The wooded Himalayan hills and valleys of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary are a haven for bird life with over 200 species amongst which are Himalayan barbet, the Verditer flycatcher, black-headed jays, the Himalayan griffon vulture, woodpeckers of various kinds, scarlet minivets, and much, much more.
April 3 to April 13, 2026
We are excited to invite you to Village Ways’ Binsar Birding Festival. Over 10 days, go on birdwatching hikes around the villages of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, meet expert guides, learn how to observe and identify, and meet other passionate birders from all walks of life.
April is a fantastic time to see the forest come alive – in the Sanctuary, there are over 200 species of birds. The village community guides are well-versed in the calls, colours, and behaviours of the biodiversity here.
While the festival goes on for 10 days, you can arrive at your own convenience. Choose your own departure day and travel in your own private party with your own guide during the village walking days. Although this is not a group holiday, you may meet other guests during the talks and workshops at Khali Estate.
Get in touch to join the festival!
We look after you from the moment of your arrival at Delhi airport. Your holiday includes transfers and rail journeys to the hills, accommodation in the village guesthouses and at Khali Estate with all meals provided and
your own guide through the hills. We have devised each of our holidays to provide a good balance between activity and relaxation; please feel free to tailor your holiday to your exact requirements.
Welcome at Delhi airport, transfer to Delhi guesthouse for a night stay.
Early morning transfer to New Delhi station to catch the train to Kathgodam. A road transfer takes you from Kathgodam to a gorgeous 150+ year old manor called Khali Estate. Freshen up in your own rondavel cottage. End the day watching a fabulous sunset from the verandah while sipping on hot masala chai. Follow this with a sumptuous dinner in the dining hall.
Your day starts with a talk by our special guest followed by a special introduction with school children of the nearby villages, and a workshop on birds and wildlife by our invited guests for the children.
After lunch, take a look around Village Made, our initiative to promote handicraft items made by the villages of Binsar and adjoining areas.
Go on an evening walk around Khali Estate with a guide and return for dinner. Stay for another night in Khali.
After breakfast meet your private guide who accompanies you for the rest of your stay. Visit and stay in two of the Binsar villages with two nights in each village. Each day you walk in the company of your local guide with your luggage carried by village porters. Your guide will help to you to spot the diverse birdlife along the way. Our community owned-guesthouses offer simple twin bedroom accommodation. All meals are included throughout your stay, with picnic lunches taken when walking.
Visit the temple complex at Jageshwar, before a road transfer takes you back to Khali Estate for the last night.
Return by road to Kathgodam to catch the day train to Delhi. You will be met at the station and transferred to Delhi centre, where you spend the night in a Delhi guesthouse before departing.
Dates
Party of 2/3
Party of 4+
Spring
3 Apr 2026 – 13 Apr 2026
£1,596
£1,278
Spring
3 Apr 2026 – 13 Apr 2026
Party of 2–3: £1,596
Party of 4+: £1,278
In Delhi, guests will stay in charming boutique accommodations that reflect the city’s mix of heritage and modernity. Nestled in quiet, leafy neighborhoods, these stays offer a peaceful retreat from the capital’s bustle while keeping you close to its historic and cultural landmarks. Each property is thoughtfully designed—with elegant, old-world architecture, warm hospitality, and home-cooked meals that give a taste of Delhi’s rich culinary traditions. Whether in a restored colonial bungalow or a cozy family-run guesthouse, guests will experience the comfort and character of authentic Delhi living.
In Delhi, guests will stay in charming boutique accommodations that reflect the city’s mix of heritage and modernity. Nestled in quiet, leafy neighborhoods, these stays offer a peaceful retreat from the capital’s bustle while keeping you close to its historic and cultural landmarks. Each property is thoughtfully designed—with elegant, old-world architecture, warm hospitality, and home-cooked meals that give a taste of Delhi’s rich culinary traditions. Whether in a restored colonial bungalow or a cozy family-run guesthouse, guests will experience the comfort and character of authentic Delhi living.
Your stay in Binsar commences at Khali Estate, a small family-run hotel steeped in history and an integral part of Village Ways, while through the forested slopes are scattered the villages and farms of Binsar. Your room is in one of the picturesque stone rondavel cabins set amongst the pine trees, clustered around the British Raj style house that was built by General Sir Henry Ramsay. You can truly relax at Khali – it is peaceful (no TV), with good vegetarian food, attentive service and plenty of short walks. In winter there is a warming log fire in the sitting room.
Within the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, you will stay in ‘village homestays’ – owned and managed by the village committee and benefitting the wider community. Connect with your hosts in a special way and enjoy life at the heart of a village, without feeling that you are intruding in anyone’s home.
In Binsar, the guesthouses are simple and comfortable, built in traditional style by the communities of Risal, Dalar, Kathdhara, Gonap, Satri and Matkanya. They have a living/dining room, kitchen, four twin bedrooms and shared shower/WCs. Each village of Binsar will give you its own special welcome.
Within the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, you will stay in ‘village homestays’ – owned and managed by the village committee and benefitting the wider community. Connect with your hosts in a special way and enjoy life at the heart of a village, without feeling that you are intruding in anyone’s home.
In Binsar, the guesthouses are simple and comfortable, built in traditional style by the communities of Risal, Dalar, Kathdhara, Gonap, Satri and Matkanya. They have a living/dining room, kitchen, four twin bedrooms and shared shower/WCs. Each village of Binsar will give you its own special welcome.
Following the success of this year’s inaugural Bird Festival, we are delighted to announce the festival is returning for Spring 2025. The wooded Himalayan hills and valleys of the Sanctuary are a haven for bird life with over 200 species amongst which are Himalayan Barbet, Verditer Flycatcher, Black Headed Jay, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Scarlett Minivett and more.
The festival will include birdwatching hikes, village walks, film shows, talks by experts, sharing experiences with local guides and photo competitions.
The festival will be held on 6th April and the full itinerary will run from 4th to 14th April 2025. You can organise your stay to take in all or part of the festival. Choose your own departure day, travel in your own private party with your own guide during the village walking days. Although this is not a group holiday, you may meet other guests during the talks and workshops at Khali Estate. Please feel free to discuss your ideal requirements with us. Dates for 2025, are announced.
We look after you from the moment of your arrival at Delhi airport. Your holiday includes transfers and rail
journeys to the hills, accommodation in the village guesthouses and at Khali Estate with all meals provided and
your own guide through the hills. We have devised each of our holidays to provide a good balance between
activity and relaxation; please feel free to tailor your holiday to your exact requirements.
Welcome at Delhi airport, transfer to Delhi guest house for a night stay.
Early morning transfer to New Delhi station to catch the train to Kathgodam. A road transfer takes you from Kathgodam to Khali Estate, for a relaxing stay in, a double room garden bungalow.
Meet the team, short talk by a guide and a film on woldlife.
Your day starts with a talk by our special guest . Then a special introduction with School children of the nearby villages, workshop on birds and wildlife by our invited guests for the children, followed by the prize distribution of the drawing competition themed ‘ Birds in your surrounding’.
After Lunch, a look around the folk Bazaar, a first initiative by Village Ways to promote handicraft items made by the villages of the Binsar and adjoining areas launched under a new brand ‘ Village Made’.
Evening walk around Khali Estate with a guide and return for evening meal. Stay for another night in Khali.
After breakfast meet your own private guide who accompanies you for the rest of your stay. You visit and stay in two of the Binsar villages with two nights in each village. Each day you walk in the company of your local guide with your luggage carried by village porters. Your guide will help to you to spot the diverse birdlife along the way. The community owned guesthouses offer simple twin bedroom accommodation. All meals are included throughout your stay, with picnic lunches taken when walking.
Visit the temple complex at Jageshwar, before a road transfer takes you back to Khali Estate for a night’s stay.
10 Return by road to Kathgodam to catch the day train to Delhi. You will be met at the station and transferred to Delhi centre, and will spend the night in a Delhi guesthouse.
Transfer to Delhi airport for homeward flight.
Your stay starts and ends with nights at Khali Estate, steeped in the rich history of modern India. This is where the festival will take place, with talks, documentaries and workshops for all ages. From Khali head through the pine-forest to experience the individual character and warm hospitality of the Binsar villages, with plenty of time to relax and immerse yourself in village life. You also have the opportunity to visit the vast and impressive Shiva complex of temples at Jageshwar before returning to Khali.
On average, you walk for four hours a day on your walking days, however the walking in the Binsar Sanctuary is flexible and your experienced guide will tailor the walking routes to suit your needs. Choose whether to stretch your legs and take in the ridges and high points of the Sanctuary or to take the winding footpaths at a gentler pace.
On the days you spend in the villages, you have the opportunity to join in and learn about the local customs and the work of the communities. Many of our guests have told us this participation has been a highlight of their Indian experience. Each village of Binsar gives its own special welcome, and each has its own personality – but all are the home of mountain people, hardworking, stalwart, warmly hospitable.
At the villages you may wish to watch or help harvest the fruit, tend the buffalo or work in the fields, or relax on the terrace with a cup of hot chai. Enjoy helping to prepare traditional dishes using the day’s harvest if you wish. There is a wonderful diversity of produce; from coriander, buck wheat and rice, to cocoa yams, sweet lemons and pomegranates. After dinner you may be invited to join in the village games of gooli-dandia or cricket.
With Village Ways you stay in very special village guesthouses – ‘village homestays’ – owned and managed by the village committee and benefitting the wider community. Connect with your hosts in a special way and enjoy life at the heart of a village, without feeling that you are intruding in anyone’s home.
In Binsar, the guesthouses are simple and comfortable, built in traditional style by the communities of Risal, Dalar, Kathdhara, Gonap, Satri and Matkanya. They have a living/dining room, kitchen, four twin bedrooms and shared shower/WCs. Each village of Binsar will give you its own special welcome.
Surrounded by pine forest and affording beautiful views of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Kamet and Trishul peaks from the upper parts of the village, Dalar is divided into two hamlets: Valli (“This Side”) Dalar and Palli (“That Side”) Dalar. It is a relatively thriving village with a school and temple. It is a little more accustomed to visitors than other villages, but you’ll be as welcome here as in the most remote corner of Binsar Sanctuary. The village homestay, Minivet House, looks out over the valley, with views of high Himalayan peaks in the distance.
The secluded village is set on the slopes above a deep valley and is surrounded by beautiful mixed forest of oak, pine and rhododendron. Its little paths afford glimpses of wooded hills and green pastures. The villagers produce vegetables and other crops but many have been damaged by wildlife from the adjacent Sanctuary. The Forest department have since established a fence to protect the crops. Bulbul House homestay is neatly located on a terrace near the main village.
Satri village is remote and secluded, located on a high ridge surrounded by a glorious mountain landscapes, with uninterrupted views to the peaks. The village houses form a beautiful series of dwellings, although some are empty. Just four families now live in Satri. In 2003 the villagers believed that they would have to abandon their village, to let their homes and fields be overtaken by the forest. The arrival of Village Ways was, for them, “the big dream come true” – a dream that has helped Satri to sustain its remaining families. You’ll be given a very special welcome here in Pipit House.
Myna House guesthouse nestles amidst terraced fields in the lower part of Kathdara. Enjoy the rhythms of traditional rural life in the foothills in this vibrant farming community. With a name meaning wood (kath) and stream (dhara), this beautiful village boasts extensive terraced fields, orchards and well maintained farms, with views over hills and a wide valley, and glimpses of the awe-inspiring Panchachulli range beyond. The villagers are keen to show guests their farms and let them help with field activities. They have also created a small farming museum.
The farmhouses of Gonap are set on a hillside among terraced fields and vegetable gardens, with wonderful open views backed by richly forested slopes. Its people joined the Village Ways project with great enthusiasm, led by Prem Singh, starting with the building of a retaining wall for the Barbet House guesthouse site – to become known as “The great wall of Gonap”! Although it is a poor village, it has a primary school: the teacher, children and villagers are eager to meet and get to know their visitors, to show them round and invite them in.
The suggested itinerary can be extended if you wish to spend more time exploring the Himalayan foothills, or shortened if your time in India is limited. Our knowledgeable staff will be delighted to help fashion the holiday to suit you.
We ask our guests to make their own arrangements for international travel to India. For Village Ways holidays in the foothills, the nearest airport is Delhi. Travel information for India, including visa requirements, can be found here.
Delhi is a fascinating and vibrant city. It epitomises the huge leaps forward that India is currently undergowing whilst reflecting the country’s great history. A new metro is being built but much is still moved around on overladen cycles and bullock carts. The shopping opportunities are excellent, particularly for textiles. Why not add a night’s stay in the city to your holiday?
Guest-house accommodation We work with some very comfortable and hospitable guest-houses in the heart of Delhi. We can arrange overnight stays for you, or a day-room to freshen up after a night flight. We can also arrange an upgrade from a guesthouse to a hotel if you prefer.
Driver & car One of the best ways to get around and across Delhi is by car. We offer carefully selected drivers to look after you for the day. On call for you, they will be able to take from shops to India Gate to the Red Fort and out to dinner – or wherever you choose.
Included in your holiday to and from the hills is a journey on the overnight Ranikhet Express from Delhi to Kathgodam. Included accommodation is in 2nd class, air-conditioned carriages – 2 tier, open plan with curtains around groups of berths. Trains open for reservation 3 months before departure. As soon as reservations open we will be able to confirm your rail journey to you.
Upgrade to 1st class You can upgrade to 1st class where the berths are in air-conditioned compartments of four or two. There is only one 1st class carriage which can be get booked very early on.
From Delhi to the hills by car You can also choose to travel up from Delhi (or return at the end of you holiday) by private car.
Extra nights at Khali Estate
All holidays to Binsar include at least one night at Khali Estate, a marvelous place to relax and unwind. Many guests have added an extra night here at the beginning or end of their stay in the hills. If your journey here has been by night flight followed by overnight train it could be good idea to catch you breath with a quiet day here.
Extra nights in the Village Guest-houses
You may wish to prolong your exploration of the wonderful hill villages in Binsar. There is so much to learn and appreciate about village life and the host communities would love to keep you for a day longer.
For many guests, a visit to India would not be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, regarded by many as one of the wonders of the world. Whether you wish to make a day trip or enjoy an overnight stay with time to explore more of Agra, we can arrange a visit to suit you.
The weather varies markedly by season, so you need to choose the time that suits your preferences.
December to February
During the real winter daytime maximum temperatures are still a comfortable 10 – 15°C but night temperatures sink to around 0 – 5°C. Some small amounts of rain can be expected, and even a little snow, but the days are warm and sunny, with good views.
March to May
From March onwards the temperatures rise steadily from maxima of 15°C to around 30°C in May, but the nights remain comfortable (10-15°C). This is the dry, hot season when villagers start to prepare the land for the monsoon crops. The air can become hazy, due to local forest fires and views of the Himalayan peaks are usually limited to the early mornings and evenings.
June to September
The SW Monsoon rains clothe the hills in cloud. The air is humid but delightfully fresh. Temperatures are around 20°C during the day but fall back to 15°C at night. The rains clear the dust, allowing crisp views over the hills and glimpses of brilliant green rice crops in the fields.
October to November
This the best time for views of the Himalayan snow-capped peaks. The landscape is still green after the rains. The days are warm and sunny but the air temperatures start to drop as the winter progresses, with maxima of 20 degrees and minima of 5°C.