12-Day India and Bhutan Tour

Welcome to India. Meet our representative in the arrival hall of the airport and then he will escort you to your hotel and help you checking in.

The Red Fort will be the first stop of your Delhi tour. The national flag flying on the sandstone Mughal fort might be the first impressive picture of India in your mind. Explore this magnificent architecture of the Mughal dynasty. Afterward, Visit the biggest Mosque in India, Jama Masjid, to see how the Islamic and Indian cultures combine in this great architectural structure.

In the afternoon, continue your visit to Qutub Minar and Humayun's tomb. Listen to stories about the splendid dynasties that were created by Indian Muslims.

The sandstone Mughal fort, Red Fort

Drive to Agra in the morning and explore the erstwhile capital of the Mughal Empire. After lunch, visit Agra Fort, which is also called Red Fort. It is a magnificent 16th-century fortress made of red sandstone, which is located on the Yamuna River.

Then you will visit Mehtab Bagh for a sunset view of the Taj Mahal. The Yamuna River flows between the garden and Taj Mahal peacefully, just like Shah Jahans love to his wife has never stopped.

Enjoy a sunset view of Taj Mahal

Visit the Taj Mahal in the early morning. The closer you walk to this ivory-white marble mausoleum, the more moved you will be by the spectacular architecture and the true love that sparked its creation. Enjoy seeing the morning sunlight as it kisses the pure white building gently.

And then you will visit the Itmad-ud-Daula (the baby Taj Mahal) and be impressed by the thousands of beautiful inlaid patterns.

You will be driven from Agra to Jaipur in the afternoon.

Admire the thousands of beautiful inlaid patterns of Itmad-Ud-Daula

On the way to Amber Fort, you will have a picture stop at the landmark of Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal. Before going up to the fort, you will also visit an interesting step well. After entering the Amber For, you will feel that you have stepped back in time to the great dynasty. The corridor with elegant pillars, the lovely colors of the patterns on the walls, and the shining mirrors in Sheesh Mahal, any of them can make you forget to leave.

In the afternoon, continue your visit to Jaipur's City Palace. The abundant exhibits will highlight what life was like for the maharajas of Jaipur. Then visit the Jantar Mantar. Be impressed by the wisdom of the ancient Indians.

You will be driven from Agra to Jaipur in the afternoon.

The beautiful courtyard of Amber Fort

Visit the less touristy Nahargarh Fort in the morning to get a great view of Jaipur. It was originally built to enhance the city defenses and eventually became a summer house for the royal family. Your guide will show you the living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, washrooms, and cloakrooms of the maharajas and their wives. The beautiful colors on the walls of each room will impress you because of the natural resources they came from.

Don't forget to stop on your way back for the nice view of the water palace in the distance. It is like a fairyland for the maharajas in Jaipur. You will be driven to Delhi after lunch.

Enjoy a bird's eyes view of the city from Nahargarh Fort

Take a morning flight to another secret place hidden in the Himalayas. After arriving at Paro International Airport, you will be met with your guide in the arrival hall and then head for the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu.

On the way, you will visit the Buddha Dordenma. It is a massive golden statue of Shakyamuni on top of a hill and 125,000 smaller Buddha statues have been placed within it. The basement of it is a large meditation hall. Afterward, visit a landmark of Thimphu, the Memorial Chorten. For many Bhutanese, this large Tibetan-style chorten is a place where they perform their daily worship.

Buddha Dordenma

Visit the most important dzong, Tashichho Dzong, in the morning. It has traditionally been the seat of the Dharma Raja and the summer capital of the country. It is the headquarters of the central government, just like the White House in America, Downing Street in Britain, and Zhongnanhai in China.

Visit the Folk Heritage Museum to discover the Bhutanese folk heritage and rural history through exhibits, demonstrations, educational programs, and documentation about Bhutanese rural life.

Then, you will visit the National Library of Bhutan, which houses a collection of sacred religious books and priceless Buddhist manuscripts. This a historical library rather than a 'normal' lending library.

Finally, you will visit Bhutan Post Office Headquarters where you can make stamps with your own photos and put them on postcards for your family and friends.

The 'White House' of Bhutan, Tashichho Dzong

You will head for Punakha in the morning. Visit Simtokha Dzong on the way. It is also known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang (Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras). People believe that it was the first dzong built in Bhutan.

Then, you will stop at the Dochula Pass where you can have a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain range. You will be impressed by the snowcapped mountains and the 108 chortens gracing the mountain pass.

The white pagodas at Dochula Pass

In the afternoon, you will explore the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan, the Punakha Dzong. It is also the most important dzong in Bhutanese history and is known as 'the palace of great happiness or bliss'.

The most beautiful dzong in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong

Drive from Punakha to Paro in the morning. After arriving in Paro, you will visit Paro Dzong, which has a long and fascinating history. Its full name is Rinpung Dzong, which means the 'fortress on a heap of jewels'.

Afterward, you will visit the Ta Dzong, which houses the National Museum of Bhutan. The museum has a fascinating collection of arts, relics, religious thangka paintings, household items, arms, handicrafts, stuffed animals, and Bhutan's famous stamps, among others.

Paro Dzong, the 'fortress on a heap of jewels'.

After breakfast, you will take an excursion to the unbelievable Paro Taktsang (this takes approximately 5 hours on a round-trip walk). Located on the side of a cliff above the Paro Valley, Paro Taktsang is one of the most famous monasteries in Bhutan. It is famous for the 13 taktsang or "tiger lair" caves in which Padmasambhava meditated. This site has been recognized as a sacred place and was visited by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646. It is visited by all Bhutanese at least once in their lifetime. It is worth hiking all the way there to explore one of the top 10 monasteries in the world. Enjoy your free time in the afternoon.

Explore the incredible Paro Taktsang

Your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight back to Delhi.