Himalayan Kingdoms (13 Days)

The journey begins in the mystical Kathmandu Valley where we visit the bustling bazaars, the Buddhist stupa at Bodnath and the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple complex. We also have the option of a scenic flight towards Mount Everest. From Kathmandu we fly to Bhadrapur on the Nepali-Indian border and drive down the foothills and tea gardens to the historic former British hill station of Darjeeling. We explore this enchanting town and include a short ride on the famous Toy Train, as well as watch the sunrise on the peaks of Everest and Kanchenjunga. Our next stop is Sikkim and its capital, Gangtok, where we explore the famous Rumtek Monastery, the largest in the country, before driving to Kalimpong, previously an important centre for wool trade with Tibet. A highlight of our tour is visiting the Kingdom of Bhutan. We enter the country at the Phuntsholing border and head to the capital, Thimphu. From here we explore the monasteries and fortresses of this ancient kingdom. In Paro we visit Taktsang (Tiger's Nest), a small monastery clinging precariously to a ledge on a rock cliff high above the valley floor. This structure has become a symbol of a beautiful and mysterious kingdom that very few travellers in the world have experienced.