About This Tour
Overview
This 8-night journey strings together the crown of the Eastern Himalayas with the colonial elegance of Bengal. Arrive in Delhi, then fly to Bagdogra and climb the Teesta valley to Gangtok (1,750 m) — Sikkim's capital of prayer flags and orchids. Spend a full day at the awe-inspiring Rumtek Monastery, the world Dharma Chakra Centre and seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa, alongside the Do Drul Chorten, the shamanic Banjhakri Falls, the rare manuscripts of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and the state-of-the-art Orchidarium. Drive south through the Buddha Park of Ravangla — a 130-foot Buddha consecrated by the 14th Dalai Lama — to mountain-flanked Pelling (2,000 m), with 26 km of sky between you and Kanchenjunga. Visit the 17th-century Sangachoeling Monastery, the 135-ft Chenrezig statue and India's first glass skywalk, then wind down to Darjeeling (2,134 m), the "Queen of the Hills". Rise before dawn for the Tiger Hill sunrise over Kanchenjunga and Everest, ride the 1881 toy train to Ghoom, and tour the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Self-Help Centre and the Peace Pagoda. Fly to Kolkata for a grand final day — Howrah Bridge, the flower market, the Botanical Gardens' giant banyan, the white marble Victoria Memorial, the 1814 Indian Museum and Mother Teresa's home — before departing from the City of Joy.
Duration
8 Nights / 9 Days
Tour Type
Himalayan Culture · Monasteries · Hill Station · Private
Region
Sikkim · West Bengal (Darjeeling) · Kolkata
Internal Flights
Delhi–Bagdogra · Bagdogra–Kolkata
Monasteries
Rumtek · Ghoom · Sangachoeling · Peace Pagoda
Languages
English, Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, Sikkimese
Top Experiences
Highlights
Gangtok & Rumtek
The seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa, the jewel-studded Golden Stupa of the 16th Karmapa, the Do Drul Chorten, Banjhakri's shamanic falls and the world's largest Tibetan manuscripts collection
Buddha Park Ravangla
The 130-foot Tathagata Tsal statue consecrated by the 14th Dalai Lama in 2013, set within the centuries-old Rabong Gompa complex on the Himalayan Buddhist Circuit
Pelling & Skywalk
The 135-ft Chenrezig statue of compassion, India's first glass skywalk suspended at 7,200 ft, and 26 km of air between Pelling and the great snows of Kanchenjunga
Tiger Hill & Toy Train
Golden dawn over Kanchenjunga and Everest from Tiger Hill, then the 1881 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — a UNESCO World Heritage ride at 10 mph to Ghoom Monastery
Queen of the Hills
Darjeeling's world-famous tea gardens, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute where Tenzing trained, the Tibetan Self-Help Centre's carpets, and the Japanese Peace Pagoda
Kolkata Heritage
Howrah Bridge, the daily flower market, the giant banyan of the Botanical Gardens, Victoria Memorial's white marble, the 1814 Indian Museum and Mother Teresa's home
Visual Journey
Himalayas to the Hooghly
What's Covered
Includes / Excludes
✓ Included
- 8 nights accommodation with breakfast at all hotels
- Internal flights: Delhi–Bagdogra & Bagdogra–Kolkata (economy)
- Meeting & assistance on arrival at every airport
- Private A/C vehicle for all surface transfers & sightseeing
- English-speaking local guides in Gangtok, Pelling & Darjeeling
- All monument entry tickets (Rumtek, monasteries, HMI & zoo, museums)
- Tiger Hill sunrise excursion + toy train ride to Ghoom (subject to operation)
- Sikkim inner-line permit assistance, tolls, parking & driver allowances
✕ Excluded
- International airfare & visa fees
- Lunch & dinner (unless specified in the itinerary)
- Camera / video fees at monuments & monasteries
- Toy train seats (subject to availability at the time of booking)
- Tips, porterage, personal expenses & travel insurance
- Anything not explicitly mentioned in the inclusions
Day by Day
Itinerary
Day01
Arrive Delhi — Abroad by International Flight
Transfer · Leisure · Overnight Delhi
✦ Arrival Day
- Arrive at Delhi on an international flight — meeting and assistance on arrival
- Private transfer to the hotel (check-in time 1500 hrs on this day)
- Rest of the day at leisure to recover from the journey
- Overnight at the hotel in Delhi
Day02
Delhi – Bagdogra (by air) – Gangtok
✈ Flight · 125 km drive / 05 Hrs · Overnight Gangtok
✈ Flight + Scenic Drive
- In-time transfer to the airport to connect the flight for Bagdogra
- Meeting and assistance on arrival at Bagdogra Airport
- Straight drive to Gangtok (125 km / 5 hrs) — check-in at the hotel on arrival
- Gangtok — at 1,750 m, the state capital since the mid-19th century, surrounded by monasteries and orchids, a resting ground for travellers to North Sikkim
- Overnight at the hotel in Gangtok
Day03
Gangtok Sightseeing — Monasteries & Orchids
Rumtek · Do Drul Chorten · Banjhakri · Tibetology · Orchidarium
✦ Cultural Day
- Rumtek Monastery (24 km) — the world Dharma Chakra Centre and seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyupa order; see the jewel-studded Golden Stupa holding the remains of the 16th Karmapa and hear the legend of the Black Hat woven from ten thousand fairies' hairs
- Do Drul Chorten — built to commemorate the victory of good over evil, flanked by giant statues of Lord Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava
- Banjhakri Waterfall & Energy Park — statues documenting the Ban Jhakri, the traditional shamanic healer of the falls
- Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (1958) — one of the world's largest collections of rare books and manuscripts on Mahayana Buddhism
- Orchidarium — climate-controlled wonderland of live orchids including Sikkim's state flower Dendrobium nobile
- Overnight at the hotel in Gangtok
Day04
Gangtok – Pelling via Buddha Park Ravangla
120 km / 05 Hrs · 130-ft Buddha · Overnight Pelling
✦ Scenic Drive
- After breakfast, drive to Pelling (120 km / 5 hrs) via the Buddha Park of Ravangla (Tathagata Tsal)
- Marvel at the 130-foot statue of the Buddha, consecrated by the 14th Dalai Lama on 25 March 2013 — a stop on the Himalayan Buddhist Circuit, built within the Rabong Gompa complex
- Nearby Ralang Monastery is a key monastery of Tibetan Buddhism
- Pelling — a serene mountain village at 2,000 m in West Sikkim, roughly 26 km as the crow flies from Mount Kanchenjunga
- Overnight at the hotel in Pelling
Day05
Pelling – Darjeeling
70 km / 03 Hrs · Sangachoeling · Chenrezig · Skywalk
✦ Monasteries & Skywalk
- Sangachoeling Monastery — founded in the 17th century by Lama Gyalwa Lhatsun Chempo; a 40-minute forest walk up a steep ridge rewards you with ancient wall paintings, clay structures and scriptures, plus sweeping snow-clad views
- Chenrezig Statue — at 135 feet, among the world's tallest statues of Buddha, consecrated by the Dalai Lama and symbolising compassion
- Glass Skywalk — India's first, suspended at 7,200 ft overlooking Kanchenjunga and the Teesta and Rangit rivers; not for the fainthearted!
- Later drive to Darjeeling (70 km / 3 hrs) — the "Queen of the Hills" at 2,134 m, 'Dorje Ling', the place of the Thunderbolt
- Evening stroll around the local market
- Overnight at the hotel in Darjeeling
Day06
Darjeeling — Tiger Hill, Toy Train & City Tour
Sunrise · DHR to Ghoom · HMI · Tibetan Centre · Peace Pagoda
✦ Full Day
- Early morning visit to Tiger Hill (13 km) for sunrise — watch Kanchenjunga, Everest and the whole Himalayan range turn golden
- Breakfast, then enjoy the toy train ride up to Ghoom on the 1881 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (subject to operation & seat availability) and visit Ghoom Monastery (1875) with its 15-ft Maitreya Buddha
- Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (closed Thursdays) — Tenzing Norgay's Everest equipment, the Everest Museum, snow leopard, Tibetan wolf and yak
- Tibetan Self-Help Centre (closed Sundays) — carpets, leatherwork, paintings and woodwork made by Tibetan refugees
- Japanese Temple (1972) and the Peace Pagoda (inaugurated 1992, 28.5 m tall) with its four avatars of Buddha
- Overnight at the hotel in Darjeeling
Day07
Darjeeling – Bagdogra – Kolkata (by air)
80 km / 03 Hrs · ✈ Flight · Evening at Leisure
✈ Flight Day
- In-time transfer from Darjeeling to Bagdogra Airport (80 km / 3 hrs)
- Connect the flight for Kolkata — meeting and assistance on arrival
- Transfer to the hotel; rest of the day at leisure
- Overnight at the hotel in Kolkata
Day08
Kolkata Sightseeing — the City of Joy
Howrah · Flower Market · Botanical Gardens · Victoria Memorial
✦ City Tour
- Howrah Bridge spanning the Hooghly, then the daily flower market alive with the colours of the common man
- Drive past Dalhousie Square — Writers Building, Raj Bhavan, General Post Office, High Court, Town Hall and St John's Church
- Botanical Gardens (273 acres) — home to the giant banyan with the world's second-largest canopy
- Victoria Memorial — white marble from Rajasthan, inaugurated 1921, with Victoria memorabilia and Raj-era history
- Indian Museum (founded 1814) — meteorites, man-eating crocodiles and superb Gandharan Buddhist art
- Mother Teresa's Home & Sishu Bhawan — the orphanage for homeless children (closed Thursdays; Victoria Memorial & Indian Museum closed Mondays)
- Overnight at the hotel in Kolkata
Day09
Depart Kolkata — Onward Flight
Airport Transfer · Farewell
✦ Departure
- In-time transfer from the hotel to the airport
- Connect your onward flight — with memories of golden peaks, toy trains and the Hooghly
- Tour concludes at Kolkata airport
Where You Stay
Hotels
Delhi — 5★ City Hotel
1 night on arrival
1 Night Total
Gangtok — 4★ Mountain Resort
2 nights in the Sikkim capital
2 Nights Total
Pelling — 4★ Kanchenjunga View Hotel
1 night facing the snows
1 Night Total
Darjeeling — 4★ Heritage Hotel
2 nights in the Queen of the Hills
2 Nights Total
Kolkata — 4★ City Hotel
2 nights by the Hooghly
2 Nights Total
We will arrange and confirm your hotel stays as per the trip and budget — hotel options are not fixed and can be customised to your preference. Contact us for details
Good to Know
FAQ
1
What is the best time for this tour?
Spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) offer the clearest skies over Kanchenjunga — ideal for the Tiger Hill sunrise and the Pelling views. Winter (December–February) brings crisp, snow-dusted peaks and chilly nights, while the monsoon (June–September) sees misty valleys and occasional road delays in the hills.
2
What visa and permits do I need?
An Indian tourist visa is required for most nationalities (e-visa available online). Foreign visitors also need an inner-line permit for Sikkim — required for Gangtok and Pelling — which we arrange in advance as part of your booking. Your passport and visa copies are needed for the permit process.
3
Is the Tiger Hill sunrise and toy train always available?
The sunrise depends on mountain weather — on clear mornings the whole Kanchenjunga range turns golden. The toy train (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway) runs subject to operation and seat availability; when seats are full we arrange the Ghoom Monastery visit by road instead, so the itinerary is never skipped, only the ride.
4
What should I pack for the mountains?
Layers are key: a warm fleece or down jacket for early-morning Tiger Hill and evening chill, comfortable walking shoes, a light rain jacket (mountain weather changes fast), sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and basic medication. Monks and monasteries ask for modest dress — shoulders and knees covered — and shoes are removed inside temples.
5
How demanding are the drives?
Hill drives are scenic but winding: 5 hours to Gangtok from Bagdogra, 5 hours Gangtok–Pelling (via Ravangla), 3 hours Pelling–Darjeeling and 3 hours back to Bagdogra. Private vehicles with experienced hill drivers, frequent comfort stops and ginger tea breaks keep it relaxed. The Sangachoeling monastery approach involves a 40-minute forest walk uphill.
6
Can I extend this trip?
Yes — popular extensions include North Sikkim (Lachen, Lachung and Gurudongmar Lake), Kalimpong and the Lava–Lolegaon tea and orchid trails, the Sundarbans from Kolkata, or extra days in a Darjeeling tea estate bungalow. We'll happily tailor the route and nights to your dates.
Full Route
Tour Map