John Anderson Graham, a Church of Scotland missionary. Visit Tharpa Choling Monastery & Thongsa Gumpa.

Dinner & Overnight: Hotel

 

Day 10                     Kalimpong                              

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Transfer to the Darjeeling (75kms/3 ½ 2hrs)

Arrive and proceed to Glenburn Teas Estate

Lunch at the hotel

Rest of the day at leisure

Dinner & Overnight: Glenburn Hotel

           

Day 11                     Darjeeling                               

Breakfast at hotel

Full day            At leisure or enjoy activities arranged by the hotel:

                                                           

• Personal tours of the tea estate & factory, and a tea tasting session

• Nature and Bird walk throughs private forest areas, along river fronts, followed by picnic lunches

• Day trips to Darjeeling Town and Kalimpong (Car & driver only) expert guide costs on request.

Lunch and dinner at hotel

Overnight: Glenburn Hotel

 

Day 12                     Darjeeling                               

Breakfast at hotel

Full day            At leisure or enjoy activities arranged by the hotel

Lunch and dinner at hotel

Overnight: Glenburn Hotel

 

Day 13                     Darjeeling                               

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Transfer to the Bagdogra (124 km/04 hrs approx)

Arrive Bagdogra. Transfer to airport

12:30 Hrs:          Depart by flight 6E 434 to Kolkata

Kolkata            13:35 Hrs:          Arrive Kolkata.

Transfer to hotel

Rest of day at leisure

Lunch & Dinner on Own

Overnight: Hotel 

 

Day 14                     Kolkata                                   

Breakfast at hotel

Morning           Transfer to Kolkata international airport to board flight for onward destination     

 

 

 

Price per person sharing: 1920 GBP (subject to change and availability)

 

 

INCLUSIONS:

• 13 night’s accommodation on twin sharing in Standard category of room at all places.

• Meal Plan- Bed & Buffet breakfast at Kolkata & full board basis i.e Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner  in Darjeeling , Pelling , Gangtok, Kalimpong.

• All transfers & sightseeing/excursions by air-conditioned vehicle Large car ( Toyota Innova)

• Toy train ride in Darjeeling

• Local English speaking guide at all places

• Services of an English speaking TBi representative in each city

• All taxes as on date. All future levies will be charged extra.

 

 

EXCLUSIONS:

• Domestic airfare for sector Kolkata –Bagdogra - Kolkata                  

• Any expenditure of personal nature such as telephone calls, laundry, mini bar or drinks during meals, tips to driver, guide, helper, etc.

• Any other meal/ details not mentioned in the itinerary.

• Airport departure tax / airport development fee usually included in the international air ticket.

• Visa charges to India.