Arrive Bagdogra/NJP – Drive up to Darjeeling for three hours, and on the way, view rolling hillsides covered with tea plantations. Check into hotel and  walk around Mall and browse at Oxford Book store. Evening – a meeting and interaction with a retired Senior Manager who served years in various Tea Estates in Darjeeling. Followed by dinner.

After breakfast two hours drive to Thurbo Tea Garden. Visit the factory and see process of Manufacturing tea. Interact with the Tea Managers and also take a walk with them in the garden premises. Lunch at the Mirik Lake, a tourist spot, and drive back to Darjeeling. Dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Makaibari Tea Estate in Kurseong, 1.5 hours drive. This is the first tea garden in this area to manufacture organic tea. Their entire cultivation practice of the tea bushes are done without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Visit the entire garden, the factory, interact with the owner and the workers of the garden. Packed lunch in the garden premises.

After lunch drive to Castleton Tea Garden – the manufacturers of the world’s highest priced tea (approx US$ 800.00 per kg.). Visit the Tea Tasting Centre near the Garden. Drive back to Darjeeling. Dinner at Hotel.

Early morning, visit Tiger Hill for fabulous sunrise views of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world at 8,586m. Mt. Everest and a host of other Himalayan giants are also seen on the horizon. On our drive back to the hotel we will stop at Ghoom, a Tibetan- Buddhist monastery. After breakfast we shall visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Refugee Camp and the local market.

Lunch at the hotel – after lunch free for shopping - in the evening depart for Kalimpong.

After breakfast visit some flower Nurseries where they specialize in a wide variety of house plants and cacti. Drive up to Morgan house for lunch – an old British house which once belonged to a jute baron named Mr. Morgan. This house is now taken over by the government and is converted into a tourist lodge. After lunch visit the Durpin Monastery and drive back to the hotel.

After breakfast witness the entire process of manufacturing traditional Tibetan Green Brick Tea. This is an ancient process originating in China and still carried on in a small Tea garden near Kalimpong. The Tibetans make tea out of these specially processed tea leaves, mixed with butter and other spices. Time off to see the local market and shopping.  After lunch visit the local handmade paper factory where they make paper from the bark of Daphne cannabina. Drive up to Dr. Graham’s Homes School – a unique school situated in an area of 500 acres.

After breakfast drive to Pemayangtse. Today’s drive is truly a naturalist’s delight. The hillsides and mountain slopes of Sikkim are strewn with bright patches of myriad colors. The lower mountain slopes are abundant with lush green bamboo and ferns. The northern valleys are draped with wild cherry, oaks, chestnut, pines as well as magnolia varieties called Magnolia Campbell and Michelia Doltsopa. The higher altitudes are abloom with 46 species of Rhododendrons. And of course, Sikkim’s 600 varieties of orchids are everywhere. This 05 hour drive is interesting as we move upstream along the river Rangit through dense forest of Sal and Teak.

Early morning. after having our breakfast ,we walk to Pemayangtse monastery. Here we hear the chanting of the morning prayers by the young and the old monks and the smell of the burning Jennifer’s Squamatra and Rhododendron Nivele. Pemayangtse, also known as the ‘Perfect Sublime Lotus’, is one of the oldest monasteries of Sikkim. This monastery belongs to Hat sect of the Tibetan Buddhists. After visiting the monastery, we continue driving towards Temi Tea Estate – the only tea estate ,a visit to the tea factory and interaction with the factory staff and the garden workers. Packed lunch in the garden premises. After lunch drive up to Gangtok – the capital of Sikkim.  Dinner in Hotel.

The day starts with a visit to the Enchey monastery, located about 1 km. This monastery was built by Lama Druptob Karpo, a tantric master known for his power of flying. Built in the early part of this century, it follows the Nyingmapa tradition and his pagoda style architecture unique to the Sikkimese monasteries.

Institute of Tibetology: Renowned world-wide centre for study of Buddhist philosophy and religion, a treasure house of rare thankas, statues, over 200 Buddhist icons and prized objects of art.

Do-Drul Chorten: One of the most important stupas of Sikkim built by Trulsi Rimpoche, head of the Nyingma order. The stupa contains rare mandalas of Dorji Phurpa (Vajra Kalayan), holy books, mantras & is encircled by 108 prayer wheels.

Runtek Dharma Chakra Centre: 24 kms away from Gangtok is the seat the Karmapa who heads the Kagyupa sect of Buddhism. Thankas and frescoes decorate the wall. The mortal remains of the late Gyalwa Karmapa are preserved in a stupa in the monastery. The prayer hall in the new complex is well worth a visit for the Serenity and the calmness it exudes to facilitate the right frame of mind for prayer.

After breakfast transfer to Bagdogra airport in time to catch flight to Calcutta or Delhi.