James Baillie Fraser (1783 - 1856) was a writer, artist, diplomat, spy and Scottish land owner.  In 1815, James and his brother William, went on a three-month tour of the Western Himalayas through parts of what are now the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. William was the Political Agent of the East India Company residency in Delhi and his role was to reassure the local chiefs that on the conclusion of the on-going Anglo-Gurkha War in the area, they would be restored to their previous positions as heads of their respective princely states, provided they agreed to overall Company rule.  The brothers commissioned Indian artists to produce what later came to be known as 'Company Paintings'.  Works from the 'Fraser Album' are now to be found in major galleries around the world. The historian William Dalrymple is related, as is his wife, the artist Olivia Fraser. James kept a detailed journal noting everything he saw and heard, produced the first detailed map of the area and made a large number of sketches, twenty of which were later worked up into watercolours from which aquatints were published in 1820. These aquatints form the basis of the current tour, as we have located and visited the sites where James made his original sketches. For more details click here.

James Baillie Fraser of Reelig (1783-1856), by Sir Henry Raeburn, 1809, 

Private Collection.

The tour can be tailored to your individual requirements in terms of dates, duration, the number of sites visited, the amount of walking / hiking, the quality of accommodation and so on. Additional days of acclimatisation, rest and relaxation at Himalayan Orchard before, during and after the tour can happily be incorporated. 19 of the 20 sites can be visited with a minimum of walking. To reach Yamunotri without walking, ponies or palanquins are available. The 20th site, the rock shelter Bhim ke Udar (pictured), involves a separate five-day trek above 3,500 metres / 11,500 feet. For a video of this trek, please click here.

You will be staying for the central part of the tour at Himalayan Orchard . Otherwise at carefully chosen hotels or homestays.

The full tour starts at Chandigarh airport / train station and ends at Dehradun airport / train station. You travel in comfortable Innova taxis or luxury Traveller 1X1 mini-bus, whereby all guests have a large, comfortable window seat.

The length of the tour depends on the number of sites you'd like to visit. 

For example, on a 9-day tour we can visit 11 sites.  On a 14-day tour we can visit 18 sites.

An extra day is needed to visit The Village & Castle at Bumpta.

A separate 5-day trek is needed to visit Bhim ke Udar.

The 9-day tour:

Double occupancy per person: £810 / 81,000 INR

Single occupancy: £1,080 / 1,08,000 INR

The 14-day tour:

Double occupancy per person: £1,260/ 1,26,000 INR

Single occupancy: £1,680 / 1,68,000 INR

Includes transport & accommodation (bed, breakfast & dinner). 

Not included: Lunches, drinks, travel insurance.