Highlights and mountain monasteries

When you arrive in Delhi on day one of your North East India itinerary, you’ll be collected by your private driver and taken to your hotel. You can choose from either a hotel situated about half an hour’s drive from the airport or a charming hotel in Central Delhi, and ideal base to explore both the spice markets of Chandi Chowk and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Here, you can catch your breath and rest after your flight. In both hotels, you’ll have a comfortable room with a private en-suite bathroom.

 

On the morning of Day 2, you'll be transferred to Jaipur by air-conditioned car, a trip which takes around 5 hours. The Pink City, the next stop on your North East India itinerary, is a fantastic place to kick off an India trip. During your two nights here you can relax, acclimatise, and explore. There is so much to see in this elegant and astonishing city that you could spend weeks here without getting bored. Jaipur centre is a lively mass of saris, saddhus, holy cows, spice markets, street vendors, camel carts, elephants, beggars, rickshaws, temples, forts and palaces.

In Jaipur, you’ll stay in a cosy family hotel for a firsthand experience of typical Indian hospitality. Breakfast is served in the romantic English tea garden and the family will go out of their way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible on your tour to North East India. The rooms here are tastefully furnished in traditional Indian-style and several have four-poster beds.


 

On Day 3 of your North East India itinerary, you’ll take a guided tour of this remarkable city, visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you’ll visit the imposing Amber Fort that lies just outside the city limits. From the battlements of the Amber Fort, you’ll have a wonderful view of the rocky hills and the smaller walls and forts constructed by the Rajputs and the Mughals in the area.

The City Palace and the Palace of the Winds both stand in the ancient quarter of the city. The City Palace has several beautiful museums with fascinating collections. If you see the flag flying, it means that the Maharaja is in residence. The Palace of the Winds is a world-famous, pyramid-shaped building with dozens of windows. This is where the women of the royal harem could watch the processions in the street below, unseen by the masses.

 

This morning, you'll leave Jaipur and head east towards Galta, a secluded mystical spot. The Monkey Temple here is a pilgrimage site that attracts flocks of brightly-robed devotees every day. The stream that trickles out of the rocks here is reputed to be water from the holy River Ganges, although this is geographically impossible. People bathe and sing on the steps (ghats) that lead down into the pools. Their voices echo through the rocky gorge, which opens into a wider valley dotted with temples that have been overrun with monkeys. It's an optional stop and well worth a visit.

After Galta, you’ll drive for another three hours before arriving in Bharatpur. This is a fascinating waterworld, criss-crossed by all sorts of dykes and a really peaceful place to have a breather on your North East India itinerary. Maharajas of the historic Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds. If you like, you can stop off here too to stretch your legs.
 

After breakfast on day twelve of your North East India itinerary, you’ll set off to visit another two breathtaking sites. First, you’ll be taken to the Taj Mahal, a highlight of any trip to India. Standing serenely in the first light of the morning, we are sure that this stunning building will surpass all your expectations. It is one of the few buildings in the world that has the ability to move people. It was built by Shah Jahan as a token of his love for his deceased wife, and is undoubtedly the most romantic burial site in the world. This really will be one of the highlights of your tour to North East India. After visiting the Taj Mahal, you’ll head for Agra Fort. This huge but restrained structure seems to be immersed in a dreamy atmosphere when it’s bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, which slants through the pillars and galleries. From its majestic walls and through its arches, you can see the Taj Mahal, just as Shah Jahan would have done centuries ago, when he was imprisoned here by his son.


 

This morning, your train leaves Agra Central Station at about 8am on its way to Jhansi. We'll arrange your transfer to the railway station. After about 2½ hours (give or take a little in India), you’ll arrive in Jhansi. You’ll be collected at the station by a your driver, who will take you to Orchha (about 16 km away). Orchha is a charming small town of only 9000 residents and it is one of the few places in India that you can easily wander about without being approached by beggars or touts, so it's another place to relax and explore at your own pace on your North East India itinerary. The town is renowned for its breathtaking Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore the town at your own pace. At the end of the day, you’ll tumble into bed in your hotel and drift off to sleep, tired but contented.
 

This morning, you’ll drive on to the tranquil town of Khajuraho. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the western temples of Khajuraho, principally known for their erotic images from the Karma Sutra. The temples are about 1000 years old and they are still in incredibly good condition, even though there are only 22 of the original 85 temples still left. You’ll stay in a very comfortable hotel, set in four acres of quiet grounds.

 

On day eight of your North East India itinerary, you’ll be taken to the little town of Satna to catch the train to the city of Varanasi on the River Ganges. The train leaves about 8.15am, so it’s a pretty early start, but you’ll arrive in Varanasi a little after 4pm. The journey takes about 8 hours. When you arrive in Varanasi, you’ll be greeted and transferred to a charming hotel that lies right on the banks of the river. The Ganges is flanked by a series of ‘ghats’ – broad stone staircases leading down to the water – that stretch into the horizon. Each ghat has its own significance. The hotel stands close to the Assi Ghat, towards the south of the town, which is used by pilgrims during a special pilgrimage route called 'Panchatirthi Yatra'.
 

This morning, you’ll make a very early start to take a boat trip on the Ganges at dawn, an unforgettable highlight of your North East India itinerary. This is an extremely special experience and you cannot help but soak up the intensely spiritual atmosphere. You’ll drift past pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip, there's a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.

In the afternoon you’ll head for the small town of Sarnath, which is not far from Varanasi. Sarnath is another place of pilgrimage, this time for the Buddhists. It was here that Buddha gave his first lecture. The village itself is small, with a feeling of tranquillity, but be prepared for some hassle form the Rickshaw drivers and 'guides' who wait on the edges of the compounds. After you’ve spent a while exploring Sarnath, you’ll be taken back to Varanasi, where you’ll have the rest of the evening to wander through the city.

Day ten of your North East India itinerary is free for you to explore. Life and death rubs shoulders here like nowhere else on earth, and the experience is very inspiring. Seeing a cremation take place on the ‘burning ghats’ is something that you will remember forever. Next to the cremation ghat, you’ll find kids playing cricket, cows nosing through rubbish, and women beating laundry on rocks. Then, in the evening, you'll head for the train station for your overnight train journey to New Jaipalguri station, the nearset train station to Darjeeling.
 

You’ll have an early start on day twelve of your tour to North East India to make it to the top of Tiger Hill before sunrise. From here, you’ll have a fantastic view of the first beams of sunshine appearing between the snow-capped Himalayas at the right time of year. As the morning mist disappears from the valley, the view will become even more amazing. It can be pretty cold and windy up here, so make sure you are warmly dressed with camera firmly in hand. Next, you’ll drive to the oldest Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling. An english-speaking guide will accompany you through the grounds and explain the history of the building.

The monasteries close to Gangtok are not often visited by tourists and still retain their original, authentic character. You’ll travel along a bumpy road to Phodang and Labrang. These are brightly decorated monasteries full of rainbow swirls and curling dragons - far more flamboyant than anything you’ll find in Ladakh or Tibet. Each monastery on your tour to North East India will give you sweeping views over snow-tipped Mount Kanchenjunga, looming powerfully above you.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll head back to your hotel in Gangtok and your evening is free to do as you wish.
 

Your North East India itinerary finishes this morning, and after breakfast, you'll be transferred back to Bagdogra, where you catch a flight back to Kolkata to connect with your international flight home or to continue your adventure in India.
 

Youe next stop in North East India is Kolkata. Situated on the banks of the Ganges (known as the Hooghly in Kolkata), this city has expanded to become one of the most important and upcoming cities in the world. During the Raj era, Kolkata, then Calcutta, was the main headquarters of the British East Indian Company. You can still see the remnants of colonial days in the impressive churches, Victorian Gothic buildings and wide avenues.

You'll be collected from the airport in Kolkata and transferred to a hotel steeped in grand old English ambience. Your room is comfortable and tastefully decorated, and you’ll very quickly feel at home. You'll have the rest of today and tomorrow to explore Kolkata at your own leisure, enjoying the warm temperatures and delicious food of West Bengal.

From Kolkata you can extend your stay in India, or fly home, or on to your next destination from the international airport.