The Kingdom of Bhutan & Darjeeling

Your holiday starts with an overnight flight to Kolkata, India’s lively ‘City of Joy’.

Upon arrival in Kolkata, you’ll be greeted by your friendly local tour manager and transferred through the city’s colonial-era streets to your first heritage hotel. 

 After checking in, you’ll be free to spend the rest of the day under your own steam, perhaps venturing into the city for some initial self-guided exploration. The nearby New Market is a particular highlight, with its colourful handicraft stalls, and it offers the ideal introduction to life in the city.  For a lighter-paced evening in Kolkata, why not cool off with a dip in the hotel’s swimming pool or a stroll around idyllic Eden Gardens?

This evening, reconvene at the hotel for dinner. 

It’s your first full day in India today, and once you’ve had breakfast, you’ll board a coach for a sightseeing tour of Kolkata’s colonial-era landmarks. Start with a drive around Dalhousie Square, once the seat of colonial power in British India and more recently the commercial heart of Kolkata.  

Marvel at the Raj Bhavan, an East India Company building which is now the official residence of West Bengal’s governor, and the pillared facades of St. John’s Church. As you explore this elegant riverside district, you’ll also see Kolkata’s colonial heritage laid bare, with opportunities to take in the city’s old Town Hall and the High Court, the oldest institution of its kind on the Indian subcontinent. Also of interest will be the Victorian General Post Office, with its impressive domed roof, and the vast Writers’ Building, which has served as the focal point of Bengali politics for nearly 250 years.  

Continue your exploration on foot with a visit to the city’s famous flower market, where you’ll be free to browse the marigolds, lotuses and roses that are sold there. Enjoy a nostalgic ride on one of Kolkata’s vintage streetcars, a remnant of British rule in the city, for a deeper connection with the city’s colonial past, and marvel at the ivory-white Victoria Memorial Hall. This vast monument, built in memory of the former Empress of India, now houses several galleries and exhibits that depict British rule in West Bengal.   

As the sun sets this afternoon, head to the River Hooghly’s waterfront for a panoramic cruise. Gliding across the water, you’ll be well placed to admire the city’s ceremonial ghats, its cantilever bridges and a number of landmarks such as the Fort William bastion and the Greek-inspired James Princep Monument.  

This evening, head back to the hotel for dinner.  

Rise early this morning and trade the West Bengal for timeless Bhutan, ‘the Land of the Thundering Dragon’. After a short transfer, you’ll fly to Paro, a valley town known for its sacred religious shrines and traditional Bhutanese architecture, before continuing to the national capital, Thimphu.  

On the way, stop at the Tamchog Lhakhang, a temple designed and devoted to the 15th-century polymath, Thangtong Gyalpo. With his pioneering techniques, the engineer who was best known for creating intricate iron-link suspension bridges, and you’ll visit the only one left standing in Bhutan. Cross the Chuzom Bridge, which marks the meeting point between the Paro and Thimphu rivers and arrive in the Bhutanese capital later this afternoon.  

Once you’ve checked into the hotel, join your experienced local tour manager for an introduction to one of the country’s most spectacular landmarks, the Tashichho Dzong. This vast palace complex, known for its gold-leaf roofs, courtyards and painted Buddhist shrines, is the official seat of the government and the centre of Buddhism in Bhutan. While you’re here, you can watch the daily flag-lowering ceremony, during which royal guards and the dzong’s resident monks take part in a procession to lower the national flag. 

Later on, head back to the hotel for dinner and the rest of the evening at leisure.

Bhutan’s Buddhist heritage will be on full display after breakfast this morning as you head back into the heart of Thimphu for a guided tour of the city’s religious landmarks. Start the day at Buddha Dordenma, a towering 50-metre-tall statue which ranks among the largest Buddhist monuments in the world. Nestled in the serene Kuenselphodrang Nature Park, this sacred site boasts spectacular views across Bhutan’s wild mountain landscapes, and inside, you’ll find more than 125,000 smaller shrines and statuettes.  

After exploring the Buddha Dordenma, head back into Thimphu for some inner-city exploration. Your next stop today will be the grand Memorial Chorten, a traditional Buddhist stupa which was built to commemorate the death of Bhutan’s third king in 1974. You’ll then learn more about Bhutan’s national art forms with a visit to the Zorig Chusum, the national centre for arts, which still teaches traditional crafting methods. Also of interest nearby is the city’s Textile Museum, and there’ll be time to explore both under your own steam. Here, you’ll be introduced to Bhutan’s colourful traditional dress and ceremonial costumes that still regularly feature in the country’s many festivals.  

After pausing for lunch in the city, you’ll experience a different side to Thimphu with an excursion to the Motithang Takin Reserve. This secluded nature park, spanning just three hectares of protected woodland, was created with the closure of Thimphu’s public zoo after its resident takin (Bhutan’s national animal) refused to leave the area. As the stubborn creatures continued to roam Thimphu’s streets in search of food, the Bhutanese government created this preserve to provide them a space to safely graze on the outskirts of the capital.  

Your final stop on today’s excursion will be Thimphu’s Kaja Throm farmers’ market, with its wide array of locally grown produce and spices. This sprawling collection of food stalls is as much a community meeting point as it is an instrumental part of local farmers’ livelihoods, and you’ll experience Bhutan’s sustainable approach to food and agriculture first-hand.  

At the end of a busy day’s exploration, head back to the hotel for dinner with your fellow guests.  

Have breakfast at the hotel this morning and check out of your Thimphu hotel. From here, follow the spectacular Dochula Pass to Punakha. Sitting at more than 3,100 metres above sea level, this breathtaking route offers unrivalled views of the snow-capped Eastern Himalayas and a series of 108 memorial stupas.  

Arriving in Punakha later this morning, stretch your legs with a scenic walk to the Buddhist fertility temple, Chimi Lhakhang. On the way, pass traditional terraced rice paddies and a number of enchanting countryside vistas, before stopping for a guided tour of the temple’s grounds.  

This afternoon, return to Punakha to explore the city’s majestic riverside Dzong. This grand riverside building is the second-oldest structure of its kind in Bhutan and serves as the administrative heart of the Punakha region. Inside, you’ll find several sacred Buddhist relics as well as a number of ornate wooden verandas, serene courtyards and original painted walls dating back to the early 17th century.  

Afterwards, head back to the hotel for dinner. 

This morning, have breakfast at the hotel and check out ahead of a scenic drive back through the Himalayan landscapes to Paro. Pause your journey this morning at Simtokha Dzong, a fortified monastery which is smaller but no less impressive than others around the country. The dzong was actually the first of its kind to be built in Bhutan and is now home to one of the country’s finest linguistic schools, specialising in the Bhutanese Dzongkha language.  

You’ll then continue to Paro, where you’ll check into your hotel for the next two nights. After a brief stop to refresh yourself, join your tour manager for visits to a pair of the city’s most significant dzongs. The first, this afternoon, will be the hilltop Ta Dzong, which was renovated in 1968 and has since been used as Bhutan’s National Museum. Inside, you’ll find more than 3,000 traditional artworks, spanning 1,500 years of the country’s history, and you’ll have ample time to take in its ancient relics and galleries. 

Afterwards, head a short way down into the valley for your next stop of the afternoon, the Rinpung Dzong. This magnificent building, which typifies authentic Bhutanese architecture, is the religious and political centre of the Paro region, and your guided tour will take in the carved wooden motifs, shrines and paintings that adorn its halls. Soak up Paro’s history as you explore the dzong’s main administrative offices, residential quarters and tranquil paved courtyards that see dozens of monks meditate each day.  

This evening, return to the hotel for a well-earned rest and dinner with your fellow travellers.  

One of the highlights of your time in Bhutan awaits this morning, and after breakfast, you’ll head deep into the Paro Valley for a tour of the Taktsang Monastery, more commonly known as the ‘Tiger’s Nest’. Perched 900 metres above the valley floor, this world-famous religious site is home to four separate temples and is constantly inhabited by Paro’s Buddhist monks. With a guided tour of the complex, you’ll see the monastery’s serene alpine courtyards and its central prayer wheel, which is rotated early each morning to signal the start of a new day. Also of interest this morning is Pel Phuk cave, the sacred heart of the monastery where local legends say the Guru Rinpoche meditated for three days in the 8th century.  

After some time to explore the Tiger’s Nest, head back down to the valley’s floor for an afternoon visit to the Namgay Artisanal Brewery. Alcohol plays a central role in Bhutan’s numerous annual festivals, and you’ll learn more about the brewing process and the different varieties produced with a guided tour. After seeing how each beer is made, you can sample familiar favourites and a number of unique blends, such as milk stout and red rice lager.  

This afternoon, you’ll head back to the hotel for dinner and the rest of the day at leisure.  

Bid Bhutan farewell after breakfast this morning with a flight to the West Bengal town of Bagdogra, India’s gateway to the Eastern Himalayas. From here, travel to the serene, tea-growing town of Darjeeling, one of the most popular colonial retreats at the height of the British Raj.  

Check into your next resort hotel on arrival ahead of the rest of the day at leisure. This evening, join your fellow guests for dinner.

Revisit the colonial history of West Bengal this morning with an exploration of Darjeeling’s distinctly British landmarks. The highlight today will be a nostalgic ride on board the city’s heritage narrow-gauge ‘Toy Train’, and along its winding route, you’ll see the region’s rolling hills, award-winning tea plantations and Himalayan towns. Your terminus this morning will be the brightly coloured Ghoom Monastery, the oldest Tibetan Buddhist temple in the Darjeeling region.  

You’ll have some time to explore the ornate shrines and stupas under your own steam. This magnificent building has an equally colourful past, having served as a popular refuge spot for high-ranking religious figures fleeing Tibet during the 1959 uprisings. Afterwards, head back into the city for a stop at the Tibetan Refugee Centre, which has offered aid to Buddhists fleeing persecution since 1959. Having initially been used as an emergency relief centre for those who had made the perilous hike through the Himalayas into India, the centre now produces and sells traditional Tibetan handicrafts.   

After lunch, turn your attention to the Himalayas and learn more about the region’s Sherpa population and their adaptive, high-altitude lifestyles at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. This educational centre was established in honour of the late Tenzing Norgay, one of the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, and teaches basic, intermediate and advanced mountaineering techniques. Nearby is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, and here, you’ll be introduced to the region’s unique local fauna, including its red pandas and elusive snow leopards.  

At the end of your visit, return to Darjeeling, enjoy dinner at the hotel and spend the rest of the evening at leisure.

It’s another early start this morning as you venture out to Tiger Hill to watch the sun rise over Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest (weather permitting). Despite being more than 100 miles away from Everest, you’ll still be able to spot its towering peak with the naked eye as the surrounding peaks glow orange in the early morning light. 

Returning to the hotel for breakfast, you’ll have some time to refresh yourself before venturing to a nearby tea farm for a guided tour. Darjeeling, which has its own signature variety of tea, is home to no fewer than 87 tea-growing estates, and you can see the production process, from the plants to the packaging, in its entirety. After your tour, sample some of the local varieties with a tasting session, and tuck into a spread of local delicacies for lunch.  

Arriving back at the hotel this afternoon, you’ll be free to unwind however you see fit, with dinner served later in the evening.

Return to Bagdogra after breakfast this morning. As you drive, you’ll pass by lush tea plantations, sprawling alpine vistas and a collection of charming rural Bengal towns. Upon arrival, board an internal flight to the Indian capital and travel to your suburban hotel in Gurugram. The evening will be at leisure before dinner. 

After breakfast, you’ll have the rest of the day free to spend as you see fit. If you’d prefer a day’s relaxation at the end of your Asian escape, the hotel’s first-class amenities are the ideal choice.  

For a more active day’s sightseeing, by car to elegant Agra, one of India’s three famous Golden Triangle cities and the home of the Taj Mahal. Upon arrival in the city, waste no time taking in the wish-list sights with a visit to imposing Agra Fort, a grand sandstone fortress and an intricate maze of courtyards, palaces, and mosques within the Mughal fort. Here, you’ll learn about the building’s regal history on a guided tour before heading back into the city.  

While in Agra, you’ll also have the chance to see the world-famous Taj Mahal, the monument of eternal love. This UNESCO-listed mausoleum, encircled by expansive Mughal gardens, is one of the country’s greatest architectural achievements and a wish-list spectacle. This towering landmark was completed in 1648 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and you’ll learn more about their legendary love story with a guided tour (bookable locally).  

This evening, reconvene at the hotel for dinner and a final night in South Asia.  

It’s your final morning in South Asia, and once you’ve had breakfast, you’ll be free to spend it as you see fit. If you haven’t already, be sure to spend some time making the most of the Indian capital under your own steam. 

This afternoon, you’ll head to the airport for your overnight flight home.

Your wish-list escape to South Asia ends today as you land in the UK.