Darjeeling & the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan

We depart from London Heathrow and fly to Kolkata via Dubai. On arrival on Day 2, we transfer to the Oberoi Grand Hotel for a 2 night stay.

On Day 3, we explore this magnificent metropolis on a guided tour. We begin by exploring the city's flower market, the largest in India, where hundreds of vendors gather every morning with wreaths and bouquets of seasonal flowers. We move on to see Mother's House, the orphanage set up by Mother Teresa, whose philanthropic activities put the city on the global map, before heading towards Victoria Memorial. We explore the fascinating potter's colony, where artists sculpt idols of Hindu deities out of clay and straw before painting them with vibrant colours. Later we take the circular railway train to see the memorial of James Prinsep, an English scholar who specialised in ancient Indian scripts and numismatics.

This afternoon we join our train for the journey to New Jalpaiguri. On arrival, we transfer by Jeep to Siliguri in the foothills of the Himalayas, where we stay for the night. On Day 5, we travel by Jeep to Kurseong, enjoying lunch at the colonial-style Cochrane Place Hotel, before climbing almost 7,000 feet into the Himalayas as we enjoy an enthralling journey on the UNESCO-listed Toy Train (subject to operation). We board the narrow-gauge train in the heart of the town; for a while the train runs directly through the bustling town centre before climbing into the forests of towering sal and oak trees. We arrive in Darjeeling late afternoon, taking in the panoramic views of pastel-painted houses stacked almost on top of each other against a backdrop of the mighty Himalayan ranges.

We visit Tiger Hill viewpoint this morning, watching the sun rise from behind Kanchenjunga, India's highest mountain. The sun adds pink hues to the snow-capped peaks, which then slowly turn orange. As the last bit of darkness vanishes, the peaks are bathed in golden light. Later we travel on the steam-hauled Toy Train to Ghum (subject to operation), the highest hill station in the area. In the afternoon, we take a tour of the Darjeeling's Mountaineering Institute, which is the final resting place of Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Sherpa mountaineer who was one of the first 2 people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Darjeeling is famous for its tea plantations and we tour one on Day 7. Tea bushes are planted on the slopes of mountains to avoid water stagnation, and the leaves need deft plucking. On Day 8, we drive to the town of Chalsa, enjoying lunch before visiting Grassmore village. Later we leave India and enter Bhutan. Perhaps best known for its 'happiness index', Bhutan is largely undiscovered by the outside world. Set deep in the Himalayas, more than half of the country is protected as a nature reserve and the fresh mountain air confirms that pollution here is minimal. We stop in Phuntsholing for the night.

Today, we visit Kharbandi Gompa, a monastery boasting sprawling gardens of tropical plants and surrounded by mountains. We then continue to Paro by coach, where we stay for 2 nights at the Tiger's Nest Resort. We explore Paro, a historic town with many ancient sacred sites, before visiting a farmhouse for a traditional dinner.

On Day 10, we take in one of Bhutan's most iconic landmarks, climbing to a viewpoint that overlooks the stunning Tiger's Nest monastery. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant afterwards. On the way back to Paro, we explore Kyichu Lhakhang, a beautiful Buddhist temple.

On Day 11, we discover the mesmerising Rinpung Dzong, a fortress monastery and a fantastic example of Bhutanese architecture, and the National Museum, housed in a former watchtower of Rinpung Dzong. Later, we drive via Dochula Pass, home to 108 memorial chortens or stupas, to Punakha, where we spend the night.

We visit Chimi Lhakhang, a temple and monastery dedicated to the fertility rites of the tantric tradition. Later we continue to Punakha Dzong, or the Palace of Great Happiness, on the way to Thimphu for 2 nights. On arrival, we take an exploratory walk of the city centre, before heading towards Thimphu's mighty 17th-century Tashichhoedzong, a striking fortress monastery and seat of the government of Bhutan since the 1960s.

On Day 13, we enjoy a full-day tour of Thimphu. Among the highlights we see are the Memorial Chorten, Buddha Point, and Takin Preserve, a wildlife reserve that celebrates Takin, the national animal of Bhutan and a member of the bovine family. We have lunch at the Simply Bhutan Museum, an interactive museum where we also indulge in local rice wine tasting and witness local women sing while working. In the afternoon we visit Zorig Chusum to see students learning different forms of traditional Bhutanese art, before proceeding to Zilukha Nunnery. Here we interact with the resident nuns and join them for a tea session. In the evening we dress up in traditional Bhutanese attire and indulge in a cultural performance at the hotel.

We transfer to Paro for our flight to Kolkata. On arrival, we take a tour of the city's historic centre Dalhousie Square, now known as BBD Bagh. We see Tagore's House, an 18th-century mansion that was once home to poet Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian to be honoured with a Nobel Prize for his contribution to literature, before taking a tram to South Park Street Cemetery.

On Day 15, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Dubai. Here we board our flight to London Heathrow, where our holiday concludes on Day 16.