Day by day trip itinerary

Day 01: New Delhi

Upon you arrival in New Delhi, the capital of India, you will be picked up by our representative and transferred to your hotel. In the evening you can do some sightseeing in Delhi or just take a rest in your hotel room.

Day 02: Reach Bagdogra, Drive to Kalimpong (1,676m)

Today, you will be first taken to the airport to catch a flight to Bagdogra, in the northern part of West Bengal state. Once you reach Bagdogra, you will be picked up at driven to Kalimpong. Once you reach Kalimpong you will be taken to your hotel. Kalimpong is a small town which boasts of cactus farms and was once popular as the summer capital of Bhutan. History has it that the place was a trade hub for eastern and central Tibetan wool. This took place until the India-China war in 1962. Kalimpong once belonged to the Kings of Sikkim. In the beginning of the 18th century, the Bhutanese annexed the land. It was then taken by the British and turned into a part of the state of West Bengal in the 19th century. With two hills, Deolo and Rinkingpong (Durbin) on either side of the town Kalimpong has a moderate climate with enough rain to sustain healthy floriculture. The main attractions in Kalimpong are the churches, three amazingly built monasteries, orchid nurseries and a sericulture centre. All of these are accompanied by stunning views of the distant hills.

Day 03: Kalimpong, Drive to Gangtok (1,547m)

In the morning we will be doing some sightseeing in Kalimpong. We will visit some monasteries before we take a vehicle and drive to Gangtok. Once you arrive at Gangtok, you will be taken to your hotel. Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim and it stands on a hill from where the entire Kanchanjunga range can be viewed in all its magnanimity. Gangtok became the capital of Sikkim in the 19th century. The previous capitals were Yuksom and Rabdentse. Gangtok is a modern town but it still retains the charm of spirituality.

Day 04: Gangtok, Drive to Rumtek (1,550m)

You will be taken to Enchey monastery which is located on top of a hill overlooking Gangtok. This monastery is 200 year old and the name Enchey means the Solitary temple. The monastery is known for the mask dance called ‘Cham’ performed in the month of January. You will also be taken to visit the local handicrafts centre and the Institute of Tibetology. In the afternoon, we will drive to Rumtek monastery. This is the largest monastery in the Eastern Himalaya which was built by the Gyalwa Karmapa in accordance to the conventional designs of the Kagyurpa monastery in Tibet. Rumtek is also the seat of Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. This splendid gompa is about 24 km from Gangtok. If you take a fifteen minute walk downhill it will lead you to the old monastery which was originally built in 1730 by the ninth Karmapa which was destroyed by fire and was reconstructed to the present state. There is a botanical garden nearby that is worth a visit.

Day 05: Drive to Darjeeling (2,134m)

Today we will be heading towards Darjeeling, a quaint hill station also dubbed as “Queen of the hills”. Darjeeling was once the summer capital of Bengal during British rule. The view of Mount Kanchanjunga is breathtaking from Darjeeling. On every side the place is encircled by tea plantations. The British found tea an ideal crop that suited the cool weather of Darjeeling.  Once we reach Darjeeling, you will be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon will be free either to relax in your hotel room or to explore the town

Day 06: Manebhanjyang to Meghma (2,900m)

We will first make a 2 hour drive to Manebhanjyang which stands at a height of 2134m. This is the place from where you begin your trek. The trail moves across a forest and bamboo trees. There are sleepy hamlets on the way with cowsheds and. You will soon reach Meghma. There is a stunning view of the Himalayan Range from here. We will camp here for the night.

Day 07: Trek to Kalipokhari (3186m)

In the morning we will leave the camp and take a tread upon a path that is accompanied by the sight of Kanchanjunga on every curve and bend. The walk is quite easy and we soon reach the village of Kanyakatta and in a short while to Kalipokhari. . Kalipokhari has dark Crystal Lake surrounded by large pine trees. The trek will take us about 6 hours. We will camp for the night in Kalipokhari.

Day 08: Trek to Sandakphu (3636m) 2½-3½ hrs trek.

An ascent of about 2 and a half mile more will take us to Bikhebhanjang situated at a height of about 3,346m). From here the road is densely covered by rhododendron and magnolia forests. We will soon reach Sandakphu, situated at a height of 3636 m. There are awe inspiring views of Mount Everest, Kanchanjunga and Makalu. We will also use this day to acclimatize. Therefore the trek will last only about 3 hours. We will camp here for the night.

Day 09: Trek to Molley (3,536m) 5-6 hrs. 14km.

Across the most alpine of all trails in this entire ridge and accompanied by amazing views of the mountains, we reach Molley, which is a small village encircled by a beautiful forest. We will camp here for the night.

Day 10: Trek to Samaden via Phalut

(Samaden: 8,136ft/2,480m). 7-8 hrs trek
From Molley we will make an uphill climb. Phalut is an important part because it stands at the juncture of Nepal, Sikkim and West Bengal. There are fascinating views of snowy peaks from here which stand at so close a distance that sometimes they look unreal. After having lunch at Phalut, we will descend to Samaden which stands at a distance of 4 km from Phalut. The trial to Samaden is through pine and oak forests. It also bears conifers and rhododendrons. We will camp overnight at Samaden.

Day 11: Trek to Rimbik (2,286m)

A short walk from Samaden will bring you to the village of Ramman. You will then have to take a walk across a forest of orchids and wild flowers. You might also see some rare species of birds. We will soon reach Rimbik situated at a height of 2286m. We will camp here for the night.
Day 12: Drive to Darjeeling (2,134m)

From Rimbik we will drive back to Darjeeling.

Day 13: Darjeeling

Early in the morning we will go to Tiger Hill to watch the sunrise. The sunrise over Kanchanjunga which can be viewed from Tiger hill is considered to be one of the best sights in the world by some poets. We will return to the hotel and rest for a while. In the afternoon we can do some sightseeing of the town. We will also take a joy ride in the Toy train of Darjeeling up to Ghoom station. Later we will visit the Himalayan Zoological Park and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The first director of this Institute was Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first man to climb Mount Everest. There is a natural history museum which is worth a visit.

Day 14: Drive to Bagdogra, Fly to New Delhi

Today right after breakfast you will be transferred to Bagdogra airport to catch a flight to Delhi. At Delhi you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel for the last night of your tour.

Day 15: Departure

You will be taken to the airport for departure.