6Days – 5Nights Gangtok, Darjeeling and Kalimpong Tour

Our representative cordially receives you on arrival at Siliguri (NJP Rail Station / Bagdogra IXB) and helps you to board the car.

 The exciting journey to Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, runs through the winding road cutting across the valleys, hills, and villages and follows the course of the Teesta River. You enter Sikkim through the Rongpo border and soon reach Ranipool. From Ranipool climb up towards Gangtok about 10 km away.

 Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. It is a modern city but with a great history and tradition. At 1,650 meters, Gangtok offers excellent weather throughout the year and offers multiple tourist attractions in and around the city. We assist you to check-in at the hotel. Overnight at Gangtok.

 Recommended: Visit M.G Marg, the main promenade of the city. There are plenty of shops and eateries in the nicely decorated road where locals and tourists visit during the evening. Visit to MG Marg is to be self.

After a heavy breakfast, we take you to the famous Tsongo Lake at 12000 ft (3600M). We start around 8.30 AM from the hotel. You have the whole day to enjoy the snow and Yak ride at the scenic high altitude alpine lake near the Indo-Tibet border. The 1 km long and 15m deep lake is considered sacred to the local people. The pristine clear water remains frozen during winter. Have fun with snow and enjoy an exciting Yak ride around the lake.

Tsomgo Lake, also known as Changu Lake is a glacial lake in Sikkim. The name Tsomgo means ‘Source of water’. It’s located 40kms from Gangtok town and leads to Nathula Pass. This is one of the few high-altitude lakes in India. Before 1962, this was part of the old trade route between India and China. It takes about 2 hours by car from Gangtok to reach the lake along the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, the home to the red panda and the blood pheasant with Rhododendron and other alpine trees along the road – Situated at an elevation of 3753 meters / 12310 feet – The Lake is oval shaped lake nearly 50 feet deep – Generally covered in snow for most of the year – This lake is home to the Brahmini ducks & many migratory birds – Enjoy playing in snow and Yak Ride. Proceed further to Legendary Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir (“Hero of Nathula” An Indian soldier who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra medal for his bravery and known for doing his duty still after death). Nearby is the sacred Baba Mandir known to be a very holy site for all. You can take a ride on colorfully adorned yaks and ponies. There is also a 957-meter long ropeway (cable car) that carries passengers from the lake to a hilltop nearby. You should reach Tsomgolake before noon because in the afternoon the weather here usually starts getting bad. Additionally, Nathula Pass (14,140 ft) which is the Indo-Chinese border can be combined in this trip on request by the passengers at an extra cost.

** Kindly note the following points regarding visit to Nathula** 

1. Nathula permits are limited; hence it is NOT a guaranteed trip.   

2. If permits are issued, the additional cost to be paid by the passengers is approx. Rs. 3000 – Rs. 4000 per vehicle.                                                   

3. Nathula visit cost has not been included in this package.

4. If you have breathing problems, you are advised to consult a doctor before visiting these places (particularly Nathula) because of low oxygen at such high altitudes. Portable oxygen cylinders are available at Medical shops in Gangtok.

 In the evening, return from Tsomgo Lake to Gangtok.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Gangtok.

After an early morning breakfast, we start our journey towards Kalimpong. 

Places Include:

Durpin Hill: Offering the panoramic view of the town of Kalimpong, the snow-clad Himalayan ranges of West Sikkim, the Teesta River, and its valleys, Durpin Dara Hill also has a golf course and the Zang Dhok Palri Monastery. There is also a famous botanical garden there.

Golf Course: A scenic 9-hole golf course which was conceived and laid by the army authorities. You can see the golf course from the roadside Watershed View Point. From here you also get splendid views of the mountains as well as Loleygaon. It’s located close to the Circuit House.

Kanchenjunga ViewPoint: From here you get magnificent views of Kanchenjunga and the entire mountain range, rivers Teesta and Rangeet flowing below, neighboring areas like Peshoke tea estate, Takdah cantonment, western Sikkim, Nathu-la, Tiger hilltop, Kurseong, Siliguri etc.

Durbin Monastery: This Tibetan monastery is located on the Durpin hill and hence such name. The actual name is Zang Dog Palri monastery. It was built in 1972 and has some rare Buddhist scripts that were brought here by the Dalai Lama from Tibet. From the upper terrace of the monastery, you get magnificent views of Kalimpong town with Kanchenjunga in the background, the valley and the plains, Teesta & Reang rivers flowing down, and lovely tea estates of Peshok area.

Pine View Nursery: It has great collections of cactus and ornamental plants. You get a great view of Kalimpong town from the backside lawn. Entry fee: Rs. 10/- per person.

Overnight stay a Kalimpong.

Throughout your journey, you can enjoy the versatility in climate. Pleasant weather will win your heart completely. On the way, you will pass through beautiful natural heritage and more of all this journey offers magnificent views of the mountains, valleys and village life, the forest, waterfalls and hills covered with tea gardens.

Overnight stay at Darjeeling

Early Morning (at 04:00 am) drive to Tiger hill (8,400 ft.) to watch the spectacular sunrise over Mt. Khangchendzongha (28,208 ft. Worlds 3rd highest peak), After breakfast relax for a while and then continue your tour visit to Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop.

Places Include:

Tiger Hill: Who doesn’t know about the magnificent view of sunrise from Tiger Hill. You will need to wake up by 3:30 am and take a vehicle. But the rewards are awesome. You can see the changing colours of the colossal Kanchenjunga snow peaks as the light strikes, it’s a place where you can soak yourself with Himalayan beauty. On a clear day, you can also get a glimpse of Mount Everest, Mount Makalu, and one of the most beautiful peaks of the world, Tibet’s ChomolHari. Tiger Hill is 11kms away and at an altitude of more than 8,400ft. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the top where there is a view tower for watching sunrise. There is an entry fee.

Ghoom Monastery: You will visit one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries of Darjeeling located at a scenic location in the Ghoom area. It houses a12-foot tall statue of Maitreya Buddha which represents the Buddha of the future. This is one of the biggest and oldest statues of Buddha in the Darjeeling area. This statue was created with clay that was all brought from Tibet. In front of the Buddha’s statue, two huge oil lamps keep burning all the time and all through the year.No no entry fee but a donation is required for taking photos inside.

Batasia Loop and the War Memorial: Batasia Loop is an engineering marvel located in the Ghoom area. This is where the toy train makes a double spiral loop to negotiate a drop of 1000 ft as it moves towards Darjeeling town. Amidst the beautiful garden where the railway track is laid in form of a loop, there is also a War Memorial. You can walk along the track and complete the loop yourself. I do it every time I am there. Or take the many pathways in the garden and walk around, enjoy the many flowers and the surroundings. It was constructed in honour of the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. There is a nominal entry fee. Don’t miss the Samosas (fried vegetable pastries) that are sold near the entrance of Batasia Loop in the morning.

Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda: Close to the Darjeeling town and in a scenic setting there is a temple built in a traditional Japanese style. About 100 yards away and in the same complex, there is a large Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Buddha. The view of the mountain range and Darjeeling town from the top of the pagoda is spectacular. No entry fee. Caution: To save time, some drivers try to treat these two attractions as separate ones and count 2 instead of one. Don’t be deceived or you will miss out on one of the following.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute – Darjeeling Zoo – Natural History Museum: These are three attractions co-located in the same large compound. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built to honor Tenzing Norgay’s triumph to the Everest and is dedicated to provide mountaineering and rock climbing lessons to students from all over the world. There is a mountaineering museum as well. The highlights of this museum include the artifacts from various Himalayan expeditions, the Everest section showcasing Tenzing’s personal belongings, an eagle found dead at 26,000 feet during the 1960 Everest expedition, a high power telescope that once belonged to Hitler and was used by the Institute etc. Darjeeling Zoo has many high-altitude Himalayan animals including Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Panda, yaks etc. And the Bengal Natural History Museum is great to know about the flora and fauna of Bengal including high altitude animals of the Himalayan region as well as of Darjeeling district. There is a combined entry ticket to visit all three attractions in one go.

Darjeeling Ropeway: You will board the cable car from Singamari located 3km away from the town center. The 45 minutes ride takes you from an altitude of 7,000ft to 800ft with a wonderful vista of a valley around Rangeetriver, tea estates, and sweeping views of the snow peaks of the Himalayan range including Kanchenjunga. The ticket needs to be purchased. During high season, there may be long queues. So try to book in advance.

Tea Garden: An old tea estate that exports all its produce to Harrods in London and few other countries. You can see the delicate tea processing in the factory with the help of a guide and buy tea packets from its outlet. You won’t get this tea anywhere else in the country. There is no entry fee, however there is a fee for the guide.

Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center: A center and a factory established by the Tibetan refugees who fled Tibet and took refuge in Darjeeling. They not only live here but also produce varieties of exquisite handicraft items to make their livings. The hand-crafted items include jackets, carpets, gloves, aprons, bags, curios, cards, pouches, carved wooden items, Tibetan paintings etc. This is a great place to buy a gift or a souvenir for your friends and relatives. There is no entry fee.

Overnight stay at Darjeeling.

After early morning breakfast, depart for (IXB) Bagdogra Airport for the onward.