After an early morning breakfast at the hotel, before sunrise, you will start your day and score your jeep drive on the serpentine road enjoying the lush green picturesque hill views to visit the Tiger Hill, which is the summit of Ghoom, the highest railway station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also famous for the panoramic views it offers of Mount Everest, and you will get the breath-taking and graceful views of the majestic Kanchanjunga, which extend across an incredible assortment of peaks and Ghoom Monastery.

The view of Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill is as iconic as is the experience of being here to have your first view of the mighty Himalayas, where the mesmerizing images will freeze in your mind for ever. On your journey up the hill road, you will find tourists in jeeps racing towards Tiger Hills early in the morning from nearly every hotel or resort with guests in an attempt to get a comfortable place to stand before hundreds jostle each other to get the perfect view and excellent shot of India’s highest peak. Truly, all of this grind is worth that grand view, you will view the changing colors from pink to crimson to orange and yellow. Actually Darjeeling and neighbouring Sikkim are all about Kanchenjunga, all sides, all views.

Later on, you will climb down the incline of the summit either by jeep or by foot and reach many tea estates including Chowrasta and Alubari, incidentally the oldest tea garden plantation within a 20 Km radius in Darjeeling or Jorebangla, which takes about 2 hours at an easy pace on any normal day. You will visit one of these gardens and the Tea factory inside the estate to see the whole process of making Darjeeling Tea. Unlike most Indian teas, Darjeeling tea is normally made from the small-leaved Chinese variety, it is available in black, green, white and oolong. Traditionally, Darjeeling tea is made as black tea, when properly brewed, it will yield a thin-bodied, light-coloured infusion with a floral aroma. The flavour can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics and a musky spiciness commonly described as muscatel. You can bring home a handy pack of Darjeeling tea of your choice.

After enjoying the enchanting Himalayan adventure, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you are free for relaxation and lunch of your taste at your own cost. You may also like to visit the Spa at your hotel to flex your tiring muscles and bones and rejuvenate. After freshening up at the hotel, you can walk to the Chowrasta Mall, sit on a peripheral bench for a while, relax and enjoy the ambience and watch the activities. Then you can take a stroll along the scenic Mall Road – the Bhanu Sarani and complete a circle. If you have time, you can take a walk up the Observatory Hill behind the Mall and go to the famous Mahakal Temple on top and enjoy the stunning views and sunset. Later on, visit the mall road in the evening, stroll along Nehru road that leads down from the mall and you will find the road is lined with all kinds of shops including old heritage shops and art galleries on both sides and you can buy some curios or souvenirs. If you want, you can enjoy your dinner in one of the many restaurants.

Overnight accommodation will be at the hotel.

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, you will drive through the lush green serene hills and valley to reach Pelling, a mountain village which is situated at an altitude of about 2000 meters and commands a spectacular view of Mount Kanchenjunga. You will freshen up and have lunch and then, with your guide, you will proceed through the rich forests of Kanchenjunga National Park to visit Pemayangste Monastery. Pemayangtse means “Perfect Sublime Lotus.” Rabdanste, a couple of kilometers from the monastery, was the 2nd capital of Sikkim (which was originally the home of the Lepcha tribesmen) and is situated in the quaint little town of Gyalshing in the Pelling region of southwest Sikkim.

Pemayangste Monastery was originally designed and founded by one of the three lamas of Yoksum, the great Lama Lhatsun Chempoway, back in the year 1705 as a small Lhakhang and  subsequently, it grew bigger during the reign of the third Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal who was considered by Lhatsun Chenpo’s as the third reincarnation, Jigme Pawo, which is one of the ancient and most important gompas or monasteries in Sikkim and is the main gompa of the Nyingamapa sect (“Red Hat”) order, which is a tantrik sect established in the 8th century and follows the Nyingma order of Tibet Buddhism and controls all other monasteries of that order in Sikkim. The followers of this sect wear red caps rather than the yellow ones worn by monks in other monasteries. As you explore the monastery, you will find a treasure trove of ancient paintings, antique carvings and sculptures on the interior walls and a good collection of Thangkas. The walls of this monastery are adorned with traditional frescoes depicting tantrik Buddhist themes. You will be amazed with an interesting feature of the Pemayangtse monastery which is the depiction of Sangthopalri or heaven, intricately sculpted on wood by a single monk, which took several years to complete. Near the monastery, you will find traditional austere dwellings of the monks. Pemayangtse is endowed with rich natural beauty, as it is set amongst picturesque mountains, glaciers and has abundant shrubs of the exotic rhododendron. It is refreshing to walk and explore around the town and the sylvan environs of Pemayangtse. Coincidently it is a base for travelers seeking to explore the exhilarating trekking routes of western Sikkim.

You will never forget Pemayangtse monastery for its famous Buddhist festival of Losar, which marks the Tibetan New Year and is celebrated in the months of February and March every year with great fanfare. The traditional religious Kagyat Dance festival, involving mask dancing, is held every month in the monastery. The gaiety and the rhythm of the mask dance will haunt and enchant you, once you have seen it.

After this excursion, taking photos and spending some peaceful time in and around the monastery, you will be transferred to your hotel in Pelling for dinner at leisure at your own cost and overnight accommodation.

You will have a heavenly breakfast at the hotel with breathtaking views of Gangtok. Depending on the hotel, your option could be buffet spread, as per your choice of Indian, International, Chinese, and Tibetan food. If it is not there then do ask for it and they will make it for you and serve you at your room.

You step up to drive around Gangtok city, which is located at an altitude of 5,410 ft in East-Sikkim. You will appraise Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous northern Indian state of Sikkim that was established as a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the 1840s, and became capital of an independent monarchy after the British rule ended, and joined India in 1975. Today, Gangtok remains a Tibetan Buddhist center and a base for hikers organizing permits and transport for treks through Sikkim’s Himalayan mountain ranges. Your excitement will peak through the day’s journey as you start to explore the Rumtek Monastery, which is noted for its beautiful murals, Tibetology and Do Drul Chorten. In the afternoon, you will visit Enchey Monastery and the Cottage Industry in Gangtok.

You will explore Rumtek Monastery, the seat of his holiness Karmapa Lama, the third highest monk in Tibetan Buddhism, the XVIth. This famous monastery was originally called the Dharma Chakra Centre, which serves as one of the most important seats of the Kagyu (Black Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet. You will be amazed by the three storied beautiful shrine temple and a monastery for the monks. The 16th Gyawla Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism built this monastery at an elevation of almost 5000 feet and it is surrounded by lush green landscape. The monastery is a visual treat besides offering spiritual solace. The architectural design is almost identical to the original Kagyu, also known as Kagyupa or Kagyud headquarters in Tibet. You will continue your exploration in the main monastery building, that houses some of the rarest relics of Buddhist religious scriptures and artwork in the world in the form of wall Murals and Thankas (scrolls with intricate hand paintings) that belong to the 16th Karmapa and enshrines 1001 miniature golden statues of Buddha. Surprises may await you as Rumtek Monastery hosts various Tibetan festivals throughout the year. According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, the annual dance of Tse-Chu Chaam is organized at the monastery along with the Kagyat dance.

An amazing story will mesmerize you, as you hear from the legend monks stating that after the first Karmapa ended his long years of meditation in a cave, he was greeted by 1000 fairies each one of whom gave him a strand of hair. All those hairs were woven into a hat. It is said that the same hat is now in custody of the Rumtek Monastery. But the hat has to be kept in a box or held by hand, otherwise it would fly off.

As the day proceeds, you will visit the Do Drul Chorte and find that Do-Drul Chorten or Stupa is built on a hillock by the Venerable Trulshi Rimpoche, head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism in 1945. The Chorten Stupa is marked by a golden topped dome. Inside this stupa, you will see  the deity enshrined on top of the chorten stupa which is known as Dorjee Phurpa or Vajra Kilaya and has the complete mandala script sets, and also has a set of Kan-gyur relics (Holy Books), the complete ‘Zung'(mantras) and other religious objects. Around this Chorten, which is one of the most important stupas in Sikkim, are 108 Mani-Lhakor (prayer wheels, also known as wish wheels) all of which have mantras inscribed on them in Tibetan. These prayer wheels are turned in a clockwise direction by the devout Buddhist while chanting “Hail to the jewel in the Lotus”, to invoke the Buddhisattva. You will have the privilege to rotate the prayer wheels on your visit at the stupa. The Chorten is surrounded by Chorten Lakhang, where there are two huge statues of Guru Rimpoche (Guru Padmasambhava).

Here, you will find young and old lamas learning and doing work in the compound of Do Drul Chorten. Small monks glance out of the glass, glancing brilliantly robed in crimson silk, & with a playful smirk on their juvenile faces. This particular monastery consists of great holiness & Sikkim people around the state approach to give their compliments, as a consequence fair amount of movement is there in the monastery.

Just after your Do Drul Chorten tour in Gangtok, you will visit the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, a premier study center for Buddhist religion and philosophy. You exploration will be to a traditionally styled Tibetan architecture, located in the beautiful sylvan surroundings. This unique institute was established in 1958 to promote research into Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan culture. This is a treasure trove and has one of the world’s largest collections of Buddhist books and manuscripts, plus statuettes, thangkas – Tibetan cloth paintings and sacred objects and artifacts. This Tibetology Institute houses a museum, a Tibetan library and a general reference center on Tibet and the Himalayas. The 14th Dalai Lama laid the foundation stone of the institute on the 10th of February 1957 and was opened officially by the Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru 1958.

You will be mesmerized by its library, which holds one of the largest collections of Tibetan works in the world outside Tibet. The vast collection includes antique Lepcha scripts, Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts, statues and antique thankas and other prized relics of religious art. Adjacent to the Institute is a Memorial park dedicated to Miwang Chogyal Chempo Palden Thondup Namgyal, 17th in the line and 12th consecrated Denzong Chogyal, the King of Sikkim. This institute is the only one of its kind in India and just three of their kind in the whole world.

In the afternoon for lunch, your guide will help you to look around and you will come across eateries that exhibit class and charm. It is home to almost everything that the cuisine of this area has to offer in its most rich, splendid, authentic soups Tibetan and Indo-Chinese cuisines form with a flattering variety of options. What is impossible to miss in Gangtok is the Momos, Thupka, Wonton, Gyathuk, Thenthuk and more, along with a Sikkim style meat patty called Shah-Phalaey. The most unique to the area is Chang, a local made alcoholic beverage. Enjoy!

After your hearty meal, you will continue your city tour and visit the magnificent Enchey Monastery or the Enchey Sang-ngag Rabtenling – a religious name which means- ‘Sacred Stable Place’, which was founded on a hilltop in 1840 by Lama Dhrupthob Karpo or the ‘White Saint’, who was a celebrated lama and a tantric who performed superhuman feats and belongs to the Nyingma order of Vajrayana Buddhism. As you explore, you will come to know that the 10th King of Sikkim – Sikyong Tulku, rebuilt the monastery later in the year 1908 in its present shape. You will see unique architecture which is an artistic adaptation of Gyanak Riwo Tse-Nga or the sacred mountain with five peaks in China – which is the spiritual place of Jampalyang. The monastery performs Chaam, its annual masked religious dance on the eve of the Sikkimese Losoong which usually falls in the month of December or January. Today it is one of the major monasteries of Sikkim.

At the end of the days tour, you will explore the Gangtok Cottage Industry.  You will come to know that this cottage industry was put up during the time of the Chogyals of Sikkim and learn about the historic lines that are attached with it, as a venture to preserve, shield and propagate the authentic Sikkimese arts, handicrafts and skills of native and village artisans, the key attractions for your visit to Sikkim are that you will find lovely souvenirs like handmade Sikkimese style wooden etched tables known as Choktses, which are exquisitely carved and richly coloured in red and gold, you will find amazing ancient handcrafts, exotic carved furniture, customary handlooms, hand woven Tibetan carpets, traditional motifs, blankets, shawls and different other local products that are made and exhibited as purchasable items such as Thangkas, Batiks and hand-painted masks. Lamp stands, bamboo craft, esoteric masks, flashing silks and many more are found here. The cottage industry emporium associates itself as a part of the socio-cultural landscape and therefore, offers a perceptive peek into Sikkimese traditions and life.

After your exploration through Gangtok city, you will be transferred to your hotel; you will have dinner at leisure at your own cost and overnight accommodation.

Rejuvenate at sunrise and after your breakfast at the hotel, you will start a leisurely day with pleasant walks around Kalimpong to enjoy panoramic valley views of the Himalayas, and explore the interesting Buddhist monasteries, colonial architecture, churches, a fascinating nursery industry and Tibetan handicrafts and more. You will come across this bustling bazaar also known as the Kalimpong Market Square in the town, which sprawls along a saddle-shaped mountain ridge overlooking the roaring Teesta River and lorded over by the summit of Khangchendonga.
You will be amazed that Kalim, in local dialect, means “King’s Minister” and Pong means “Stronghold”. So the name Kalimpong actually means “Stronghold of King’s Minister” and has originated from the time of king’s Chogyal dynasty of Sikkim. Veterans of this place say that the name has been derived from the word Kalibong and locals call it Kaulim, it is a type of fiber plant used for making paper and is found in abundance hence the name.

As an inquisitive travel historian, you would like to know that like Darjeeling, Kalimpong once belonged to the chogyals of Sikkim, but it fell into the hands of the Bhutanese in the 18th century and later passed to the British rule, before becoming part of India at Independence. Scottish missionaries, particularly the Jesuits, made great efforts to win over local Buddhists in the late 19th century and Kalimpong remains an important educational centre for the entire eastern Himalaya. Kalimpong’s early development as a major Himalayan trading centre focused on the tea trade with Tibet, across the Jelep La Pass. Don’t miss your visit to the Dr Graham’s Homes, started by the missionary Dr Graham in 1900. You will also see the small village of Lava, noted for its market and monastery located outside of Kalimpong.

You will be amazed by its diverse cultures, traditions and hospitable locals from Lepchas, Nepalese – also known as Gorkhas, British, Indians, Tibetans and even Sikkimese. You will find all its reflections in the local food and beverages, house architectures, language, and many other cultural dimensions. So, you will enjoy the stunning ambiance, lunch and dinner at ease and leisure.

You will have a relaxing sleep with overnight accommodation at the hotel.

You will have an early morning breakfast and, along with your English-speaking guide, you will drive to the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu. 4 km ahead of Phuentsholing, you will enroute to visit a 400 meter high temple house of Kharbandi Gompa, the beautiful monastery situated in the garden of tropical plants and flowers, which were set up in 1967 by the Royal Grandmother, Ashi Phuntsho Choedron.

You will explore the monastery that houses the mesmerizing paintings depicting scenes from the life of Buddha and impressive statues of Bhutanese deities of Shakyamuni Buddha, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and Guru Rimpoche. After that, you will move to the lush green garden outside the monastery to see eight different types of Tibetan chortens or Tibetan Buddhist stupas. The monastery garden has admirable surroundings that you can explore and see the splendid beauty of Phuentsholing and the West Bangal plains and their tea gardens which cannot be described beyond superb. Here, outside the monastery, you get plenty of opportunities to click amazing pictures to cherish the lifetime memories.

You will then continue your journey on the mountain roads and proceed further to Thimphu.  Your entire drive will be very pleasant with views of lush green valleys, snow peaked mountains and numerous scenic spots en route.

A Stupendous lunch will be served at a cafeteria in Bunakha, which is the location for the Mega Indo-Bhutan power project ‘Sankosh’, a dam over the Bunakha Reservoir on the Wangchu River in Bhutan.

Five miles before you reach Thimphu, you will en route your journey and visit the spectacular historical monument Simtokha Dzong which overlooks the Thimphu Valley, the valley leading to Dochu La and Eastern. The name ‘Simthoka’ literally means “Atop a Demon” and ‘dzong’ means “castle-monastery”. This small dzong, which is the oldest, is in its complete original form is also known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang and was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified Bhutan and believed that the legend associated with the dzong’s construction reveals that it was built in order to subdue an evil spirit that was harassing travellers in the region.

You will visit the stunning dzong that was modeled after the Gyal Gyad Tshel Institute of Ralung in Tibet and you will witness architectural distinctiveness in the monument, as its Utse or central tower, has twelve sides. Inside the religious Utse, you will see a large statue of Yeshay Gonpo (Mahakala) the chief protective deity of Bhutan. Another interesting aspect of the dzong you will come across, is that it contains the bed chambers of both Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel and Jigme Namgyel two of the most important legends in Bhutanese history. Zhabdrung was the leader that first united Bhutan as a nation and Jigme Namgyel was the father of the first King of Bhutan Ugyen Wangchuck. As you explore further, you will see that the dzong is the house of countless statues and paintings of various life forms of Lord Buddha, deities and religious figures including The Eight Manifestations of Guru Rimpoche, Jampelyang the Bodhisattava of Wisdom, Shakya Gyalpo the Buddha of Compassion and many more, all intricately carved and painted in exquisite detail. This dzong is the oldest fortress of the Bhutan Kingdom – the Land of Thunder Dragon which now houses the School for religious and cultural studies.

On reaching Thimphu, you will be transferred to the hotel for dinner at leisure at your own cost and an overnight stay to rejuvenate back after an exotic long drive.

You will have breakfast in the backdrop of a morning view of Thimphu and you will start your day with a short drive to Thimphu city centre on the paved road to visit the Buddha Point – the Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park to see the Great Buddha Dordenma Statue. This 51.5 meter gigantic statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, which is made of bronze and gilded in gold, is notably one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world.

The statue fulfils an ancient prophecy dating back to the 8^th century A.D and it is said to emanate an aura of peace and happiness to the entire universe. You can pay your obeisance and offer prayers to the Buddha, and then walk around and take a mesmerizing glimpse of the valley that overlooks the Southern entrance to Thimphu.

After your exploration at Buddha Point, you will drive up to Dochu-la pass which is located at 10,130 ft and you will be able to stop briefly here to take in the picturesque views and you will admire the Chorten, Mani Wall, and Prayer Flags which decorate the highest point on the road. If you’re lucky and the sky is clear, from the pass you can see from left to right the majestic peak of Masagang at 7,158m), Tsendagang at 6,960m, Terigang at 7,060m, Jejegangphugang at 7,158 m, Kangphugang at 7,170 m, Zongphugang at 7, 060 m, a table mountain that dominates the isolated region of Lunana and finally Gangkar Puensum, the highest peak in Bhutan at 7,497m.

After a hearty Bhutanese lunch at the local restaurant, in the afternoon, your drive will continue to visit Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dechen, where you will be stunned to see a massive structure and the most beautiful dzong built at the confluence or junction of the Pho Chhu river and the Mo Chhu river. Do not miss the beautiful sight of the Dzong reflecting off of the water. As you continue your exploration of it structural beauty, you will come across the preserved remains of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifer of Bhutan as well as a sacred relic known as the Ranjung Karsapani. You will be surprised to witness this religious relic that is a self-created image of Avalokiteswara that miraculously emerged from the vertebrae of Tsangpa Gyarey the founder of the Drukpa School when he was cremated.

History revels that it was the capital of Bhutan until 1955, and still serves as the winter residence of the monk body. The first King, Ugyen Wangchuck was crowned here in 1907. The fortress or monastery has withstood several damages from fire, earthquake and flood. The flood of October 1994 caused great damage to the fortress yet miraculously, spared the statue of Buddha Jojampa.

Your day’s journey will end its drive for dinner at leisure and overnight accommodation at the hotel  in Punakha.

Wake up in the morning to the picturesque views of the Paro valley. After an early breakfast, you will start your days hiking excursion to the historic and sacred Taktshang Monastery, one of the most famous of Bhutan’s monasteries, perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the Paro valley floor. As you trek up, you will see that the refined architectural appearance of the monastery is shaped in the best traditions of Buddhist, which is of white buildings with golden roofs. Then you will continue your trekking and come across the ancient history said by legends that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery and hence it is called the ‘Tiger’s Nest’. And since then, this Bhutanese Jewel was recognised as a most sacred place and was visited by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646 and is now visited by all Bhutanese at least once in their lifetime.

The main peculiarity of the monastery is its isolated location. It is only accessible by mountainous paths and the remote location of the monastery makes it amazingly beautiful and unique, but also creates technical difficulties. Your visit to the Paro Taktsang Monastery will be an unforgettable experience and you will give thanks to its unique location and the views of the surrounding majestic mountains and emerald green valleys.

In the afternoon, you will visit the ancient archaeological ruin of Drukgyel Dzong, now a UNESCO World Heritage site in Bhutan, which is the most beautiful and delightful village nestling at its foot, which was built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to commemorate his victory over the Tibetan invaders. Historically and strategically, this Dzong withstood all its glory and was featured in the 1914 vide National Geographic magazine. The glory of Drukgyel Dzong remained even when it was destroyed by a fire in 1951. On a clear day, you can see the commanding view of Mount. Chomolhari from the village, below the Dzong Kyichu Lakhang, it is one of the oldest and most sacred shrines of the Bhutan Kingdom dating back to the 7th century, the other is Jambey Lhakahng in Bumthang. The Lhakhang complex is composed of two temples, the first temple was built by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and in 1968, H.M. Ashi Kesang, the Queen Mother of Bhutan, built the second temple in the same original pattern.

Your day’s trek will end at the hotel for overnight accommodation and dinner at leisure.

You will be transferred in time to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at DumDum for your onward journey.