Sikkim and Darjeeling Tour Package

Highlights & Route

This is the compact version of the classic Sikkim and Darjeeling circuit, built for families and groups who have a week and want to see the high country of North Sikkim as well as the two famous hill towns. You arrive at Bagdogra airport or NJP railway station near Siliguri, spend two nights in Gangtok with a day trip to Tsomgo Lake, head north for a night each at Lachen and Lachung to reach Gurudongmar Lake and the Yumthang Valley, return to Gangtok for a night, and finish with two nights in Darjeeling across the state border in West Bengal.

Compared with our nine-day Sikkim family tour, this plan drops the separate Gangtok sightseeing day; you still see MG Marg and a few town sights in the evenings and on the way out of the capital. What stays is the heart of the trip: the drive up the Teesta and Lachen valleys, the dawn run to Gurudongmar at over 5,000 metres, the rhododendron meadows of Yumthang, and the Tiger Hill sunrise over Kanchenjunga with the toy-train landmarks of Ghoom and Batasia on the way back.

Accommodation is in comfortable hotels at Gangtok and Darjeeling and clean family-run lodges at Lachen and Lachung, with vegetarian breakfast and dinner throughout and lunch added on the North Sikkim days. A private vehicle carries you from pickup to drop, switching to the permitted local jeeps for the Lachen-Lachung leg. We arrange the Protected Area Permits that Indian citizens need for Tsomgo and North Sikkim; you provide photo IDs and photographs at booking.

Route

Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok (2 nights, with Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir) → Lachen (1 night) → Gurudongmar Lake → Lachung (1 night) → Yumthang Valley → Gangtok (1 night) → Darjeeling (2 nights, Tiger Hill) → NJP / Bagdogra drop

Good to know before you book

Indian citizens need a Protected Area Permit for Tsomgo Lake and another for North Sikkim; both are arranged by us from photocopies of a photo ID (Aadhaar, Voter ID, driving licence or passport) and passport-size photographs. Children must be included, so carry a school ID or birth certificate for them.
Foreign nationals need their own Sikkim permits, have restrictions in North Sikkim and are not allowed at Gurudongmar Lake. Please tell us about any foreign passport holder in the group before booking.
Nathula Pass is optional and extra, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and subject to a daily permit quota and weather. We can apply on request but cannot guarantee it.
The Gurudongmar day begins at about 4 am and reaches an altitude above 5,000 metres. It is not advised for children under five or anyone with heart or breathing trouble; they can rest at Lachen while the others go up.
The best months are March to May and October to December. Snow often closes the roads beyond Lachen and Lachung from January to early March, and the monsoon from June to September brings landslides; the North Sikkim leg may be replaced with Pelling or Gangtok nights when roads are shut.
Packaged water bottles are banned in much of Sikkim; bring a refillable bottle.

Yatra Highlights

Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir from Gangtok, with Nathula as an optional add-on
Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley with nights at Lachen and Lachung, permits arranged
Two nights in Darjeeling: Tiger Hill sunrise, Batasia Loop, Ghoom Monastery, zoo and tea gardens

Day 1 :

Siliguri (Bagdogra / NJP) to Gangtok

Our driver meets you at your arrival point (airport, railway station or hotel) at the agreed time at Bagdogra airport or NJP railway station. The drive to Gangtok is about 120 km and takes four to five hours, climbing beside the Teesta river and entering Sikkim at the Rangpo check post. Gangtok is at roughly 1,650 metres. After check-in, the evening is free for MG Marg, the traffic-free main street where families stroll, eat momos and shop for woollens. Please hand over your ID copies and photographs for the permits tonight if you have not sent them earlier. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Gangtok

Day 2 :

Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir (optional Nathula)

After an early breakfast the permit road climbs about 40 km east to Tsomgo (Changu) Lake at around 3,750 metres, a glacial lake that freezes in winter and reflects the hills in summer. Yak rides and the ropeway above the lake are paid locally. We continue to the Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir, the army-run shrine to a soldier who is believed to still watch over the border posts. If Nathula (4,310 metres) has been booked and the permit granted, the visit to the border gate is made before returning. Back in Gangtok by late afternoon with time for the Do-Drul Chorten or a ropeway ride over the town. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Gangtok

Day 3 :

Gangtok to Lachen

Breakfast, then we switch to the permitted North Sikkim vehicles and head north, about 120 km and six to seven hours including stops. On the way are the Kabi Lungchok memorial to the Lepcha-Bhutia treaty, the Seven Sisters waterfall tumbling down the cliff beside the road, and the town of Chungthang at the meeting of the Lachen and Lachung rivers. Lunch is at a wayside restaurant. Lachen, at about 2,750 metres, is a quiet village of a few hundred houses; an early dinner and early night follow because tomorrow starts before dawn.

Overnight: Lachen

Day 4 :

Gurudongmar Lake, then to Lachung

Departure at about 4 am with tea and biscuits. The road passes the army camp at Thangu (around 3,900 metres), where there is a halt for breakfast and to let the body adjust, before crossing the bare high plateau to Gurudongmar Lake at over 5,000 metres. The lake is held sacred by Buddhists and Sikhs, and a part of it is said never to freeze. Entry closes by late morning, so you spend about 20 to 30 minutes here, walking slowly. Return to Lachen for lunch, then drive about 50 km via Chungthang to Lachung, about three hours, arriving in the afternoon. Lachung is at roughly 2,700 metres and has a fine monastery above the village. Dinner at the lodge.

Overnight: Lachung

Day 5 :

Yumthang Valley and return to Gangtok

After breakfast a 25 km drive through the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, in bloom from April to May, to the Yumthang Valley at about 3,600 metres: a broad meadow beside the river with grazing yaks, snow peaks all round and a small hot spring across a footbridge. Zero Point, 25 km further up near the snowline, is optional at extra cost when the road is open. Back to Lachung for lunch, then the long descent to Gangtok, about 115 km and five to six hours, reaching the hotel by evening. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Gangtok

Day 6 :

Gangtok to Darjeeling

A relaxed morning and breakfast, then the drive to Darjeeling, about 100 km and four hours: down to the Teesta, across the Sikkim-West Bengal border and up again through tea estates and pine forest to Darjeeling at about 2,050 metres. Check in and walk to Chowrasta, the open mall at the top of the town, for the evening; the Mahakal temple on Observatory Hill above it is a short climb. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Darjeeling

Day 7 :

Tiger Hill sunrise and Darjeeling sightseeing

Leave at 4 am for Tiger Hill (about 2,590 metres), 11 km from town, where the sunrise lights Kanchenjunga and, on exceptionally clear days, Everest can be seen on the far horizon. On the return we stop at the Batasia Loop, where the narrow-gauge railway circles a war memorial garden, and the Ghoom Monastery with its tall Maitreya Buddha. After breakfast at the hotel we visit the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, with red pandas and snow leopards, and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in the same compound (both closed Thursdays). The afternoon is for a tea garden visit near the town, the Darjeeling ropeway or, if booked in advance, the toy-train joy ride to Ghoom and back. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Darjeeling

Day 8 :

Darjeeling to NJP / Bagdogra, departure

Breakfast and check-out. The road down to Bagdogra airport or NJP station is about 70 km to 80 km and takes three to three and a half hours, passing through Kurseong and the tea gardens of the lower hills. Drop at your departure point (airport, railway station or hotel). Please book flights after 2 pm and trains after 3 pm so that the hill drive is not rushed.

Overnight: none (tour ends)

Night	Place	Hotel (or similar)	Room type
1	Gangtok	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
2	Gangtok	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
3	Lachen	Hotel confirmed at booking (family-run lodge)	Standard room, sharing basis
4	Lachung	Hotel confirmed at booking (family-run lodge)	Standard room, sharing basis
5	Gangtok	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
6	Darjeeling	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
7	Darjeeling	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand all

What permits are needed and how are they arranged?

Indian citizens need a Protected Area Permit for Tsomgo Lake and Nathula, and another for Lachen, Gurudongmar, Lachung and Yumthang. We apply through our Gangtok office using copies of your photo ID and passport-size photographs, so please send these when you confirm the booking. The permits are checked at several army and police posts, which is why the originals of your ID must travel with you. Foreign nationals have separate rules and cannot visit Gurudongmar.

Why is Nathula not included?

Nathula has a daily tourist quota, a separate permit and vehicle charge, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and whenever the army decides the weather is unsafe. Including it in the price would mean charging everyone for something many groups cannot do. If your Day 2 falls on an open day, ask us to apply; if the permit is refused only the Nathula charge is returned.

Is Gurudongmar safe for older parents?

Many fit older travellers visit it every season. The key is the overnight at Lachen before, the breakfast halt at Thangu, moving slowly at the lake and limiting the stay to about half an hour. Anyone with heart or lung problems, or who felt unwell at Tsomgo, should stay back at Lachen or wait at Thangu. We leave the choice to you on the day, with no pressure.

What is the difference between this and the nine-day Sikkim family tour?

One night and one day. The nine-day plan has a full Gangtok sightseeing day (Tashi View Point, Tibetology institute, Banjhakri Falls and so on) before Tsomgo. This eight-day plan goes to Tsomgo on the second day and sees a little of Gangtok in the evenings instead. Everything else, including North Sikkim and the two Darjeeling nights, is the same.

Which months are best?

March to May for rhododendrons at Yumthang and mild days; October to mid-December for the clearest skies and the best Tiger Hill sunrises. From late December to February the roads to Gurudongmar and Yumthang are frequently snowbound, though Tsomgo usually stays open. June to September is monsoon and we do not recommend the North Sikkim leg then.

What kind of food will we get, especially in North Sikkim?

Gangtok and Darjeeling hotels serve Indian vegetarian meals alongside local dishes. In Lachen and Lachung the lodges cook simple vegetarian food such as dal, rice, vegetables, roti and noodles, and will avoid onion and garlic if told in advance, though choices are limited. Carry dry snacks and fruit for the children on the North Sikkim days.

Can we add the toy-train joy ride?

Yes. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs joy rides from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back, taking about two hours with a stop at Batasia Loop. Seats sell out in season and are booked through Indian Railways, so tell us at least a few weeks ahead and we will book it for your Day 7 afternoon; the fare is extra.

Are there any temples or sacred places on this Sikkim and Darjeeling route?

Yes, several. Day 2 includes the Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir near Tsomgo Lake. Gurudongmar Lake, reached on Day 4, is held sacred by Buddhists and Sikhs. In Darjeeling you can climb to the Mahakal temple on Observatory Hill on Day 6 evening, and Day 7 includes the Ghoom Monastery with its tall Maitreya Buddha. Monastery and park entry fees are paid directly.

Yatra	Duration	Starts from	Price
Sikkim and Darjeeling Tour Package (this page)	8 days / 7 nights	Bagdogra / NJP (Siliguri)	From ₹48,500
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Sikkim and Darjeeling Tour Package

Highlights & Route

Route

Good to know before you book

Yatra Highlights

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included

Not included

Hotels

Documents & Fitness

Documents to carry

Fitness and health

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

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