Voyage from fascinating Calcutta up to the Himalayan jewels of Sikkim and Darjeeling, then cross the border into isolated Bhutan. Join the locals in celebrating such festivals as Tsechu in Paro and Jambay Drup in Bumthang. Visit and sleep at a private tea estate, watch the sun rise on Kanchenjunga, dine with Bhutanese courtiers, and sip tea with the monks.

Trek above 15,000 to Shelmakha, a village that has seen only 17 westerners to date! In Bhutan's leading potato-growing region, you'll attend festivals and learn about Jomos who protect the village animals, the Gang-Tsens who defend the ridges, the Tsomems, guardians of the lakes, ponds and rivers, and other deities.

Wander craft and food markets, learn to cook butter tea, vegetable dumplings, sweetened rice, Bhutanese pizza, and other delicacies with families in various parts of Bhutan. Meet weavers and artists, visit temples, horseback ride to Taktsang Monastery, and enjoy the Ura Yakchoe or Wangdi Tsechu festivals.

Visit the homes of Bhutanese nobility to see their textile collections, meet with weavers in Thimphu, and enjoy the Punakha and Bumthang festivals. Traveling from Paro to Bumthang, you'll learn about Chana and Yatra cloths, dress up in Bhutanese finery to explore a palace, and discover a country through its textiles.

Trek from 10,000 Heelela Pass, down through the Gangtey Valley to Trongsa, then from Kuengarapten up to 12,730 and on to Jakar in the Bumthang Valley. Visit dzongs and textile museums, ride horses, watch villagers weave, carve, and work in the fields. Blend spectacular campsites and overnights in charming lodges.

For the Bhutanese, Chomolhari (the God of Animals) is a sacred mountain, not to be climbed by humans. In fall, it looks down onto the harvest below. In spring, the God awakens with a blaze of flowers and a shimmering white headdress above. Trek across this landscape alive with color, animals, and friendly villagers to Jangothan Base Camp.