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Bhutan has become the prominent destination in the Eastern Himalayas. While undeniably this Himalayan kingdom, now the only one left of the former three, is a pristine Shangri La, most tourists come all this way only to enter the country via Paro and exit it the same way. Above that most come for an average of eight or nine days and head back home to North America. It’s simply a shame to make this long journey without not experiencing the entire grandeur of the Himalayas, well before arriving in Bhutan.

A truly rewarding alternative is to begin the journey in Kathmandu, the ancient capital of Nepal, and a former kingdom and from there first go to Darjeeling and then to Sikkim. To experience this popular destination one needs to allocate at least two full days to see all the key sites of the valley, including Pasupatinath, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath, Kirtipur, Patan and Bhaktapur.

With more time one should visit Chitwan National Park before flying to Bhadrapur in Eastern Nepal on the Nepal – West Bengal border, a great flight takes in all the giants of the Adobe of Snow - the Everest Massif, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. From Bhadrapur it is only some six hours by jeep to Darjeeling, the queen of Indian hill stations.

In the cool air of 10,000 feet above sea level of Darjeeling, surrounded by tea gardens against the backdrop of the High Himalayas, a visit to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is most appropriate, though no visit to Darjeeling should be without a ride on its famous Toy Train.

After an early morning trip to Tiger Hill to view sunrise over the Himalayas, it’s off to Sikkim, once an independent Himalayan Kingdom just as Bhutan and Nepal. It’s no more than six hours to reach Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, from Darjeeling.

Sightseeing in Gangtok, a mile-high city, includes couple prominent monasteries, the Enchey and Rumtek. But the cradle of Sikkim’s culture is in West Sikkim, in Pemayngtse,  where is found Rabdanste,  the second capital of Sikkim, and Yuksom, the site where the first Chogyal, or Religious King of Sikkim, was consecrated in 1642.

From Yuksom it is downhill to Kalimpong, another hill station, and then down into the heat of the plains all the way to the Bhutan border at Phuentsholing. Once past Phuentsholing the road starts climbing back up into the Himalayas. It’s  a full day drive to reach Paro, the starting point for all of your tours in Bhutan.

Meeting those that flew into Paro direct from the likes of Bangkok, you’ll be able to tell them how much have they missed by not taking the same route you have, following the grand panorama of the high mountain peaks, through the  kingdoms of the Himalayas.