Birds Watching Tour of Sikkim, North Bengal & Assam ,Bird Sanctuary

Best time to visit - 13 nights & 14 days (October to April)

Day 01: Fly to Bagdogra. Transfer to Siliguri.
Arrive by air from Delhi, Kolkotta or Guwahati. You will be met by your guide and transferred to Kalimpong for overnight stay.

Day 02-05: Kalimpong-Lava-Kalimpong
We will stay at Kalimpong and Rishyap, Kolkham for four days and make daily trips to Lava Forests, Rushet Forests, and Neora Forests, visiting identified hot spots.
Lava is the prime birding destination in this region. It is at an elevation of 2100 m. Surrounded by very large tracts of protected forests ranging in elevation between 1600 and 2400 m, it includes the remote and uninhabited Neora National Park, and it is a bird watcher's delight. One can expect to see Crested Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Eurasian Buzzard, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Kalij Pheasant, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Greenbilled Malkoha, Brown Wood Owl, Golden throated Barbet, Striated Bulbul, etc.

Day 06: Kalimpong- Rangeet Valley- Damthang Forests, 2700 m - Rabangla, 2200 m
Drive through the Teesta & Rangit Valley to Damthang Forests, stopping enroute to look for Red Junglefowl, Dollarbird, Great Barbet, Greater Yellownape, Orange bellied Leafbird, Common Iora, Blue Rock Thrush, Chestnut bellied Rock Thrush, Oriental White eye etc. At the Damthang Forest a birding walk will be for 06 hr. Some of the species we might see are Eurasian Buzzard, Eurasian Kestrel, Grey winged Blackbird, Buff barred Warbler, Blyth's Leaf Warbler, Grey hooded Warbler, Black faced Warbler, Rufous gorgeted Flycatcher, Red flanked Bluetail, Blue fronted Redstart, Grey Bushchat, White throated Fantail, Chestnut tailed Minla, Red tailed Minla and more. In the evening drive 20 Kms to Rabangla for overnight stay at hotel.

Day 07: Rabangla - Pamayangtse, 2085 meters
In the morning a 04 hrs birding walk to Menam forests of Oak, Chestnuts, magnolia and Rhododendrons. at altitude of 2900 meters. Likely to spot the same species as seen at Damthang. In the afternoon, drive 52 kms to Pamayangtse. with birding halts enroute at selected spots. Arrive Pamayangtse / Pelling in the evening. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08: Pamayangtse
On hill tops, inter-visible to each, on the fringes of the Rathang Chhu River Valley, are located a string of holy sites. After viewing the awe inspiring sunrise on Mount Khangchendzonga, we bird for the full day visiting Pamayangtse & Sanga Choling Monasteries - which are prime birding sites. Birds we are likely to see are Mountain Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, Common, Oriental and Indian Cuckoo, White-throated Needletail, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Hoary-throated and Rusty-fronted Barwing, Striated, Grey-sided and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Rufous-winged and White-browed Fulvetta, Whiskered Yuhina, Cutia, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Rufous Sibia, Blyth's, Ashy-throated, Lemon-rumped and Yellow-browed Warbler, Dark-breasted Rosefinch and Red-headed Bullfinch etc.

Day 09: Pamayangtse-Khichepheri Lake, 1980 m-Yoksom, 1780 m.
Drive to Khichepheri Lake for birding. Some of the best birds are migrant waterfowl, Black necked grebe, Baer's Pochard, Speckled wood pigeon, Emerald Cuckoo, Blue-winged and Scaly Laughing thrush, White-naped Yuhina and many of the birds at Pamayangtse. We continue to Yoksom in the afternoon, check in at the hotel.

Day 10: Yoksom
We spend the day birding around Yoksom. Some of the birds you are likely to see are: Mountain Hawk Eagle, Crimson breasted Woodpecker, Maroon Oriole, Short-billed and Grey chinned Minevets, Himalayan Bulbul, Red -tailed Minla, White-naped Yuhina, various Thrushes, Grey winged Blackbird, various Tits, White tailed Nuthatch, and various sunbirds, and various bushcats.

Day 11: Yoksom-Darjeeling
Today we drive to Darjeeling via Jorthang and Naya Bazar. Enroute birding in the Rangit River Valley. Those interested can take a short walk to visit the Tashiding Monastery. Overnight in hotel at Darjeeling.

Day 12: Darjeeling
Birding at Tiger Hill, Botanical gardens, and Zoological Park. Overnight at hotel

Day 13: Darjeeling-Bagdogra
Drive to Bagdogra airport in 03 hrs to board your flight to Guwahati / Jorhat. Drive to Kaziranga National Park. Overnight stay in Wild Grass Resort.

Day 14-16: Three full days of birding in Kaziranga National Park and Panbari Forest Division. Overnight stay in Wild Grass Resort.

Day 17: Drive to Jorhat / Guwahati airport to proceed to the next destination.

Advisory: You require a Sikkim entry permit. Please get you India visa endorsed with this permit at the time of applying for your visa

Best time to visit is between October to April.
Bird sightings depend greatly on season, timing, and patience.


Wildlife Sanctuaries ---------------------- Elephant Safari ---------------------- Western Wildlife ---------------------- Eastern Himalayan Mangrove Tigers ---------------------- Bird Watching ---------------------- Tiger Tours ---------------------- Nepal/Bhutan Tour Packages ---------------------- Southern India Packages