Worldwide Escorted Tours

NEW Himalayan Kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan Day 1: UK to Kathmandu Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Kathmandu. Day 2: Kathmandu D On arrival, you’ll be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel to check-in and spend the night relaxing after your flight. Day 3: Kathmandu to Chitwan B/L/D After breakfast you’ll be transferred to Chitwan National Park, home to a number of protected and endangered species as well as wild elephant, four-horned antelope, striped hyenas, pythons, barking deers, sloths, monitor lizards, langur, and rhesus monkeys. Day 4: Chitwan National Park B/L/D This morning you’ll be taken to your 4x4 Jeep for a morning safari across the park. Your expert local naturalist will introduce you to the mystery and magic of the jungle as you search for the myriad wild animals who live their days roaming this incredible conservation area. In the afternoon you’ll be taken on a canoe ride along the beautiful Rapti River, where you’ll finish your day watching the sun setting over the snow-capped Himalayan mountains. Day 5: Chitwan to Kathmandu B/L/D Drive back to Kathmandu across some of Nepal’s most breathtakingly beautiful and profoundly scenic mountain passes. There’ll be numerous opportunities to stop for photographs along the way. Day 6: Kathmandu to Thimphu B/L/D Today you’ll be treated to one of the most spectacular flights in the Himalayas as you make your way to the Kingdom of Bhutan. On arrival you’ll be driven to Thimpu – the capital of Bhutan – via the confluence of the Thimphu and Paro rivers adorned by Tibetan, Nepalese and Bhutanese stupas. Thimphu maintains a strong national character in its architectural style and is perhaps the world’s only capital city without a traffic light! Day 7: Thimphu B/L/D Experience the beauty and the impressive cultural milieu on offer in Thimphu. There’ll be a visit to the National Library containing priceless Buddhist manuscripts, as well as a Textile Museum providing insight into one of Bhutan’s most distinct art forms. After lunch, you’ll visit the King’s Memorial Chorten, where monks continuously circle the site chanting ancient mantras, and in the afternoon you can shop like a local in bazaars for hand-woven textiles, thangkha paintings, masks, ceramics, jewellery and wood carvings. Day 8: Thimphu to Punakha B/L/D Today you’ll be making your way to Punakha over the Dochula Pass – a popular location among tourists as it offers a stunning 360-degree panorama over the Himalayan range. In the afternoon, there’ll be a short excursion to Chimi Lhakhang, translated to ‘The Temple of Fertility’, situated on a hillock in the centre of the Punakha valley. Next you’ll be taken to the What you’ll see  Explore Chitwan National Park on a jeep safari – a conservation area famed for its protection of the one-horned rhinoceros  Sail down the Rapti River and witness the sun setting over the snow-capped mountaintops of the Mahabharat mountain range  Journey through the high-altitude haven of Bhutan, known as the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’ and the ‘Last Shangri-la’!  Soak in a 360-degree panorama of the Himalayas from the Dochula Pass  Marvel at the beautiful Taktsang Monastery – referred to as the ‘Tiger’s Nest’ because it perches on the side of a 900m cliff  Wonder at the scenic landscapes around Thimphu Experience the astounding beauty and palpable mystery of the ‘Last Shangri-La” as you journey through Nepal and into the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Tigers Nest Monastery THIS TOUR EXPLORE 22  Central Asia, India & Sri Lanka Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk