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Hi Raj,
I was born in Kalimpong and studied in SJC. Now after more than 50 years we are planning a trip to that wonderful land! Read your passionate, very useful and practical advice on the planning of the tour. I have also bought the Ebook.
Tentative days are from 27 Feb 2020 to 5/6th Mar. During this time would like to visit Gangtok, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Places where I have visited or stayed in childhood! Arriving from Guwahati either by train or flight and leaving for New Delhi from Bagdogra.
Can you suggest some itineraries, hotel plans etc? Should I book myself or through agents?
Many thanks and with regards
Yuvraj Singh (December 2019)
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Hi,
Your are visiting when the winter is at its peak... you would know that it's the lowest season in the hills here. I suggest you book the hotels directly... that way you get best discounts and best rooms. Bookings through agencies are almost always given low priorities. Depending on your budget, choose from the hotels I have discussed on my website for each of these places, call them up and book directly.
Suggest you visit the places in this order... Gangtok, Kalimpong, Darjeeling. This is because while returning from Gangtok or Kalimpong, there could be huge traffic jams in Siliguri and elsewhere which can badly impact your schedule. Route from Darjeeling to Bagdogra is different and is usually free of serious traffic jams. One catch... West Bengal registered taxis can only go up to Deorali stand (2kms before Gangtok town) and you need to take another local taxi to your hotel. It's better to ask your hotel at Gangtok to arrange for a pick up.
Since your time is short (barely 2 days for each place), try to remain within town limits and do local sightseeing. Avoid local taxis, instead ask the hotel to arrange sightseeing tours or go through a proper tour operator... cost would be little higher but the experience will be better. While visiting Darjeeling from Kalimpong, go via Lamahatta to see the nicely manicured roadside garden and the views around. While returning from Darjeeling to Bagdogra, go via Mirik and stop at Simana (Nepal Border) viewpoint. Regards,
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2019
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Dear Raj,
Thanks for the prompt reply and very valuable feedback. On your recommendations, I am rerouting my itinerary and will let you know. Once finalized I will also call the Hotels for booking. Call or book directly online?
Q: While in India I've visited Rajasthan, HP, and Utrakand booking through the Govt tourist bungalows. Is there something similar available here, good locations, better and cheaper ??
BTW I am now based in Canada and are used to severe winters and snow. However, the facilities here are also much better. Regards,
Yuvraj Singh (December 2019)
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Darjeeling and Kalimpong there are hotels/lodges run by West Bengal Tourist Development Corporation (WBTDCL)... locations are some of the best but lodging quality and service may not be top class, but mostly acceptable. Go through my review of WBTDCL lodge in Darjeeling.
In Kalimpong, try to book Morgan House (also of WBTDCL). You can find my review of Morgan house in this page. In Sikkim, there are only privately run hotels.
You can book WBTDCL lodges online through their website. For private hotels, it is better to call them up first to see if you get any better deals and then book accordingly or online.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2019
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Hi Raj,
Based on your advice and inputs have revised the itinerary as follows:
27th Feb, Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri by night train. Reach by NJP early morning and then to Gangtok by taxi.
Q: Can you suggest which night train? Some good ones are reaching too early 03:00 in the morning! Taxi on the spot or book in advance?
- Gangtok x 3 nights. Hotel Sonam Delek. What's the take on Hotel Elgin? My main concern is walking up to it? Do I need a permit for Sikkim? Do I take it before or after I check-in at the hotel? From Gangtok would also like to visit Gurdwara Nanak Lama Chungthang.
-2nd Mar Gangtok to Kalimpong via Rangpoo halt
Kalimpong x 3 nights. Hotel Morgan House
- 5th Mar Kalimpong to Darjeeling via Lamahatta
Darjeeling x 3 nights. Hotel Shangrila
8th Mar. Kalimpong to Bagdogra via Simana view and Mirik. We will have to start early to catch the flight to Delhi!
If falling short of days in Gangtok can increase it by one day and decrease Darjeeling by a day?
Many thanks and with regards
Yuvraj Singh (December 2019)
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Hi, try to book a train that reaches in the morning at a comfortable time (like Kanchanjanga Express) or Even Kamrup Express which reaches in early evening. If you book taxi on spot, take it from pre-paid taxi counter (opens at 7am and closes by 7pm). Visit the Gangtok Hotels Page where I have discussed the two hotels (Sonam Delek and Elgin Nor-Khill):
Being an NRI/Foreign National, you will need Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Sikkim. Since you are coming by train, you can get it at Rangpo checkpost which is located on the border of East Sikkim and on the way to Gangtok. You must have your passport, visa and photographs. The check post office is usually open between 8am to 8pm.
Gurdwara Nanak Lama Chungthang is in North Sikkim and for that you need a separate Protected Area Permit (PAP). You need to go through a registered tour operator to get that permit while in Gangtok and also take their vehicle to visit the place. Your hotel can also arrange this through their own connections with tour operators. Being foreign nationals, you must be in a group of two or more to get the permit and travel together. You should give it a day's time to get the permit, so initiate the process as soon as you reach Gangtok.
Your overall itinerary is okay, you should ideally stay in Gangtok for one more day. Regards,
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2019
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Hi Raj,
We 3 people are visiting Darjeeling and Gangtok. Stay is for 4nights. We are reaching Bagdogra airport on 27th March at 11:00am
Day 1- Bagdogra- Gangtok
Day 2- Nathula pass, Tsomgo lake, Baba mandir
Day3- 7 point tour at Gangtok and proceed to Darjeeling. Night stay at Darjeeling
Day 4- Tiger hill sun rise and local sightseeing
Day 5-proceed for Bagdogra (flight is at 2:45 pm)
My query is can we visit Kalimpong (only deolo hill )? If so, on which date can we visit?
Rashmi (January 2020)
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Hi, it's a busy plan and there is not enough time to visit Kalimpong. One option is to visit on day-1 on the way to Gangtok, but that would mean a detour of 3-4 hours (including time spent in Delo). You should then pre-book a car, pre-paid taxis at the airport won't take such detours.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2020
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Hi ,
I am planning below itinerary to cover Sikkim. Please let me know if this is possible. Also can we skip Pelling if we are visiting other places similar or more beautiful than it or is it worth to visit?
1 May : Airport to Gangtok
2 : Gangtok to Baba Mandir to Zuluk
3 : Gangtok to Lachen
4 : Lachen sightseeing and Lachen to Lachung
5 : Lachung sightseeing and return to Gangtok
6 : Gangtok sightseeing and Pelling
7 : Pelling sightseeing and stay
8 : Pelling to Darjeeling sightseeing
9 : Darjeeling sightseeing and travel to Mirik (2.30hrs 62Km 4905). Stay in Mirik.
10 Mirik to Airport (1.50hrs 55km)
Dipshree (January 2020)
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Hi, suggest you skip Pelling to give yourself a full day in Darjeeling.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2020
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Hello,
We, 2-adult couple plannig a trip to Darjeeling are in June 2nd week, 2020.
1. Fly into Bagdogra , proceed to Gangtok - 2 nights
2. proceed to Pelling - 2 nights
3. Proceed to Darjeeling - 2 nights
4. Fly out 7 th day Bagdogra.
Is June safe from monsoons in this area? We greatly appreciate your advice. Thank you,
Ram Shankar (January 2020)
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Hello, your itinerary is okay. However, the official monsoon season starts from June 15 and ends on Sep 15. So expect rains.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2020
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Hi,
A very happy new year to you.
I'm planning a visit Takdah - Gantok - Darjeeling in a single go. Initially the plan was to cover Takdah and Darjeeling however, after going through your webpage for Darjeeling Gangtok combined tour, intends to change my plan and include Gangtok as well.
Appreciate if you could confirm if this is practical or not to cover all these three places in a single tour.
Thanks in advance.
Gourab Saha (January 2021)
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Hi, happy new year!
Yes, it is quite possible, but you should have an adequate number of days to enjoy each place. If you plan to travel by reserved taxi, you can visit the places in the following sequence: Gangtok - Takdah - Darjeeling, or the reverse in order to save on travel time.
If you want to use a shared taxi wherever possible, then visit Takdah first (you can get a shared taxi from Siliguri Vishal cinema stand), then take a reserved taxi to Darjeeling, then a shared cab to Gangtok, then a shared taxi to NJP.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2021
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Hello Raj, Greetings for the new year.
I am planning a family trip covering places as per below itinerary in mid-week of March'21. Please suggest if this sounds fine or if any update needs to be made. Also, do I plan a packaged tour to avoid hassles. Many thanks in advance.
Day 1. Fly from Kolkata to Gangtok
Day 2. Gangtok Excursion
Day 3. Gangtok to Pelling
Day 4. Pelling Excursion
Day 5. Pelling to Darjeeling
Day 6. Darjeeling Excursion
Day 7. Darjeeling to Bagdogra and return to Kolkata
Aurin Ghosh (January 2021)
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Hi, the itinerary is fine. You can take a packaged tour if you want but go through a credible tour operator. Note that the same car can not be used for sightseeing in both Darjeeling and Gangtok because they belong to two different states and cars with local registrations are only allowed for sightseeing in these places. So, the tour operators will change cars and they usually make use of reciprocal networks to offer such tour package across the two states. But they will take care of the transitions and you can enjoy uninterrupted service and avoid all hassles.
The cons in this arrangement are: 1) such a package will be significantly more expensive than using taxis, 2) you will need to follow a pre-decided tour plan and won't have much flexibility.
If you want to use a Darjeeling based tour operator for this, google 'Best tour operators in Darjeeling' and go through my page. Good luck!
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2021
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Hello sir..
Planning a sikkim only trip around October 2nd weekk (9-17) 2021 with three other people from Chennai.
Itinerary
Day 1arrive in bagadora-gangtok and I'll have two to three hours in the evening.
day 2,3,4- 3 days (North sikkim)
day 5:nathula, changu, baba mandir
day 6-half day gangtok sightseeing, leave for pelling
day 7: ravangla/ pelling
day 8-pelling to siliguri-bagadora
I have few queries here: are namchi /ravangla a must visit... can I change something in the itinerary... not with family or kids, so is there any place a must visit and I have missed it here... please suggest... thank you..
Aeishwariya (February 2021)
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Hello,
if you are keen on religious shrines and activities, then you should plan to visit Namchi. Ravangla will be on your way between Gangtok and Pelling (if you take the shorter route through Singtam), so you will be wasting travel time trying to revisit the place from Pelling.
Secondly, you can not see much if you are trying to cover Pelling and Ravangla on the same day. Your itinerary is too cramped towards the end. You ideally need one more day to visit Ravangla (Buddha Park and New Ralang Monastery), Temi Tea Garden (located between Ravangla and Namchi) and Namchi (visit Char Dham), stay overnight at Namchi and then proceed next day to Bagdogra. Otherwise, drop Ravangla and Namchi, and instead do a full day sightseeing at Pelling.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2021
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Hello Raj Ji,
We are planning to travel to north east for our much awaited holiday in october 2021.
Your website really helped me understand even the minute details of each place which i have included in my itinerary. I have also ordered your book and hope to get more insights from that before we travel to this part of India.
We wish to combine both Sikkim & Meghalaya on this trip for which we have about 9-10 days inclusive of travel from Delhi and back. I wanted to know if its actually feasible to do that or we are expecting too much out of this single trip.
In my itinerary, I have included north Sikkim, Darjeeling, Pelling and Kalimpong followed by Shillong and Cherrapunji. Kaziranga is also dying to fit into my itinerary but it might get too tight.
We plan to travel by air from Bagdogra to guwahati for exploring meghalaya. rest we plan to cover either by private taxi or hiring a self drive car. Which one do you think is more feasible in terms of safety & of course value of money? we are 2 adults and 2 kids (8-9 years old).
I will be really thankful if you can give me some of your valuable insights so this holiday becomes a memorable one for us.
Thank you in anticipation.
Neha Mathur (February 2021)
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Hello Neha, I am afraid 9 days is too short to cover all the places you mentioned, you will end up only hopping from one place to the other without being able to spend time at any. You might at the most be able to cover North Sikkim, Gangtok, Pelling/Kalimpong (one of the two) and Darjeeling.
You can't anyway self drive a car in protected areas of Sikkim like Lachung, Lachen etc of North Sikkim. It is better to use a proper tour operator of Darjeeling or Gangtok since you are planning to visit so many places. They can handle all logistics including necessary permits, Sikkim travel cards etc.
If you must visit Shillong and Cherrapunji, then you can combine that with a visit to Gangtok and North Sikkim, or alternatively Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Kaziranga National Park requires a separate plan.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2021
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Hi Raj,
Thank you for your email as well as invaluable suggestions regarding the itinerary.
On your suggestion, I have re-worked on my itinerary and this is what I have come up with. I will be glad if you could have a look at it and
let me know what you think about it.
The planned time of travel is mid october.
If you feel I can add something which is more worth exploring than what i have already mentioned here, please let me know. All suggestions from people like you who have in-depth knowledge about the place and its related travel are more than welcome. :)
DAY 1 DELHI TO BAGDOGRA BY AIR. THEN TO GANGTOK BY ROAD. REACH HOTEL & REST
DAY 2 GANGTOK LOCAL SIGHT SEEING
DAY 3 TSOGMO LAKE , BABA MANDIR , NATHULA PASS
DAY 4 GANGTOK TO BAGDOGRA BY ROAD. THEN TO GUWAHATI BY AIR AND SHILLONG BY ROAD
DAY 5 SHILLONG LOCAL SIGHT SEEING
DAY 6 SHILLONG TO CHERRAPUNJI BY ROAD
DAY 7 STAY AT CHERRAPUNJI
DAY 8 CHERRAPUNJI TO DAWKI FOR UMNGOT RIVER AND BACK TO SHILLONG. STAY AT SHILLONG.
DAY 9 STAY AT SHILLONG. LAITLUM CANYON & UMIAM LAKE
DAY 10 SHILLONG TO GUWAHATI AIRPORT TO DELHI
Really looking forward for your guidance. Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Neha Mathur (February 2021)
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Hi,
Here are some suggestions:
Regards,
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2021
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Dear Mr. Bhattacharya:
Thanks you for the recent email in which you forwarded to me the eBook on Sikkim and Darjeeling. I am at the early stages of planning a trip in Sikkim. I am writing to seek your advice on a trip I am planning for April of 2022. I have had both COVID injections.
I want to spend time in the Himalayas, surrounded by great mountain views. I am a 72 year old American man and will be traveling on my own. I'm in good health, but due to arthritis, my trekking days are over. This will be my 8th trip to India, including 5 business trips in cities, and 3 for holidays.
I love what I have seen of the Indian culture, have visited rural areas, been to your national parks for wildlife viewing, and enjoy the people, but I am not a fan of the noise and the chaos of cities. I have never traveled to the mountains of India, though I have been to Nepal. I usually have no difficulties at altitudes of 6,000 to 7,000 feet after a day of adjustment.
I am planning a 12 day trip to the mountains, and have put together a rough itinerary from Badroga Airport to Gangtok, then Pelling, and saving the best for last, then Darjeeling. I have a fair idea of which hotels I want to use - views of the Kanchenjunga mountain range are a must when it is clear.
But where I need help is on the use of a travel agent for vehicle transfers and sight seeing, and the Sikkim Inner Line Permit (ILP). I can afford taxis/private car and driver, and do not need to depend on buses.
My preliminary itinerary is as follows:
Day 1, Depart Bagdogra/Siguri for Gangtok, spending full 3 days there, the first of which will be jet-lag and altitude adjustment, and the next two will be for sightseeing, including Tsomgo Lake.
Day 5: Transfer to hotel in Pelling, where I will spend Days 6 and 7 sightseeing.
Day 8: Transfer to Darjeeling, and spend 3 full days there, sightseeing and taking it easy of days 9, 10 and 11.
On day 12, transfer to Bagdogra and back to New Delhi for my journey back to the USA.
Here are the hotels I am considering - but will hold off on booking until later in the year.
Gangtok: WelcomHeritage Denzong Regency
Pelling: The Elgin Mount Pandim, or maybe the Chumbi Mountain Resort
Darjeeling: The Glenburn Tea Estate is an absolute priority
So here are my questions for you:
Do I need to use a travel agent for transfers between cities, or can I depend on the hotels for Bagdogra pickup, then hiring cars/drivers for local sightseeing and transfers to my next destination?
I gather I can arrange for the ILP online. Am I correct? I know it will be inspected at checkpoints. Will the ILP permit me to visit Tsomgo Lake? I know that I will not be able to get any closer to the China Border than that.
What do you think of the above itinerary and hotels?
If you recommend my using a travel agent, I have the list found on pages 72 and 138 of the eBook. I also have the list of the Grade A Travel Agents from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Govt. of Sikkim. I don't know if you are allowed to make any specific travel agent recommendations based on what I have told you, but if so, I would welcome your suggestions.
That's all for now; I look forward to your expert advice.
Thank you,
Brooks Browne (April 2021)
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Hello Mr Browne,
Your itinerary looks nice and relaxing, and the choice of hotels pretty good. For your tour plan, you do not need any tour operator. The hotels can easily arrange for the pickup, transfers and drop, as well as sightseeing. Glenburn actually offers an all-inclusive package that includes transport, accommodation, food and local sightseeing. The other hotels you indicated can also do so... all of them have travel desks. Vehicles owned by the hotels are usually in better condition than those of the tour operators.
You can get a provisional ILP online which will be inspected and endorsed at the Rangpo Check Post (on your way to Gangtok). I suggest you carry the provisional ILP, but after landing at Bagdogra airport, approach the Sikkim Tourism Counter at the arrival hall and they can issue a manual ILP in a matter of minutes (they will only need your passport and photographs), and then you are all set... you can then discard the online provisional ILP.
The ILP is required by foreign nationals to get entry to any part of Sikkim. However, in order to visit a protected area like Tsomgo Lake, all including Indians require a Protected Area Permit... but don't worry, it's a simple process. When you reach your hotel in Gangtok, hand over your passport and a couple of photographs at the reception desk, tell them when you want to visit Tsomgo and they will get the Tsomgo permit ready by next morning. All hotels in Gangtok provide this service.
Below are a few points for your knowledge:
1. There are some transport restrictions between Darjeeling (which is located in the state of West Bengal) and places in the state of Sikkim such as Gangtok and Pelling. While vehicles with proper permits can drop/transfer tourists from Gangtok/Pelling to Darjeeling or vice versa, the vehicles from outside the state are not permitted for local sightseeing at any of these places. This is silly but true for both Sikkim as well as Darjeeling. And therefore, the tour operators need to operate through their network at both places so that once you are transferred from one place to the other across the two states, you get a locally registered vehicle for local sightseeing. This could be annoying because you need to keep changing vehicles.
2. Only authorized tour operators are allowed to take tourists to a protected area like Tsomgo and in their own vehicles which are separately approved by Govt. of Sikkim. While your hotel in Gangtok can easily arrange for the permit and the tour to Tsomgo, this part of the journey will be through a tour operator in a separate vehicle. However, it doesn't matter, the hotel makes all arrangements and takes all responsibilities.
3. Due to the Covid Pandemic, the Sikkim Government has recently introduced an online Sikkim Travel Card, which is free but mandatory for all tourists travelling to Sikkim. One needs to carry the same and it needs to be updated while one is in Sikkim. This is done in order to track the health and tour status of the tourists. You should carry a print-out of the Sikkim Travel Card as this will be checked at the police check posts. Your hotels can help with the updations of the online card. You need to only give them your 'Tour Id' which is generated when you create the online card. You can get full information about Sikkim Travel Card on this link.
Hope this helps!
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2021
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Dear Mr. Bhattacharya:
Thank you so much for your prompt and very comprehensive reply.
It is nice not to have to hire a tour operator/travel agent because so many make it their job to push extra tours and options that I am currently not interested in.
The only thing I now plan to do a bit differently is to reserve the Ging Tea Estate or the Singtom Tea Estate & Resort because they are closer to Darjeeling than Glenburn.
If more questions come up, I may take the liberty of re-contacting you. But in the meantime, you have added a lot of value to my planning, and I do appreciate it.
Respectfully,
Brooks Browne (April 2021)
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Hi Raj, you are having appreciable knowledge about the place. I have one query, me with my husband and child are planning for a trip to Gangtok-Sikkim-Darjeeling during mid Sept, I wanted to know can we hire a local taxi from outside the Bagdogra airport for the same? We want to hire a taxi for the complete tour. Do you have any knowledge of the fare they charge for such complete tours? We want to hire for 8N/9D, and we aren't looking forward to book any pre-paid cab from tour packages companies.
Sakina (June 2021)
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Hi,
At Bagdogra airport, only pre-paid taxis are available for point to point transfers... you can not hire one for several days. Moreover, the same taxi can not be used for sightseeing at Darjeeling and Sikkim... one can use only state registered vehicles at these places... plus in order to visit the protected areas in Sikkim (such as Tsomgo, Nathula, North Sikkim etc), you need to go through only authorized operators. So you can either avail a tour package from an authorized operator or once you reach a place (Darjeeling or Gangtok), you can ask the hotel to arrange for the tours or further transfers.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2021
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Hi Raj,
So there are no local taxi with whom we can negotiate outside Bagdogra airport to reach atleast one spot like say Gangtok?
Sakina (June 2021)
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Hi,
You can always take a taxi from the pre-paid counter at Bagdogra airport for a drop at your hotel in Gangtok or Darjeeling. Why do you want to go outside the airport and negotiate with a local driver? You can do that (although not officially allowed at the airport premises)... but you can get into all sorts of trouble later... those guys are unreliable.
If you do not want to get your entire tour organized through a tour operator, then your best option is to take a taxi from the pre-paid counter at Bagdogra airport and reach your first destination. And then get hold of a local taxi there for local sightseeing tours or ask the hotel.
Note that if you are going to Gangtok from Bagdogra airport, unless you get a Sikkim registered vehicle (which is often not available), the taxi will drop you at the lower taxi stand (Deorali) which is 2kms below Gangtok town. It won't go any further. You will then need to take another local taxi to your hotel.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2021
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Hi. your blog is so informative. I need your help in itinerary. my husband and I are planning to go to Gangtok-Darjeeling trip in October and I have made an itinerary. I want your advice on it. It is a 6 days trip.
day 1
Upon arrival at airport t 8.30 am we either take taxi or helicopter to reach gangtok
at 10 or 11 possibly we will start to tashi view point, Ganesh tok, hanuman tok.
then go to Enchey monastery - handicraft center - chorten stupa - flower exhibition
then to ropeway - banjhakri waterfalls - ranka monastery
Day 2
Tsomgo lake - Baba Mandir - Nathula pass
Evening we will start to Darjeeling via road and overnight stay at darjeeling.
Day 3
Sunrise in tiger hills - ghoom monastery - batasia loop
after breakfast - chowrasta mall
afternoon - toy train joy ride
eve - nehru road shopping
Day 4
Breakfast at Keventer's
Happy valley tea estate
HMI & Zoo
Tensing rock and Peace pagoda
Ropeway
Dinner at The Park
Day 5
If we miss out something then we can go there in the morning since our flight time is in the evening only (4.30)
Can you say that we can cover these many places as I listed out? if not please modify the itenerary please. And also I would like to know the rental bike services and can we go to these places in bike? (Except Tsmogo lake, Baba mandir, and Nathula pass- I know we need a cab for that). And also I want to do rafting and paragliding. how can i plan for that with this itenarary? please help.
Sheeba (September 2021)
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Hi, you are trying to do too many things in too short a time.
On day-1, you can not cover so many places. Depending on when you can start the local sightseeing in Gangtok, you may be able to cover a few. If you take a taxi from Bagdogra, you can only start in the second half, and if you try a motorbike rental on reaching there, you may not have any time left... better hire a taxi or ask your hotel in advance to arrange for local sightseeing. You won't be able to visit Ranka monastery and Banjhakri waterfall along with so many other visits. You should try to visit Hanuman Tok on your way to Tsomgo if the tour operator agrees. You should keep some time to visit MG Marg towards the end of day-1 or day-2.
Day 2, 3, 4 are okay. Presently paragliding activities are suspended in Darjeeling, it's taking place in Kalimpong. You don't have time to go there and do that. For rafting, I suggest you get in touch with a Darjeeling based operator and try to see if you can arrange it on your last day on the way to the airport.
You can see the list of operators and their offerings under Darjeeling Tour Operators (Adventures Unlimited and Offroad Adventures both offer motorbikes on rent):
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) September 2021
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Dear Sir,
Thank you for maintaining such an informative website. We are from Chennai and planning a trip from Nov 5th to 12th .I will be traveling with my husband and child ( aged 4). We want to do a relaxed holiday where i can minimise travel as much as possible and let my child enjoy the nature. We are going through a private agent and he is currently planning this : Nov 5 and 6 : Gangtok, Nov 7 : Lachung. Nov 8 and 9 Gangtok . Nov 10th to 12th Darjeeling.
I read the places to visit from your site but I am not too sure how child friendly they are in the month of November. Will I be able to do the Tsomgo lake and Nathula? Could you please help us with a child friendly itinerary? Based on your previous discussions these are the places I have in mind...
1. Darjeeling Zoo
2. Darjeeling Ropeway
3. Visit to tea estates
4. Ghoom monastry ,
5. Batasia loop and war memorial
6. Rock garden
7. Toy train
In Sikkim:
1. Himalayan zoo
2. Lachung and Yumthang
3. Tsmogo lake ( nathula if possible)
4. Hanuman and Ganesh Tok
5. Ropeway
6. Rumtek monastry
7. Flower exhibit and handicraft centre
7. Tashi view pt
Please let me know if these places are doable and what order should i plan my days for a relaxed holiday with my child?
Thanking you so much in advance :)
Regards
Harini (October 2021)
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Hello, a child below 5 is officially not allowed in high altitude places like Lachung/Yumthang, Tsomgo, Nathula etc although sometimes people take their chances. It is not quite advisable. I hope you are going through a bonafide and knowledgeable agent. You can visit the rest of the places. Good luck!
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) October 2021
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Hi Raj,
I am planning 10 days for Gangtok Darjeeling tour in Dec 2021. I have thought of below itinerary.
Day 1: Bagdogra to Kalimpong
Day 2: kalimpong to Gangtok
Day 3: Gangtok
Day 4: Lachung
Day 5: Gangtok
Day 6: Namchi
Day 7: Pelling
Day 8: Darjeeling
Day 9: Darjeeling
Day 10: Darjeeling
Let me know if this looks good. We are breaking the journey as having kids with us and don't want to travel more than 2-3 hours a stretch.
Richa (November 2021)
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Hi, in my opinion, the initial part of your tour plan (up to Pelling) is quite hectic... you will likely be hopping from one place to the other without seeing anything worthwhile. Lachung can easily take 6-7 hours from Gangtok with a break in-between and one night stay there means on day-5 you will do sightseeing there (for about 4-5 hours) and then drive back to Gangtok (another 6-7 hours). You will probably not be able to do proper sightseeing in Kalimpong, Gangtok and Pelling with this itinerary.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) November 2021
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Hi Sir,
First of all, I wanted to say, that your website is fantastic in terms of getting information regarding Sikkim tours. Secondly, we are planning to visit Sikkim in the second week of April 2022. We are seven people with an average age of around 50+.
I have planned accordingly, and I will be highly obliged if you can provide a comment regarding the itinerary.
14/04/22 - Reached NJP > transfer to Gangtok > overnight at Gangtok.
15/04/22-Changu Lake, Baba Mandir, and Nathula pass > return to Gangtok and stay
16/04/22- To Lachung>Halt at Lachung (on the way sightseeing points like seven sisters waterfall etc.)
17/04/22 - Yumthung valley, Katao, Zero-point > overnight at Gangtok
18/04/22- Gangtok to Namchi via Ravangla > Stay at Namchi
19/04/22 - Namchi to Darjeeling and local sightseeing like batasia loop,ghoom monastery> stay at Darjeeling
20/04/22 - Tiger hill and then return to Njp
I will be highly grateful if you could provide a comment regarding this plan.
Yours Sincerely,
Satwik Halder (December 2021)
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Your itinerary is nice. Ideally, you should keep an additional night each at Gangtok and Darjeeling for local sightseeing, otherwise, it can become a little hectic.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2021
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Hi..
This seems a great forum. Planning a visit from 04.05-10.05.22
04 : Reach Bagdogra at 1 PM. Leave for Darjeeling Via Mirik. Stay at Darjeeling.
05- Take 3 point tour in mng. 7 Point tour during day
06- Leave for Kalimpong. Stay at Kalimpong
07- Leave for Gangtok. Stay at Gangtok
08 - Tsomgo Lake, Baba Madir, Nathula Pass
09- Sightseeing
10- Return flight from Pakyong.
Needed help for improving the itinerary and needed suggestions for things to take care of.
Thanks and regards
Ankush (April 2022)
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Hi, the itinerary looks nice. Go prepared with the current travel protocols in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim (Sikkim also needs tourists to carry Sikkim Travel Card which can be applied online). Ensure that all of you have proper photo ID cards (Voters ID/Passport etc) to get your permits for Tsomgo/Nathula.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2022
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