Explore Kolkata, North Bengal & Sikkim

Maximise your time with an overnight flight to Kolkata. Arrive refreshed and ready to experience India.

On arrival at Kolkata Airport you will be met by an A&K representative and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel. Taj Bengal, Kolkata is a charming hotel that welcomes guests in style. Its extravagant atrium lobby features dramatic lighting and a unique vertical garden. Enjoy this oasis of tranquillity in Kolkata’s bustle. The city offers many experiences of museums, historical Victorian buildings and much more.

Today’s half-day tour of Kolkata will take you to the Jain Temple, Zoological Gardens and Victoria Memorial. Keep your eyes open as you will also pass Howrah Bridge, Dalhousie Square, Fort Williams, Secretariat Buildings and Old Court House Street. The afternoon’s Hooghly cruise is a leisurely trip along the River Ganges. Soak up the views of the banks, the symbolic Howrah Bridge and Secong Hooghly Bridge. The dramatic backdrop of the setting sun paints the sky in myriad shades of red, orange, pink and purple.

This morning you will visit the Mother Teresa Ashram. Learn all about  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, missionary to "the poorest of the poor" and founder of the Missionaries of Charity religious order. She was famous for caring for the world's outcasts and making them her life. 

Fly from Kolkata to Bagdogra and take your two and a half hour private transfer to Darjeeling. This remote British hill station in the Himalayas is served by the Himalayan Mountain Railway whilst its slopes home tea plantations. Learn about early Everest explorers at the Himalayan Mountain Institute. Then tour the town and surrounding hills to see monasteries decorated with prayer flags. Your hotel is the MAYFAIR Darjeeling, exuding old-world charm and quiet elegance. Its two restaurants serve authentic multi-cuisine delicacies and amenities include a gym, library and spa.

Today you will enjoy a half-day city tour of Darjeeling. Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Himalayan Zoological Park, Tibetan Refugee self-help centre and the market.

Any journey from Darjeeling on the toy train is a true experience. It takes two hours and the slow speed gives you enough time to watch and appreciate the beauty all around. This train passes through forests and waterfalls, over deep valleys and through the mountains and tunnels to arrive at its destination of the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station.

Today’s transfer to Gangtok takes about three and a half hours, before you check in at MAYFAIR Spa Resort & Casino. Nestled amidst the exquisite Himalayan forests of Sikkim, this hotel is one of the best spa resorts in India, set over 19 hectares of forested land. Explore exciting Gangtok and its surrounding areas. Then it’s time to pamper yourself at the spa and indulge in intensive therapeutic treatments. Other facilities include a well-equipped health club, superb multi-cuisine restaurants, kids’ play area and a swimming pool.

Gangtok, the capital and principal town of Sikkim, is tucked away in the clouds 1,524 metres above sea level. Your half-day tour here will introduce you the Government Cottage Industry, Deer Park, Tashiling, Enchey Monastery and the market.

You will be transferred by private vehicle to Pelling, covering 120 kilometres in about four hours. Set in the Himalaya Mountains and surrounded by greenery of forest and landscaped gardens, The Elgin Mount Pandim is a fine example of old world charm. Developed originally by the royal family of Sikkim, this rural retreat offers breathtaking vistas of the Singalila mountain range. The hotel is a one-minute walk from the 18th-century Pemyangtse Monastery and 27 kilometres from Khecheopalri Lake.

A half-day sightseeing tour of Pelling will bring out the explorer in you. Here you can visit some of the most popular tourist attractions in Pelling. Sangachoeling Monastery, Pemayangtse Gompa, Khecheopalri Lake, Kanchenjunga Falls, Rabdentse Ruins, Singshore Bridge and Sewaro Rock Garden are some of the amazing sights not to be missed. Take the afternoon at your leisure for some relaxing rejuvenation.

Three hours from Pelling is Kalimpong. After settling in, enjoy a half-day tour, starting at Zang Dhok Palri Phodang Monastery, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 1976. This sacred building houses Buddhist scriptures brought by monks after the Sino-Indian war and preserves ancient arts with its thangka painting workshops and debating halls. Visit the Tirpai monastery, then walk through its busy flower nursery and market to see orchid and almost 1,500 varieties of cactus. From here head to MAYFAIR Himalayan Spa Resort for a luxurious evening.

You will be met by your A&K representative and transferred by private vehicle to Bagdogra Airport, for your Kolkata flight. Conveniently located near the international airport is the Swissotel Kolkata. It is attached to a mall, with many shops, restaurants and a multiplex cinema. Its traditional Indian restaurant, Durbari, is a perfect combination of great food and interesting ambience. For more relaxed dining, Café Swiss hosts live-action cooking stations and authentic Swiss food. Celebrate the end of your trip dancing at Maaya or under the stars at Splash.

Fly from Kolkata to the UK.