Day 1 Delhi
Delhi:Chail
Drive from Delhi to Chail in the morning (08 hr.). Birding in Chail in the evening. One gets familiarized with common species such as blue whistling thrush, large billed crow, green backed and great tit, grey hooded warbler, russet sparrow, wire-tailed swallow, khalij pheasant, oriental hobby etc. Overnight in Chail Palace.
Day 2 Chail
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Chail :Narkanda
Drive from Chail to Narkanda after morning birding and breakfast. Make a brief stop at Kufri zoo to look at some Himalayan mammals. Birding in Narkanda in the evening. One can look for Indian blue robin, brownish-flanked bush warbler, Himalayan griffon, large hawk cuckoo, black and yellow grosbeak, spotted nutcracker, greenish and lemon-rumped warbler, ultramarine and Asian brown flycatcher, Eurasian blackbird etc. Overnight in a Hotel .
Day 3 Narkanda
Narkanda: Sarahan
Morning birding on the trail to Hatu peak. Drive to Sarahan (1920 m / 5 hr.) a village surrounded by apple orchards and dominated by Srikhand Mahadev peak (5155 m) and is famous for Bhimakali temple and a pheasant breeding centre. Rest of the day birding around the pheasant breeding center. One can expect white-throated fantail, grey-headed canary, yellow-billed blue magpie, common rosefinch, crested bunting, lammergeier, common kestrel, changeable hawak-eagle, common tailorbird etc. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 4 Sangla
Sangla:
Drive leisurely to Chitkul (2 hr.) stopping for birding en route. Chitkul is the last inhabited village surrounded by green fields and high mountain peaks. For birders the special ones are red-headed bullfinch, white-winged grosbeak, gold crest, pink-browed and beautiful rosefinch, slaty blue flycatcher, white-tailed rubythroat, rufous vented & rufous napped tit, spot winged tit, whit-cheeked nuthatch, blue-capped redstart, brambling etc. The quaint little houses, temples, gompas and the people of Baspa valley conjure up a perfect image of Shangri-La. Return to Sangla in the evening. Overnight in tents.
Day 5 Sangla
Sangla:Nako:
Drive to Nako via Khab (one of the most pretty drives in this region from the confluence of Sutlej and Spiti rivers the road ascends into steep & winding drive with sparse vegetation and one can enjoy the view of snow clad Reo Purgill peak). Stop at various places to look for birds. Near Nako, one can see chukar, pied wheatear, golden eagle, mountain chiffchaff, golden oriole, black redstart, blue rock thrush, hill pigeon, white-capped water redstart etc. Overnight in a hotel / tents.
Day 6 Nako
Nako:Pin Valley National Park:
This drive is via Tabo. We will make a brief stop here to see 1000 year old monastery. We will also make stops on the way for birding. Overnight in tents.
Day 7 Pin
Pin: Valley National Park :
We will explore surrounding areas for birding. Look for Himalayan snowcock, Tibetan snowfinch, Eurasian eagle owl, common swift, long-tailed shrike, red-billed ,yellow-billed choughs, tickell, leaf warbler, horned lark, citrine and white wagtail etc. Overnight in tents.
Day 8 Pin Valley National Park-Pang
Pin Valley National Park-Pang:
Drive in the morning via Kaza, Kibber and Kye monastery. We will camp in the scenic meadows of Pang Mo. At Kaza, we will have rooms for wash and shower for and hour or two. At the camp site one can look for Hume short-toed lark, plain mountain finch, rock bunting, black redstart etc. One can expect to see blue sheep, pika, red fox etc. Overnight in tents
Day 9 Pang Mo-Chattru
Pang Mo-Chattru :
Drive in the morning to Chattru stopping to look for birds at Losar, Kunzum pass. After crossing the pass we will enter Lahul. We will look for birds in the meadows of Lahul and Chattru. Today we may account for great rosefinch, snow pigeon, green sandpiper, red-billed yellow-billed choughs, Himalayan griffon etc. Overnight in tents.
Day 10 Chattru-Manali-Kullu-Goshaini
Chattru-Manali-Kullu-Goshaini :
Drive in the morning from Chattru stopping to look for birds at Rohtang pass. One can look for monal, khalij, rosy pipit. This area remains less explored so we may have some special birds here. After crossing the pass we will head towards Goshaini via Manali. Overnight in Tirthan Orchards.
Day 11 Tirthan Valley
Tirthan Valley :
Bird walk towards the Great Himalayan National Park and afternoon downstream walk along river Tirthan. One can expect to see yellow-billed blue magpie, brown dipper, Asian brown and paradise flycatcher, jungle myna, Asian barred owlet, common kestrel etc. Overnight in Tirthan Orchards.
Day 12 Tirthan
Tirthan :Inner Seraj :
Drive to Jalori pass andShoja. Shoja, a small village at an altitude of over 8000 feet. The access to Shoja winds through thick forests, alpine trees which provide an untouched habitat. Arrive here in time for lunch and later a walk on the forest logging road into pristine pheasant country. The pheasants seen here are monal & kaleej. Other birds are sulphur-bellied warbler, white-throated tit, Indian blue robin, brownish flanked bush warbler, 2 species of grosbeaks, nutcracker, white-collared blackbird, ultramarine flycatcher etc. Overnight in Tirthan Orchards.
Day 13 Goshaini
Goshaini:Chandigarh
Drive to Chandigarh (8-9 hr.) stopping for lunch en route. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 14 DEPARTURE
DEPARTURE :Chandiagrh:Delhi :
Morning drive to Delhi (5 hours). Arrive Delhi by noon.Later transfer to airport to onward journey.