India Nepal & Bhutan Odyssey

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Railway Station to board a fast train to Agra. Visit Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Other optional activities are available.

The train to Jhansi departs in the morning. On arrival at Jhansi, transfer to quaint Orcha, where forts, palaces, and temples jostle with each other. The place packs more history into every square meter than many better-known places. Tour in Orcha.

After breakfast, drive around 4hrs to Khajuraho, known for its erotic sculptures. In the afternoon, tour the Eastern & Western Group of the temple complex and stroll around the small market and township. Free evening to do many other optional activities available.

This morning we will fly to Varanasi. Varanasi is one of the oldest and the holiest cities in India. It has an intense, almost palpable atmosphere of spiritual devotion, a feeling of an unending religious festival. Pilgrims from every part of this vast nation crowd the narrow streets and the riverside ghats. Towards the evening, walk through the old city to the bathing ghats located alongside River Ganges. Feel the timelessness of Varanasi as the sun sets and as the temple priests perform aarti, the sacred light ceremony.

At sunrise, the temples get bathed in soft light we board a small boat for a cruise on the Ganges. Observe the day-to-day life of the people. Watch the people arrive at the ghat at dawn to take a ritual dip, perform yoga asanas, wash clothes, and offer flowers and incense to the river. Return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, head for a heritage walk in the old part of Varanasi. Stroll in the narrow lanes with a local expert who will weave the charming story of this ancient city as you pass by Ashrams, temples, flower shops, and eateries. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Silk weaving community, which still adheres to an age-old practice of making the famous Benarasi Sari. Taking a closer look, we can find social fabric interwoven with a thread of silk that helps to make their living.

On some days of the week, you can fly directly to Kathmandu from Varanasi in the afternoon. But in general, we need to plan a morning flight from Varanasi to Delhi and connect with a noon flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, meet our guide/representative and transfer to the hotel. As per the available time, we will explore the Kathmandu Durbar (royal) Square area. Dinner with a cultural show at a typical Nepali restaurant.

After breakfast, begin a half-day tour in Kathmandu Valley. Later in the afternoon, take a short flight to the lake city of Pokhara. The evening is free to wander around the Phewa Lakeside area.

Early in the morning, drive to Sarangkot hilltop to watch the color of changing hues catch the peaks of the Annapurna range. On the way back, visit the Bindesbani temple. After breakfast at the hotel, take a short rest before beginning the rest of the Pokhara tour, including a short boat ride and a walk to the Peace Pagoda for sunset views.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport in time for your 30-minute flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, drive to the suburbs to visit the medieval city of Bhaktapur, a spectacular World Heritage Site founded in the ninth century. As the streets are pedestrianized, we will explore this open-air living museum on foot, walking from square to square and pagoda to pagoda.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Paro. (Generally, the flights tend to be in the morning, but on some days, flights could be in the early afternoon. If the flight is in the afternoon, you have a free morning to stroll in Bhaktapur). A spectacular 40-minute mountain flight (with views of many of the highest peaks, including Everest) will take you to the emerald-green Paro Valley. Meet our Bhutanese guide and transfer to your hotel. Later visit Paro Rinphung Dzong, an imposing fortress built in the 17th century. It is the administrative seat of the Paro district that also houses a state monastic community. We can walk across the ancient cantilevered bridge and stroll in the charming township of Paro.

Following a short tour in Paro, we shall drive through the countryside for about an hour to Thimphu. Before reaching Thimphu, we will take a diversion and continue uphill for another forty-five minutes to the Dochu La pass (3100m). Dochu La Pass offers astounding panoramic views of the Eastern Himalayan range. After lunch, we shall descend through ever-changing vegetation into the relatively low altitude of Punakha & Wangdue Valley. Punakha and Wangdue are located at about 1350m and enjoy a semi-tropical climate where oranges, mangoes, and bananas, cactuses grow. Upon arrival, enjoy a half-hour walk through fields and villages to Chimi Lhakhang monastery and fertility temple dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist saint popularly known as The divine madman.

Punakha was the winter capital of Bhutan until the 1950s. The state monastic body continues this tradition by moving to Punakha from Thimphu during winter. We drive north through the idyllic countryside and take a 40min uphill hike (optional) to visit Khamsum Yuelley Chorten. Upon return, visit the impressive Punakha Dzong, built at the convergence of the Mo Chu and Po Chu (the male & female rivers) in 1637. Punakha Dzong is an architectural wonder and the seat of the head abbot of Bhutan. Later, pay a visit to the Nunnery, built in 2009 for young nuns to train and study Buddhist text and meditation. Wangdue Phodrang lies towards the southeast corner of the valley, with a larger township. Visit the town, then view the ruins of Wangdue Dzong. As per available time, we will also visit Richengang village, which is unique for a cluster of connected houses.

We retrace our drive back across Dochu La pass to Thimphu. At Dochu La, we have one more opportunity to see the peaks of the Bhutanese Himalayas (3+ hrs drive). There is also an option to take a 3 hrs gradual hike to Lungchuzekha & Trashigang hilltops starting from Dochula Pass. The walk goes through high-altitude forests filled with rhododendrons, spruce, firs, and giant cedars, with good views, past some remote temples and monasteries. Upon arrival in the capital Thimphu, visit the courtyard of great Tashicho Dzong, the seat of government, then take a stroll in the farmers market.

As the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu has many attractions to see or shop around. Based on your interests, we will take you to places of your interests first and cover others as per available time. Among others, visit the Giant Buddha statue, located atop the Kuensel Phodrang ridge, circumambulate around the memorial Chorten in a clockwise direction with locals as they say the prayers. See the weird-looking Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. Take photographs from the ridge top, visit the School of Traditional Arts (also called Painting school), and more as per your interest. Towards evening drive to Paro, we will visit a local farmhouse and tour a village.

Hike to the legendary Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) monastery and visit other sights in Paro, as per available time. Riding Horses are available for hire at the start of the hike, that can take you to the viewpoint. If you think you cannnot make the Tigers Nest or decide to opt-out. Your guide can arrange for another alternative. In the evening, gather together for a farewell dinner.

Departure transfer to the airport in time for your flight out of Bhutan. You can fly to Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, or other cities covered by Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines.