Nicso

We are two adults travelling to India for he first time. Our flightss are already booked - arriving in Kolkata in late Nov 2014. Return Flight is from Kolkata as well in early Jan. We'd love to experience the cultural and traditional things.

We will be booking a 25 day "Best Of North India Overview" tour from late Nov to late Dec 2014 with Intrepid. Here is a brief summary of the itinerary:
Day 1-2 Delhi
Day 3 Varanasi
Day 4 River Ganges Boat trip.
Day 5-6 Bandhavgarh NP
Day 7-8 Khajuraho
Day 9-10 Orchha
Day 11 Chanderi
Day 12-13 Agra
Day 14 Rural Heritage Stay in a village
Day 15-16 Jaipur
Day 17-18 Bundi
Day 19-20 Rural Heritage stay
Day 21-22 Udaipur
Day 23-24 Pushkar
Day 25 Delhi

Before the tour we have 7 days to fill and we wish to spend 2 of these days in Kolkata.

After the tour we have 13 days to fill in Amristra, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ladakh and/or Kashmir. Which of these destinations or any others should we include in our trip?

We are looking for destinations that will compliment our existing tour. Are there any particular festivals or cultural events during these periods? Any suggestions from experienced travellers are welcome. Thank you in advance!

thursdaysd

I would take the toy train up to Darjeeling from Kolkata. (See seat61.com for details on train travel in India).

Definitely Amritsar. I haven't been to Ladakh but would love to go. Read the travel warnings for Kashmir carefully before deciding to go. If you are interested in Buddhism you might add Dharamsala

Kathie

We did a wonderful trip to Sikkim a few years ago. We also spent time in Darjeeling, but I wouldn't return there. Our last few days were in Kolkata.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...p-to-india.cfm

MmePerdu

Travel in India can be exhausting and given the fast pace of your tour I suggest you spend the free time you have before and after the tour at a slower pace to acclimate. Since you have little time in Delhi scheduled, I suggest after your days in Kolkata, go on to Delhi until the tour begins. I've used time in Delhi on a number of occasions to rest up before and after trips to other regions and have always loved my time there.

After the tour, an excursion from Delhi to Shimla, Dharamsala (McLeod Ganj) and Amritsar would be nice. Train from Delhi, including the famous one into Shimla, followed by travel on to McLeod and Amritsar by car & driver, not particularly expensive and the most efficient in those parts. Express train back to Delhi from Amritsar.

If you're considering Ladakh, keep the altitude in mind. Though I'd love to visit there, I haven't for that reason. But I have a friend who lives mostly in Asia who loves the place and spends time there regularly. There are flights, I believe, from Delhi. If you do go there, consider staying just there for the duration as the altitude will likely effect your pace. And also because it's a very special place, I've been told.

sartoric

Another one to consider is The Sunderbans Tiger reserve. It's 2 hours drive south of Kolkata to the Ganges Delta, then an hour or so by boat to the reserve.

Chances of spotting a tiger are a bit slim, the average is one in fourteen days, but the cruising around on the waterways is pretty relaxing. Village life is interesting, there is no power or water to this area. There will likely be a dance performance by a group that travels miles to put on this show. Audience participation is invited, they have amazing costumes and tell about the legend of the tiger.

You will see many bird species, deer (sambar) and maybe crocodiles. Accommodation there is fairly basic, cabins with private facilities which are clean and an open air dining room with buffet style food.

We didn't seek this out, but it was one alternative provided after a river cruise on the Brahmaputra was cancelled due to a broken lock. Ended up enjoying it though !