** specific dates can be arranged upon request

Arrive in Kathmandu.  We are free to explore the ancient buildings and cobbled alleyways of Kathmandu or visit numerous sights in the region.

We take a bus from Kathmandu to Dumre and then a jeep into the hills to the picturesque village of Bandipur.

A free day to immerse in the daily life of Bandipur, take hikes around the pastoral hills, or catch glimpses of the towering Annapurna range of the Himalayas.

Transfer to the Seti river where we make a whitewater descent through verdant mountains.  Camp by the side of the river. (L,D)

We raft a few hours to our take out from where we make our way to the Chitwan National Park, an area of tropical forests and marshland that is home to Bengal tigers, the one-horned Asian rhino, and a variety of tropical fauna and flora.  We will have an opportunity to take a late afternoon elephant ride. (B,L)

We can go on a canoe ride and hike, or take a longer jungle trek to immerse ourselves in this tropical environment amid the unique indigenous wildlife.

Watch the scenery change as we drive from Nepal to India.  We drive most of the day and arrive in Varanasi, India’s holiest and most ancient city.

This morning we have an optional boat ride along the Ganges where people make their pilgrimage to bathe in the ‘holy water’ at the colorful ghats.  The rest of the day is free for roaming Varanasi’s alleyways, temples and ghats

We board our first Indian train to Gaya where we transfer by autorickshaw to Bodhgaya, the pilgrimage site and location of the bodhi tree where Buddha was said to have originated after experiencing Nirvana.  We spend the night with monks in an ornate Bhutanese monastery

The day is free to visit the captivating Mahabodhi temple and bodhi tree, other temples constructed by each of the Buddhist countries and to stroll off into villages in the countryside to catch a glimpse of local life.  Tonight we board our train to Kolkata.

Free day to visit the many sights of this Indian/Bengali/former British Raj cultural crossroads.  In the evening we have an option to sample delicious Bengali cuisine and see a Bollywood movie.