Meet & greet, transfer to hotel: Welcome to India! You will be met on arrival in Delhi by a local representative and introduced to your private driver. Together they will take you to your city hotel to check in. You then have some time to recuperate after your long flight.

Afternoon tour of Lodhi Gardens & Gandhi Smriti: After some time to freshen up at the hotel, you will be taken out for a gentle introduction to Delhi. Your first visit will be to Lodhi Gardens, found close to most of New Delhi's international hotels. This 80-acre park is peaceful, well-maintained, and a firm favourite of Delhi-ites. The parkland is dotted with garden areas and a string of impressive tombs, as well as an attractive central lake. Later, you will be taken to nearby Gandhi Smriti, a moving memorial to the father of Indian democracy. Situated on the very spot of his assassination, the memorial houses various tributes to Gandhi, as well as limited number of his personal effects. You will then be returned to your hotel to spend the evening at leisure.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Metropolitan Hotel & Spa (Deluxe Room)

Train journey to Haridwar: Early this morning, you will be collected from the hotel by your driver and transferred to New Delhi station. Here you will board the 06.45am Dehradun Shatabdi Express train, which arrives into Haridwar around 11.22am. You will be booked into an AC seated carriage for this journey. A simple breakfast will be supplied on board.

Guided tour of Haridwar: After some time to freshen up, your guide will take you back out to explore the city. Haridwar is a pilgrimage town, and your first visit must be to Har-Ki-Pairi, the sacred bathing ghat. Here one can witness pilgrims worshipping and bathing in the cool blue waters of Mother Ganges. Continue to Gurukul Kangri University, a unique centre of learning. As with neighbouring Rishikesh, Haridwar is an important place for those following courses in yoga and meditation, and this university houses many ashrams which provide lectures and courses.

As one would expect of a pilgrimage town, Haridwar has many temples to visit. The most prominent of which include the Chandi Devi temple - atop the Neel Parvat, constructed in 1929, but with a history which dates back to 8th century AD – the Maya Devi temple - said to mark the spot where the heart and navel of goddess Sati fell – and the Mansa Devi temple - situated at the top of Bilwa Parvat, accessible by cable car or a moderate hike. Due to its elevated location, the latter makes a fine spot from which to enjoy the sunset over the city.

At the end of the sightseeing, your guide will return you to the ghats in time for the evening Aarti, a devotional ceremony during which light is offered to the gods. As dusk falls the ghats become an enchanting sight, as thousands of diyas and marigold flowers float and illuminate the Holy waters. The evening ‘aarti’ ceremony is a spectacular event and a ‘must’ for any traveller visiting the town.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Haveli Hari Ganga (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Guided tour of Rishikesh: Today, you will be taken for a day trip to nearby Rishikesh, located around 20km north of Haridwar. Although short, the journey up see quite a change in landscape as the lowlands give way to picturesque forests and lower mountain scenery. Rishikesh is known as the ‘place of sages’, and is a celebrated spiritual town located along the banks of the Ganges. For centuries it has been the starting point for Hindu pilgrims heading deeper into the mountains to seek spiritual salvation, but over the last half century it has evolved into a major centre for yoga and spiritual tourism, and has become something of a backpacker hotspot.

On arrival in Rishikesh you will be taken straight to visit Triveni Ghat, the nerve centre of this holy town. As with Haridwar, the water here is considered sacred and you will see many devotees bathing and washing in the holy Ganges. You will then walk past some of the better known ashrams in town, including the world-famous Swarg Ashram and Shivanand Ashram, both of which provide lectures and courses to suit all levels of yogi.

You will also be taken to visit the place which really put Rishikesh on the map: the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram. This spiritual retreat, just south of the main town, came under a global spotlight in 1968 when it played host to the Beatles (as well as the Mia Farrow, Donovan, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, among others).  Although they only stayed for a short while – Ringo left after ten days! – the association between the Beatles and Rishikesh has become permanent, and this site is somewhat of a Beatles shrine. Abandoned in 1997, the Ashram is now semi-lost to the forest but is littered with Beatles-themed graffiti, and while poking around the site one can still locate the meditation rooms and shared spaces, and even the guesthouse where (allegedly) much of the White Album was devised.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Haveli Hari Ganga (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey to Jim Corbett National Park: Depart after breakfast and continue by road to Jim Corbett National Park, a journey of around 4 hours. On arrival, check into your jungle lodge.

Evening wildlife walk: In the early evening, you will leave the lodge and be taken on walk in the buffer zone of the park. The nature of the walk will depend on your interests: specifically looking for birdlife, larger mammals, or plants and trees should this be your preference. The walk will last around two hours after which you will return to the lodge for dinner.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Jim's Jungle Retreat (Jungle Cottage)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Jeep safaris in Jim Corbett National Park: Early this morning and again in the afternoon, you will join shared jeep safaris in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the elusive tiger and other wildlife that inhabits the park. Riding in open jeeps with a local naturalist each safari lasts 3 hours and in between you will be returned to your accommodation to relax and enjoy the facilities.

Besides tiger, other cats which can be occasionally seen in Corbett are leopard, jungle cat and leopard cat. Large herds of Asiatic elephants aggregate in the Ramganga valley during the summer months, and are a highlight should be visiting at this time. A variety of deer are found here; muntjac (barking deer), spotted deer and hog deer. Some of other mammal species found are blue bull, sloth bear, jackal, wild boar, goral, yellow-throated marten, small Indian civet, Himalayan palm civet, Grey mongoose, porcupine, otters and hare. The fish eating crocodile or gharial, a highly endangered species, is found along with the mugger crocodile in the Ramganga River and the reservoir. Mahaseer, goonch and trout fish with several species of turtle abound in the river. King cobra, python and monitor lizard are also found in the park.

The park has spectacular avifaunal diversity and is a particular highlight for bird-watchers, should this be your interest. Over 500 species of resident and migratory birds have been recorded in and around the park. Forty nine species of diurnal raptors are found here forming a characteristic element of the avifauna. Great pied hornbill, Pallas’s fishing eagle, lesser grey-headed fishing eagle, collared falconet are some of the endangered birds found in Corbett. The bird life is varied in different parts of the park and is at its peak during winters.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Jim's Jungle Retreat (Jungle Cottage)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Jeep safari in Jim Corbett National Park: Early this morning, you will board a shared jeep once more for a final shared safari into Jim Corbett National Park. This will be your final opportunity to glimpse its more elusive wildlife, perhaps even a tiger! After the safari return to camp for breakfast and then check out.

Road journey to Bhimtal: Later, you will depart by road, heading east for Bhimtal in the district of Nainital, where you will be taken to your new lodge to check in.

Afternoon at Fredy’s Bungalow: After checking in, the remainder of the day may be spent at leisure, or you could undertake one of the various activities available in and around the property. We recommend a survey of the in-house butterfly collection, or heading out to enjoy boating or bird-watching around the Sattal and Bhimtal lakes. The immediate surroundings of the bungalow are serene and very inviting for walks of any length, or you could equally find a quiet spot to relax with a book and a drink.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Fredy's Bungalow (Butterfly Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Road journey to Almora: After breakfast, you will check out and continue your journey to Almora, an historic hill town, and gateway to the Kumaon Himalayas. This road journey will take around 2-3 hours. On arrival, you will be taken on a short walking tour of the town, taking in its busy main bazaar as well as a viewpoint with terrific views across the valley. You will then be taken for lunch in town, before continuing into the hills.

Road journey & hike to Thikalna village house: Leave Almora after lunch, continuing to drive deeper into the Kumaon Hills. A short distance outside of town you will stop to pay a quick visit to the charming Chitai Temple, dedicated to Golu Devta, thought to be the God of Justice. As one approaches the temple, the first thing that strikes you is hundreds of bells hanging at the entrance. People come to the temple to make a wish to Golu Devta; those who are not able to personally visit the temple write letters to Him seeking justice. Once a wish is fulfilled people come and hang a brass bell on any of the temple walls, and hence the sea of bells.

Press on by road, with a further drive of around an hour bringing you to the Thikalna roadhead (located at 2,100m). You will then leave the car and continue on foot, walking downhill through a forest path which is covered with oak and rhododendrons trees on both sides and gives ways regularly to stunning snow-capped Himalayan views. A walk of around 1 hour will bring you down your village accommodation in Thikalna, arriving late afternoon. Once arrived, the rest of the day is spent in leisure at your simple but charming village house.

Please note there is no electricity at the house. Lanterns are provided after dark. A small amount of water is available on each day.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Thikalna Village House (Basic Guest Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Village walk from Thikalna: After breakfast, you will be taken out walking around the Thikalna area. Begin by walking downhill through a small trail of Rhododendron trees along to the village of Dhaulchina. From Dhaulchina the trail will give to pine forest, continuing downhill to Kachula and then onto Barechina. The sights along this trail include villages and hamlets buzzing with gentle rural life: children heading to and from school, farmers tending their fields, elderly men enjoying hookah or tea. You will see plenty of cattle grazing along the way, and potentially an array of birdlife too. Along the way you will stop to take a picnic lunch in a quiet setting. After lunch and some time to relax, you will start walking back towards your village house, arriving back in the afternoon and having the rest of the day at leisure.

Today’s walking will be for around 4-5 hours, potentially padded out to 5-6 hours depending on pace, stops made, time spent along the route. The walking is along clear paths and generally very mild inclines or declines.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Ganghet Village House (Basic Guest Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Walk to Chhalnichina, via Jhankarsem: After breakfast, you will leave Ganghet and continue walking downhill to the temple of Jhankarsem. The temple is one of the most famous and popular in the region, as it is dedicated to Siam, whom many Kumaoni families consider to be their reigning deity. From the temple you will then walk downhill into the valley of Dudum. This walk will be for around two hours, taking you through multiple villages in the area and providing excellent opportunities to interact with the locals. The scenery along the walk consists of terraced fields, old Kumaoni houses and small village temples. At the bottom of the valley you will stop for a picnic lunch. After this you will walk back uphill into the other side of the valley, a further two hours bringing you to the Itmenaan Estate in Chhalnichina village. Once arrived you have the rest of the day at leisure.

Today’s walking is around 4-5 hours, half of which downhill and the second half uphill along easy-going paths.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Itmenaan Estate (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Local excursions at Itmenaan Estate: Today you will have a full day to explore in and around the estate, relaxing at the lodge, or taking a gentle walking tour through the surrounding villages. The walks in Kumaon will be accompanied by a guide, who will share the local knowledge with you and will assist in mingling with the communities - you may share a cup of chai with the local elders, pay respect at a temple, or just soak in the stunning scenery while traversing the hills and valleys. As interests and capabilities vary, the walks are customised according to your needs.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Itmenaan Estate (Superior Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Walk & road transfer to Kathgodam: After a leisurely breakfast, you will leave the lodge and walk 20 minutes back to the road head. Here you will find your private car, and then set off by road to Kathgodam. This journey will take around 4 hours, arriving at Kathgodam station in time for your express train back to Delhi.

Train from Kathgodam to Delhi:  At Kathgodam, you will board the Shatatbi Express train to Delhi, departing at 15.45pm and arriving into New Delhi at around 21.15pm. You will be seated in 1st class AC carriage for this journey. On arrival, you will be met by a private driver you will transfer you to your hotel close to the airport.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Pullman New Delhi Aerocity (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast