North India Bird Watching

Tour Duration: 16 Nights / 17 Days
Destination Covered: Delhi - Sawai Madhopur - Ranthambore National Park - Bharatpur - National Chambal Sanctuary - Saatal - Pangot - Mongoli Valley - Jim Corbett National Park - Dhikala Forest - Delhi

Day 01: Arrival at Delhi - Sawai Madhopur
Upon your arrival at Delhi International Airport, you will meet our guide and he will take you to the hotel. You will freshen up and get ready to witness the birding at Okhla barrage and city forest with the guide. At night you will be transferred to the New Delhi Railway Station to board a train to Sawai Madhopur (railhead for Ranthambore National Park). Overnight onboard the train.

Day 02: Sawai Madhopur - Ranthambore National Park
Upon your arrival at Sawai Madhopur Railway Station, you will be greeted by our travel executive he will accompany you to Ranthambore National Park. After having your noon meal you will board a jeep with a guide for birding and tiger-tracking. During jeep safari you will witness grey francolin, sirkeer malkoha, painted sandgrouse, Indian courser, yellow-wattled lapwing, southern grey shrike, Isabelline wheatear, desert wheatear, variable wheatear, ashy-crowned sparrow lark, greater short-toed lark, blue rock thrush, common buzzard etc. At night you will return to the resort for night stay.

Day 03: Ranthambore National Park - Bharatpur
On the third day you have choice either to spend time at tiger-tracking with a guide in Ranthambore National Park or visit the 1000-years old fort. Later you will be dropped at the railway station to board a train for Bharatpur. Upon arrival at Bharatpur railway station, you will be greeted by our guide, he will take you to the hotel for check in and at hotel you will take rest and prepare yourself for the next three days at Keoladeo Ghana National Park.

Day 04 - 06: Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park)
These three days of your wildlife travel will be spent at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Here you will witness a number of species of birds. The park has the finest wetlands in the world and is a world heritage site. You will get to see over 400 species of birds taking shelter in the 29 square kilometers of shallow lakes and woodland of the park. The birds include winter migrants which breed as far as Siberia and Central Asia.

Day 07: Bharatpur - National Chambal Sanctuary - Agra
Early in the morning you will be transferred to Chambal. Where you will board a morning boat cruise, and witness the Indian skimmer, black-bellied tern, large flocks of migratory waterfowl, cranes such as common, demoiselle and sarus; fish-eating crocodile and marsh mugger; Gangetic dolphin; turtles etc. After capturing the memories of this magnificent sanctuary you will head towards Agra. By afternoon you will reach Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. In the evening you will be dropped at the railway station to catch a connecting train for Lal Kuan. Overnight onboard the train.

Day 08 - 09: Sattal
Upon your arrival at Lal Kuan in the morning, you will meet our guide and he will take you to Sattal. After two hours of your journey you will reach your destination - Sattal and make a check in at the hotel of tented camp. The day will be spent in bird watching with the guide and drive through the forested area of Saatal. There you will see a variety of Himalayan species along the way such as red-breasted accentor, chestnut-headed tesia, greater and lesser yellow naped woodpecker, blue-throated barbet, rufous-chinned laughingthrush, black bulbul, dark-throated thrush etc. Overnight stay at the hotel/tent/resort.

Day 10: Sattal - Pangot
On the tenth day of your vacation you will move to Pangot. On your way to Pangot you will cross Nainital. Upon your arrival you will check in at the lodge and leave for a full day birding with a guide at Cheena Peak & Kilbury. You will go on a safari to view the wildlife very closely as you will be driven through the forested area of Cheena Peak Range via Snow View Point and Kilbury, the main region for excellent bird watching. One can see a variety of Himalayan species along the way such as lammergeier, Himalayan griffon, blue-winged minla, spotted and slaty-backed forktail, rufous-bellied woodpecker, rufous-bellied niltava, khalij pheasant, variety of thrushes etc. You will observe around 150 species of bird out of which 130 species have been recorded at Pangot and surrounding areas. The numerous perennial and seasonal creeks are home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna including the Leopard, yellow-throated Himalayan matins, Himalayan Palm Civet, ghoral, barking deer, sambhar etc. Night will be spend at the lodge. At night you can see crested serpent-eagle, mountain hawk-eagle, Woodpeckers such as brown-fronted, stripe-breasted, rufous-bellied etc.

Day 11: Pangot
On the second day at Pangot you will travel to forest area called Baggar and Gughu Khan. This saunter can be very rewarding as you can see Striated Prinia, Warblers such as Tickell's Leaf-Warbler, Greenish, Golden-spectacled and Grey-hooded. You will also witness flycatchers such as Asian brown, rusty-tailed, ultramarine, verditer, tickell's blue, rufous-bellied Niltava etc., orange-flanked bush robin, blue-capped redstart. Here you will again see the Laughingthrushes such as white-throated, striated and streaked, chestnut-crowned etc. Look for accentor, upland pipit, blue-winged minla, whiskered yuhina etc.

Day 12: Pangot - Mongoli Valley - Jim Corbett National Park
Early in the morning you will head towards Bajun, it is about 45 minutes drive from Pangot. After reaching Bajun, you will reach Mongoli Valley trekking. The trek will last for four to five hours. On the trek you will be served a packed lunch. While trekking at Mongoli Valley you will cover the high peaks of Himalayas. After the exciting trek you will be driven to Jim Corbett National Park. It will take you around three hours to reach the park. Upon your arrival you will guided to the cottage at Tiger Camp. One can see crested woodpeckers such as greater yellow nape, scaly-breasted, speckled piculet etc. Large flocks of slaty-headed parakeets, numerous spotted and oriental turtle doves, grey bushchat, russet sparrow. Cuckoo, Indian, oriental, large-hawk, Eurasian, large-billed crow, grey treepie, black-headed jay, maroon oriole, large cuckoo shrike, tits such as rufous-naped, black-throated and yellow-browed and smaller numbers of black-lored and green-backed. White-tailed nuthatches, chestnut bellied nuthatches and bar-tailed tree creeper.

Day 13: Dhikala Forest (Jim Corbett National Park)
The second day at Jim Corbett National Park will be spent at Dhikala forest. As soon as you reach the Dhikala Forest campus you will make a check in at the forests lodge. At noon you will visit the peaceful grasslands for birding. It will include birding in the lower jungle track along the Ramganga River, where you will witness water birds such as river lapwings, waders, mergansers and other waterfowl. While staying in the forest, you will observe another species of birds such as large-tailed nightjar, jungle owlet, spot-bellied owlet, grass owl, common and white-tailed stonechat, black francolin, purple and crimson sunbird, golden-fronted leaf bird, black-shouldered kite, hen harrier, changeable hawk-eagle etc. night will be spent at the forest lodge.

Day 14: Corbett National Park
Early in the morning you will enjoy elephant safari through the grasslands and dense forests at Jim Corbett National Park. Safari is the best mode of transport for wildlife viewing. You will return back to the lodge for breakfast and till lunch spend time on a watchtower overlooking a water hole. After this you will be driven to Tiger Camp. Upon your arrival you will check in at the lodge and spend the night.

Day 15: Corbett National Park - Delhi
In the morning you will go for bird walk at Kumeria and also walk down from Garjia temple to Tiger Camp. In the afternoon you will return to the lodge for lunch and thereafter you will be driven to Kathgodam Railway Station to board a train for onward journey to Delhi. Night onboard the overnight train.

Day 16: Delhi
Upon your arrival at Delhi Railway Station, you will be received by our executive and he will accompany you to the hotel for quick check in. After taking some rest, you will visit the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. At Sultanpur Sanctuary you will observe Indian courser, greater flamingo, great white pelican sarus and common crane, shikra, lesser thick knee, plaintive and grey-bellied cuckoo, crested serpent eagle, a lot of other waterfowl etc. In the evening you will be driven back to Delhi and after having a grand dinner at one of the best restaurants you will go back to the hotel for night stay.

Day 17: New Delhi Departure
According to the timings of your flight, you will be driven to the Airport on time to catch the flight for onward journey.