sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bhutan

Bhutan: Hidden Kingdom of the 2017 16-Day Land Tour{TRIPOperatedBy}

Extend your trip

Pre-Trip ’s Sacred Cities of the North: Amritsar & Dharamsala

Post-Trip : & Annapurna Mountain Trek

Your Day-to-Day Itinerary Overseas Adventure Travel

Overseas Adventure Travel, founded in 1978, is America’s leading adventure travel company. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, US News & Report, and others have recommended OAT trips. But our most im- pressive reviews come from our customers: Thousands of travelers have joined our trips, and 95% of them say they’d gladly travel with us again, and recommend us to their friends.

Included in Your Price

»» International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements

»» All land transportation and 2 internal flights

»» Accommodations for 14 nights

»» 35 meals—daily breakfast, 11 lunches, and 11 dinners (including 2 Home-Hosted meals)

»» 10 small group activities

»» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader (1 in India, 1 in Bhutan)

»» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters

»» 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next O.A.T. adventure—an average of $322

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. What This Trip is Like

Pacing »» Trek through foothills that can be steep »» 5 locations in 15 days with one 1-night and slippery; includes uneven ground and stay stairs

»» Several hikes including a 5-hour »» Travel overland in an air-conditioned roundtrip hike along steep terrain on Day coach and on a river raft in 13 Accommodations & Facilities Physical requirements »» All accommodations feature private baths »» Not appropriate for travelers using and Western-style toilet facilities wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility »» Outside of our accommodations, some aids public restrooms will be limited to Asian- »» Must be able to walk 5 miles unassisted style squat toilets and participate in 2-3 hour treks »» Rooms at some hotels in Bhutan are »» Our activities include a 5.5-hour uphill heated by bukharis, Bhutanese wood-fired hike (beginning at an altitude of 10,000 stoves feet up to 11,600 feet) that includes 700 »» Some lodgings of up to four stories do not steps on Day 13 have elevators »» Must not have health conditions that »» For an authentic Bhutanese experience, preclude climbing to high altitudes accommodations for three nights are »» We reserve the right for Trip Leaders at an exclusive O.A.T. tented camp to restrict participation, or in some overlooking the in circumstances send travelers home, if Gangtey, with heated private tents that their limitations impact the group’s include Western-style toilet facilities experience Group size & leadership Altitude »» 16 travelers and an Indian Trip Leader in »» Elevations up to 11,000 feet Delhi, a Bhutanese Trip Leader in Bhutan

Climate »» Due to the varied geography of the destinations on this adventure, you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions.

Terrain & Transportation »» Travel over city streets, and paved and unpaved roads that are bumpy and winding

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Bhutan: Hidden Kingdom of the Himalayas 2017

Extend your trip

Pre-Trip India’s Sacred Cities of the North: Amritsar & Dharamsala

Post-Trip Nepal: Kathmandu & Annapurna Mountain Trek

This spiritual journey of discovery begins in Delhi, where you’ll witness the many facets of India’s sprawling capital—from the Mughal glory of Old Delhi to the Raj-era splendor of . Then, journey to one of the least visited countries in the world—Bhutan. A spiritual oasis nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Himalayas; Bhutan is a tiny nation whose guiding principle is “Gross National ,” a Buddhist philosophy that puts the emotional and spiritual well-being of the Bhutanese people ahead of economic progress. Witness the treasures of Delhi, one of the oldest existing cities in the world, before embarking on a life-changing journey to Bhutan, home to serene landscapes hidden in the clouds where happiness is woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Detailed Itinerary

An important word about your adventure

Our Bhutan adventure is designed for people who want a different kind of travel experience. We seek out unusual experiences, in out-of-the-way places where ordinary tours don’t go. Unlike most group tours, ours is a small group experience that seeks to provide a more intimate and up-close view of Himalayan life. Traveling with no more than 15 others, you will find that camaraderie is an integral part of the experience.

India and Bhutan are developing countries, and the overall quality of travel services is not what you would find in the or Europe. Travel and schedules here can be sometimes unpredictable, and there be times when we cannot follow your published itinerary exactly. The sequence of places visited may vary. In these cases we ask that you bring an open mind and a sense of humor. We are experienced in responding to changing circumstances on the spot, and will do whatever it takes to ensure your comfort and satisfaction.

To best enjoy this trip, bring a sense of open curiosity and an adventurous spirit.

DAY 1 Fly to Delhi, India via DAY 2 Fly from Dubai, United Dubai, Arab Emirates to Delhi Today, fly to Delhi, India, via Dubai, United Today, you’ll catch a connecting flight from Arab Emirates. The particulars of your arrival Dubai to Delhi. Travelers who took our overseas will be detailed with your flight pre-trip to Amritsar & Dharamsala will arrive itinerary and airline tickets. Depending on in Delhi this afternoon. your flight schedule, you’ll arrive in Delhi late on Day 2 or very early on Day 3. DAY 3 Explore Old Delhi After a late breakfast and briefing with our Trip Leader, we’ll set off on an orientation walk with a visit to a local market. Then, after lunch on your own, we begin our India discoveries in style along the historic streets

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. of Old Delhi. Through the centuries, eight embrace a revolutionary philosophy of cities have been built on the site of India’s “,” Bhutan also modern capital by Hindu, Mughal, and wishes to preserve its natural beauty—a law British rulers—with each adding their own requires that at least 60% of its land remain flavor. Highlights include Raj Ghat, a memo- forested for future generations. rial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi; Jama Upon arrival in , we’ll have lunch at Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India; a local restaurant, and then set off on a brief and a rickshaw ride through Delhi’s famous walking tour of the city center. You may 300-year-old bazaar, Chandni Chowk. notice lots of crimson-robed monks, mon- We return to our hotel for time to relax asteries, old fortresses, and modern cafés, before gathering together this evening for a but what you won’t see are traffic lights, as Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant. Thimphu is the only national capital city in the world without a single one. Breakfast, Dinner After checking in at our hotel, we’ll have the afternoon at leisure. This evening, we’ll have DAY 4 Explore New Delhi dinner at our hotel’s restaurant. After breakfast, we’ll continue our India Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner discoveries to experience the highlights of New Delhi, the section of the sprawling city originally laid out by the British with broad, DAY 6 Thimphu • Memorial Chorten tree-lined avenues and neat street grids. • Home-Hosted Dinner We’ll stop at Qutab Minar, a soaring tower of victory begun in the twelfth century that is After breakfast, we’ll stop at the National now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Memorial Chorten, a shrine built to memo- symbol of New Delhi. Later, we all gather for rialize Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, the lunch at a local restaurant. The remainder who opened the doors of Bhutan to the of the afternoon is at leisure to pursue outside world. The late “third ” individual discoveries in Delhi. remains greatly revered in Bhutan, and locals and pilgrims alike come here daily Dinner is on your own this evening. to pray and whirl red prayer wheels. Then, we’ll head to Phodrang, a massive Breakfast, Lunch 167-foot-tall statue of Buddha Dordenma built on a hill overlooking the Thimphu DAY 5 Fly to Paro, Bhutan • Valley. A chapel inside the base of the three-story structure includes some 125,000 Overland to Thimphu smaller statues of Buddha. Then, we’ll drive We fly to Bhutan early this morning. Upon out to the Reserve, where we will see arrival in Paro, we drive to Thimphu, capital the national animal of Bhutan—an odd beast of the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. A that confounds the experts, who have man- deeply Buddhist land, Bhutan places a higher aged to relate it only to sheep. A Bhutanese value on its cultural heritage and the well- myth suggests that the takin is a cow-goat being of its people than economic progress hybrid, but its strong resemblance to the and material wealth. The first country to North American moose is difficult to ignore.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll return alcoholic beverage consumed in Bhutan. to our hotel for some time at leisure. Later, Afterward, we’ll learn more about everyday we’ll gather our group together and meet life in rural Bhutan during a Home-Hosted with a local Bhutanese family for a Home- Lunch with the farmer and his family. Hosted Dinner. Then, we’ll return to Gangtey for some time Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at leisure before enjoying dinner at our camp this evening.

DAY 7 Overland to Gangtey Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner After breakfast, we’ll depart Thimphu for Gangtey in the Phobjikha Valley, a vast DAY 9 Meet monks at Gangtey Goenpa glacial valley of scenic splendor with a rich • Nature hike in Phobjikha Valley of flora and fauna—and winter home of globally-threatened black-necked After breakfast, we’ll head to Gangtey . Our 5 1/2-hour drive features several Goenpa, a remote 17th-century Buddhist discoveries, including a stop at Dochula, set on a forested hill overlooking a mountain pass dotted with more than Phobjikha Valley. Here, we’ll get to meet 100 chortens (Bhutanese temples) and and interact with the local monks and learn prayer flags with panoramic views of the about the Nyingmapa school of . Himalayas. Bhutan’s famous winged winter visi- tors—black-necked cranes—are known to We’ll also stop for a brief visit to circle the monastery three times when they Rinchengang, a village noted for its stone arrive from the and three masonry tradition, followed by an included times when they return again to in the lunch at a hotel in Wangdue. We’ll arrive in spring. Gangtey in the late afternoon. After some time to relax, we’ll gather together for Then, after returning to our lodge for an dinner at our exclusive tented camp this included lunch, travelers may choose to join evening. an elective hike along the Gangtey Nature Trail. We’ll enjoy the scenery and watch for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner birds and other creatures during a relatively easy two-hour trek through of blue pine trees covered in lichen (known locally DAY 8 Explore a Bhutanese as “old man’s beard”) before returning to village • Home-Hosted Lunch our tented camp and time to relax before an After breakfast, we’ll depart our hotel to included dinner. spend our day in Taphu, a small agricultural Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner village located in a southern stretch of the Phobjikha Valley. Upon arrival, we’ll meet with the young students of the village school, followed by a stroll through the village. Then, meet with a local farmer who will show us how to churn milk into tea and how to prepare , a traditional

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 10 Gangtey • Overland to the river. Then, we’ll visit , Punakha • Visit widely hailed as the most splendid example of the fortress-like that dot After breakfast, we’ll journey for about Bhutan’s landscapes. Impressively situated 3 1/2 hours to Punakha, which served as at the confluence of the Mo and Pho rivers, Bhutan’s capital for more than three cen- Punakha Dzong is filled with ornate murals turies. Punakha is also a center of the huge and serene courtyards—and where all of phalluses that are sure to be seen painted Bhutan’s have been crowned. throughout homes in Bhutan—which may cause giggles but are taken seriously by Dinner is at our hotel this evening. Bhutanese as a sign of good fortune by warding off bad spirits. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After lunch at a local restaurant just outside Punakha, we’ll set off on a walking DAY 12 Punakha • Overland to Paro excursion at Chimi Lhakhang. Also called After breakfast, we’ll depart Punakha and the “Fertility Temple,” Chimi Lhakhang travel approximately 4 1/2 hours to Paro. Our was built in 1499 to honor , journey takes us back through the Dochula a rogue Buddhist known as the Divine mountain pass, and we’ll also stop to see an Madman who is still considered one of iron-chain hanging bridge that crosses the Bhutan’s favorite saints. Kunley, who is also Paro River leading to a small hilltop temple. credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan, We’ll arrive in the charming town of Paro in spread enlightenment through an active sex time for lunch at a local restaurant. Then, life and is responsible for the phallic imagery we’ll then visit another of Bhutan’s revered found here and throughout the country. sacred temples called . This After a walk through the local village at the ancient shrine said to have been built by foot of Chimi Lhakhang, we’ll arrive at our a Tibetan King in the 7th century in order hotel, where we’ll also enjoy an included to subdue a demon who was attempting to dinner this evening. prevent the spread of Buddhism. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner After our hotel check-in, we’ll have time on our own before gathering together for an included dinner at our lodge. DAY 11 Punakha • River rafting excursion • Punakha Dzong Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner After breakfast, travelers may wish to join an elective nature hike to enjoy the mountain views and lush green meadows DAY 13 Paro • Tiger’s Nest Monastery of the Punakha Valley. Then, we’ll all • Traditional hot stone bath gather together for a rafting excursion After breakfast, we’ll journey outside Paro along the scenic Mo Chhu (Mother) River, for a true “high” point of your Bhutan a gently-flowing river that links up with adventure—Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Perched the (Father) River at the Punakha on the face of a sheer cliff some 3,000 Dzong. After our exciting rafting journey, feet above the Paro Valley, Tiger’s Nest we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch by the side of Monastery (also known as Taktsang) is

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. considered the holiest site in Bhutan. It’s a bustling local markets for some rather steep climb of more than two hours to paintings, Bhutanese stamps, or any number reach the world-renowned shrine recognized of last-minute keepsakes of your journey. by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, but Later this evening, we’ll gather together we’ll be well rewarded for our efforts. When for a cultural performance at our hotel visitors hear the 1,300-year-old legend of and celebrate our time in Bhutan during a Guru Rinpoche flying here on a tigress, listen Farewell Dinner. to monks chanting from sacred texts, or simply stand in silence among the clouds Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner on the side of a mountain deep in the Himalayas—it is not uncommon to have a deeply moving spiritual experience. DAY 15 Fly to Delhi or begin post-trip extension After a picnic lunch at the base of Tiger’s Nest, we’ll return to our hotel for some After breakfast, transfer to the airport for leisure time. Then, we’ll visit a local farm your flight to Delhi, India, where you’ll have , where some of our travelers may the day at leisure. Or, fly to Kathmandu to wish to alleviate any aches of the day with begin post-trip extension to Kathmandu & a relaxing traditional Bhutan hot stone Annapurna Mountain Trek. bath, a technique using river rocks placed in Breakfast water where they crack and steam, releasing minerals and soothing pain. Then, we’ll enjoy dinner together at the farm house DAY 16 Return to U.S via Dubai before returning to our hotel. Very early this morning, depart on your Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where you’ll join your connecting flight back to the U.S. DAY 14 Paro • Kila Goempa nunnery visit • National Museum After breakfast, we drive outside Paro to Kila Goempa, a remote nunnery that is home to some small temples and retreat huts built into the sheer cliff-side where several dozen nuns live in self-imposed isolation. After interacting with some of the nuns and learning why they have chosen this path for their lives, we’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, we’ll visit Ta Dzong, an ancient hilltop watchtower that is now home to the National Museum. After viewing the eclectic collections of Bhutanese arts, artifacts, and weapons, we’ll return to our hotel for a chance to visit one of Paro’s

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Pre-trip India’s Sacred Cities of the North: Amritsar & Dharamsala

Included in Your Price

»» Airfare from Delhi to Amritsar and »» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Dharamsala to Delhi luggage porters

»» Accommodations for 2 nights in Delhi, »» All transfers 2 nights in Amritsar, and 3 nights in Dharamsala

»» 14 meals—7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 4 dinners

»» 4 small group activities

»» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader

Itinerary, Pre-Trip Extension

Journey to two of Northern India’s holiest cities and sacred sites—from the fabled Golden Temple and Punjabi culture of Amritsar to the home of the Tibetan and the venerated Dalai in Dharamsala, nestled in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas.

DAY 1 Fly to Delhi, India via DAY 3 Explore Delhi • Humayan’s Tomb Dubai, United Arab Emirates After a late breakfast and briefing with our Depart the U.S. for your flight to Delhi, Trip Leader, we’ll visit the 16th-century India, via Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The mausoleum of Humayan, India’s second particulars of your arrival overseas will be Moghul emperor. One of Delhi’s premier detailed with your flight itinerary and airline historic sites, Humayan’s Tomb—a UNESCO tickets. World Heritage Site—would inspire the construction of the Taj Mahal a century later. Then, after lunch on your own, we’ll DAY 2 Fly from Dubai, United experience the bustle of India’s exciting Arab Emirates to Delhi capital during a stroll through a local bazaar, Today, you’ll catch a connecting flight from Dubai to Delhi.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. followed by free time to explore on your Later, Arjun, the fifth guru, built the lovely own. Dinner is included at a local restaurant Golden Temple in the center of this famous this evening. pool, seamlessly blending Hindu and Arabic architectural styles. We’ll also get a glimpse Breakfast, Dinner of the centuries-old Sikh temple tradition of offering daily Guru-Ka-Langar—a free community meal for up to 10,000 people. DAY 4 Fly to Amritsar • Wagah Border ceremony After lunch on your own, we’ll gain further After breakfast we fly to Amritsar, Punjab’s insights into daily life in Amritsar during a largest city and home to Sikhism’s holiest visit to a local market. Later this evening, shrine, the Golden Temple. Upon arrival, we’ll have dinner at a local restaurant. we’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant Breakfast, Dinner and then check in to our hotel. Later this afternoon, we’ll head to the India/ border to witness the famous Wagah Border DAY 6 Overland to Dharamsala ceremony, a highly stylized performance • Visit Norbulingka featuring synchronized speed marching and After breakfast, we journey overland to military posturing. The enthusiastic cere- Dharamsala, a town perched above the lovely mony, which was begun in 1959 between the Kangra Valley and framed by the scenic conflicted countries of India and Pakistan, Dhauladhar range. As we’ll learn during lasts about 45 minutes before the final our stay here, Dharamsala is divided into closing of international gates and lowering two distinct parts, which vary greatly in of flags of both countries. After returning to both altitude and atmosphere. The town’s our hotel in Amritsar, dinner is on your own. cloistered upper region McLeod Breakfast, Lunch Ganj—home to the Tibetan Government in Exile as well as the —while the lower town is largely filled with hotels, DAY 5 Explore Amritsar • schools, markets, and administrative offices. Visit Golden Temple Upon arrival, we’ll visit Norbulingka, a After breakfast, we’ll spend a few hours wit- self-sustaining community dedicated to the nessing daily life around Amritsar’s resplen- preservation of Tibetan arts and culture, dent Golden Temple, spiritual center of the where we’ll have an included lunch and visit Sikh faith. Actually part of a larger complex a museum and temple before arriving at our known as Harmandir Sahib, the glittering hotel for some leisure time. Tonight, dinner Golden Temple has been the epicenter of is on your own in Dharamsala. Sikh worship since its creation—which dates back to the founding of Amritsar itself. In Breakfast, Lunch 1577, Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, ordered the excavation of a sacred pool he called Amrita Saras, or the Pool of Nectar (from which the city’s name is derived). As the pool became known for its healing powers, the city of Amritsar sprung up around it.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 7 Dharamsala • Explore McLeod This evening, we’ll learn more about Ganj • Visit Tsuglagkhang Complex the plight of Tibetan refugees during a discussion with a local monk before dinner Today, we’ll learn more about Dharamsala’s together at a local restaurant. popular upper town as we explore McLeod Ganj. Although the lively district was named Breakfast, Dinner for Donald McLeod, the former British lieutenant governor of Punjab, the is now renowned for its large Tibetan popula- DAY 8 Dharamsala • Visit orphanage • tion. This influx of Tibetan residents began Village visit and Home-Hosted Lunch in 1959, when the then 24-year-old Dalai After breakfast, we journey just outside the Lama escaped to India as the Chinese army city to an orphanage that supports Tibetan overtook Lhasa. After searching India for children in need of care. We’ll tour the a quiet mountain retreat, the Dalai Lama facility, meet with the who runs the came across Dharamsala, where he and his orphanage, and have a chance to interact followers finally settled in 1960. Today, the with some of the children. Then, we’ll visit Dalai Lama—along with an estimated 15,000 a local market and head out to a nearby Tibetans—has turned the small district of village, where a local family will welcome us McLeod Ganj into a “Little Lhasa,” as well as into their home for lunch. Then, we’ll have a the headquarters of the Tibetan Government walking tour of the village before returning in Exile. to our hotel for some leisure time. Dinner is We’ll experience the of at our hotel this evening. McLeod Ganj for ourselves as we explore Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner parts of the stunning Tsuglagkhang Complex—the primary destination of Tibetan pilgrims who journey to Dharamsala. DAY 9 Fly to Delhi Aside from housing the Dalai Lama, the This morning, we’ll transfer to the complex also includes Namgyal , a airport for our flight to Delhi to begin brightly painted monastery known for its our Bhutan adventure. monks, who often spend their afternoons holding lively debates in the courtyard. Breakfast After stopping at Namgyal Gompa, we’ll have some free time for lunch on your own. Then, we’ll learn more about the Chinese occupation and Tibetan exodus by exploring the collections of photographs, video clips, and interviews at the nearby Tibet Museum. Afterward, we can join the locals in making a kora (ritual clockwise circuit) around the outside of the Tsuglagkhang Complex and meet some elderly Tibetan exiles at an old-age home.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Post-trip Nepal: Kathmandu & Annapurna Mountain Trek

Included in Your Price

»» Airfare from Paro to Kathmandu, »» 2 small group activities Kathmandu to Pokhara, Pokhara to »» Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader Kathmandu, and Kathmandu to Delhi »» Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and »» Accommodations for 3 nights in luggage porters Kathmandu, 2 nights in Annapurna foothills, and 1 night in Delhi (replaces »» All transfers last night in Delhi of main itinerary missed by post-trip travelers)

»» 13 meals—5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners

Itinerary, Post-Trip Extension

Extend your Himalayan discoveries by experiencing two sides of Nepal on a journey from the modern capital of Kathmandu to the lakeside city of Pokhara and exhilarating treks in the unspoiled foothills of the majestic Annapurna mountain range.

DAY 1 Fly to Kathmandu, Nepal DAY 2 Kathmandu • Optional Mount This morning, we fly to Nepal’s capital, Everest flight • Visit Boudhanath Kathmandu. When we arrive at our hotel, • Explore Patan we’ll set off for a brief orientation tour Join us at dawn (weather permitting) for an of our surroundings with our Nepali Trip optional flight to Mount Everest to discover Leader. This evening, enjoy a Welcome the breathtaking glory of the world’s tallest Dinner at a local restaurant. peak—rising 29,029 feet to the roof of the world. Then, all of us will begin a full day Dinner of discoveries in and around Kathmandu, beginning at Boudhanath Stupa, the coun- try’s holiest site and the primary pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists. When Tibetan refugees entered Nepal, they settled

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. around the 118-foot-tall temple, creating a the balance of the afternoon is free to relax small village that elicits the holy atmosphere and enjoy the superb views of the surround- of Tibet’s sacred city, Lhasa. Then, we’ll ing valley and mountains. make a short drive to Kathmandu’s Durbar We’ll dine this evening on the simple, Square, the heart of the city filled with an traditional fare of the Modi River Valley at astonishing collection of palaces, court- our lodge. yards, and ancient temples. Also home to Kathmandu’s royal palace, the entire square Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After an included lunch at a local restaurant, DAY 4 Mountain trekking we make a short drive to Patan, which sits across the Bagmati River just outside of After breakfast, we set off on a scenic hike Kathmandu and is one of the oldest known down to Patle Khet, a small farming village Buddhist cities. With on all four with traditional-style homes. Then, after an corners of the city said to have been erected included lunch back at our lodge, travelers by a Buddhist emperor in 250 BC, Patan is may elect to enjoy a trek down to Tanchok, also home to an extraordinary collection of another nearby local village. We’ll all enjoy temples, courtyards, and palaces—many dinner at our lodge this evening. would say the finest in all of Nepal. We’ll Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner explore the splendid architecture of Patan’s Durbar Square (Durbar, which means “pal- ace” is used to describe any plaza opposite a DAY 5 Overland to Pokhara • Phewa royal palace) before returning to our hotel in Lake boat ride • Fly to Kathmandu Kathmandu. After breakfast, we depart our lodge and Dinner is on your own this evening. walk down to Lumle to begin our drive back to Pokhara. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy a boat Breakfast, Lunch ride on Phewa Lake, a serene body of water ringed by trees and majestic mountains. After an included lunch and a lakeside walk, DAY 3 Fly to Pokhara • we’ll head to the airport for our flight to Overland to Annapurna Kathmandu. This evening, enjoy a Farewell This morning, we fly to Pokhara, a charming Dinner to celebrate our Nepalese discoveries. lakeside city in the foothills of the snow- capped Annapurna mountain range—includ- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ing the sacred Fishtail Mountain, known by the locals as Machapuchare. Upon arrival, we’ll meet our trek guide for a briefing and drive out to a nearby mountain resort for lunch before driving out to a small village to begin our first trek. To reach our mountain lodge, we’ll hike along a trail lined with terraced fields and forests. Upon arrival,

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 6 Fly to Delhi • Return to U.S. After breakfast, we’ll have the morning at leisure before heading to the airport shortly after noon for our flight to Delhi and return to the U.S.

Breakfast

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. optional tours on Post-trip

Mount Everest flight (Day 2 $220 per person)

At dawn, you may elect to enjoy an optional flight to Everest (weather permitting), known in Tibet as Sagarmatha or “Goddess of the Sky.” Avid climbers call this mountain “the ultimate climb,” and with its astound- ing height of 29,029 feet above sea level, Mount Everest earns the of the tallest peak on Earth. Rising majestically out of the Himalayan range, its snowy peak and intricate geography offer us breathtaking views from the air.

Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925.