Tour Duration: 17 nights
Highlights: Chail Narkanda Sarahan Sangla Nako Pin Valley Kaza Pang Mo Chattru Goshaini & Shoja
The trip encapsulates an area in Himachal Pradesh which is a paradise. The high altitude, deep valleys and river basins make this region picturesque and enchanting. In most of the places heavy rainfall does not occur hence the region is ideal for birding in summers and during the monsoon. Due to steep elevation some degree of difficulty arises at some places as they are highlands. The snow covered massive Himalayan Range adds panoramic spectacle while bird watching all over.
yBest Season: May to July & mid-September to October
The tour has is meant for fit and agile birders. Another prerequisite is being comfortable in high altitude. Some of the treks are moderate and offer required rest.
Arrive Delhi overnight Hotel
Take eight hour drive to Chail from New Delhi. Chail at 2250 MSL is a hill resort about 44 km from Shimla the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It is full of forests of chir pine and deodars and ideal for hiking and bird watching. Arrive and leave for bird watching in the post noon period. The place is inhabited by green backed tit, great tit, hill partridge, red jungle fowl, blue whistling thrush, cheer pheasant, large billed crow, koklas, grey-hooded warbler, humes warbler, Spanish sparrow, russet sparrow, swallows, khalij pheasant, woodpeckers, raptors oriental hobby etc. Stay for the night at Chail Palace.
After morning bird watching leave for Narkanda at noon. Narkanda is at height of 2708 MSL. We will stop at Kufri Zoo and see some Himalayan mammals. On arrival Birding in Narkanda post lunch. One can watch many species in company of a guide. See Himalayan Woodpecker, Scaly Bellied Woodpecker, Indian blue robin, Great barbet, Brownish flanked bush warbler, hill partridge, Himalayan griffon, Common hawk cuckoo, black grosbeak, yellow, common hoopoe, grosbeak, chukar, spotted nutcracker, greenish warbler, lemon-rumped warbler, Brown fronted woodpecker, ultramarine flycatcher, Asian brown flycatcher, grey headed woodpecker, Eurasian blackbird etc. Stay overnight at Narkanda.
Get on to the Hatu Peak trail and bird all along. Then leave for Sarahan Village full of orchards. The village is at 1400 plus height. It is also known for the pheasant breeding center which you will visit and bird watch for the rest of the time. The place offers interesting species to check list. You can find buntings, rose finches, fantails, yellow billed blue magpie, common, crested bunting, lammergeier, blue tailed bee eater, common kestrel, Mountain Hawk eagle, changeable hawk eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Shikra, white eyed buzzard and more. Stay for the night at Srikhand Hotel.
Sangla is at 2900m on a road spectacular Himalayas. Reach after six hours drive and go for an evening birding. Discover tree pipit, olive backed pipit, brown dipper, booted eagle, changeable hawk eagle, common raven, goldfinch, lesser cuckoo, black eagle, parakeets, owls, Asian Barred Owlet, dark sided flycatcher, Eurasian Jay, Black Headed Jay, western crowned warbler etc. Overnight in luxury tent.
While driving to Chitkul bird watch enroute. The whole area is composed of mountains, valleys and greenfields. The place offers a good chance of sighting bull finches and grosbeaks along with many varieties of finches. You come across a large variety of tits, redstarts, nuthatches etc.
Nako is based at the confluence of Sutlej and Spiti. We drive via Khab though spectacular panorama and a view of snow clad Reo Purgill peak. Take a halt at many places in order to see birds. Come across chukar partridge, see a golden eagle and Himalayan Griffon in the sky over head. Other birds are parakeets, mountain chiffchaff, golden oriole, rufous bellied woodpecker, Grey capped woodpecker, quails, magpie, black redstart, koklas, blue rock thrush, chestnut bellied rock thrush, hill pigeon, etc. Stay for the night at a hotel or in luxury tent.
From Nako it is a picturesque drive to Pin Valley National Park with a stop at a thousand year old year old monastery. We go birding throughout the way. Overnight in tent.
Situated between Lahaul and Spiti Districts Pin Valley NP in Cold Desert Bioshphere Reserve in Himalayan Ranges it is the best place to search for Snowcock, blue fronted redstart, grey bush chats, Cheer Pheasant, Tibetan snow finch, Himalayan Bulbul, nutcracker, Eurasian eagle owl, snow partridge, common swift, red-billed chough, yellow-billed chough, horned lark, Eurasian Golden Oriole,
While on the way to Pang Mo we go through Kaza, Kibber and Kye monasteries. The camping grounds are picturesque and enchanting. We will be searching for bull finches, Hume's short-toed lark, hill pigeon, great rose finch, snow pigeon, black redstart etc.
While on the way to Chattru we go birding at Losar & Kunzum pass going ahead we reach Lahaul. We can come across, Indian blue robin, great rose finch, khalij, rosy pipit, Asian Paradise flycatcher, etc. Overnight in luxury tent.
While driving to Manali we stop to watch birds at Rohtang pass. Afterwards we head for Goshaini via Manali. We will be spending the night at Tirthan Orchards. We search for birds like Nutcracker, rosy pipit, snow pigeon and many surprises awaits us in this unexplored region.
It is best birding at Tirthan Valley a protected area and river bank and near Great Himalayan National Park. It is at an altitude of 2530 MSL in Himachal Pradesh. One can expect to see verditor, yellow-billed blue magpie, Indian blue robin, brown dipper, Asian Paradise flycatcher, spotted owlet, jungle myna, booted eagle, honey buzzard, white eyed buzzard, Asian barred owlet, Golden oriole, common kestrel etc. Stay for the night in Tirthan Orchards.
Next drive to Jalori Pass & Shoja at a height of over 8000 feet. The journey takes you through dense forest canopy of pristine flora and fauna. This is best place for sighting monal and kalij pheasants, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, white-throated tit, Indian blue robin, Blue Whistling teal, grosbeaks, red billed blue magpie, white-collared blackbird, yellow browed tit, mistle thrush, ultramarine flycatcher etc. Night in Tirthan Orchards.
Drive to Chandigarh (8-9 hr.) stopping for lunch en route. Overnight in a hotel.
Morning drive to Delhi (5 hours). Arrive Delhi by noon.Overnight Hotel
Transfer to international airport.