Discover Darjeeling and Bhutan

This 19-night escorted tour by Explore Worldwide begins in Kolkata, where colonial architecture rubs shoulders with the strenuous pace of modern India. The route then threads into the mangrove wilderness of the Sundarbans, where spotting a Bengal tiger requires patience and luck as much as binoculars. An overnight train journey leads into the cooler climes of Darjeeling, with time to walk through tea estates and take an early-morning excursion for views of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak.

Leaving India behind, the tour crosses into Bhutan, the so-called happiest country, where monastery visits include a glass skywalk lined with prayer flags and a trek up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery clinging to cliffs. The week ends in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, with its labyrinthine bazaar and centuries-old temples. Travelling in a small group with a local guide allows time to notice the quieter details – the scent of yak butter tea at a farm, or the steady murmur of prayer wheels at a Buddhist stupa.

You can expect long drives and early starts. This is not for those seeking a holiday where everything happens at once, but for those who appreciate moving thoughtfully through distinct cultures and landscapes.