Darjeeling & Sikkim

A hill-station retreat in India's northeastern Himalaya: Darjeeling's tea gardens and toy train, Gangtok's monasteries and the snow peaks of Kanchenjunga.

Darjeeling and Sikkim lie at the foot of the eastern Himalaya in northeast India, in the states of West Bengal and Sikkim respectively. The two are adjacent and often visited together, making this one of India's most popular mountain getaways. Darjeeling was a British-era summer hill station, with the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway "toy train", sunrise at Tiger Hill (in clear weather you can see both Kanchenjunga and Everest), tea gardens and tea factory tours, and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Sikkim's capital Gangtok has Rumtek Monastery and MG Marg, as well as day trips to Tsomgo Lake and the Nathu La pass at about 3,750 m. In North Sikkim, Lachen and Lachung give access as far as Yumthang, the "Valley of Flowers", and Gurudongmar Lake. The classic itinerary is Darjeeling 2–3 days, Gangtok 2 days and North Sikkim 2–3 days, 7–9 days in total, and it can be combined with Bhutan and eastern Nepal. The gateways are Bagdogra Airport or New Jalpaiguri railway station near Siliguri, and shared jeeps are the way to get around the mountains. Entering Sikkim requires an entry permit; North Sikkim and Nathu La need additional permits, which usually must be arranged through a local travel agency.

Destinations

• Darjeeling
• Gangtok
• Pelling
• North Sikkim

Itineraries

• Darjeeling, Pelling, Gangtok & Lachung Panorama – Travel from Darjeeling into Sikkim, covering tea gardens, ancient capitals, the modern capital, and northern alpine val…
• Darjeeling, Sikkim & Kanchenjunga Loop – A loop connecting Gangtok, Pelling, and Darjeeling to see sacred lakes, ancient monasteries, tea gardens, and the Kanch…
• Gangtok & North Sikkim Alpine Circuit – Starting from Gangtok, stay in Lachung and Lachen to explore Yumthang Valley and Gurudongmar Lake.
• Gangtok, South Sikkim & Pelling Monastery Route – Skip North Sikkim and connect Gangtok, the pilgrimage sites of Namchi, and the ancient ruins of Pelling.