Day 1: Arrival in Delhi
You are welcomed at the Delhi airport by a representative of our local agency or your French-speaking guide to welcome you to India. They will assist you with the transfer to the hotel we have reserved for you for the night.
Lunch, followed by an afternoon dedicated to discovering Delhi. Bathed by the sacred waters of the Yamuna, Delhi has twice been an imperial capital, first with the Mughals, then in 1911 with the British. The city is divided into two very contrasting parts: New Delhi, the Victorian city with its wide avenues, business district, and parliament gathered around Connaught Place; and Old Delhi, the old city and capital of Muslim India, with its bustling bazaars. The old city houses the Red Fort, a testament to the power of the Mughal emperors, and the country’s largest mosque, Jama Masjid.
You will explore Old Delhi on foot, then visit Raj Ghat, the mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi.
In the evening, you will share a moment of devotion with the Sikh community at the Bangla Sahib temple.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Delhi / Guwahati (domestic flight)
After breakfast,depart to Bagdogra by road to catch your flight to Guwahati. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. In the evening, enjoy a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra River.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Guwahati
After breakfast, depart to Guwahati and your day is spent visiting the city. You will visit Kamakhya temple, located at the top of Nilachal hill, about 300 meters above sea level. The whole temple complex includes not only many other temples, but also a whole group of people connected to it. Besides the main temple of Devi, it also includes other major temples: Devi Kali, Tara, Bagala, Chinnamasta, Bhuvaneswari, Bhairavi and Dhumavati. Visit Sankardev Kalakshetra, located in a magnificent setting and inaugurated in 1998, is a multi-arts complex highlighting the rich culture of the State.
Named in honor of Saint Vaishnava and the greatest integrator of the Assamese society Srimanta Sankardeva, the Kalakshetra shelters a central museum where everyday objects and articles used by different ethnic groups are exposed. It preserves the cultural identity of various Assam communities and tribes by promoting dance, theater, music and the arts. There is also an artists' village that creates the atmosphere of a typical Assamese community, the Lalit - Kala Bhavan art gallery where exhibitions, art and sculpture workshops, a heritage park, are also organized. an open-air theater that can accommodate 2,000 people. people, a traditional Vaishnavite temple and the Sahitya Bhavan library of rare books and manuscripts. Visit the Fancy Bazaar.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Guwahati / Kaziranga
After breakfast, depart to Kaziranga. This UNESCO World Heritage site is renowned for hosting the highest density of one-horned rhinoceroses in the world. The park's stunning landscapes of savannas and marshy forests enhance its beauty. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel.
After lunch, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the local markets or relax at the hotel and enjoy the pool.
The next day, two safaris are scheduled : an early morning elephant-back safari and an evening jeep safari.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5: Kaziranga
Today, early in the morning, you go for an elephant ride in Kaziranga National Park. Afterward, return to the hotel for breakfast. In the evening, set off for a jeep safari.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6: Kaziranga / Itanagar
After breakfast, depart for Itanagar, traveling through scenic landscapes. The afternoon is free for you to explore the local market and surroundings.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Itanagar / Ziro
After breakfast, depart to Ziro, a town located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Along the way, you make a stop in Nishi villages. The Nishi form the largest tribe in the state of Arunachal. The Nishi language likely belongs to the Sino-Tibetan group. They traditionally practice shifting agriculture, fishing, and hunting. Traditionally, Nishi worship is animistic. Donyi-Polo, the Sun and Moon, is the name given nowadays to this religious practice.
You arrive in Ziro, one of the most picturesque hill stations in Arunachal Pradesh, where the green of the rice fields blends with the charm of the rolling hills.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 8: Ziro
After breakfast, you will set off to explore the Apatani villages, the predominant ethnic group in the Ziro region. The Apatani were once identifiable by their facial tattoos, the rattan tails worn by men, and the large wooden ornaments that women wore in each nostril. Today, these adornments are only worn during festivals.
During the Bori Boot festival in February, the local Miri tribes celebrate spring with traditional dances and songs.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9: Ziro / Majuli
After breakfast, a long day of travel awaits you, punctuated by a local ferry crossing of the tributaries of the mighty Brahmaputra. This will take you to Majuli (the largest river island in the world, covering 900 km²), inhabited by the Mishing, a tribe from Arunachal Pradesh that has preserved a unique culture and way of life.
In November, while the entire island's population enacts the life of Krishna, you will witness the beginning of the Raas Leela festival.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Majuli
After breakfast, you will set out to explore Assam. An ancient cultural capital for five centuries, Majuli is famous for its 22 'satra,' old neo-Vaishnavite monasteries founded in the 15th century by Shankar Deva, an Assamese philosopher who rejected the caste system. These monasteries house around 1,000 monks called bhakats.
Majuli has been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status. It is noteworthy that about forty monasteries have already fallen victim to the floods of the Brahmaputra and the island's erosion.
Your day will be dedicated to visiting the monasteries, known for their dancing monks. Here, poetry, dance, and music are integral to the worship of Vishnu. Young boys apprenticed in these monasteries also learn unique artisanal practices, such as mask-making at Natun Samurai and boat-building at Kamalabari.
In the autumn, the island is festive during the RaasLeela celebrations in honor of Krishna. The inhabitants of Majuli enact the life of the deity during long, lively evenings!
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11: Majuli / Sibsagar
After breakfast, you will cross the river by ferry before taking the road towards Sibsagar, the former capital of the Ahom kingdom. Check in at the hotel upon arrival.
You will visit the city where the inhabitants arrived in the 13th century from the Chinese province of Yunnan, before the British came to occupy the region a few centuries later. You will then discover the vast 200-year-old tank, followed by temples with characteristic Ahom architecture. The most famous is undoubtedly the Shiva temple, built in 1734, with a height of 33 meters.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12: Sibsagar / Mon
After breakfast, your journey leads you to Mon, in Nagaland. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel before heading out for your first visit: the village of Phu Tong, which has two large "morung" (dormitories for young boys, a unique feature of this tribal region). You will also discover the residence of the village chief, also called "Angh".
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 13: Mon
After breakfast, you will visit the village of Shangyu, one of the largest in the district. You will discover a unique monument made entirely of carved wood, with commemorative stones in front of the Angh's house.
You will continue with a visit to Sangha, where you will admire the headhunter trophies and traditional Konyak houses with palm thatched roofs.
In March, the Mon region celebrates Aoling, honoring the Konyak warriors dressed in their finest costumes. Dance and music brighten up your days.
Note: For this departure, the order of visits may be modified according to the festival schedule.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 14: Mon / Dibrugarh
After breakfast, you will head towards Dibrugarh in Assam (5-6 hours), at the confluence of the Siang and Lohit rivers, which together form the mighty Brahmaputra. On the way, you will stop in the Wakching villages, where you will find nearly a thousand bamboo and palm houses, then visit the legendary site of Naganimora, where a Konyak queen married to an Ahom king died.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 15: Dibrugarh / Kolkata / Return Flight
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport according to the flight schedule to Calcutta, where you will take your return flight.