Darjeeling & the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan

Your exotic Indian and Bhutanese holiday begins this afternoon as you arrive at London Heathrow. Here, you meet the Tour Manager and group of fellow travellers, ready to board our international flight to India. Our journey pauses overnight in Dubai, where we switch planes and continue onwards to the enchanting West Bengal province.

Bordering Bangladesh to the east, this historic region stretches from the Bay of Bengal, past cultural Kolkata, across the mighty Ganges and into the foothills of the incredible Himalayan mountains. As we begin our journey, you can look ahead to the adventures that await on our two-week adventure through these fascinating nations. Imagine aromatic tea plantations backdropped by incredible mountains and the many wonders to come in Bhutan - a small Himalayan kingdom shrouded in mystery and history.

Landing in Kolkata this morning, we are transferred by coach to our five-star hotel in the heart of this state capital city. There is breakfast on arrival, and then the remainder of the afternoon is yours to rest in your luxurious room, acclimatise or explore at leisure. Once an important city of British India, Kolkata stagnated during the middle of the 20th century but is once again on the rise and is now regarded as India's cultural and intellectual capital.

Our central hotel is well placed for exploration, with numerous green spaces and attractions within reach, including the Victoria Memorial. Taking a car further out, you can see the domes of the 1830s Tipu Sultan Mosque and many bustling markets.

Back at our hotel this evening, we can get to know each other better during our first group meal together.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast at our hotel, we set out on a guided city tour of this historic city. Our first destination is the Mullick Ghat flower market, the largest of its type in India. Hundreds of vendors gather beside the banks of the Hooghly river every morning to sell aromatic wreaths and bouquets of seasonal flowers.

We continue to see Mother House, a convent and the final resting place of Mother Teresa, and the beautiful white marble Victoria Memorial. Following some free time to have lunch, we continue to the railway museum followed by the historic centre of colonial Kolkata and the potter's colony, where artists sculpt colourful idols of Hindu deities.

Later, we board the Circular Railway to the memorial of James Prinsep, an English scholar who specialised in ancient Indian scripts and coins, and Prinsep Ghat Garden. We return to our hotel this evening in time for dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Rising early, we transfer to the historic Howrah Junction railway station, India's oldest surviving and busiest. Trains have been departing from here since 1854, and we join them today as we begin our journey into the Himalayas.

With a packed breakfast provided for the journey, we take our seats in AC Executive Class carriages on the Shatabdi Express, travelling 350 miles to New Jalpaiguri. Watch the ever-changing landscapes unfold as we leave the urban terrain of Kolkata behind, admiring increasingly beautiful scenery as we travel north into the beautiful Himalayan foothills. We enjoy a picnic dinner at our seats, and shortly after leaving the station at New Farakka Junction, we cross the sacred Ganges on its 1,500-mile journey from the western Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh.

On arrival in New Jalpaiguri, we transfer the short distance to our hotel in Siliguri for an overnight stay, where we check in before sitting down to lunch. Following an afternoon at leisure to relax or explore, we dine at our hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast this morning, we begin an amazing journey into the Himalayas. A visit to Salugara Monastery near our hotel reveals a Buddhist shrine built by Dalai Lama followers, which is topped with a colourful 100-foot stupa. Travelling by jeep, we wind past lush green countryside and tree-covered valleys. On reaching Kurseong, we enjoy lunch at the colonial-style Cochrane Place Hotel before embarking on a highlight of our holiday.

Boarding the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, affectionately known as the 'Toy Train', we climb almost 7,000 feet into the Himalayas. This steam-hauled, narrow-gauge train runs directly through the lively centre of Kurseong before continuing into the surrounding jungle-like forests.

We arrive at our five-star heritage hotel in Darjeeling late in the afternoon and check-in for the first of three nights. Before dinner at the hotel, you can step on to the terrace to bask in panoramic views of pastel-painted houses stacked almost on top of each other, all set against a backdrop of the mighty Himalayan mountains.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An optional excursion in the early morning hours takes those who wish to Tiger Hill, where, weather permitting, we witness sunrise over the jagged peaks of the Himalayas. As the sun comes up, the mountains are painted pink and golden, with Kanchenjunga taking centre stage. At more than 28,000 feet tall, this is the third tallest mountain in the world and the highest in India.

After returning to our hotel for breakfast, we board the steam-hauled 'Toy Train' to Ghoom, the highest hill station in the area. Here, we tour Ghoom Monastery, which dates from the 1850s and is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist temple in the Darjeeling area. With its Tibetan characteristics and Himalayan setting, the monastery seems a world away from the West Bengal of Kolkata and Siliguri.

A coach transfer takes us back to Darjeeling, where there is free time for lunch before we discover the final resting place of Tenzing Norgay at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and take a short walking tour to St Andrews Church.

Dinner this evening is back at our Darjeeling hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our day begins with breakfast at the hotel and a meeting with the son of a Gurkha veteran to learn about his father's time in the British Army during World War Two. We discover how this respected unit built up its reputation, hear stories from his time in the service and view artefacts.

Surrounded by tea plantations, Darjeeling has become synonymous with this popular drink, and we are soon immersed in this aromatic and floral world. Visiting the Golden Tips stall at the local market, we are treated to a tasting of Darjeeling, which comes in green and black varieties and is known for its floral aroma and fruity apricot flavour. Following our tea-tasting, we take a heritage walk through the city to see landmark sights, such as the clock tower and Darjeeling head post office.

The rest of the afternoon is free to explore independently. As well as boasting many reminders of its colonial past, this atmospheric hill station is also wonderfully scenic. We regroup at our hotel this evening for dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving mountainous Darjeeling after breakfast this morning, we begin our coach journey to the formerly closed country of Bhutan.

Winding down the hills from Darjeeling, the dense vegetation arches over twisting roads lined with small temples and fruit stalls. Look for waterfalls as we cross the Coronation Bridge over the Teesta river. As we approach Chalsa, where we stop for lunch at a local restaurant, the scenery is dominated by tea plantations before we enter Jaldapara National Park, home to rhinos, elephants and leopards.

In Jaigaon, we cross into Bhutan under an ornately decorated gate of typical Bhutanese architecture. Perched high in the Himalayas between India and Tibet, the largely undiscovered kingdom of Bhutan was closed off to most visitors until 2018, yet it is now renowned for its incredible scenery and diverse wildlife.

Our hotel is in the border town of Phuentsholing, and after checking in, we have dinner in the hotel's restaurant this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Saying farewell to the laid-back atmosphere of Phuentsholing after breakfast, we can sit back and enjoy the views as we embark on one of the world's most spectacular drives. Our route today travels deep into Bhutan's Himalayas on our way to Paro.

Clinging to the mountainside, the winding road constantly reveals breathtaking vistas of thick vegetation, towering mountains and rugged valleys. Enroute, we stop for lunch before continuing to Paro.

After checking into our hotel, we set out on a guided tour of historic Paro, home to many ancient sacred sites, including the oldest Buddhist temple in the country. The excursion concludes with a guided tour of a local microbrewery, the Namgay Artisanal Brewery, which includes a beer-tasting session.

We return to our hotel in time for dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Looking like something out of a fantasy novel, Tiger's Nest Monastery clings to a cliff edge halfway up a mountain above the Paro Valley. This iconic Bhutanese location was built in the 17th century and is named after the second Buddha, Padmasambhava, who is said to have arrived here on the back of a flying tiger.

Leaving our hotel after breakfast, we transfer to the start of the trail for a trek up to the Tiger's Nest viewpoint on the opposite side of the valley. From this position, we can admire this sacred monastery and its red, gold and white pagoda in all its glory.

On the walk back down, we stop at the Taktshang Cafeteria for lunch before taking an excursion to the 7th-century Kyichu Lhakhang near Paro, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples.

We continue back to our hotel this evening, arriving ahead of dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast in our hotel, we travel the short distance to Paro, where we visit the National Museum of Bhutan. Here, we learn about the nation's culture through more than 3,000 exhibits of Bhutanese art covering more than 1,500 years of rich heritage. Set in a six-storey watchtower dating from the 17th century, this used to form part of the fortress we visit next.

The 15th-century Rinpung Dzong complex looks over the valley and a river crowned by a traditional covered bridge. With 14 shrines and chapels, this dzong is a shining example of Bhutanese architecture with intricately carved wooden ornamentations, white buttressed walls and views across the local area.

Leaving Paro, we drive along the Dochula Pass, enjoying lunch at a local restaurant on this snow-covered route through the Himalayas, home to 108 memorial chortens or stupas. We arrive at our four-star hotel in the lush Punakha Valley this afternoon and have an opportunity to create a spiritual mandala symbol from coloured rice before dinner in the hotel restaurant.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Getting to know the beautiful Punakha Valley after breakfast, our first stop is Chimi Lhakhang, a temple and monastery dedicated to tantric fertility rites. A golden spire crowns this temple, which sits atop a hill overlooking a river. We then continue to Punakha Dzong, or the Palace of Great Happiness, Bhutan's second-oldest and second-largest fortified monastery.

We pause our explorations for lunch at a local farmhouse before arriving in the capital, Thimphu. An exploratory walk of the city centre reveals the 17th-century Tashichho Dzong - a striking fortress monastery and seat of Bhutan's government since the 1960s. We also visit a local craft bazaar in bamboo huts stretching along the main street. Here, you can browse the different wares, including prayer beads, brass Buddhas, wooden bowls and an assortment of textiles and paintings.

Our adventure concludes at our striking magenta-hued hotel in the centre of Thimphu, where we enjoy dinner after checking in for two nights.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Thimphu takes our full attention today as we explore the attractions of Bhutan's main city after breakfast. From the spectacular stupa of the Memorial Chorten, we journey up to the gigantic Buddha Dordenma statue. Gilded in gold and standing at nearly 180 feet, this magnificent statue looks out over Thimphu and its verdant valleys.

The national animal of Bhutan is the takin, a muscular ungulate often called the 'antelope goat'. We get the chance to view these mysterious Himalayan mammals at the Royal Takin Preserve before a traditional lunch at the Simply Bhutan living heritage museum.

Afterwards, we meet local students learning different forms of traditional Bhutanese art at the National Institute for Zorig Chusum. A unique experience follows at the Zilukha Nunnery as we join the nuns for an intimate tea-offering ceremony.

Enjoy some free time to continue exploring at leisure following this culture-filled day, and then this evening, we attend a cultural performance at our hotel before dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Say a fond farewell to Bhutan's deep spirituality and Himalayan scenery this morning as after breakfast, we head to Paro airport for a flight back to Kolkata.

After checking into our hotel, the rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. You might like to unwind at our five-star hotel or explore independently. Alternatively, you could join an optional cruise along the Hooghly river (payable locally), enroute, driving past the historic Dalhousie Square, now known as BBD Bagh. A tributary of the mighty Ganges, the Hooghly is sacred in Hinduism, and its importance encouraged the British to build a trading outpost on its banks in 1690. This small port transformed into modern Kolkata, and its river offers views of Bengal's rich history and culture, as well as glimpses of daily life along its shoreline.

We gather for our final dinner together this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Soak up the history and ambience of Kolkata during a free morning and afternoon in the city. Enjoy breakfast at our historic hotel, and then you are free to explore the historic centre of colonial Kolkata around the former Dalhousie Square.

The white-domed neoclassical General Post Office was built in the 1860s on the site of Old Fort William and is still in operation to this day. Boasting a striking red-and-cream frontage, the 18th-century Writers' Building was designed by the British East India Company and formerly housed the colonial trading company's clerks. Further south, past the 174-foot tall spire of St John's Church, is Kolkata's Town Hall. With white columns, this landmark was built in the Roman Doric style in 1813 and hosted many social gatherings during the days of the British Raj.

A coach collects us from our hotel early this evening and transfers us to Kolkata airport, where we begin our journey back to the United Kingdom via Dubai.

• Breakfast

Our discovery of Kolkata, Darjeeling and the little-explored kingdom of Bhutan draws to a close this morning. We have experienced many sides of these nations while exploring colonial architecture, crossing the Ganges by modern rail, travelling into the mountains of Darjeeling aboard the 'Toy Train', and uncovering the spectacular little-seen scenery and iconic Buddhist temples of Bhutan.

Our exotic expedition concludes this morning as our plane arrives back at London Heathrow.