Delhi to Darjeeling - 18 Days
Taking in all the very best of India; Delhi, Jaipur, the Taj Mahal, the mysterious Temples of Khajuraho, ancient holy Varanasi, the remote hill station of Kalimpong and of course Darjeeling, tea central.
Day 1: New Delhi
Saturday. Welcome to India and the start of your holiday! Arrive Delhi, included transfer to hotel. Free afternoon and evening. Overnight - New Delhi
Day 2: Old & New Delhi
This morning, our welcome meeting takes place. We’ll then enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Delhi, taking in the impressive Red Fort, Jama Masjid - India’s oldest and largest mosque, Raj Ghat - the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation, Humayan’s Tomb, Qutab Minar and a carpet emporium where we can witness a demonstration on the art of carpet weaving. Tonight, we enjoy a Namaste Dinner at an Indian restaurant. Overnight - New Delhi (B, D)
Delhi to Darjeeling - 18 Days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Days 3 - 4: Amber Fort on Elephant back
Delhi - Jaipur. Today, we travel by road to the architecturally flamboyant Jaipur - capital of Rajasthan which was founded in 1727. We enjoy a tour of the City Palace and Jantar Mantar - a medieval astronomical observatory - both of which were built by Jaipur’s founder - Jai Singh. Next morning, we travel to Amber Fort, where we take an elephant ride to the summit of the stunning 16th century Rajput fort. Enjoy the remains of the day your way.
Jaipur boasts some of the most colourful bazaars in Asia. Keep your eyes peeled for colourful papîer mache puppets and traditional Rajasthani ‘curly toe’ jooti shoes. We’ll also visit a cotton trading/tailor shop which specialises in tablecloths and other articles block-printed with traditional Rajasthani designs and a very capable tailoring service where bolts of European-style fabric can be crafted into shirts and other garments meeting your specification. Prices are excellent and your new garb will be delivered to your hotel before we leave! Overnight - Jaipur (B:2)
Jaipur boasts some of the most colourful bazaars in Asia. Keep your eyes peeled for colourful papîer mache puppets and traditional Rajasthani ‘curly toe’ jooti shoes. We’ll also visit a cotton trading/tailor shop which specialises in tablecloths and other articles block-printed with traditional Rajasthani designs and a very capable tailoring service where bolts of European-style fabric can be crafted into shirts and other garments meeting your specification. Prices are excellent and your new garb will be delivered to your hotel before we leave! Overnight - Jaipur (B:2)
Jaipur - Bharatpur via Abhaneri and Perharsar. Our first
stop this morning is the village of Abhaneri, home to
see the incredible 9th century step well - Chand Baori.
Continuing on to the rural village of Perharsar, we walk
through the backstreets to gain an insight into local
life, visit the school where we operate our ‘Change for
Children’ programme (if open) and stop at a charming,
rustic haveli. Next stop Bharatpur, where after hotel
check in and a bit of a freshen up, we bicycle rickshaw
ride through Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a UNESCO
World Heritage. Overnight - Bharatpur (B, D)
Bharatpur - Agra. Today we travel to Agra via Fatehpur Sikri - the magnificent fortified Mughal capital of Emperor Akbar. In Agra, we visit the impressive Agra Fort before touring the the legendary Taj Mahal and witnessing a magical sunset. Built by Shah Jahan in the 16th century as an enduring memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz, the Taj Mahal is without peer. Overnight - Agra (B)
Day 7: Orchha on the River Betwa
Agra - Orchha. Striking south, we journey by express train to Jhansi and onwards by road to Orchha. Situated on the banks of the River Betwa, Orchha is dotted with temples and palaces built by Bundela rulers, which we’ll explore. Overnight - Orchha (B)
Day 8: Khajuraho
Orchha - Khajuraho. Driving south-east today, we arrive in Khajuraho, famed for its stunning temples built in the Chandela dynasty over a 100 year burst of creative genius from 950 - 1050AD. The carved temples display exceedingly artistic aspects of Indian life a millennium ago. How and why they were built still remains a mystery. We’ve plenty of time to see the temples for ourselves! Overnight - Khajuraho (B)
Day 9: Holy Varanasi
Khajuraho - Varanasi. This morning consider taking a wildlife safari at Panna National Park. Around noon, forgoing a long drive, we fly east to Varanasi. Perhaps the holiest city in India; Varanasi, also known as Benares or the city of Shiva, is also one of the oldest cities on earth. Sitting on the banks of the holy River Ganges, it has been a centre of learning and civilisation for more than 2000 years and is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Overnight - Varanasi (B)
Days 10 - 11: Sunrise on the Ganges & free time
Varanasi - New Jalpaiguri. On the morning of day 10, we enjoy a sunrise boat ride on the holy Ganges where we’ll view the ancient religious tradition of ritual cleansing that takes place on the many riverbank ghats (riverside steps) Later, we undertake guided tour of many of the cities main attractions and at sunset you can opt to independently re-visit the ghats for the evening pilgramage, remarkably different from the dawn ritual.
On day 11, take the opportunity to further explore the colourful city at leisure, before our early evening transfer to Mughal Sarai rail station for our North East Express train to New Jalpaiguri. Overnight - Varanasi (1) Train (1) (B:2)
On day 11, take the opportunity to further explore the colourful city at leisure, before our early evening transfer to Mughal Sarai rail station for our North East Express train to New Jalpaiguri. Overnight - Varanasi (1) Train (1) (B:2)
Day 12: Kalimpong
New Jalpaiguri - Kalimpong. On arrival this morning, we’ll be met to commence the 3 hour drive to Kalimpong. Kalimpong, a remote hill station, once part of Sikkim and one-time meeting point on the trade route to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal, sits amid beautiful mountain scenery where orchids and other flowers grow in profusion. Great views can be had of Kanchenjunga and the town possesses several important monasteries, including the brightly painted Zong Dog Palri Phodrang Gompa (simply known as Durpin Monastery) and Thirpai Choling Gompa founded in 1892 and recently renovated. You’ll have the day to enjoy the town your way. Overnight - Kalimpong (L, D)
Days 13 - 14: Gangtok - Tibetian culture
Kalimpong - Gangtok. Leaving Kalimpong, we drive to Gangtok, where the remains of the day are at leisure. Capital of Sikkim, a tiny Himalayan state known for its orchids and flowers and for the heavy influence of Tibetan culture, Gangtok although rapidly developing is still full of charm, thanks to its Buddhist past. Beyond the busy market areas, lie monastic complexes and striking countryside.
On day 14 we visit beautiful Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim’s largest and most active monastery, which is located in a lower valley. We then tour Gangtok taking in the Royal Monastery – Tsuklakhang, the Institute of Tibetology and the Orchid Sanctuary. Built in 1958, the Research Institute of Tibetology is world famous for its research activities on the language and culture of Tibet; possessing a faculty of eminent scholars, a library with a large collection of documents and rare books on Buddhism and an attached museum with a rare collection of antiques, coins and Tibetan paintings. Overnight - Gangtok (B:2, L:2, D:2)
On day 14 we visit beautiful Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim’s largest and most active monastery, which is located in a lower valley. We then tour Gangtok taking in the Royal Monastery – Tsuklakhang, the Institute of Tibetology and the Orchid Sanctuary. Built in 1958, the Research Institute of Tibetology is world famous for its research activities on the language and culture of Tibet; possessing a faculty of eminent scholars, a library with a large collection of documents and rare books on Buddhism and an attached museum with a rare collection of antiques, coins and Tibetan paintings. Overnight - Gangtok (B:2, L:2, D:2)
Days 15 - 16: Darjeeling
Gangtok - Darjeeling. Leaving Gangtok, we drive to Darjeeling. Sitting at a spectacular altitude of 2124m with a backdrop of mighty snow-clad Himalayan peaks and surrounded by verdant tea plantations, Darjeeling has been a popular hill station since the British established it as an R & R centre for their troops in the mid 19th century. Draw cards include a number of Buddhist monasteries, tea plantations and colourful markets.
On day 16, we enjoy a drive to Tiger Hill to catch sunrise over the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga - the world’s third highest mountain. Continuing, enjoy a visit to the Ghoom Gompa (monastery) followed by city sightseeing and a visit to a tea estate. If wanting to purchase Darjeeling’s most famous export, consider First Flush Super Fine Tippy Golden Flower Orange Pekoe 1. It’s Darjeeling’s best. Overnight - Darjeeling (B:2, L:2, D:2)
On day 16, we enjoy a drive to Tiger Hill to catch sunrise over the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga - the world’s third highest mountain. Continuing, enjoy a visit to the Ghoom Gompa (monastery) followed by city sightseeing and a visit to a tea estate. If wanting to purchase Darjeeling’s most famous export, consider First Flush Super Fine Tippy Golden Flower Orange Pekoe 1. It’s Darjeeling’s best. Overnight - Darjeeling (B:2, L:2, D:2)
Days 17 - 18: Kolkata
Darjeeling via Jalpaiguri - Kolkata. Transferring to Jalpaiguri station, we catch our overnight 2nd class sleeper train for Kolkata (*option to fly available, see below). We arrive into Kolkata on the morning of day 18 - Tuesday. This marks the end of our tour and we transfer you to the airport. As the train arrives at approximately 6 am we advise that you book your departure flights for after 12 noon.
Train (1) (B:1)
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The Elephant Parade... jumbo plays polo & wrestles in a tug of war!
Join us and witness the immensely colourful and wildly exciting Elephant Festival hosted annually in the Rajasthan capital of Jaipur! Groomed to perfection, glittering in gold, laden with silk tassels and intricately decorated with brightly coloured motifs, row upon row of elephants will catwalk before an enthralled audience at the parade. The elephants move gracefully in procession, participate in running races, play the regal game of polo and by far the greatest highlight is the tug of war between men and elephants, a mismatch of epic proportions.
This is festival time for the elephants and we will not be missing the parade! If travelling with us on our Delhi to Darjeeling tour departing 23 March 2013, we have revised our touring arrangements to allow for us to attend the festival. Travellers on this tour will spend an additional day and evening in Jaipur, making this tour 19 days in length. The festival begins mid afternoon on 26 March with camels and horses and lively folk dancers and musicians leading the carnival to Jaipur’s open air Chaugan Showground. Here we’ll be ringside to witness the colourful festivity, the crowning of the Best Decorated Elephant, the polo match and the comical bout of man verses elephant in tug of war. A small supplement has been added to our tour cost. For exact itinerary arrangements please refer to our Delhi to Darjeeling tour Go Guide.
*Bagdodra - Kolkata by air
Forsaking the overnight train journey on day 17, you may opt to upgrade and travel back to Kolkata by air. This option includes ecomony class flight from Bagdodra - Kolkata on day 17, airport transfers at both ends and one night’s accommodation in Kolkata (evening of day 17. Please ensure that you indicate your preference to travel by air at time of booking. Note: arrangements above would refer to day 18 if departing on our 23 March 2013 tour.
Tour Details
- Starts in: New Delhi / Ends in: Kolkata
- Departs: Every second Saturday - September through to April
- No local payment required
- Breakfast:15, Lunch: 5, Dinner: 7
- Hotel Rating: 3 - 4 star & heritage hotels
- Tour Guide: Yes
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