Wednesday 14 January
We’ll check in mid-morning (we can offer a choice of regional airports) for our flights to…
Thursday 15 January
….to arrive Kolkata by morning! After clearing immigration you will meet your Tour Manager and board the coach for the transfer through the city suburbs to our hotel in the centre of Kolkata for two nights. (B).
After we have checked-in and rested for an hour, we will enjoy a relaxing introductory guided city tour to visit the grand Victoria Memorial, English's answer to the majestic Taj Mahal built in white marble. Visiting Mother Teressa's House, Missionaries of Charity. Walk through the busy & bustling streets of Kolkata. Try one of the local bars and a ride back to the hotel in an Ambassador car!
Friday 16 January
In the morning we’ll take a chartered ride on one of Kolkata’s remaining Trams – it’s an excellent way of seeing the city in relative peace whilst still being close to the action. In the afternoon, we’ll take a gentle stroll through the teeming streets to see some of the city’s historic buildings, a couple of steam locomotives, the famous Howrah Bridge and Howrah station. Just down the road is Kolkata’s wonderful Railway Museum, well worth a visit (B)
A mesmerising sunset boat ride on the Hooghly river with the iconic Howrah Bridge in the backdrop.
Saturday 17 January
An early morning transfer to Howrah station to board India’s latest high speed ‘Vande Bharat Express’ train departing at 0555 due in New Jalpaiguri at 1325 hrs. You will be served breakfast with tea & coffee on board.
Arrive New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station and received by Darjeeling Tours executive for transfer to the Cindrella Hotel, where we stay for two nights and from where the Indian arm of the Darjeeling Railway Society is run. The hotel’s restaurant is pure vegetarian, but the food is delicious! After a quick check-in, we’ll take the buses down to Siliguri Junction shed to meet the DHR’s fleet of ‘B’ class steam locomotives. This will be followed by one of our exclusive ‘dining train’, with a full three course dinner served on the train as it climbs through the forest to Rangtong. This is a unique Darjeeling Tours UK only dining charter arrangement on the DHR (B,D).
Sunday 18 January
We’ll take a charter steam special from Siliguri Junction onto Tindharia where we will pay a visit to the railway’s workshops there, where the whole of the railway’s fleet of rolling stock is maintained. As road and rail run together, a coach will accompany the train for those who wish to take photographs, and there are regular opportunities to change between coach and train. (B,D). We’ll then return by road to our hotel in Siliguri for the night. (B,D).
Monday 19 January
We will have a second steam charter running between Tindharia and Darjeeling. Again, a coach will run alongside for the photographers. There will be a short break at Kurseong, where we can enjoy the station cafeteria. We then, continue our chartered steam hauled ride to Darjeeling. Don’t miss the famous photo shots of the train making it's way out of the narrow Kurseong Bazaar. Our hotel for the next three nights is the iconic Windamere, Darjeeling’s premier hotel for the last 200 years! (B,D)
Tuesday 20 January
We’ll have a relaxed guided tour of Darjeeling to visit the popular Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), which houses the memorabilia’s of the local legendary Sherpa Tenzing Norgay who along with his Kiwi partner Sir Edmund Hillary Mt Everest in 1953. Further visit the adjoining Zoo to witness some the rarest Leopards such as clouded and snow leopards amongst The Royal Bengal Tiger, Red Panda & Sloth Bear! Also visit the Tibetan Self-Help Centre.
Gently stroll back on The Darjeeling Mall Road through to Observatory Hill for your hotel. There is also the Planters Club, Das Studio’s albums of historic photos, fancy cakes at Glenary’s, and buy some tea from Keventers to take home.
In the evening, the ‘Railway Club’, with its library of DHR items will be open, with service from the bar. (B,D)
Wednesday 21 January
We’ll have an optional ‘joy train’ ride from Darjeeling up to Ghum to visit the Railway’s excellent museum, and share a cup of ‘chai’ with the train crew. If we’re lucky with the weather, there will be stunning views of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, and we’ll have the opportunity to photograph the train with the mountain in the background on the Batasia Loop. Fabulous!
Or, just sit by and gaze the mighty & mysterious Himalayas and sip your cup of Darjeeling Tea!
We will also aim at visiting a local tea estate where you will be shown the process that takes place to produce the tea that we drink. Subject to weather!
Thursday 22 January
If you can stand being up for six-thirty and the weather is kind, the view of Kanchenjunga and the Himalayas from Observation Point (200 yards from the Hotel’s back door) is nothing short of stunning, and not to be missed.
After breakfast, the coaches will take us back down the hill to Bagdogra for our lunchtime flight over to Delhi, India’s capital, our base for the next three nights. (B)
Friday 23 January
We’ll arrange a guided sightseeing tour of India’s capital city in the morning, seeing India’s impressive Parliament Building, India Gate, and the impressive Humayun’s Tomb, a Mughal era building dating back to mid 17th century. In the afternoon, we’ll arrange a visit to the National Railway Museum, a very impressive collection of locomotives, stock and models. (B)
Saturday 24 January
We’ll take the train for the ninety-minute journey to Rewari, the new outpost of the National Railway Museum where they keep their operational steam locomotives. There is the possibility that the train may be steam hauled for the outward journey with a steam locomotive – WP or the Fairy Queen. Sorry, no guarantees!
On the return journey, our coach will call at the Heritage Transport Museum at Gurgaon, which has excellent displays of all forms of transport and transport related art. (B,L)
Sunday 25 January
We will take the early morning train from New Delhi for an early afternoon arrival at Kalka, the gateway to the famous 2’6” gauge line up to Shimla. On this line, we can make the journey in one of the Railway’s iconic Railbuses, but accommodation is limited, and this is open to the first 12 applicants only. Otherwise, the journey will be on the Kalka Shimla Express in its first-class coach. We should arrive in Shimla by 6p.m for a three night stay. (B,D)
Your luggage will be transported from Delhi by road to Shimla for your comfort.
Monday 26 January
Explore this beautiful Hill Station, the summer capital of India in the days of the Raj with a guided tour, commencing with a visit to the boastful & majestic Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) building which was the former Viceroy’s residence during the British Raj. We then stroll up The Mall Road up to The Ridge, Scandal Point and The Christ Church.
Return to hotel late afternoon with rest of the day to relax. (B,D)
Tuesday 27 January
The day is free to explore the beauty of the Shimla town at own pace.
A visit to the small shops and bazaar in the Lower Mall Road. You may also like to pay a visit to The Gaiety Theatre with a visit inside it and sharing experiences from their in-house curator and the mini picture museum. If you like to explore more of Shimla by foot then, just further north of The Ridge is a castle building restored only in 2017 and is open for public, it’s known as the Bantony House. Built over 145 years ago, it portrays the history, art and culture of the state. (B,D)
Wednesday 28 January
We will travel back to Delhi today, starting at a relatively civilised 1030 hrs from Shimla, taking the narrow gauge train all the way back down to Kalka. This connects with the evening Shatabdi Express train to Delhi – dinner is served on the train, and we arrive in Delhi relatively late at 2200 hrs. Transferred to the hotel for two nights stay. (B,D)
Thursday 29 January
Today, we’ll transfer to Delhi’s south-east suburban mainline Nizamuddin railway station to board the Gatimaan Express at 0810 down to Agra for the day. We will visit the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, both of which are justifiably world-famous, and should not be missed on any Indian tour. Both being a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Taj being one of the Seven Wonders of The World.
In the evening, the return train leaves Agra at 1740 hrs, and there will be good snacks served on the way back to Delhi, where we are due to arrive at 1930. We will have a short transfer back to our hotel which is less than 20 minutes away.
(B, L, light D).
Friday 30 January
After breakfast in the hotel, we’ll need to move to Delhi’s international airport for the morning departures back to the UK. (B)
Optional extension to the Nilgiri Mountain Rack-Railways (NMR) - 30 January - 3 February 2026
Friday 30 January
After breakfast, we’ll be at the airport for the 1145 direct flight to Coimbatore, due to arrive at 1445 hrs. A coach will meet us and take us for the hour’s drive to Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiri Line, where we stay one night. There is a modest hotel here, handy for the station, we’ll have a walk down before dinner to see the downhill train arrive, due at 1835. (B,D)
Saturday 31 January
The steam-hauled train (regular service) with the 0-8-2 rack tank pushing loud and hard climbs the 18 miles through lush green scenery to Coonoor, from where a diesel takes over for the last 11 miles to Ooty (for short – it was once Ootacamund, now Udagamandalam!). This is where the game of snooker was invented. A coach will take us round to our hotel for two nights. The afternoon is free to walk round this very British hill resort. (B,D)
Sunday 1 February
Today is a free day in Ooty if you wish to just enjoy the Hotel’s beautiful gardens, or to explore the town walking through it’s main Bazaar and the Botanical Gardens. (B,D)
Monday 2 February
Free time till mid-morning, then the coach will take us back down the hill to Coimbatore (3 hrs drive), where we’ll catch the afternoon flight to Delhi or Mumbai, where we transfer to the international terminal for flight back to UK….(B)
Tuesday 3 February
… due to arrive back in the UK in the morning hours....
What’s included?
(*) Dinner is not included in Kolkata, Delhi or Mumbai, where there is plenty of choice, both in and out of the hotel. Food is not expensive, and this allows considerable individual flexibility. On a daily basis, meals provided are shown with the following key: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
The tour
This tour involves a walking tour of Kolkata & Shimla, the only practical way of seeing the city’s highlights, and covers about 3km (2 miles) at a reasonably gentle pace, taking around three hours.
Prices
Per person basis on twin/double sharing basis.
Ground only price: £ 3,995
Single supplement: £ 998
Extension to Ooty: £1140 based on two people sharing
Single supplement: £250
We’ll check in mid-morning (we can offer a choice of regional airports) for our flights to…
Thursday 15 January
….to arrive Kolkata by morning! After clearing immigration you will meet your Tour Manager and board the coach for the transfer through the city suburbs to our hotel in the centre of Kolkata for two nights. (B).
After we have checked-in and rested for an hour, we will enjoy a relaxing introductory guided city tour to visit the grand Victoria Memorial, English's answer to the majestic Taj Mahal built in white marble. Visiting Mother Teressa's House, Missionaries of Charity. Walk through the busy & bustling streets of Kolkata. Try one of the local bars and a ride back to the hotel in an Ambassador car!
Friday 16 January
In the morning we’ll take a chartered ride on one of Kolkata’s remaining Trams – it’s an excellent way of seeing the city in relative peace whilst still being close to the action. In the afternoon, we’ll take a gentle stroll through the teeming streets to see some of the city’s historic buildings, a couple of steam locomotives, the famous Howrah Bridge and Howrah station. Just down the road is Kolkata’s wonderful Railway Museum, well worth a visit (B)
A mesmerising sunset boat ride on the Hooghly river with the iconic Howrah Bridge in the backdrop.
Saturday 17 January
An early morning transfer to Howrah station to board India’s latest high speed ‘Vande Bharat Express’ train departing at 0555 due in New Jalpaiguri at 1325 hrs. You will be served breakfast with tea & coffee on board.
Arrive New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station and received by Darjeeling Tours executive for transfer to the Cindrella Hotel, where we stay for two nights and from where the Indian arm of the Darjeeling Railway Society is run. The hotel’s restaurant is pure vegetarian, but the food is delicious! After a quick check-in, we’ll take the buses down to Siliguri Junction shed to meet the DHR’s fleet of ‘B’ class steam locomotives. This will be followed by one of our exclusive ‘dining train’, with a full three course dinner served on the train as it climbs through the forest to Rangtong. This is a unique Darjeeling Tours UK only dining charter arrangement on the DHR (B,D).
Sunday 18 January
We’ll take a charter steam special from Siliguri Junction onto Tindharia where we will pay a visit to the railway’s workshops there, where the whole of the railway’s fleet of rolling stock is maintained. As road and rail run together, a coach will accompany the train for those who wish to take photographs, and there are regular opportunities to change between coach and train. (B,D). We’ll then return by road to our hotel in Siliguri for the night. (B,D).
Monday 19 January
We will have a second steam charter running between Tindharia and Darjeeling. Again, a coach will run alongside for the photographers. There will be a short break at Kurseong, where we can enjoy the station cafeteria. We then, continue our chartered steam hauled ride to Darjeeling. Don’t miss the famous photo shots of the train making it's way out of the narrow Kurseong Bazaar. Our hotel for the next three nights is the iconic Windamere, Darjeeling’s premier hotel for the last 200 years! (B,D)
Tuesday 20 January
We’ll have a relaxed guided tour of Darjeeling to visit the popular Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), which houses the memorabilia’s of the local legendary Sherpa Tenzing Norgay who along with his Kiwi partner Sir Edmund Hillary Mt Everest in 1953. Further visit the adjoining Zoo to witness some the rarest Leopards such as clouded and snow leopards amongst The Royal Bengal Tiger, Red Panda & Sloth Bear! Also visit the Tibetan Self-Help Centre.
Gently stroll back on The Darjeeling Mall Road through to Observatory Hill for your hotel. There is also the Planters Club, Das Studio’s albums of historic photos, fancy cakes at Glenary’s, and buy some tea from Keventers to take home.
In the evening, the ‘Railway Club’, with its library of DHR items will be open, with service from the bar. (B,D)
Wednesday 21 January
We’ll have an optional ‘joy train’ ride from Darjeeling up to Ghum to visit the Railway’s excellent museum, and share a cup of ‘chai’ with the train crew. If we’re lucky with the weather, there will be stunning views of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, and we’ll have the opportunity to photograph the train with the mountain in the background on the Batasia Loop. Fabulous!
Or, just sit by and gaze the mighty & mysterious Himalayas and sip your cup of Darjeeling Tea!
We will also aim at visiting a local tea estate where you will be shown the process that takes place to produce the tea that we drink. Subject to weather!
Thursday 22 January
If you can stand being up for six-thirty and the weather is kind, the view of Kanchenjunga and the Himalayas from Observation Point (200 yards from the Hotel’s back door) is nothing short of stunning, and not to be missed.
After breakfast, the coaches will take us back down the hill to Bagdogra for our lunchtime flight over to Delhi, India’s capital, our base for the next three nights. (B)
Friday 23 January
We’ll arrange a guided sightseeing tour of India’s capital city in the morning, seeing India’s impressive Parliament Building, India Gate, and the impressive Humayun’s Tomb, a Mughal era building dating back to mid 17th century. In the afternoon, we’ll arrange a visit to the National Railway Museum, a very impressive collection of locomotives, stock and models. (B)
Saturday 24 January
We’ll take the train for the ninety-minute journey to Rewari, the new outpost of the National Railway Museum where they keep their operational steam locomotives. There is the possibility that the train may be steam hauled for the outward journey with a steam locomotive – WP or the Fairy Queen. Sorry, no guarantees!
On the return journey, our coach will call at the Heritage Transport Museum at Gurgaon, which has excellent displays of all forms of transport and transport related art. (B,L)
Sunday 25 January
We will take the early morning train from New Delhi for an early afternoon arrival at Kalka, the gateway to the famous 2’6” gauge line up to Shimla. On this line, we can make the journey in one of the Railway’s iconic Railbuses, but accommodation is limited, and this is open to the first 12 applicants only. Otherwise, the journey will be on the Kalka Shimla Express in its first-class coach. We should arrive in Shimla by 6p.m for a three night stay. (B,D)
Your luggage will be transported from Delhi by road to Shimla for your comfort.
Monday 26 January
Explore this beautiful Hill Station, the summer capital of India in the days of the Raj with a guided tour, commencing with a visit to the boastful & majestic Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) building which was the former Viceroy’s residence during the British Raj. We then stroll up The Mall Road up to The Ridge, Scandal Point and The Christ Church.
Return to hotel late afternoon with rest of the day to relax. (B,D)
Tuesday 27 January
The day is free to explore the beauty of the Shimla town at own pace.
A visit to the small shops and bazaar in the Lower Mall Road. You may also like to pay a visit to The Gaiety Theatre with a visit inside it and sharing experiences from their in-house curator and the mini picture museum. If you like to explore more of Shimla by foot then, just further north of The Ridge is a castle building restored only in 2017 and is open for public, it’s known as the Bantony House. Built over 145 years ago, it portrays the history, art and culture of the state. (B,D)
Wednesday 28 January
We will travel back to Delhi today, starting at a relatively civilised 1030 hrs from Shimla, taking the narrow gauge train all the way back down to Kalka. This connects with the evening Shatabdi Express train to Delhi – dinner is served on the train, and we arrive in Delhi relatively late at 2200 hrs. Transferred to the hotel for two nights stay. (B,D)
Thursday 29 January
Today, we’ll transfer to Delhi’s south-east suburban mainline Nizamuddin railway station to board the Gatimaan Express at 0810 down to Agra for the day. We will visit the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, both of which are justifiably world-famous, and should not be missed on any Indian tour. Both being a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Taj being one of the Seven Wonders of The World.
In the evening, the return train leaves Agra at 1740 hrs, and there will be good snacks served on the way back to Delhi, where we are due to arrive at 1930. We will have a short transfer back to our hotel which is less than 20 minutes away.
(B, L, light D).
Friday 30 January
After breakfast in the hotel, we’ll need to move to Delhi’s international airport for the morning departures back to the UK. (B)
Optional extension to the Nilgiri Mountain Rack-Railways (NMR) - 30 January - 3 February 2026
Friday 30 January
After breakfast, we’ll be at the airport for the 1145 direct flight to Coimbatore, due to arrive at 1445 hrs. A coach will meet us and take us for the hour’s drive to Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiri Line, where we stay one night. There is a modest hotel here, handy for the station, we’ll have a walk down before dinner to see the downhill train arrive, due at 1835. (B,D)
Saturday 31 January
The steam-hauled train (regular service) with the 0-8-2 rack tank pushing loud and hard climbs the 18 miles through lush green scenery to Coonoor, from where a diesel takes over for the last 11 miles to Ooty (for short – it was once Ootacamund, now Udagamandalam!). This is where the game of snooker was invented. A coach will take us round to our hotel for two nights. The afternoon is free to walk round this very British hill resort. (B,D)
Sunday 1 February
Today is a free day in Ooty if you wish to just enjoy the Hotel’s beautiful gardens, or to explore the town walking through it’s main Bazaar and the Botanical Gardens. (B,D)
Monday 2 February
Free time till mid-morning, then the coach will take us back down the hill to Coimbatore (3 hrs drive), where we’ll catch the afternoon flight to Delhi or Mumbai, where we transfer to the international terminal for flight back to UK….(B)
Tuesday 3 February
… due to arrive back in the UK in the morning hours....
What’s included?
- Accommodation in 4-5 star hotels (or best available locally for example in Mettupalayam),
- Buffet breakfast and dinner (*) daily, except Kolkata & Delhi.
- All transport by deluxe airconditioned vehicles with experienced drivers.
- Charter trains and excursions as set out in the itinerary.
- Services of a Darjeeling Tours Limited Tour Manager.
- All tips throughout the tour (except for the Tour Manager) are included and will be dealt with on your behalf.
- A lot more fun & untold authentic insight into India!
- Personal and incidental expenses are not included.
(*) Dinner is not included in Kolkata, Delhi or Mumbai, where there is plenty of choice, both in and out of the hotel. Food is not expensive, and this allows considerable individual flexibility. On a daily basis, meals provided are shown with the following key: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
The tour
This tour involves a walking tour of Kolkata & Shimla, the only practical way of seeing the city’s highlights, and covers about 3km (2 miles) at a reasonably gentle pace, taking around three hours.
Prices
Per person basis on twin/double sharing basis.
Ground only price: £ 3,995
Single supplement: £ 998
Extension to Ooty: £1140 based on two people sharing
Single supplement: £250
