While virtually every city or town of India may justifiably be described as temple towns, most of those in this tour owe their existence to their temples of extraordinary magnificence and importance, hence the name ‘Temple towns’. Places like Bhubaneshwar and Aurangabad have temples of unbelievable architecture as reminders of a very rich classical era. The city of Madurai pulsates every bit with endless rituals of its mammoth Meenakshi Sundereshwar Temple. And those at Konark, Mammallapuram, Thanjavur and Karnataka should firmly leave you spell bound due to their sheer magnificence, mammoth conceptualization and unsurpassed artistry. Even an unsuggestive name like Goa has beautiful old temples hidden in dense rain forests.

Day 01: Kolkata:

Arrive at Kolkata and Check in. Later in the evening, visit its buzzing bazaars or its many famous art centers.

Day 02: Kolkata: Early in the morning, take a walking tour of Maidan area to watch Kolkata waking up- jogging, aerobics, yoga sessions, meditation, chats, trams, horse rides at race course, etc. against the historic backdrop of buildings like the Victoria Memorial. During the day, take a sightseeing tour of the city that includes visits to Victoria Memorial museum, Indian Museum, BBD Bagh buildings, Haora Bridge, Belur Math and St.Paul’s Cathedral. Evening free for last day’s shopping.

Day 03: Bhubaneshwar: Fly to Bhubaneshwar, the city of temples. In a guided sightseeing tour visit some of the finest temples of Classical Hindu age. Visit the Parsurameshvara Temple, Muktesvara temple, Rajarani temple, Lingaraj temple and many others around the Bindu Sagar tank.

Day 04: Bhubaneshwar: Take a daylong sightseeing trip to Konark Sun temple visiting Udaygiri caves on the route. Also visit the outskirts of Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri- a scene of undying Hindu faith and festivities. Return back to Bhubaneshwar by the evening.

Day 05: Mahabalipuram: Fly to Chennai and further transfer by car to Mamallapuram. Day free to relax in your beach side resort.

Day 06: Mahabalipuram: Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) is famous for it’s shore temples and other monuments which are in a form of epic recreated on stone. Morning walk over the seashore and explore the temples on own.

Day 07: Thanjavur: Driving down to fertile rice growing plains of Cauvery reach Tiruchirapally. Nearby visit the enormous Srirangam temple and then continue to the Chola citadel of Tanjore. Visit the World heritage Brihadishvara temple- simply unparalleled!

Day 08: Madurai: Reach Madurai. Day to be spent completely at leisure or to soak in the unique Dravidian cultural atmosphere of this ancient temple city.

Day 09: Madurai: Visit the Thirumal Nayaka Palace and the Dravidian masterpiece Meenakshi Sundereshwar temple which makes the city of Madurai so famous and pulsate with festivities. In the evening board the overnight express train to Bangalore.

Day 10: Bangalore: Arrive at Bangalore in the morning. At Bangalore visit Cubbon Park, Lal Baug and intersting public buildings within Cubbon Park. Excursion to Nrityagram- a center for learning of Indian classical dances set up by noted Odissi dancer Protima Bedi.

Day 11: Hassan: Drive to Hassan visiting Sravanabelagola on the way which is famous for the tallest monolithic statue in the World (of Lord Gomateshvara)! Reach Hassan and check in.

Day 12: Hassan: During the day visit two most outstanding sites for Hoysala style temples namely Halebid and Belur. Visit some of the most beautiful temples of Hoysala kingdom notably the Hoysaleshwar temple and Kedareshwara temple at Halebid and Channekeshava temple at Belur. These temples have some of the most intricate and unbelievable carvings found anywhere in Hindu temples.

Day 13: Hampi: After a long drive through central Karnataka reach Hampi and check in. Evening at leisure.

Day 14: Hampi: In the morning take a walking tour of the Hampi bazaar and temples. Hampi has extraordinary remnants of once great city Vijayanagara. The sheer size and majestic appearance of this historical site is amazing! Cross the picturesque Tungabhadra River on a primitively designed corracle- a very different experience!

Day 15: Badami: Reach the little town of Badami after a beautiful drive through countryside. Badami was once the capital of Chalukyan empire and today it boasts some of the most beautiful rock cut temples of that period. Also visit the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal (Extraordinary for its sculptures, a World Heritage site) and a few remarkable temples at Aihole.

Day 16: Goa: Drive to Goa and check in. Day completely at leisure.

Day 17: Goa: Sightseeing tour of Old Goa and Panjim for beautiful churches, cathedrals and Mangesh Temple. Mandovi River cruise.

Day 18: Goa: Day completely at discretion in the tropical paradise known as Goa.

Day 19: Mumbai: Fly back to Mumbai. After checking in, day kept at discretion to indulge in last day’s shopping or to enjoy the pulsating nightlife of Bombay.

Day 20: Departure: Day free till the time of departure. At appropriate time, transfer to airport to catch the flight back home.

Tour ends
Aurangabad Extension

Day 19: Aurangabad: From Goa fly to Mumbai and further to Aurangabad. After checking in keep the evening at your discretion.

Day 20: Aurangabad: Excursion to Ajanta caves site, a scenic gorge having a series of caves. The caves have ancient sculptures and some of the most stunning murals of Buddhist era. Also visit Daulatabad fort and Bibi ka Maqbara at Aurangabad.

Day 21: Bombay: Visit the Ellora caves that are famed for their extraordinary sculptures. Noteworthy is the unbelievably sculptured Kailasnath Temple. Reach Bombay in the evening by flight with the option of using rest of the evening enjoying the pulsating nightlife of Bombay.

Day 22: Departure: Day free till the time of departure. At appropriate time, transfer to airport to catch the flight back home.

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Hemis Festival - Leh :

Highlights of this festival tour: A festival tour combined with soft adventure for the moderately brave and adventurous. Leh: a rate lunarscape of bleak rock and gravel, the exotic land of Buddhist monasteries at the time of its annual festival. Witness most adventurous and stimulating combat between good spirits and demons. Return to earth by a jeep through high Himalayan mountain passes.

Best during Period: July
Duration of festival tour: 16 nights / 17 days
Cities covered: Delhi - Leh - Meru - Tanglangla - Sarchu - Baralacha - Darcha - Rohtang - Manali - Dharamsala - Pathankot - Delhi

Hemis Festival: The festival of Padmasambhava

Hemis Festival in Ladakh showcases the best of cultural heritage of the region. Our specially designed Hemis festival tours will give you a lifetime opportunity to experience the summits of festivities. So, what are you waiting for now? Send in your queries for a memorable experience.


A 15 days journey to Ladakh & Himachal with one of the most Important Monastic Festival (1st to 15th July, 2005)

The Hemis monastery celebrates this event in the form of a 2-day festival. Its resident Lamas perform sacred masked dances leading to the destruction of the sacrificial offerings. Masks worn by the Lamas represent various guardian divinities of the Dugpa order, of which Hemis is the leading establishment in Ladakh. We are pleased to offer you this holiday, which we believe is unique. Discovery arranges the best viewing balconies during festivals, and with the knowledge of our expert local guides, you will understand and enjoy this tour better !! Your tour begins and ends in Delhi. The first day will be spent in the frantic atmosphere of Indian capital of Delhi, where you can recover at the hotel from the rigorous of your international flight. The following day, your trip to 'wonder land' begins with a flight to Leh, the capital of the Tibetan influenced Kingdom of Ladakh and after spending time in Indus Valley, we embark for a spectacular road journey, over incredible high passes to the lush Kullu Valley, staying in Manali and onwards to Dharamsala and finally out of hills through plain of Punjab to Delhi.




Hemis Festival,Ladakh
Duration: 14 Days/13 Nights
Destinations Covered: New Delhi -Leh-Markha Valley Trek


Adventure Activities:
Ladakh offers great scope for undertaking adventure activities amidst landscapes of breathtaking, rugged beauty. The most popular and best established among these are trekking, mountaineering and river rafting.

Day 01:New Delhi:
Arrival at the International airport. You will be received by our representative and transferred to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Evening to enjoy the sound & light show at the Red fort.

Day 02: New Delhi-Leh:
You will be transferred to the airport to board the flight fot Leh. Arrive Leh and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day free for acclimatisation. Dinner overnight hotel.

Day 03: In Leh:
Morning excursion to Phyang Gompa. This Gompa is 20 kms from Leh on the right side of Leh-Srinagar road. The beautiful statues and Thankas are worth seeing. Also visit Spituk Gompa which lies on the right side of Srinagar-Leh road about 6 kms short of Leh Proper. Some very interesting Thankas are pride of this monastery. Afternoon free.
Dinner overnight Hotel.

Day 04: Leh / Stok / Base of Stok-la:
Drive to Stok via Choglamsar and start trekking towards base of Stok-la. It is a gradual walk with a few kms of ascending path, which will be covered in about 4 hrs.Dinner overnight in tents at Stock-la base.

Day 05: Stok-la/ Rumbak:
Trek to Rumbak over Stok-la (4800 Mts.). The trek upto Stok-la of about 3 kms is of steep ascend then it is a deep descent upto Rumbak. The total distance of 12 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs. Rumbak is a small shepherd village with few houses.
Dinner overnight in tents at Rumbak.

Day 06: Rumbak / Ganda-la/Skiu (3380 Mts.):
Trek towards Skiu over Ganda-la (4930 Mts.). It is an ascending upto Ganda-la top and then a descending path upto Shingo. A distance of 18 kms will be covered in about 8 hrs. Dinner overnight in tents.

Day 07: Skiu / Markha:
Trek to Markha via Hermoger and Sase: An easy walk of about 15 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs. Markha is main village at the height of about 4500 Mts. And has a school. Dinner overnight in tents.

Day 08: Markha / Hankar:
Trek upto Hankar via Omlung. A distance of about 12 kms of gradual walk will be covered in about 6 hrs.
Dinner overnight in tents.

Day 09: Hankar / Nimaling:
Trek to Nimaling a gradual walk of about 12 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs.Dinner overnight in tents at Nimaling.

Day 10: In Nimaling:
Full day free to explore the surroundings. One can trek upto glacier of Kangyatse peak (6030 Mts.), one needs permit from IMF to climb this peak. Dinner overnight in tents at Nimaling.

Day 11: Nimaling / Chugdo Over Kongmor-la:
Trek over Kongmor-la (5200 Mts.) to Chugdo. First four to five kms are quite steep and then a descend right upto Chugdo. One feels fresh on reaching the top of Kongmor-la after viewing the beautiful range of Mountain peaks and forgets the tiredness of steep ascent.
Dinner overnight in tents.

Day 12: Chugdo / Hemis/Leh:
Trek down to Hemis via Oza and Sumdo. A gradual walk of about 13 kms will be covered in about 6 hrs. After visiting the Hemis monastery, drive back to Leh.Dinner overnight hotel.

Day 13: Leh / Delhi:
Transfer to airport to catch flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi you will be received and transferred to the hotel.


Day 14:Departure:
Morning at leisure. At an appropriate time you will be transferred to the international airport to board the flight for your onward journey. The tour ends.


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