Riviera Travel Eastern Highlights – Darjeeling & Bhutan

• Ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• Dine at the Glenburn Penthouse, an elegant colonial style residence
• Hike the legendary Tiger’s Nest Monastery
• Visit Punakha Dzong, where all of Bhutan’s kings have been crowned

• Return flights and transfers
• 13nts in 4* accommodation
• Selected meals: Daily breakfast, 7 lunches and 8 dinners
• Welcome drink
• 19 included experiences
• Services of an Expert Tour Manager
• Governmental Sustainable Development Fee (for Bhutan)
• Bhutan Visa fees

Day 1: Depart UK
Head to the airport for your overnight flight to Kolkata

Day 2: Arrival in Kolkata
Arriving in the afternoon, you’ll transfer to your hotel in Kolkata and enjoy some time to relax before heading out to dinner. You’ll dine at the elegant Glenburn Penthouse, a beautifully resorted colonial-style residence overlooking the city. After your delicious welcome dinner, enjoy a guest lecture about Bengal.

Day 3: Kolkata
Today, explore the city on a sightseeing tour led by an expert local guide. Start with a guided walk around Dalhousie Square, where you’ll see the stately General Post Office and St John’s Parish Church. After an included lunch, take a closer look at the Victoria Memorial, a vast marble monument that holds a collection of art and books. Finish the tour with a visit to the Mullik Ghat flower market, where you’ll find stalls selling fresh flowers and decorations of every colour imaginable.

Day 4: Kolkata to Darjeeling
This morning, fly from Kolkata to Bagdogra. From here, journey through the hills of the Eastern Himalayas to reach the hill station of Darjeeling. Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day to settle in.

Day 5: Darjeeling
If you’re awake early this morning, you can join an excursion to a nearby Sherpa village where you’ll watch the sun rise over the mountains. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Then, take a ride aboard the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known as the Toy Train. You’ll pass through breathtaking landscapes, with a highlight being the Batasia Loop, which gives you panoramic views of Darjeeling town and the Kanchenjunga mountain range. Return to Darjeeling where you’ll have free time for lunch before setting off on a heritage walk to discover it’s colonial past. From Mall Road, lined with old-world shops and charming cafes, you’ll visit St Andrew’s Church and the Planters’ Club.

Day 6: Darjeeling Tea Estate
After breakfast, take a scenic drive through the hills to the Glenburn Tea Estate. Explore the estate with a guide, wandering through the gardens and working factories to find out how the tea is produced before a guided tea-tasting session to try the estate’s range of tea. Enjoy lunch on the estate before returning to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Day 7: Darjeeling to Phuentsholing
This morning, set off on the long journey to cross into Bhutan, reaching the border by early afternoon. After brief immigration formalities on both sides, continue to Phuentsholing. Once settled at the hotel, visit Kharbandi Goempa Monastery, founded by the Royal Grandmother, Ashi Phuntsho Choden. Overlooking the Indian plains, it’s one of Bhutan’s oldest and most revered Buddhist temples.

Day 8: Phuentsholing to Thimphu
Leaving Phuentsholing, travel to Thimphu, arriving at the hotel in time for lunch. After some time to settle in, visit Thimphu Chorten, a monument to Bhutan’s third king and a place of worship. Here you’ll find intricate carvings as well as paintings and statures that honour the king’s legacy. In the afternoon, visit Tashichho Dzong, a grand dzong (fortress monastery) which houses the administrative centre of Bhutan. You’ll enter through the Northern Gate which opens into the monastic quarters. Here you’ll see a number for buildings and structures symbolising Bhutan’s heritage. Return to your hotel before dinner, where you’ll meet a local expert to learn about Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness policy.

Day 9: Punakha
Travel over the scenic Dochu La Pass and into the Punakha Valley to reach the Punakha Dzong, considered one of the most beautiful in the country and the site where all of Bhutan’s kings have been crowned. You’ll then take a gentle stroll through the nearby fields to learn about rural life before arriving at Chimi Lhakhang, a temple famous for its blessings of fertility. Return to the hotel in Thimphu and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 10: Thimphu & Paro
Begin the day with a visit to the Buddha Dordenma Statue, one of the largest Buddha stupas in the world. Next, visit the Royal Textile Museum to see its collection of both ancient and modern textiles. The last visit in Thimphu is to the Craft Bazaar, home to around 80 stalls and shops selling handmade and traditional crafts. After, travel to Paro.

Day 11: Paro
Spend the morning exploring Paro, starting with a visit to Ta Dzong, which is now a national museum where you can learn about how magic and science are inseparable in Bhutan and to see rare artifacts. After time to explore the museum, head to a local market to learn about some of the country’s unique local produce, including khoo (squares of dried jellied cow skin) and betel nut. Next, head to a traditional farmhouse for an authentic Bhutanese lunch. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure after returning to the hotel.

Day 12: Tiger’s Nest Monastery
Today, you’ll make the journey to the most sacred Buddhist site in Bhutan, Tiger’s Nest Monastery. The only way there is on foot, via a steep hike up a rough, but well trodden mountain path which takes about two and half hours. Halfway there, you’ll pause for a rest at a café and enjoy the views out over the valley. On arrival to the monastery, you’ll take a guided tour of the complex including the sacred Drubkhand cave, where the inner sanctum is surrounded by vivid murals. As you ascend through the chapels and lhakhangs, you’ll encounter sacred relics and a holy spring and get the chance to descend into the original Tiger’s Nest cave. Descend from the monastery, stopping along the way for lunch before returning to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 13: Paro to Kolkata
This morning, fly from Paro to Kolkata. On arrival, visit the Missionaries of Charity’s ‘Motherhouse’, the final resting place of Mother Teresa. Next door, you’ll find a museum where relics of her life are on display. Later, head to Kumartuli, the city’s artisan quarter to see masters creating beautiful sculptures.

Day 14: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home

Fact File

• Currency: Indian Rupee, Bhutanese Ngultrum
• Flight Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Language: Hindi, Dzongkha
• Time Zone: GMT+5.5, GMT+6
• Country: India, Bhutan

*All transfer times listed here are approximate and dependent on traffic.