Joyride to Sikkim and Darjeeling

DAY 1:

Arrival − Darjeeling

We will pick you up from Bagdogra airport/NJP railway station and drive you to the cosy, lush green tea town of Darjeeling. The journey to the hill station is invigorating, as you drive up to an altitude of 6,710 feet, where the air is fresh and cool. 

Once you’ve reached Darjeeling, you will check into your hotel.

Stay Details : Pinetree Spa Resort , Darjeeling / Similar

DAY 2:

Darjeeling Sightseeing

Get ready to experience a sunrise like never before. You might be a bit grumpy from waking up early this morning but we promise you, once you’re at Tiger Hill, the view of the sunrise from atop makes everything worthwhile. 

On your way back, you’ll visit Ghoom Monastery, which preserves some rare handwritten Buddhist manuscripts. Next, you’ll head to Batasia Loop, where the toy train passes in a loop-like pattern. From here, you can enjoy a 360 degree view of Darjeeling’s picture-perfect landscape.

It’s now time to enjoy a hearty breakfast before you head off to visit the rest of the other attractions. In the second half, you’ll visit Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, P N Zoological Park, Tenzing Rock, and Tibetan Refugee Self-help Centre. An interesting and puzzling tourist attraction you’ll come across is the Japanese temple built in traditional Japanese architectural style. It is one of the major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Darjeeling.

Only a ride on the Rangeet Valley passenger cable car can justify seeing Darjeeling in its entire splendour. From high up, you will witness a spectacular view of the valley bedded with lush green tea gardens, dense forest, and small gushing streams.

In the evening, feel free to go for a walk around the local market area for shopping before you retire for the night in your hotel.

Stay Details : Pinetree Spa Resort , Darjeeling / Similar

DAY 3:

Darjeeling – Pelling

From the tea estates of Darjeeling to the pine tree forests of Pelling, you day kick-starts with an exhilarating drive to Pelling Town.

Once there, you will check into a wonderful resort.

Stay Details : Magpie Pachu Village Resort , Pelling / Similar

DAY 4:

Pelling Sightseeing 

Get ready to explore Darap Village, a 10-minute drive downhill from Pelling. Enjoy the drive that winds through cardamom coppice and terraced paddy fields, with the view of Mt. Khangchendzonga in the backdrop and the villages of Yuksam and Khecheopalri garnishing the foreground. Rimbi and Khangchendzonga Waterfalls fall on the way.

Want to make a wish? We thought so. Well we’ve included a trip to the wish-fulfilling Khecheopalri Lake. An interesting feature of the lake is that the leaves are not allowed to float on the lake, which is ensured by the birds that industriously pick them up as soon as they drop onto the lake surface.

The second half of the day will excite history enthusiasts as we take you to Rabdentse Ruins. Rabdentse was the second capital of the former kingdom of Sikkim. The palace and monastery complex was destroyed during a Nepalese invasion. Another historic place of significance is the Pemayangtse Monastery.

End your day at the new helipad ground and click awesome pictures before you head back to your hotel.

Stay Details : Magpie Pachu Village Resort , Pelling / Similar

DAY 5:

Pelling − Gangtok via Namchi

It’s time to head to Sikkim’s capital- Gangtok, an administrative and religious center.  

Soon after breakfast, you will take a breathtaking ride to Gangtok, driving past vistas of green forests and gushing rivers. The forests will soon give way to endless tea plantations, marking your entry into Temi Tea Garden in Namchi, the only tea estate in the state of Sikkim. You’ll get to spend some time exploring the estate and the tea factory. 

Other places of interest we’ll take you to see in Namchi are Samdruptse Temple, where a huge statue of Guru Padmasambhava stands, and Siddheshwar Dham or Char Dham.

Take a good night’s rest at the hotel in Gangtok as you need to be up and early for tomorrow’s excursion.

Stay Details : Hotel Lemon Tree , Gangtok / Similar

DAY 6:

Excursion Trip to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir

Ever seen a glacial lake? Well you’re in for a treat if you haven’t. You will be travelling to Tsomgo Lake today, reaching a height of 3000 m. Take a deep breath as you confront the kilometer-long, oval-shaped lake held sacred by the local people. Escalating its beauty even more is the view you get from the ropeway. 

Close by is Baba Mandir, a distinguished sightseeing place of Sikkim. This shrine is dedicated to Baba Harbhajan Singh, a soldier of the Indian Army who died near Nathu La Pass.

You’ll be heading back to Gangtok for the night. 

Stay Details : Hotel Lemon Tree , Gangtok / Similar

DAY 7:

Gangtok – Kalimpong 

Kalimpong is a picturesque, sleepy town in West Bengal and is only a 3.5-hr drive from Sikkim. Slowly gaining traction as a tourist hotspot, its charm lies in the laid-back way of life and natural beauty.

After breakfast, you will be travelling to the quaint, little town of Kalimpong and visiting some beautiful spots such as Deolo Hill, Mangal Dham, Dr. Graham’s Home, Golf Garden, Durpin Dara Hills, and flower nurseries. 

You will stay the night in Kalimpong.

Stay Details : Sinclairs Retreat , Kalimpong / Similar

DAY 8:

DEPARTURE

• After having your breakfast, you will drive out of Kalimpong and leave for NJP railway station/Bagdogra airport, leaving the hills behind and entering the Bengal plains.
• Your trip concludes. Head back home with lots of pictures and awesome memories.