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Subject: 2 days Darjeeling & Gangtok trip
Hi Raj,
We are two 25 yrs old females visiting Siliguri for a friend's wedding in mid of February. We are planning for a quick trip to Darjeeling & Gangtok before the wedding. Looking at your amazing itineraries, we don't think it's justice to have just a 2 days trip. But we would like to give it a try even with the time constraints. Taking reference from your itineraries, We have tried to make the below itinerary for us and would like to have your valuable inputs on it-
13th Feb- Reaching bagdogra airport at 3 pm. Start for Darjeeling taking the scenic route of Lake & tea gardens. Have dinner in Darjeeling and stay overnight.
Question: Would it be too late to take the scenic route in the evening considering that the days would be shorter?
14th Feb- early morning visit to Tiger hill to see the sunrise. Breakfast & market visit in Darjeeling. Check out and start for Gangtok. Reach Gangtok in the evening. visit the markets and shop. Stay overnight in Gangtok.
15th Feb- Take the Gangtok tour. We would like to visit the hill view point, waterfall, monastery and handicrafts centre. Have local lunch in Gangtok and start for Siliguri (we have to be back to Siliguri by the evening for the wedding!)
Please review the itinerary and advise us on how we can make the most of this trip in limited time period!
Kudos to the great work you are doing on this page! (y)
Nidhi Yadav (February 2016)
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If you can start by 3:30pm latest, then take the route via Mirik. There should be some daylight when you reach Mirik lake and you can also enjoy the Tingling and Sourene tea gardens along the way (before reaching Mirik). However it will get dark soon after Mirik, so you will miss out on the views of places like Simana and other tea gardens. Don't have high expectations out of sunrise view from Tiger hill. In February you need to be lucky to get great views. It often remains foggy. Rest of your plan is okay.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2016
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Hi Mr. Raj,
firstly many many thanks for this guiding info you give on this site, it really helps & gives a fair idea of our tour to Darj/Sikkim. We (me my wife & 9 yr old son) visiting to darj. gangtok from 1 may 16 to 8 may16.. here is my itinary after studying your inputs
1st may ---- 2:20pm at Bagdogra - by prepaid or shared taxi (as u suggest) to Darjeeling -- evening leisure
2 may--- early morning tiger hill, batasia loop war memorial --- after breakfast 7 point tour
3 may-- full day at Mirik with Jorpokhari, Pashupati etc
4 may--- Kallimpong full day & return back to Darjeeling in eve.
5 may--- after b'fast head to Gangtok --after dinner 3 or 5 point tour of gangtok
6 may-- tsomgo lake, baba mandir, nathula pass
7 may --- remaining sites in Gangtok including Rumtek Ranka monastery etc
8 may --- leisure or some small tour --- at 10 am heading for Bagdogra airport (flight at 4:55 pm.. so must reach at 3 pm)
How do you find my itinerary ? not sure for 1 day more I kept in Darjeeling should I reduce that & get 1 extra day in Gangtok? we want to see as many good places as we can & or any other change ? please advice.. waiting for your expert opinion, regards
Samir Chavan (February 2016)
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Good itinerary. Interchange May 6 and 7, because the permit to Nathula etc requires first half of a day.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2016
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Hello Raj,
Sincere gratitude for putting up this thorough and detailed website to help travellers to Darjeeling!
Most of my queries have already been addressed by going through the pages and posts, but I still cannot decide on a couple of aspects, and solicit your opinion on the same.
This is our first visit to the Darjeeling/Sikkim region and I have booked return tickets separated by 8 days (Friday 10th June arr - Saturday 18th June dep). We are arriving in Bagdogra via a late flight (4:20 pm) so I expect to exit the airport around 5 pm.
The first quandary is whether to leave for Darj immediately or stay overnight in Bagdogra. This is especially relevant as I don't want to miss the scenic route via Mirik, and also because the gentle gradient will help address motion sickness. I'm guessing sunset happens around 6 pm in June so there's no point in taking the longer route if we are to leave in the evening, in which case it's practical to take the steeper Rohini route. Even then I don't expect to reach Darj before 8 pm. Please advise.
Darjeeling and Gangtok are the focal points so I want to allocate a comfortable 3 nights in each. The remaining 2 nights I am not able to decide how to split between Pelling and Kalimpong: 2-0, 0-2 or 1-1. Pelling is out of the way to the west, so I'm less inclined to spend just a single night there after all the toil. Moreover, if I stay the first night in Bagdogra, I only have 7 nights to allocate, which tightens things further. Please advise how to split.
Lastly, we're also keen on taking the helicopter service from Gangtok -> Bagdogra but the last service is at 11:35 am, which means we'll be at the airport by 12 pm, and have 5 hours to kill for our flight back at 5 pm. This is a wastage of precious time so an alternative is to probably spend a night at Kalimpong on the way back down but then I don't have a spare night. Please suggest what option to go for.
To summarize the above, I think I need to pick from one of these itineraries, please help me select. Please do suggest if you feel this can be done better.
OPTION 1
Day 1 - Fri 10/6 - Arrive Bagdogra, move straight to Darj via Rohini,
reaching ~8pm, o/n at Darj.
Day 2 - Sat 11/6 - Darj s/s, o/n at Darj
Day 3 - Sun 12/6 - Darj s/s, o/n at Darj
Day 4 - Mon 13/6 - move to Pelling, o/n at Pelling.
Day 5 - Tue 14/6 - Pelling s/s, o/n at Pelling.
Day 6 - Wed 15/6 - move to Gangtok, o/n at Gangtok.
Day 7 - Thu 16/6 - Gangtok s/s, o/n at Gangtok.
Day 8 - Fri 17/6 - Gangtok s/s, o/n at Gangtok.
Day 9 - Sat 18/6 - take helicopter service from Gangtok to Bagdogra.
OPTION 2
Day 1 - Fri 10/6 - same as option #1
Day 2 - Sat 11/6 - same as option #1
Day 3 - Sun 12/6 - same as option #1
Day 4 - Mon 13/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 5 - Tue 14/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 6 - Wed 15/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 7 - Thu 16/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 8 - Fri 17/6 - move to Kalimpong, o/n at Kalimpong
Day 9 - Sat 18/6 - check out and move to Bagdogra
OPTION 3 (leaves no scope for a stay at Kalimpong)
Day 1 - Fri 10/6 - Arrive Bagdogra, stay at nearby hotel, o/n at Bagdogra.
Day 2 - Sat 11/6 - Go to Darj via Mirik dep ~9am, reaching ~2pm, o/n at
Darj
Day 3 - Sun 12/6 - Darj s/s, o/n at Darj
Day 4 - Mon 13/6 - [not sure whether to leave Darj today]
Day 5 - Tue 14/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 6 - Wed 15/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 7 - Thu 16/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 8 - Fri 17/6 - [not sure how to split between Pelling and Gangtok]
Day 9 - Sat 18/6 - take helicopter service from Gangtok to Bagdogra.
Sorry for the long post, but I really need a nudge in the right direction to make the most of this vacation. Thanks very much in advance,
Nagpal (February 2016)
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Hi, you can consider option-1 with some changes. On day3 take a day trip to Mirik (if you so want) to make up for what you missed on your way to Darjeeling (try to go up to Timling view point, few kms beyond Mirik for the best views of tea gardens). On day 4, move to Gangtok (instead of Pelling) via Kalimpong. It requires a diversion (additional 2 hours plus local sightseeing). Pre-select a few spots like Dello Hills, Graham's Home etc in Kalimpong instead of trying to cover all. This will be a long day though. If you decide to take this plan, then from Gangtok you can move to Pelling, stay there for 2 nights and get back to Bagdogra. You can't avail the helicopter ride, but it solves your problem of killing time at the airport. If Helicopter is a must do, then follow your plan in option-1 and give up Kalimpong.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2016
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Hello Raj!
I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful website. One can hardly ask for more!! Hats off to you!
We are a group of 10 adults and 3 kids and have carved out an itinerary for 9 D and 10 N starting 10th Of May 2016,and it is as follows:
1st Day Arrive at Bagdogra and travel to Darjeeling.
2nd Day- Morning 3 point tour-- Sunrise at Tiger hill, Chowrasta Mall. Afternoon- We’ve booked the 2:00 Joy Ride, Ghoom, Batasia, War Memorial, HMI . (The next day being a Thursday plan to cover HMI on Wed). Evening- Nehru Rd/ Chowrasta Mall.
3rd Day- Breakfast at KEVENTER’s
Mixed Point Tour: Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda,Tenzing & Gombu Rock, Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre, Rangeet Valley, Happy Valley Tea Garden, Natural History Museum (Closed on SUNDAY), Rock Garden & Ganga Maya(optional)
4th day- One day trip to Mirik lake & Jorpokhri, Pashupati Market, Simana(Indo- Nepal Border), Observatory Hill, Mahakal Temple.
5th day- Check out early and travel to Gangtok. On the way cover Tashi View Point, - Bakthang Waterfall, Chorten Stupa, Tibetology Museum, Ropeway. Halt at Gangtok.
6th Day- Tsomgo lake, Nathula and Baba Mandir ( No Trips on MONDAY/TUESDAY).
7th Day-10 Point Tour: Rumtek Monastery, Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok & Zoo, Handloom Emporium, Do Drul (Stupa), Enchey Monastery, Ban Jhakri Waterfall, Nehru Botanical Garden, Shanti View Point, White Hall and Flower Show. Overnight at Gangtok.
8th Day- Check out and travel to Pelling. On the way cover Rimbi Waterfalls, Kanchenjunga Water fall, Khecheopalri lake, Pemangtse Monastery, Rubduntse palace ruins. Overnight at Pelling.
9th Day- Checkout and cover remaining points and travel to Kalimpong. Overnight halt at Kalimpong.
10th Day- Check out early. Cover Durpin Monastery, Deola Hill, Dr. Graham Home (School), Mangaldham, Hanuman Mandir. And travel to NJP to board Kamakhya express.
My queries are:
1) Is the itinerary too hectic considering the fact that we have 4 Senior citizens and 3 kids amongst us.
2) If I were to opt for Lachung instead of Pelling would I be missing out on some major attractions in Pelling? Since we have kids and senior citizens with us , would it be wise enough to go to Zero point. Also how is it like in the month of May?
3) We are trying for a 14 seater which will be at our disposal for the entire journey from Bagdogra to NJP. We have asked our operator to look for a Sikkim registered vehicle. Are Tempo travellers viable in Gangtok and Lachung or smaller 2 vehicles will be a better option?
Waiting for your response!! Thanks and Regards.
Sonali Raval (February 2016)
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Hi,
Your itinerary is great for young groups. It can get very hectic for senior citizens who normally require few leisure days in-between unless all of them are very active and fit. I suggest you skip Lachung because of kids and seniors... it can get very tiring and the high altitude can also pose some problems. Keep in mind that Tsomgo and Nathula permits require adequate time (almost a morning half) unless you get that done in advance through operators. Tempo Traveler is okay in Darjeeling & Sikkim, but both Darjeeling and Sikkim allow only local vehicles. So work this out with the operator.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2016
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Thanks for wonderful suggestions on this site. I am planning a trip in mid April. Read a lot on your site.. so have planned as below:-
Day 1: Reach NJP station at 1.30pm, move towards Kalimpong.. evening n night there.
Day 2 : Half day sightseeing at Kalimpong..move via Mirik to reach Darjeeling .. Reach hotel, roam around in the Mall, do some shopping, take dinner at Glenary's.
Day 3 : Early morning 3-Point-Tour. return back for breakfast. Full day sightseeing - Mixed Point Tour
Day 4 : Transfer to Gangtok (ask the driver to stop at Lamahatta along the way if possible). Submit docs for permit.
Sightseeing - Go for a full day 10-point sightseeing tour
Day 5 :Start for Lachung, check in at hotel in Lachung, roam around in Lachung and do some local sightseeing.
Day 6 :Start early. Visit Yumthang valley (and even Zero Point), and return to Gangtok. Roam about on MG Marg in Gangtok, do some shopping, have coffee at Baker's Cafe.
Day 7 : start early and visit Tsomgo Lake, New Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass, and return before dusk and reach back to NJP
Day8 : Return back from NJP ( have a early morning train from there)
Is there a possibility for Toy Train Joy ride at Darjeeling to be added? I know Day4 and Day7 is very packed, but I want to cover all places in Gangtok. Please give suggestions.
Deepa (February 2016)
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It's impractical to go to Mirik from Kalimpong and then to Darjeeling. Mirik and Kalimpong are not in the same route. You should first visit Darjeeling from NJP via Mirik, then move to Kalimpong and then Gangtok. While in Darjeeling, you can plan the 2-hour toy train joy ride.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2016
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Hi , me and my wife are planning to visit Darjeeling+Gangtok from 20th march. I have planned below itinerary. I referenced your website to plan it.
21/03/2016
Will arrive at NJP via darjeeling mail. Will go to Darjeeling from there. Enroute will visit Mirik. Will spend sometime in Boating at Mirik Lake. After that will go to Simana view point at Sukhiapokhri. Then will go to Jorpokhri to view Twin lakes. After that via Sukhiapokhri to Darjeeling.
22/03/2016
Darjeeling sight seeing and To Gangtok. At morning will go to Tiger Hill for Sunrise. On Way back will visit Ghoom Monastery, Batista Loop and war memorial. Then return to hotel and after refreshment will start sight seeing for below places:-
Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Zoo
Darjeeling Ropeway
Observatory Hill and Mahakal Temple
Rangeet Valley Tea Garden
Happy Valley Tea Estate
Rock Garden & Ganga Maya Park
Will try cover above within 3.30PM as at 3.35 PM we have Toy train booking from Darjeeling station. Car will go to Ghum leaving us at Darjeeling. Then from Ghum station we start for Gangtok.
23/03/2016
Will cover whole day by Gangtok Sightseeing of below places:-
Ranka or Lingdum Monastery
Ban Jhakri Waterfall
Rumtek Monastery
Saramsa Garden
Ropeway
Do-Drul Chorten Stupa
Institute of Tibetology
Flower Exhibition Center
Handicraft Center
Hanuman Tok
Ganesh Tok
Tashi View Point
Enchey Monastery
Bakthang Waterfall
24/03/2016
Will cover whole day for visiting Tsongmo Lake , Baba Mandir and Nathula.
25/03/2016
Morning after breakfast will start for Hilley. Will reach at Gate of Varsey Sanctuary by 14.00 and trek to Varsey. Stay overnight at Guras Kunj.
26/03/2016
Trek back to Hilley and then to NJP.
I need your guidance regarding above itinerary and also if you refer some good transport operator who can provide us transport for above itinerary. I also need your guidance on Permit for Nathula. Should I rely on Hotel / Tour operator or Can I arrange it by myself?
Arun Kumar Bandyopadhyay (March 2016)
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Hi, you can not cover all that of Darjeeling in such a short time. There can be long queue at Ropeway. Also Rock Garden takes a long time to cover.... you need to drop that. It's easier to get the permits through an operator. You can do it yourself, but may end up wasting time.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) March 2016
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Hi Mr. Raj,
At the outset I would like to take the opportunity of thanking you for your immensely helpful forum without which I couldn’t have planned this trip. We are a family of 4 arriving at Bagdogra on 11th April and have our return flight on 17th April at 2p.m.I’ll be really grateful if you could suggest some modifications in this itinerary for best possible utilization of time.
11 April - I will reach Bagdogra at around 1:30 pm and then proceed to Gangtok. O/N , Evening Mall Road Visit.
12 April - Go for the full day 10 point tour in Gangtok.
13 April - Start early and visit Tsomgo Lake, New Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass, and return before dusk.
14 April - Start for Lachung, check in at hotel in Lachung, roam around in Lachung and do some local sightseeing.
15 April - Start early. Visit Yumthang valley and Zero Point , and return to Gangtok. Rest of the day at leisure.
16 April – Start early for Darjeeling.Some local sightseeing.
17 April –Go for the early morning sunrise at tiger hill and the Batasia loop. Proceed straightaway to Bagdogra via Mirik. Stoppage for an hour or so at Mirik. Flight at 2:00 p.m.(Aim to reach by 12:30)
Queries-
1. I have tried squeezing in the trip to Lachung because I found your reviews of these places really good and I will be witnessing the valley in full bloom during April. But this leaves me with very little time in Darjeeling. So could you please suggest me some modifications here,if needed.
I see two options here-
I. If we visit Yamthung Valley and Zero Point on the same day(i.e 14th April),night stay at lachung and then leave early next morning for Darjeeling…We might get some more time for Darjeeling on 15th and 16th. Is this feasible?
II. On 15th April instead of returning to Gangtok we proceed straight to Darjeeling.Can this be done?
2. If I indeed follow the above itinerary then please suggest some of the best places I could cover on 16th April in Darjeeling in the short span that I’ll be having.
Warm Regards
Manoj (March 2016)
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Hi, suggest not to change your plan. You ideally required one more day. On your first query, both options would be very tiring, so better not to do that. Darjeeling will require additional 4 hours drive, and there is no way to avoid that. In Darjeeling visit HMI/Zoo, Happy Valley tea estate (watch tea processing at the factory), try the ropeway (you can skip if you rode the ropeway in Gangtok or there is a long queue for tickets), visit Japanese temple & pagoda, spend some time at the Mall (chowrasta), take a walk around the Mall road before it's dark (complete the full circuit... about 15-20 minutes, there are nice Kanchenjunga view points on the eastern section of the road), walk up to Mahakal temple on top of Observatory Hill (starts from Mall road), and finally do some shopping on Nehru Road (one of the radial roads to the Mall) in the evening before dining at a heritage restaurant like Glenary's.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) March 2016
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Hi Raj ji,
First of all Kudos to you for the awesome work you are doing. People can visualize their whole tour program like a movie before staring up. And the way you reply to each and every query of the posts along with any other cautious remarks wherever required, is really commendable. Now about me, we are 6 people(2 Sr citizens around 65 yrs) planning to travel during the puja holidays.
As we have less time in hand, so had to cut down some programs. Will be grateful to you if you can go through my details of planning and reply to my queries. Also comment on anything necessary I missed out. It will be helpful if you can provide emergency medical aid number of darjeeling, gangtok and lachung.
1. 6th Oct - Start from Kolkata by train at evening to NJP. Approx 11 hrs journey.
2. 7th Oct - Reach NJP @ Morning. Take local taxi to Darjeeling via Mirik. (Approx 4.5 hrs journey). 5/7point tour in rest half of the day.
3. 8th Oct - Darjeeling to Gangtok (4.5 hrs). Rest of the day at leisure, roam about on MG Marg in Gangtok, do some shopping, have coffee at Baker's Cafe. Hand over Photo IDs to a registered tour operator or the hotel so that they can get our permits ready for Tsomgo, Nathula and Yumthang. (Is it possible that we get permit done for the 5th day, the day after we return from Lachung? Do we need to hand over our original ID proofs? Can I take 7/10 point Tour in this left over half day? Or take this 10 point tour in day 5 after returning from Yumthang valley and Zero Point)
4. 9th Oct - Start for Lachung early morning, check in at hotel in Lachung, roam around in Lachung and do some local sightseeing.
5. 10th Oct - Start early. Visit Yumthang valley (and even Zero Point), and return to Gangtok. Rest of the day at leisure. (Can I take 7/10 point Tour in this left over half day?)
6. 11th Oct - Next day start early and visit Tsomgo Lake, New Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass, and return before dusk.
7. 12th Oct - Return to NJP, train for Kolkata
Pujasree Das (April 2016)
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Hi, while you should carry original ID proofs which may be asked at any check posts, for the purpose of permits you need to hand over passport size photographs and only photo copy of your ID proof to your tour operator or hotel. The permits are usually valid for few days and so you can get them couple of days in advance. You can try for the 7 point tour in Gangtok on your day of arrival, but that would be hectic (you have seniors with you). Similarly a local tour followed by return from Yumthang is not advisable at all, although it may be possible if you start very early.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2016
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Dear Mr. Raj :
Happy to see your forum and your kind advice to visit Darjeeling and other places. Thank you very much for your information to the tourists. I am from Chennai, Tamilnadu. I plan to visit Darjeeling and Gangtok for about 5-6 days. Below is my itenary. I plan to start on 28th May, 2016 from Chennai and come back on June 4, 2016. Below is my itenary. Kindly advice if it is good or I need to modify any plan. Thanks for your reply in advance.
Day 1 : Leave Chennai, arrive Bagdora in noon, proceed to Darjeeling. Cover Mirik Lake and Tea garden on the way.
Day 2 : Take 3-point tour early in the morning to watch sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill, followed by visit to Ghoom Monastery and famous Batasia Loop. Go for Toy Train ride in the afternoon.
Day 3 : Sightseeing tour covering Happy Valley Tea Estate, HMI & Zoo, Tibetan Self Help Refugee Center, Tenzing Rock, Ropeway (cable car), Rock Garden etc.
Day 4 : Check out in the morning and move to Gangtok covering Lamahatta along the way if possible. Local visit in the evening.
Day 5 : Go for a full day 10-point sightseeing tour.
Day 6 : Next day start early and visit Tsomgo Lake, New Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass, and return before dusk.
Day 7 : Transfer back to NJP/Bagdogra. Catch flight to Chennai in the afternoon.
Ravikumar R (May 2016)
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Good itinerary. No change required.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) May 2016
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Hello,
Myself and my husband are planning on visiting Gangkok, Pelling & Darjeeling during the month of June (dates not decided). Please give us your opinion regarding travel during the month of June on the following itinerary :
Day 01: Bagdogara- Gangtok (125 kms / 4 hrs) Arrival at Bagdogra Airport & transfer to Gangtok (5,480 ft.). On arrival Check-in to hotel & spend rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay at Gangtok.
Day 02: Excursion to Tsomgo Lake & Baba Mandir. After breakfast start for an excursion to Tsomgo Lake (12,400 ft.) & Baba Mandir (13,200 ft.). Overnight stay at Gangtok.
Day 03: Gangtok ? Pelling via Chardham. After breakfast start from Pelling (6,100 ft.). Enroute visit Temi Tea Garden, Samdruptse & Siddheshwar Dham (Chardham) in Namchi. On arrival check-in to hotel. Overnight stay at Pelling.
Day 04: Pelling Sightseeing. After breakfast start for full day sightseeing. 1st Half tour - Darap village, Rimbi water Falls, Khecheopalri Lake & Khangchendzongha waterfalls. In afternoon start for 2nd Half tour - Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdantse Ruins, New Halipad Ground. Overnight stay at Pelling.
Day 05:After breakfast transfer to Darjeeling (6,710 ft.). On arrival check-in to a hotel & rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay at Darjeeling.
Day 06: Darjeeling Sightseeing Early Morning (at 04:00 am) drive to Tiger hill to watch the spectacular sunrise over Mt. Khangchendzongha (28,208 ft), on the way back visit Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop. After breakfast visit Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, P.N. Zoological Park, Tenzing Rock, Tibetan Refugee self-help Centre (Sunday closed), Tea Garden (outer view), Ropeway and Japanese Temple. Evening free for shopping or leisure. Overnight stay at Darjeeling.
Day 07: Darjeeling ? Bagdogra (98 kms / 3 hrs)
After breakfast Check-out from hotel in time and take the departure transfer to airport for the onward journey.
Thank you very much!
Reshma (May 2016)
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It's a nice itinerary, but requires lots of travel.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) May 2016
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