Duration: 14 nights & 15 days

Best season: mid-September to June

Destinations: Delhi-Corbett National Park-Ranikhet-Vijaypur-Munsyari-Abbott Mount-Agra-Jaipur

ITINERARY

Day 01: Arrive Delhi
Meals: room only

Arrive Delhi in the evening. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Hotel Sunstar or similar.

Day 02: Delhi-Kuchesar
Meals: breakfast

Morning tour of Old Delhi visiting Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat and Red Fort. Afternoon guided tour of New Delhi. Visit India Gate, drive past President House, Qutab Minar & Humayun’s tomb. After early dinner, drive to Kuchesar Mud Fort (2-3 hours) in the evening. Overnight stay in the fort.

Day 03: Kuchesar-Corbett National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Corbett National Park (4 hours) in the morning. Afternoon safari into the park for tiger tracking and animal viewing. Overnight stay in Tiger Camp.

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas is the majestic Corbett National Park. Home to an extensive variety of flora and fauna, it houses the tiger, leopard and elephant. Surrounded by thick deciduous forest on one side and Kosi river on the other, Corbett National Park provides great habitat for a variety of bird, reptile & mammal species. Corbett Tiger Reserve is India’s first and one of her finest tiger reserves. Established in the year 1936 as Hailey National Park, it was renamed in the year 1957 in honor of the legendary hunter turned naturalist, author and photographer Major Jim Corbett who spent most of his years in this area and contributed in setting up the this park. Being one of the finest habitats of the tiger in India, Corbett as it is generally referred to was the first park to launch PROJECT TIGER a program on the Tiger Conservation by the Government of India in association with WWF in the year 1973.

Day 04: Corbett National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Morning or afternoon safari / elephant ride into the park for tiger tracking and animal viewing. Overnight stay in cottages at Tiger Camp.

Day 05: Corbett National Park-Ranikhet
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Ranikhet in the morning (3 hours). Your drive into the Himalayas starts now.

Ranikhet (1829m) weaves around itself an old world charm that has its roots in the British Raj. Thick pine cover, panoramic Himalayan view, neatly laid out township and tonnes of fresh oxygen are what induces travellers to visit Ranikhet. Corbett National Park, Nainital, Mukteshwar, Almora and Kausani are all within a two hour drive from this quaint hill station. Afternoon sightseeing in Ranikhet.

Overnight stay in Trishul Lodge.

Day 06: Ranikhet-Vijaypur
Meals: breakfast & dinner
Drive to Vijaypur in the morning (6 hours) visiting Jageshwar en route.

Vijaypur a tiny Himalayan village, located between Bageshwar and Chaukhori is known to only a few travellers. Situated at a height of 6750 feet this sleepy hamlet rests on a ridge overlooking the magnificent Himalayan range. On a clear day the place offers one of the most breathtaking views of the entire range from Chaukhamba, Neel Kanth, Hathi Parvat, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, to Panchchuli and Appi (Annapurna) peaks. Tea gardens carpet the slopes of Vijaypur while the surrounding ridge is completely covered by rows and rows of pine.

Jageshwar: Counted among the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, Jageshwar lies in a beautiful narrow valley hedged by monarch-sized, ancient deodars. Of the over 100 small and large shrines of this complex, the three outstanding ones in terms of sculpture are dedicated to Jageshwar, Mrityunjaya and Pushtidevi. There is a small museum where statues of artistic value, removed from the various shrines, have been preserved by the archaeological department. A 3 km trek from Jageshwar leads to Vriddha Jageshwar. This is regarded as the abode of Lord Shiva prior to his manifesting himself as Jageshwar. This site commands a magnificent view of the Himalayas. The lofty-tower type isolated shrine of Dandeshwar is 1Km short of the actual temple complex.

Overnight stay in Wayfarer Retreat, this is a small complex of aesthetically constructed hill cottages. Intended as an ideal stop over for the weary traveller the Retreat offers nature at its unadulterated best. Starting from watching the sunrise on Nanda Kot, to trekking through the forest to the musk deer farm, to driving to Patal Bhubaneshwar for a rare surreal experience – everything around the Retreat can remain etched in one’s memory forever.

Day 07: Vijaypur-Munsyari
Meals: breakfast & dinner
Drive to Munsyari in the morning (8 hours) visiting Patal Bubhaneshwar en route.

Munsyari is hidden away amongst the mountains in India’s border district of Pithoragarh at a height of 7000 feet this Himalayan settlement is probably the closest you can get to experiencing the Greater Himalayas from hand shaking distance. At Munsyari you have the majestic Panch Chulli peak towering all of 22600 feet right in front of you.

This last outpost in Kumaon is the gateway to the famous Milam and Ralam glaciers. It is also your only access to one of India’s highest mountain – Nanda Devi East (7434 mts).

The Munsiyari valley is dotted by several beautifully laidout hamlets with a cultural lifestyle steeped in traditional Hinduism. Almost every village, populated by a cross section of Indo-Tibetan tribals called Bhotias, is rich with handicrafts: hand woven woollen carpets, pashmina shawls and sheep wool blankets. Traditional folk dances like the Jhora, Cholia and Chhapeili are great to watch.

Overnight stay in Wayfarer Mountain Resort which is set along a terraced ridge which is around sixty feet above the motorable road. Flowing next to the resort is a waterfall. Right in front is the Panch Chulli range. The valley below is green bursting with rhododendrons. The setting is near perfect for spending a few days amidst nature.

Day visits to Darkot village, Jimi Ghat waterfall, Goriganga river, Maheshwari Kund are worth trying. For people in search of high adventure Munsyari is the base camp for some of the best high altitude treks.

From April to June the day temperature is an average of 20oC while temperature at night is around 10oC. The early morning and late evening views of the Panch Chulli peaks are usually good. July and August are the peak monsoon months when getting to Munsyari becomes difficult. By mid-September the weather settles down, the views are excellent. By mid December the entire area is covered with a blanket of snow. This is a splendid time to get to Munsyari.

Day 08 & 09: Munsyari
Meals: breakfast & dinner
Another 2 days in Munsyari. Activities that one can undertake:

I) Nature Walks and Short Treks

Half day treks to nearby destinations
• Maheshwari Kund: A natural lake at a mountain top and 1.5 km. from the Wayfarer Resort.
• Munsyari Bugyal: Just 4 km. from Wayfarer Resort Munsyari Bugyal is a picturesque meadow covered with alpine grass. From this place one gets to see the entire Munsyari valley and much beyond.
• Local Tea Nursery: Located on the top of the hill and 3.5 km. from the Wayfarer Resort this is a nice place to relax and indulge in photography. Also ideal to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Daylong treks to select destinations
• Balati Farm: Located approximately 6 kms. from Wayfarer Resort at a height of 9000 ft. this farm grows high yielding potatoes. Surrounded by lush green forests the farm presents a magnificent view of Panch Chulli Peaks. An ideal one-day trek for all nature lovers.
• Thambri Kund: Located approximately 8 kms. from Wayfarer Resort at a height of 8000 ft. this is a natural lake in the forest Occasional wildlife can be sighted.

Exciting daylong trek with overnight stay
• Khaliya Top: Situated approximately 11 kms. from Wayfarer Resort at a height of 11500 ft. this hill top offers an incredible view of the Panch Chulli Peaks. The highly popular trek of Khaliya is through dense forest and overnight stay in alpine tents is a must. Supplementary package can be provided to include tent, additional food, local guide and porter hire charges.
• Lilam Village: Situated approximately 13 km. from Wayfarer Resort. This trek is part of the Milam Glacier route along the bank of the Gori Ganga through the villages of Darkot, Dumar and Jimighat. The trek offers an initial experience of the flora and fauna of the Johar valley. Supplementary package can be provided to include tent hire, additional food, local guide and porter charges.

II) Village Visits
The Munsyari valley is dotted by several tiny hamlets with a cultural life style steeped in Hinduism. Guided treks through nearby villages like Darkot (4 kms), Daranti (7 kms.) and many other let you capture a canvas of several forms of human life. Alpana designs executed in rice paste on the floor, the Jyoti Patta (a picture of life giving female spirits) and Ganesh (the remover of all obstacles) painted on house walls or on cloth are a familiar sight. Almost every village is rich in handicrafts: hand woven woolen carpets, pashmina shawls and thulmas can turn out to be lovable purchases!

Day 10: Munsyari-Abbott Mount
Meals: breakfast & dinner
Drive to Abbott Mount (7 hr.) via Pithoragarh. Overnight stay in Abbott Mount Cottage.

This historic hamlet of Abbott Mount is situated at an altitude of about 7,000 ft above sea level in the eastern part of the Kumaon Hills near the small town of Lohaghat in Champavat District. Abbott Mount was founded by and named after Mr. John Harold Abbott of Jhansi. An English businessman who wanted to start a hill station for the European community at the turn of the 20th century. Unlike many Indian hill stations Abbott Mount has changed little since its inception. There are only thirteen secluded cottages spread over this private hill. There is a picturesque church set amidst the forest and a ancient cricket pitch with an unsurpassed view of the mountains.

Day 11: Abbott Mount-Agra
Meals: breakfast & packed lunch
Today we will drive back to the plains of North India, stopping on the way at Sat Tal to visit the ‘Lakes of the Himalayas’. We will connect overnight air-conditioned sleeper class train at 1900 hours for our journey to Agra. Overnight in train.

Day 12: Agra
Meals: on own
Arrive Mathura at 0430 hours. We will transfer to Agra (1 hour). Full day guided tour of Agra. Sightseeing of Taj Mahal (closed on Friday), Red Fort and Sikandra. Overnight in Hotel Pushp Villa.

Day 13: Agra-Jaipur
Meals: breakfast
Departure to Jaipur (5 hr.). En route, visit Fatehpur Sikri. Arrive Sanganer in the evening. Dinner at Chokhi Dhani, a theme restaurant, with traditional music and dance, puppetry, acrobatics, etc, camel rides and a re-created bazaar to watch artisans at work and buy local crafts. Stay in Arya Niwas, a restored colonial mansion.

Day 14: Jaipur
Meals: on own
Morning visit to Amber Fort with an elephant ride to the fort. After lunch, guided tour of Jaipur City covering Amber Palace, City Palace, Hawa Mahal Wind pavilion & Jantar Mantar (Observatory). Overnight at Arya Niwas or similar.

Day 15: Jaipur-Delhi
Meals: on own
After breakfast, drive back to Delhi (4½ hours). Day room for wash and change. Time free for shopping etc. Farewell dinner. You will be dropped to the airport to connect flight back to the return destination.
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