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Dates and prices are subject to change. For booking, availability, and detailed itineraries, consult your travel agent or check online. Northeast India & Darjeeling by Rail RAIL Highlights › › Savour a local lunch in Darjeeling › › Ride a World Heritage-listed toy train › › Watch the sunrise on the Ganges › › Experience the bustle of Delhi What's Included Kolkata city tour. MacFarlane Memorial Church visit (Kalimpong). Cactus nursery visit. Lepcha Museum visit. Local lunch with cooking demonstration. Gangtok orientation tour. Rumtek Monastery day trip. Darjeeling orientation tour. Tiger Hill sunrise visit. Tea estate visit. Mahakal Temple visit. Tibetan refugee camp visit. Peace Pagoda visit. Toy train to Kurseong. Evening ghats visit (Varanasi). Sunrise boat trip on the Ganges. Sarnath visit. Lucknow orientation tour. Bara Imambara visit. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities. ACCOMMODATIONS Hotels/guesthouses (10 nts), sleeper train (2 nts) TRANSPORT Train (seats), train (beds), toy train, private van, walking GROUP LEADER CEO throughout, local guides MEALS 1 lunch, 1 dinner. Allow USD295-385 for meals not included. ITINERARY Anybody can view the sights of India by foot or bus – but you're not just anybody. Instead, get off the beaten path and see India in a very untypical way – by train. Over two weeks, you'll head north into Sikkim and Darjeeling via vans and local trains (including the famous toy trains in Darjeeling), giving you an up close and personal experience with authentic India. There'll be plenty of palaces and forts to spot both on the train and off, and you'll still get all the social elements of travelling with a group. Add in local meals and a large helping of culture, and this is a trip that'll stay with you for a long time. DAY 1 KOLKATA Arrive at any time. DAY 2 KOLKATA Visit the Victoria Memorial, New Market, and take a ferry on the Ganges. In the evening, board an overnight New Jalpaiguri Kamrup Express train to New Jalpaiguri. DAY 3 KALIMPONG Arrive at New Jalpaiguri and continue by van to Kalimpong. Explore MacFarlane Memorial Church and visit a cactus nursery and the Lepcha Museum. DAYS 4-5 GANGTOK Continue by private van to Gangtok and take an orientation tour of the town. Enjoy a day trip to Rumtek Monastery. DAYS 6-7 DARJEELING Head to Darjeeling by private van and take an orientation tour of the town. Enjoy a cooking demonstration at a local, family-run restaurant. Watch the sunrise at Tiger Hill, visit a tea estate, explore the Mahakal Temple, and meet Tibetans at a Refugee Camp. After, visit the Peace Pagoda. ( 1L ) DAY 8 MUGHAL SARAI In the morning, take the World Heritage Himalayan Toy Train ride. Drive to Siliguri to catch an overnight sleeper train to Mughal Sarai. DAYS 9-10 VARANASI Arrive in Mughal Sarai in the morning and continue by van to Varanasi. Enjoy an evening visit to the ghats. Take a sunrise boat trip on the Ganges. DAYS 11-12 LUCKNOW/DELHI Travel on the Lucknow Intercity train in the morning. Explore Lucknow and visit Bara Imambara. Board the Swarna Shatabdi Express train to Delhi, with dinner provided on board. Enjoy the final night of the journey and the bustle of Delhi. ( 1D ) DAY 13 DELHI Depart at any time. Guaranteed Departures Number of IF YOU'RE BOOKED, YOU'RE GOING | departures / month. 2 1 2 2 4 3 2 3 3 2 ■›■›■›■›■›■›■›■›■›■›■›■ J F M A M J J A S O N D STAFF PICK 13 DAYS—KOLKATA TO DELHI FROM $ 1299 OPTIONAL MY OWN ROOM: $ 499 TOUR CODE: AHDR IS THIS TOUR FOR ME? See back foldout. TYPE: SMALL GROUP – MAX 15, AVG 12 SERVICE LEVEL: STANDARD PHYSICAL DEMAND: LIGHT Delhi Kolkata Kalimpong Gangtok Darjeeling Varanasi Lucknow Siliguri Toy Train I N D I A ASIA›› INDIA Jeff R VP Product I love this route in India. It's rarely visited and heading out to see a different side of this massive country is fantastic. Experiencing it like a local is even better. STAFF PICK 33