East India
Pristine East
Day 1: Delhi: Arrive in Delhi. Upon arrival, you will be met by our Peirce & Leslie colleague who will escort you to your hotel and help you to check-in.
Day 2: Delhi – Bagdogra – Gangtok: After breakfast, you will be met by our Peirce & Leslie colleague, who will escort you to the airport and help you to check-in for your flight to Bagdogra.
Upon arrival at Bagdogra airport, you will be met by our colleague and escorted to your waiting vehicle. You will then drive to Gangtok (approximately 4 hours, excluding stops).
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 3: Gangtok: After breakfast, you will visit Dro-Drul Chorten, one of the most important chortens of Sikkim. The stupa's 108 prayer wheels, holy books and relics among many other religious objects are the main attractions.
This will be followed by a visit to the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, an important museum depicting the social history of Sikkim and ancient Tibetan culture. From old manuscripts to coins to paintings, the museum is a storehouse of Tibetan history.
The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure with your vehicle at disposal to explore the local market.
Day 4: Gangtok After breakfast, you will visit Rumtek monastery, the largest monastery is Sikkim. An important religious and learning centre, it houses monks who follow the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
You will next visit a cottage industry, a unit to sustain the traditional arts and crafts of the state. It is located on a vantage point in Namchi town, a convenient place to catch up on souvenir shopping.
You will then return to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 5: Gangtok – Yuksom: After breakfast, you will drive to Yuksom (approximately 5 hours, excluding stops). On the way, you will visit Tashiding monastery that was built in 1716. The chief attraction of Tashiding is its holy chorten (a monolith shaped like a sarcophagus) called Thong-Wa-Rang-Dol, the very sight of which is supposed to wash away all sins.
On arrival in Yuksom, you will check-in to your hotel.
Day 6: Yuksom – Pelling: After breakfast, you will drive to Pelling (approximately 2 hours, excluding stops). On the way, you will visit Khecheopalri Lake, the holy ‘wish-fulfilling lake’.
On arrival in Pelling, you will check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 7: Pelling: After breakfast, you will visit Pemayangtse Gompa, one of Sikkim’s oldest and most significant Nyingmapa monasteries.
This will be followed by a visit to Rabdentse which houses the ruins of the erstwhile capital of Sikkim which was the second capital of the former Kingdom of Sikkim from 1670 to 1814.
You will then return to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 8: Pelling – Kalimpong: After breakfast, you will drive to Kalimpong (approximately 3.5 hours, excluding stops). On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will visit Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, an ancient Buddhist monastery which was built in 1976 under the guidance of the Dalai Lama.
Also on the tour, you will visit Dr Graham’s Homes, a boarding and day school that provides quality education. Here, you will visit the Kindergarten section of the school. The school was set up by the Scottish missionary Dr John Anderson Graham in September 1900.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 9: Kalimpong – Darjeeling: After breakfast, you will drive to Darjeeling (approximately 2 hours, excluding stops).
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will take the famous “Toy Train” to Ghoom Monastery which houses famous Buddhist scriptures and a well-known image of Maitreya, the ‘Future Buddha’.
You will next visit Tibetan Refugee Center, a self-help centre and a hub for exquisite handicrafts such as woollen carpets, coats and shawls.
This will be followed by a visit to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Museum. The Museum traces the history of the conquest of Everest and contains a collection of mountaineering equipment and samples of Himalayan flora and fauna.
Later, you can take a stroll in the mall and walk down the steep hill to the city market. This is one of the best places to get a better understanding of the town and its people.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 10: Darjeeling – Glenburn: Very early in the morning, you will start the day watching the sunrise at Tiger Hill over the mighty Kanchenjunga (India’s highest peak). It will certainly leave you in awe of the Himalayas and their magnificence.
You will then return to your hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast, you will drive to Glenburn (approximately 1.5 hours, excluding stops) where you will stay at the lovely Glenburn Tea Estate, a family-run estate. You will stay in one of the charming colonial-style bungalows. Glenburn lies in a river valley, with breathtaking views of the mountains on a clear day. The tea estate stretches from an elevation of 3,700 feet down to two snow-fed rivers – Rungeet and Rung Dung.
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 11: Glenburn: After breakfast, we will take you on a Tea Trail. The tour will begin with an audio-visual presentation on the history of Glenburn and a brief overview of how tea is grown and manufactured.
Later, you will go hiking down through the estate to the Rungeet river, where a picnic lunch will be laid out for you. If you do not feel like walking, you could choose to make the trip by jeep.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 12: Glenburn: The entire day will be at leisure for independent activities.
You may like to take a gentle full body massage using Darjeeling Green Tea oil. This can be followed by a Green Tea bath soak or a steam treatment. Glenburn also offers reflexology treatments with an invigorating fresh mint and chamomile foot soak.
Day 12: Glenburn – Bagdogra – Delhi: After breakfast, you will be escorted to the Bagdogra airport (approximately 3.5 hours, excluding stops) by our Peirce & Leslie colleague who will help you to check-in for your flight to Delhi.
Upon arrival at Delhi’s airport, you will be met by our colleague who will help you to connect to your homeward bound flight.
Day 2: Delhi – Bagdogra – Gangtok: After breakfast, you will be met by our Peirce & Leslie colleague, who will escort you to the airport and help you to check-in for your flight to Bagdogra.
Upon arrival at Bagdogra airport, you will be met by our colleague and escorted to your waiting vehicle. You will then drive to Gangtok (approximately 4 hours, excluding stops).
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 3: Gangtok: After breakfast, you will visit Dro-Drul Chorten, one of the most important chortens of Sikkim. The stupa's 108 prayer wheels, holy books and relics among many other religious objects are the main attractions.
This will be followed by a visit to the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, an important museum depicting the social history of Sikkim and ancient Tibetan culture. From old manuscripts to coins to paintings, the museum is a storehouse of Tibetan history.
The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure with your vehicle at disposal to explore the local market.
Day 4: Gangtok After breakfast, you will visit Rumtek monastery, the largest monastery is Sikkim. An important religious and learning centre, it houses monks who follow the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
You will next visit a cottage industry, a unit to sustain the traditional arts and crafts of the state. It is located on a vantage point in Namchi town, a convenient place to catch up on souvenir shopping.
You will then return to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 5: Gangtok – Yuksom: After breakfast, you will drive to Yuksom (approximately 5 hours, excluding stops). On the way, you will visit Tashiding monastery that was built in 1716. The chief attraction of Tashiding is its holy chorten (a monolith shaped like a sarcophagus) called Thong-Wa-Rang-Dol, the very sight of which is supposed to wash away all sins.
On arrival in Yuksom, you will check-in to your hotel.
Day 6: Yuksom – Pelling: After breakfast, you will drive to Pelling (approximately 2 hours, excluding stops). On the way, you will visit Khecheopalri Lake, the holy ‘wish-fulfilling lake’.
On arrival in Pelling, you will check-in to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 7: Pelling: After breakfast, you will visit Pemayangtse Gompa, one of Sikkim’s oldest and most significant Nyingmapa monasteries.
This will be followed by a visit to Rabdentse which houses the ruins of the erstwhile capital of Sikkim which was the second capital of the former Kingdom of Sikkim from 1670 to 1814.
You will then return to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 8: Pelling – Kalimpong: After breakfast, you will drive to Kalimpong (approximately 3.5 hours, excluding stops). On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will visit Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, an ancient Buddhist monastery which was built in 1976 under the guidance of the Dalai Lama.
Also on the tour, you will visit Dr Graham’s Homes, a boarding and day school that provides quality education. Here, you will visit the Kindergarten section of the school. The school was set up by the Scottish missionary Dr John Anderson Graham in September 1900.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 9: Kalimpong – Darjeeling: After breakfast, you will drive to Darjeeling (approximately 2 hours, excluding stops).
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will take the famous “Toy Train” to Ghoom Monastery which houses famous Buddhist scriptures and a well-known image of Maitreya, the ‘Future Buddha’.
You will next visit Tibetan Refugee Center, a self-help centre and a hub for exquisite handicrafts such as woollen carpets, coats and shawls.
This will be followed by a visit to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Museum. The Museum traces the history of the conquest of Everest and contains a collection of mountaineering equipment and samples of Himalayan flora and fauna.
Later, you can take a stroll in the mall and walk down the steep hill to the city market. This is one of the best places to get a better understanding of the town and its people.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 10: Darjeeling – Glenburn: Very early in the morning, you will start the day watching the sunrise at Tiger Hill over the mighty Kanchenjunga (India’s highest peak). It will certainly leave you in awe of the Himalayas and their magnificence.
You will then return to your hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast, you will drive to Glenburn (approximately 1.5 hours, excluding stops) where you will stay at the lovely Glenburn Tea Estate, a family-run estate. You will stay in one of the charming colonial-style bungalows. Glenburn lies in a river valley, with breathtaking views of the mountains on a clear day. The tea estate stretches from an elevation of 3,700 feet down to two snow-fed rivers – Rungeet and Rung Dung.
On arrival, you will check-in to your hotel and the remainder of the day will be at leisure.
Day 11: Glenburn: After breakfast, we will take you on a Tea Trail. The tour will begin with an audio-visual presentation on the history of Glenburn and a brief overview of how tea is grown and manufactured.
Later, you will go hiking down through the estate to the Rungeet river, where a picnic lunch will be laid out for you. If you do not feel like walking, you could choose to make the trip by jeep.
You will then return to your hotel.
Day 12: Glenburn: The entire day will be at leisure for independent activities.
You may like to take a gentle full body massage using Darjeeling Green Tea oil. This can be followed by a Green Tea bath soak or a steam treatment. Glenburn also offers reflexology treatments with an invigorating fresh mint and chamomile foot soak.
Day 12: Glenburn – Bagdogra – Delhi: After breakfast, you will be escorted to the Bagdogra airport (approximately 3.5 hours, excluding stops) by our Peirce & Leslie colleague who will help you to check-in for your flight to Delhi.
Upon arrival at Delhi’s airport, you will be met by our colleague who will help you to connect to your homeward bound flight.
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