Day 01:
Bagdogra – Darjeeling
On arrival at Bagdogra airport the clients will be
received by our guide who will accompany the group
for rest of the tour in Darjeeling and Sikkim.
Bagdogra to Darjeeling is a three hours drive uphill
through tea gardens and small towns. We will
occasionally meet the famous Darjeeling Toy Train,
huffing and puffing across our road.
Day 02: Darjeeling
Early morning visit Tiger Hill for fabulous sunrise
views over Mt.Kanchenjunga, the third highest
mountain in the world at 28,156 ft. Mt. Everest and
a host of other Himalayan giants are also seen on
the horizon subject to clear weather. On our drive
back to the hotel we will stop at Ghoom to visit
Yigacholing Monastery. After breakfast we shall
visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute,
Zoological Park, Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre
and the nearest tea garden to witness the orthodox
manufacturing process of Darjeeling Tea. In the
evening, stroll around the local market and the
Mall. O/N Hotel.
Day 03: Darjeeling-Pelling or Pemayangtse
(West Sikkim)
Today’s drive is truly a naturalist’s delight. The
hillsides and mountain slopes of Sikkim are strewn
with bright patches of myriad colors. The lower
mountain slopes are abundant with lush green bamboo
and ferns. The northern valleys are draped with wild
cherry, oaks, chestnut, pines as well as magnolia
variety’s called Magnolia Campbeli and Michelia
Doltso-pa. The higher altitudes are abloom with 46
species of Rhododendrons. And of course, Sikkim’s
600 varieties of orchids are everywhere. This day
our 05 hours drive is interesting s we move upstream
along the river Rangit through dense forests of sal
and teak. O/N Hotel.
Day 03: Pelling to Yuksom via Kechipalri
Lake
Early morning after having breakfast we walk to the
Pemayangtse monastery. Here we hear the chanting of
the morning prayers by the young and old monks and
the smell of the burning Juniferous Squamata and
Rhododendron Nivele. Pemayangtse, also known as the
“Perfect Sublime Lotus” is one of the oldest
monasteries of Sikkim and belongs to the Read Hat
sect of Tibetan Buddhism. After visiting his
monastery we will drive towards Kechpalri Lake –
wishing lake and further proceed to Yuksom. O/N
Hotel.
Day 04: Yuksom
The original capital of Sikkim, the tiny hill town
of Yuksom is the base for treks and climbing
expeditions to Mt.Kanchenjunga and other important
peaks. This day we walk to the coronation throne,
Dubdi Monastery and the nearby jungles to see wild
orchids like Coelogyne and Dendrobium, as well as
the indigenous flora of Sikkim.
Day 05: Yuksom – Gangtok
The 5 hour drive from Yuksom to Gangtok passes lush
green fields of the famous large Sikkimese Cardamoms
as well as Golden Rice.
Day 06: Gangtok
Perched atop of ridge at a height of 1520 mtr lies
Gangtok, a quaint, colorful town. This small
modernized town is the capital of Sikkim. Here we
visit the famous monastery of Rumtek (27 kms away
from the main town), which is the headquarters of
the Kagyu sect. Later, we visit the Institute of
Tibetology which has a collection of almost 30,000
volumes of diverse subject like astrology,
philosophy, magic and religion. After lunch we visit
Enchey Monastery, Flower Show, Du Drul Chorten and
take a walk around the town. O/N Hotel.
Day 07: Gangtok to Lachung
This area was recently opened to foreign visitors.
We will be seeing the breathtaking landscapes of the
northern part of Sikkim. Our drive takes us through
lush green bamboo thickets intermingled with
tropical flora and we arrive at the historical place
of “Kabi Logstok” where the Lepchas and Bhutias had
their brotherhood treaty. Later we pass scattered
villages and terraced paddy fields. A few kilometers
before reaching Mangan (the capital of North Sikkim),
we will cross the Rang Rang bridge which is said to
be one of the highest bridges in Asia. After Mangan
the landscapes turn even more interesting as we
encounter magnificent waterfalls cascading down
steep mountain walls. O/N lodge.
Day 08: Lachung-Yumthang
This day we visit Shingba Rhododendron sanctuary set
at 12000 ft. Here we find different varieties of
Rhododendrons and Pines. Yumthang is also rich in
sulphur springs and even the Kings of Sikkim have
made their own bathing huts. The air starts to get
cooler as you enter the valley, with towering peaks
closing in from all sides. From this point Tibet is
only 25 kms as the crow flies. Evening return back
to our lodge in Lachung.
Day 09: Lachung-Gangtok
After breakfast visit Lachung monastery before
commencing the return drive. Lachung is famous for
apple and October and November are lively months
when the apples are harvested and sent to Gangtok.
On our return drive we will make stop at different
places and take short hikes to explore the
countryside. We will have a picnic lunch at Singhik,
famous for its clear and unobstructed views of
Himalayas.
Day 10: Gangtok-Bagdogra
The 5 hours drive from Gangtok to Bagdogra follows
the Teesta river and we will be making stops to see
the low altitude Himalayan flora.
