Fly to Delhi on reaching you will be greeted by a Horizon Worldwide representative and transferred to your hotel and assisted with check In. For the rest of the day free to relax and explore Delhi on your own.

Morning fly from Delhi to Amritsar, where you will be greeted by our representative, transfer to your hotel, and assisted with check-in. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore Amritsar on your own or relax at the hotel. The second-largest city in Punjab, Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, and is now considered the center of the Sikh religion. Today the main attraction is the famous Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh sites, the city takes its name from the sacred tank located within the temple.

After breakfast, start a full-day private, guided tour of Amritsar. Begin with a visit to the Harmandir Sahib, informally known as the Golden Temple, the temple is a Sikh gurdwara (place of worship) of great significance and is effectively the spiritual center of the Sikh faith, built from white marble and copper gilt with the dome covered with gold leaf, over 100,000 people visit the shrine each day to worship. Many Gurdwaras have common kitchens, known as a Langer, that provide free food to people of all religions and faith. The largest Langer is the one located within the Golden Temple which provides food for over 30,000 people a day, an extraordinary feat made possible purely by donations and volunteers. Continue on to visit Jallianwala Bagh, which commemorates the hundreds of innocent Indians killed or wounded by British bullets in the most notorious massacre under British rule. In the late afternoon, you will visit the Wagah Border, to witness the elaborate flag ceremony or closing of the border between India and Pakistani, which has taken place each day just before 5 pm since 1959. The pomp and pageantry of the Beating Retreat and the Change of Guard within handshaking distance of the Indian and Pakistani forces make for a fascinating spectacle.

After breakfast depart Amritsar and drive up into the Kangra valley amidst the foothills to Pragpur which will take approximately 4 hours. The remainder of the day is free to relax and enjoy the spectacular surroundings or enjoy a walk around the village, which was designated a heritage village in 1997.

After breakfast depart Pragpur and enjoy the short, scenic drive to Dharamsala which will take approximately 1.5 hours. Dharamsala, the current home of his holiness the Dalai Lama is located in the Kangra valley, in the Dhauladhars Mountains. Dharamsala has been connected with Buddhism for a long time, with many monasteries having been established in the past. However, in the 8th century, these monasteries declined, with Hinduism experiencing a revival. The local Gaddi people are now almost all Hindu. When the Dalai Lama left Tibet, the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru offered to permit him and his followers to establish a “government-in-exile” in Dharamsala. Since then many Tibetan exiles have settled in the town, today numbering several thousand. Most of these exiles live in Upper Dharamsala, or McLeod Ganj, where they have established temples and schools. The town is sometimes known as “Little Lhasa”, after the Tibetan capital city.

Today enjoy a guided tour of Dharamsala visiting Gompas, the Tibet Museum, and the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. During the afternoon visit the Norbulingka Institute where Tibetan arts and crafts including wood and metal craft, silk weaving, and thangka paintings are kept alive. The evening is free to explore McLeodganj, originally the home of the semi-nomadic Gaddi tribe; McLeodganj is today the residence of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and thousands of Tibetan refugees.

Today you will head to Taragarh, a drive of approximately 2 hours, and check in to the Taragarh Palace. Situated by a forested estate and surrounded by the tea gardens of the Kangra valley, one of the most scenic and unexplored areas of Himachal Pradesh. Located at a height of 1000 meters, Taragarh Palace is at the foot of the Dhauladhar Mountains with splendid views of surrounding snow-capped peaks. Formerly known as Alhilal, the palace was built in the early 1930s as a summer resort and It was acquired by the royal family of Jammu and Kashmir in 1951.

Early morning drive to Shimla, approximately 8 hours. Sit back and admire the spectacular scenery stopping en route at Mandi, renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their enormous range of fine carving, as well as its old palaces and notable examples of ‘colonial’ architecture; before continuing on to Shimla. Shimla which was formerly known as Simla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. The city of Shimla is draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak and experiences mild, pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in Tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era.

Today spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of Shimla you will begin with a visit to the Viceregal Lodge, designed by British architect Henry Irwin and constructed in the Jacobethan style between 1880 and 1888. Formally the residence of the British Viceroy of India the lodge today houses some of the most ancient articles and photographs dating back to British rule in India. Continue on to visit the Hindu Temple containing shrines to the many and various Hindi gods. After a stop for lunch take a leisurely stroll along the Mall Road, one of the principal streets in Shimla; the Mall is largely closed to traffic and so has become a popular place to walk and enjoy the shops and cafes lining the road. Along the way, it may be possible to have a quick look inside the Gaiety Theatre, or alternatively find a spot for refreshments whilst viewing snow-capped Himalayan peaks (if the weather is clear) in the distance.

Today will be a real highlight as you enjoy a short ride from Shimla to Taradevi on the “Himalayan Queen’, the narrow gauge or ‘toy’ train that runs between Shimla and the railhead at Kalka. The journey is one of the most scenic train rides in India, constructed between 1898 and 1903 with 864 bridges and currently utilizing 102 tunnels it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2008. On arrival in Taradevi, you will be met and driven back up to Shimla to spend the remainder of the day relaxing.

Today you will travel to India’s capital Delhi, after checking out of the hotel drive approximately 3 hours down to Kalka to board the late afternoon train to Delhi. On arrival, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Transfer to the airport for your international flight back Home.