Best time for this trip: Best in spring or fall (Mar, April, May, Oct & till mid Nov). Median Season would be Sep, late Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb. Lean season will be from June till August (likelihood of rains).

Accommodations: Depending on your budget, you can choose from first class resorts to budget accommodations.

Meals: First class accommodations require that you include at least breakfast and dinner or all meals but others accommodation do not have such requirements.

Group Size: Private departures with your own group.

Transports:  Wind Horse uses comfortable SUV (Jeep) transport for travel in Sikkim and Darjeeling, which can fit up to 3 guests, plus a driver and a guide. However, if the groups are large and require more than two vehicles, we can rent small buses with 8-12 passenger capacity.

 

Day 1: Arrive - Darjeeling
From Bagdogra or Siliguri - 91 km / 3-4 hours
From Nepal, Bhadrapur Airport - 132 km / 5 hours
Upon arrival in Silguri, Bagdogra or Kakarbitta, meet your Guide and dive to Darjeeling.
Darjeeling is one of India’s most beautiful hill stations and affectionately called ‘Queen of Hills’ by its admirers ever since the days of the British Raj. This enchanting town is perched majestically on a beautiful ridge overlooking the magnificent Kanchenjunga range. The drive up to  Darjeeling from the plains continually climbs up, passing tea gardens and many roadside villages and towns. In the evening, stroll around Chowrastha Mall and also visit local Bazaar.
Overnight in hotel in Darjeeling

Day 2: Darjeeling Tour - Gangtok
Darjeeling to Gangtok - 95 km. / 3 -4 hours drive
Early morning before dawn, drive to Tiger Hill, 14 kilometers from town (alt. 2,590m/8,482ft) for a magnificent sunrise over the Eastern Himalayas. Peaks visible from here are Khangchendzonga, Makalu, Jannu, Kabru, Pandim, Siniolchu, Frey’s Peak, and even a speck of Mount Everest. On our way back, visit a monastery near Ghoom town, during the early morning ceremonies or prayers.

After breakfast, visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute/museum of mountaineering expeditions. Nearby is the Himalayan Zoological Park with its successful snow leopard breeding program. After early lunch, visit the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center, where you can see woodcarvings, weavings and other traditional crafts.  Then drive to Gangtok, visiting a Tea Garden/Estate en-route. Gangtok straddles down the ridge at 1,540m and its town's unique ambiance comes with its mixture of tradition and modernity.
Overnight in hotel in Gangtok.

Day 3: Around Gangtok
After breakfast visit the Enchey monastery, followed by some view points, from where you may get spectacular views of the city and the snow-capped peaks of Kanchendzonga.  We also visit a flower exposition and walk along the garden/ promenade to view to the Palace and temples used by Chogyals (Kings of Sikkim). Later, you can also stop by at the Cottage Industry, where you can see and buy the traditional handicrafts.  In the afternoon, visit Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, a treasure house of rare Lepcha, Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts, numerous priceless statues and thangkas. On a hillock nearby, you can also visit Dodrul Chorten monastery. The rest of the afternoon is free or take a guided stroll or walk in the MG Marg Avenue and to visit the colorful Lal Bazaar Market.
Overnight in hotel in Gangtok.

Day 4: Gangtok – Rumtek - Kalimpong - 1,250 m. /4,125 ft
Gangtok to Kalimpong - 75 km. / 3 hrs drive.
After breakfast,  drive down to the valley floor and up the opposite ridge to Rumtek monastery, the seat of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism (45minutes). The monastery is the largest in Sikkim, and a replica of its Karmapa’s monastery in Tsurphu, Tibet.

Following the visit of Rumtek monastery, we continue our journey to Kalimpong, once a prominent center for trade with Tibet. Blessed with a year-round temperate climate, it is home of many flower nurseries. This afternoon, visit the ridge tops for spectacular views from Deolo & Rinkingpong (Durpin Dara) hills.  Visit local monasteries (especially Zongdogpaldri Monastery) and stroll around the town.  If time permits, we will also take a peek inside the Dr. Grahams Homes’ campus, a boarding school founded by the Rev. Dr. John A. Graham, a Scottish missionary in 1900.
Overnight in hotel in Kalimpong.

Day 5: Kalimpong - Departure
Kalimpong to Bagdogra - 85 km. / 2-3 hours
Departure transfer to the Bagdogra airport in time for your flight or to Siliguri /NJP train station.
Depending on your next plans, we can drop you off at Bhadrapur, Biratnagar for flight to Kathmandu, or to Phuntsholing for your Bhutan trip.