The BBC has announced that following the huge success of his latest BBC Two travel docu-series, Michael Palin will return to screens once more this December for a bonus Christmas special of Michael Palin: Travels Of A Lifetime, focusing on the travel series Himalaya.

Travels Of A Lifetime drew an average of 2.7m viewers per episode, and saw Sir Michael revisit his travel journals, diary entries and reveal his personal untold story from his most iconic travel shows — Around The World In 80 Days; Pole To Pole; Full Circle; Sahara.

In this brand new 90 mi ute special, Michael will be turning his attention to Himalaya, an astonishing journey of discovery that Michael made in 2004, at 60 years of age.

For years, the Himalayas represented one of the ultimate tests of exploration. In this series, Michael tests himself against them, venturing through India, Pakistan, passing through the shadow of Mount Everest, the Tibetan Plateau and Bhutan.

Michael Palin, says:

“For me, the word Himalaya evoked the spectacular, the beautiful and the downright dangerous. It’s a name everyone had heard of, but most people, myself included, didn’t really know. Since I was a boy reading about the adventures of Hillary and Tensing, the Himalaya had been one of those epic destinations that seemed more mythical than real.

“I wanted to find out about the people who lived in and around the roof of the world. To see how the mountains affected their lives, and shaped their cultures and beliefs. To discover the realities of life in lesser-known lands like Bhutan and Nepal. And to immerse myself in one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth. In the end, the journey exceeded all my expectations. I’m greatly looking forward to revisiting it.”