THE ESSENTIAL EAST INDIA – 9 DAYS – Destination Management Company- India I Nepal I Bhutan I Sri Lanka I Maldives

THE ESSENTIAL EAST INDIA – 9 DAYS

Kolkata -Darjeeling -Pelling -Gangtok -Kalimpong

RANGING FROM THE SHORES of the Bay of Bengal to the peak of the Kanchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world and the highest in India, the region offers a spectacular variation in landscapes. This itinerary takes you to Bengal and Sikkim. Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful hill stations in the East and one that allows you glimpses of the majestic peaks of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga on a clear day. The Indian Mountaineering Institute is worth a visit to see exhibits of famous expeditions, particularly the first successful attempt by Tenzing and Hillary. Especially visit the Tibetan Monastery at Ghoom where an enormous gilded statue of Buddha is enshrined. Going on to Sikkim, the capital Gangtok is like a fairy-tale place, where pretty houses perch precariously on steep mountain slopes above incredible scenic panoramas. Built in the pagoda style, they have painted turquoise roofs, gleaming above busy bazaars that are filled with elegantly costumed, smiling people. Tiny Sikkim has 194 monasteries or gompas of which the 50-year-old Rumtek Monastery is the most famous – an excellent replica of the original in Tibet.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL KOLKATA

Upon arrival, you will be met and greeted with a traditional welcome. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 2: KOLKATA

Breakfast - Morning tour of the Kali Temple, Mother Teresa’s Ashram, Marble House and the potter’s village at Kumartali. In the afternoon visit the sights including the Victoria Memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Indian Museum. Evening visit Belur Math. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 3: KOLKATA/BAGDOGRA/DARJEELING

Breakfast - Fly to Bagdogra in the morning and drive on to the beautiful hill station of Darjeeling, ‘Queen of the Himalayas’ at an altitude of 7,000 feet. The bazaar is worth a visit in the evening. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 4: DARJEELING

Breakfast - Early morning excursion to Tiger Hill followed by a Toy Train ride from Darjeeling station to Ghoom Monastery. Visit the Himalayan Institute Of Mountaineering (founded by the late Tenzing Norgay) and a tea estate in the afternoon. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 5: DARJEELING/PELLING

Breakfast - Drive to the remote hamlet of Pelling. In the afternoon visit the Pemayangtse Monastery. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 6: PELLING/GANGTOK

Breakfast - Drive through pretty valleys to the mountainside capital of the tiny state of Sikkim. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 7: GANGTOK

Breakfast - Visit Rumtek Monastery in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, visit the Research Institute of Tibetology which houses nearly 30,000 volumes on astrology, magic, philosophy, etc; later see the orchid sanctuary; the Buddhist monastery at the Palace; the Residency, from where you can have an excellent view of the mountains. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 8: GANGTOK/KALIMPONG

Breakfast - Leave by road for Kalimpong in the morning - a remote hill station on the trade route to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. Visit two well known 17th century monasteries in the afternoon. Overnight at the Hotel.

DAY 9: KALIMPONG/BAGDOGRA/KOLKATA/HOME

Breakfast - In the morning transfer to Bagdogra Airport for the connecting flight to Kolkata. Stay in Transit and connect flight back home.