Day 1: Siliguri to Ilam 

We will start our day early today with a sumptuous breakfast and a trip meeting. You will be briefed about the trip in details. Finishing up in Siliguri, we will drive to Ilam. On the way we will have to cross the Nepalese border and get the visas for our foreigner guests. The drive from the border to Ilam is around 120 km and should take us 4 hours to cover. Upon our arrival in Ilam, we will check in to our hotel. Rest of the day will be at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Day 2: Red Panda Location

The day starts early again. After breakfast we will pack all of our gear in the 4x4 vehicle and head towards our final Red Panda location. This will be a very rough drive of 4 hours and we will take it slow and easy. Once we arrive, we will check in to our homestay which is run by the local Nepali family. After lunch we will head out for possibly our first interaction with the elusive Firefox of the bamboo forests. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 to Day 6: Red Panda Location

Finding the red panda in the thick and hilly bamboo forests of Nepal is not an easy job and takes a lot of patience and effort. For the next 4 days, our team of trackers will head out before sunrise into the forest and will look for the elusive animal. We will have our breakfast and follow in the direction of the trackers. Once they have the location of the panda, we will receive a radio message and we will head to that location. We will be carrying our picnic lunches with us. The area also has a great diversity of other smaller mammals like the pine martins, leopard cat, mountain goats and hundreds of other bird species.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Red Panda Location to Ilam

Today’s morning our team of trackers will head out for the last time looking for the pandas. If they have a nearby location, we will head out or else we will have our breakfast and bid goodbye to the team and homestay for our drive back to Ilam. Tonight’s accommodation will in our hotel in Ilam.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Ilam to Siliguri

After our breakfast in Ilam, we will head back to Siliguri. We will have to get our passports stamped again (only for foreigners). Once we reach Siliguri, we will drop you to the airport, railway station or your hotel where the trip will end. 

Meals: Breakfast

Please note: The homestay accommodation at the Red Panda location is rustic. It offers shared squat toilet only. The meals provided by them are also basic. Although everything is very neat and hygienic and food very organic and healthy. 

If you need extra fruits, food supplements or anything else, please inform us in advance so that we can carry it with us (at an extra cost).