Bryn Mawr College

You'll depart on your flight to Delhi, India

We reach the Indian capital mid-afternoon and transfer to our hotel, where the remainder of the day is at leisure. Dinner tonight is on our own.

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Gurgaon

Either early this morning or mid-morning we return to the Delhi airport for the 1½-hour flight to Paro, Bhutan. En route, we see breathtaking views of the Himalayas rising from the lush green valleys of Bhutan. Upon arrival in Paro at Bhutan's only international airport, we board a coach for the approximately 1½ hour drive to Thimphu, the Himalayan country's capital and largest city – which was just a series of small hamlets until it became the capital in 1961. Known as the world's only capital city without traffic lights, Thimphu uses policemen to direct traffic by day; at night, drivers fend for themselves.

After checking in at our hotel, we enjoy lunch together then embark on a walking tour to Memorial Chorten (or "Thimphu Chorten"), one of Bhutan's best-loved religious landmarks. Located in the heart of the city, Memorial Chorten is dedicated to the country's third king, who died in 1972. While chortens (or stupas) traditionally house the remains of an esteemed leader, scholar, or religious figure, only the king's photograph is on display here. We continue on to Thimphu's colorful weekend market, permanent stalls occupied from Friday through Sunday by vendors from the region selling fruit and vegetables of all types, as well as locally produced religious items, textiles, wood carvings, baskets, and other handicrafts. This is a great opportunity to interact with local people as they meet up with their neighbors, make purchases, and catch up on the week's news. Late this afternoon we return to our hotel, where we dine together tonight.

Accommodations: Namgay Heritage
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we immerse ourselves in Bhutanese culture, beginning with a tour of the National Library and Archives, which seeks to preserve and promote Bhutan's rich cultural and religious heritage. The traditional four-storey, eight-cornered building houses an immense collection of sacred religious books and manuscripts, including one of the world's largest treasuries of Mahayana Buddhist literature (Mahayana Buddhism is Bhutan's state religion). The library also displays a copy of the world's largest book (Guinness-certified), Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the World's Last Himalayan Kingdom, produced in 2003 by Michael Hawley, formerly of MIT's Media Lab. Weighing in at 133 pounds and at five-by-seven feet the approximate size of a ping-pong table, the book is printed individually on demand for up to 500 patrons who each make a contribution of $10,000 or more to a charity benefitting Bhutanese schools and educational programs. From here we continue on to the Painting School, where Bhutanese students keep alive the traditional art of painting sacred religious scrolls; and the Folk Heritage Museum, which celebrates the country's rural life in a restored mid 19th-century traditional house of rammed mud and timber. Here the household items and décor typical of the time let us glimpse how rural life was lived – and how it is still lived today in remote parts of the country.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the National Textile Museum, with stunning displays of textiles dating from the 1600s to modern times and where see a demonstration of traditional weaving techniques. Our next stop is Tashicho Dzong, a traditional Buddhist fortress monastery that today houses government offices, as well as temples and the royal throne room. The building also is the summer home of Bhutan's central monastic community. While a monastery has existed here since medieval times, Tashicho Dzong was rebuilt in 1962 according to traditional precepts: with no nails and without plans.

Tonight we enjoy a small group highlight as we dine with a Bhutanese family then attend a cultural performance.

Accommodations: Namgay Heritage
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After visits this morning to Thimphu's post office and bank, we stop at Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory to see paper being made from the bark of mulberry and Daphne plants using traditional Bhutanese methods. Then we embark on the three-hour drive to the former capital of Punakha via the Dochula pass (alt. 10,000 feet), which affords stunning views of the Himalayas. We stop to follow the sacred tradition of raising prayer flags for peace and wisdom at Dochula, where the bracing winds will help spread the prayers' spiritual power to all sentient beings. Continuing on towards central Bhutan, passing through groves of fruit trees and forests of rhododendron, we visit a local rice farming village and also stop for tea. Mid-day we reach Punakha, which sits at the confluence of the Mo Chu "Mother" River and the Pho Chu "Father" River in a sub-tropical valley where the farming of red and white rice is a principal occupation. Upon arrival we take an orientation walking tour of this town that served as the country's capital from 1637 to 1907 and that remains its religious capital today. We dine tonight at our hotel.

Accommodations: Damchen Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning's tour of Punakha features Punakha Dzong ("Place of Great Happiness"), winter home of the central monastic community and one of the country's most attractive fortress monasteries. Set on a spit of land where the Mo Chu and Pho Chu rivers meet, and with Himalayan peaks in the background, majestic Punakha Dzong dates to 1637. It was Bhutan's seat of government and the administrative center until the capital moved to Thimpu in the early 1960s. The second oldest and second largest religious building in the country, this is where the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema were married in October 2011. Following our tour of Punakha Dzong we embark on a rafting trip on the Mo Chu River (Bhutan is renowned for its excellent river rafting) then enjoy a picnic lunch by the riverside. We return to our hotel mid-afternoon; the remainder of the day is free to relax or for independent exploration before we dine together tonight.

Accommodations: Damchen Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our day begins with an easy half-hour amble through rice fields to visit Chime Lhakhang, a local temple perched on a hill above a traditional village. Built by Lama Drukpa (the "Divine Madman") in 1499, the temple is a pilgrimage site for couples struggling with problems of fertility. Then we travel by motorcoach to Gangtey village in the quiet, remote, and beautiful bowl-shaped Phobjikha Valley of the Black Mountains. One of Bhutan's only glacial valleys, Gangtey is best known for the rare (and endangered) black-necked cranes that migrate from the Tibetan Plateau to over-winter (typically from late October to late March) in a more temperate climate. With an estimated 9,000 to 11,000 left in the wild, the black-necked crane is a protected species in Bhutan; life in prison is the penalty for killing one. The sacred cranes also have religious significance, as we learn on today's visit to the Black Necked Crane Information Centre. Here we also have the opportunity to view these magnificent birds with the center's high-powered telescope and spotting scopes.

We stop for lunch at a local restaurant then continue on to our hotel, where the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Please note that, in order to protect the cranes from high-tension electric wires and poles, the valley has not been connected to the country's power grid – instead using solar energy to provide electricity. Now, Phobjikha is slowly being electrified, though service can be highly inconsistent. Please be aware that the availability of both electricity and hot water may be limited during our stay. Dinner tonight is at our hotel.

Accommodations: Dewachen Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we visit Gangteng Monastery (also known as Gantey Gonpa), the only monastery in western Bhutan of Buddhism's Nyingmapa sect, the oldest school of Himalayan Buddhism. Dating to the early 17th century, the recently restored monastery sits on a spur of the Black Mountains and affords breathtaking views of the valley below, one of Bhutan's loveliest spots. The wide, flat landscape, intersected by two glacial rivers, is unlike any other in Bhutan, where steep mountainsides typically create tighter, more enclosed spaces. Leaving the monastery, we return to our hotel on foot, walking along a nature trail through the stunning scenery of open grassland and miniature forests of dwarf bamboo. Along the way we stop to visit with a family at their farmhouse; the valley is known for the cultivation of potatoes and turnips. After returning to our hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and absorb the beauty and tranquility that surrounds us. We dine tonight at our hotel.

Accommodations: Dewachen Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We leave Gangtey today for the five-hour drive to charming Paro, stopping en route in Thimpu for lunch and some free time to explore the local markets on our own. Located in the center of a valley at the head of a pass once reached by traders and invading Tibetans, Paro ranks among Bhutan's most historic areas. And the valley itself, a gentle patchwork of rice paddies, wheat fields, and scattered settlements, ranks among Bhutan's most beautiful. Upon arrival, we check in our hotel overlooking Paro town and valley. Then the remainder of the day is at leisure before we dine together tonight.

Accommodations: Gangtey Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We begin our explorations of this charming town with a morning visit to Ta-Dzong, the national museum showcasing Bhutan's rich cultural heritage from at least 2000 BCE to the present day. Built in 1648 as a watchtower, the cylindrical museum houses a fine collection of Bhutanese art and artifacts, including stamps, textiles, weapons, bronze statues, paintings, and Buddha images. We continue on to Rinpung Dzong, a superb example of Bhutanese architecture. Dating to the 15th century (though rebuilt after a fire in 1907), the dzong is the administrative seat of Paro and houses a 200-member monastic community. Our next stop is Kyichu Lhakhang, an important place of pilgrimage and ceremony for Bhutan's royal family and one of the kingdom's oldest and most sacred temples. Built by a Tibetan emperor in the 7th century, the temple houses sacred relics including the ashes of a revered 20th-century teacher and an early statue of Jowo Sakyamuni, one of Tibet's most revered gurus. It is said that the monastery's two orange trees bear fruit the year ‘round.

After lunch together at a local restaurant, we traverse the valley to visit the ruins of 17th-century Drukguyal Dzong,. Built to commemorate a victory over Tibetan invaders, Drukguayl was consumed by fire in 1951. From here we have the option to return to Paro by coach or by taking a bicycle ride through the picturesque valley, stopping along the way for tea at a local farmhouse. Dinner tonight is at our hotel.

Accommodations: Gangtey Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early today we embark on a highlight of any trip to Bhutan: a visit to Paro Taktsang, the sacred Tiger's Nest monastery and temple complex built into a cliff some 2,000 feet above the upper Paro Valley – itself at an altitude of 10,200 feet. We set out on our scenic two-hour uphill hike (rental horses are available to take visitors about two-thirds of the way up to Tiger's Nest), passing stands of blue pine trees, small temples, and a waterfall. En route we stop for lunch at a way-station cafeteria; if you do not wish to hike all the way to Tiger's Nest, you can remain at the cafeteria, which affords good views (weather permitting) of the monastery. First built in 1692, the Himalayan Buddhist monastery honors Guru Padmasambhava, the "Guru with Eight Names" who first established Buddhism in Bhutan. The complex of four main temples, eight caves, and residential quarters surrounds the cave where the guru is said to have meditated alone for three months at some point during the 8th century. After this exhilarating excursion we return to our hotel, where tonight we celebrate our Bhutan adventure at a farewell dinner.

Accommodations: Gangtey Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we fly to Delhi, where we transfer to our hotel day rooms until this evening's departure for the airport and our overnight flight to the U.S.

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Gurgaon (day room)
Meals: Breakfast

We arrive in the U.S. this morning and connect with our flights home.

Early this morning we board the hour-long flight to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Today this mega-city is East India's center of commerce, finance, and business. Upon arrival we embark on a city tour; highlights include the iconic cricket stadium of Eden Gardens, with a seating capacity of 90,000; and Victoria Memorial, the lavish museum and garden honoring the British queen that was paid for entirely by donations from the people of India. Combining British and Mughal architecture and set on 64 acres of landscaped grounds, the memorial today is a museum housing a fine collection of Victoriana, British Raj paintings, sculpture, textiles, weapons, maps, and coins. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit St. Paul's Cathedral, the city's well-known neo-Gothic Anglican church completed in 1847. From here we pay a visit to Mother House, headquarters of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and now the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's resting place. A small museum displays artifacts from Mother Teresa's life, including her worn sandals and battered enamel dinner bowl. We reach our hotel late this afternoon; dinner tonight is on your own.

Accommodations: The Oberoi Grand
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we see Kolkata from a different vantage point as we board a river boat for a cruise along the Ganges, the "mother river" sacred to Hindus and worshipped as a goddess. After embarking this morning, we pass beneath Vidyasagar Setu, one of Asia's longest cable-stay bridges; the cantilevered Howrah Bridge; and by some of the many ghats (steps) that line the river's banks. As our guide points out highlights, we see the city awakening and coming to life as bathers and holy men begin their rituals, fishermen cast their nets, and workers ferry across the river to their high-rise office buildings. Along the way we disembark to visit the landmark Belur Math temple that blends Hindu, Christian, and Islamic architectural styles; and Kumartuli, where the traditional clay idol-makers of West Bengal have lived and worked for generations. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant then visit the 270-acre Indian Botanic Garden, with a variety of rare species and some 12,000 live specimens from around the world, including orchids, bamboo, and palms. A highlight here is the Great Banyan tree, said to be more than 1,000 feet in circumference, with the world's largest canopy. Established in 1787 by the British East India Company in order identify profitable species for export, the Botanic Garden is credited with introducing to India the tea plant from China – and thus establishing the tea industry of Assam and the Himalayas. Mid-afternoon we return to our hotel, where we dine together tonight.

Accommodations: The Oberoi Grand
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is at leisure to explore the "City of Joy" on your own. Possibilities include the Marble Palace, with its superb collection of Western art, including works by Reubens and Rembrandt; the renowned Birka Planetarium; or the Sahid Minar memorial to those who fought and died for India; from the top, you can see outstanding views of Kolkata. You may wish to shop for traditional Bengali arts and crafts, such as embroidered or woven items, engravings, and works of in-lay. And an arcade near our hotel offers a variety of shops. After lunch together we transfer to the Kolkata airport for our connecting flight to our overnight flight to the U.S. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We arrive in the U.S. this morning and connect with our flights home.