Darjeeling & Sikkim | JAN Treks & Travels

DARJEELING and SIKKIM

Tour - 12 days

About Darjeeling & SIKKIM

Sikkim and neighboring Darjeeling have a lot to offer to mountain lovers, aficionados of Buddhist culture and trekkers. Wedged in between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet – but part of India – this region shares a lot with these areas.

Darjeeling, situated at 2040m, has the typical atmosphere of Indian hill stations. It was the former summer capital of British India, and has preserved much of the old-world charm. Darjeeling is world-famous for its tea, which is grown in extensive tea estates that clad the surrounding slopes. Being very close to the tallest mountains on earth, especially number 3, the Kangchenjunga (8586m) it also boasts great views from most hotel windows.

It’s next-door neighbour Sikkim – of which it used to be part – is a gem of cultural and natural diversity. Until 1974 Sikkim was an independent kingdom, now it is part of India. It is home to different Himalayan peoples, most from Nepali descent or originating from Tibetan and Bhutan, such as the Bhutias who brought Buddhism to the area four centuries ago. Thanks to them Sikkim boasts of colorful Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist festivals. The Lepcha’s, until a few decennia ago forest-dwelling animists, hold a unique culture that the Sikkimese government is trying to preserve.

Region

Darjeeling & Sikkim
(India)

Best Time

March-April &
Oct-Dec

No. Of Days

12 days

Trip Character

Jeep tour

Sleeping Altitude

1270 - 2430 m

Price

INR XXX/ $ XXX

ABOUT THIS TOUR

On this tour, you’ll fly from Delhi to Bagdogra, south of Sikkim, and then travel to Darjeeling, the tea capital of India endowed with a lot of old world charm.You’ll have a full day to explore this fascinating place, visit a tea factory and garden, ride the 19th century Toy Trin and explore the Tibetan quarters.

Then you’ll travel on to Sikkim, exploring its ancient monasteries and temples, traditional Bhutia and Lepcha villages, and staying at homestays and family-run ecolodges. The second to last day, before returning to Bagdogra vi another pleasant hill station, Kalimpong, and flying onward to Delhi, you’ll spend exploring Sikkim’’s quaint but relatively hip capital, Gangtok.

YOUR custom-made TRIP

The tour described here, as well as the other ones on our website, are mainly meant as suggestions. We would be happy to offer you a travel proposal that fully meets your personal demands and expectations. That means that you choose where you want to go, what level of accommodation and type of transport you want and what activities you prefer.

Please let yourself be inspired by this and other trips on our website and then drop us a line (or call us) to explain your travel wishes. We will be happy to help you put together the perfect trip. You can reach us over e-mail, Messenger, Whatsapp or mobile phone.

EXTENSIONS & VARIATIONS

Apart from the tour as described here, you could consider the following add-ons and changes:

Travel further north – which means: higher – into the Sikkimese Himalayas and explore the isolated ‘Tibetan’ hamlets of Lachung and Lachen.
Do a trek will really get you in touch with the mountains and much more up close with some of the world tallest ones – notably Mt. Kangchenjung (8586m). For instance, the Shingalila Ridge Trek runs along the border with Nepal and is considered one of the best in the Himalayas. You sleep in simple lodges or trekkers tents while porters carry your luggage.
If trekking is not your cup of tea we can show you some of the beautiful mountain forests, off-road villages and majestic views of the Himalayas on day walks.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Delhi ✈︎ Bagdogra & drive to Darjeeling (67 km/ 3 h)
The flight to Bagdogra takes less than 2 h and, in clear weather, affords wonderful views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest (8848m) and Kangchenjunga (8568m). At the airport our guide and driver await you, and will take you to up to Darjeeling. Altitude 2430m.
Day 2: In Darjeeling
Early morning you will board to so-called Toy Train, a narrow-gauge coal-fuelled steam train from the old days, upt Ghoom, whether you'll visit the area's oldest Buddhist temple. Later, you can visit the main bazaar of Darjeeling, the very interesting Mountaineering Institute and the Tibetan Refugees Handicraft Centre. Altitude 2430m.
Day 3: Darjeeling - Rinchenpong (58 km/ 2 h)
Today, you drive along wooded slopes, through the Teesta River gorge and along small villages, to the village of Rinchenpong. You check in at the Yangsum farm, a historic farmhouse, built in 1833, with the Khangchenjunga and the skyline of the Singalila Range in the background. Altitude 2430 → 1410m.
Day 4: In Rinchenpong
You can take walks around the farm, visiting a local monastery and the Lepcha Heritage House. The Lepchas are probably the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim, migrating from Southern Bhutan, originally animists, these days often converted to Buddhism. Altitude 1410m.
Day 5: Rinchenpong - Pelling (46 km/ 2 h)
Pelling (1980m) will be your destination of today. Here, you’ll visit Sikkim’s finest Buddhist monastery, Pemayangtse, built in 1705. It has a beautiful architecture and a rare collection of antiques. After a visit to this monastery you can see the palace ruins of Rabdantse, the second capital of Sikkim. Altitude 2445 → 1960m
Day 6: in Pelling
Today you can explore the surroundings of Pelling. You can do a 4km forest walk to the 17th century monastery of Sanga Choeling and visit the palace ruins of Rabdantse. Altitude 1960m.
Day 07: Pelling - Kechopalri - Yuksom (55 km/ 2.5 hr)
Today you visit Kechopalri Lake, considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists alike, and Dubdi Monastery in Yuksom, which was the first capital of Sikkim established in 1642. Altitude 1960 → 1750m.
Day 08: Yuksom - Tashiding - Rumtek (118 km/ 5h)
Today a drive for 5 hours will take you to Rumtek, not far from Sikkim's capital Gangtok. On the way we visit another spectacular monastery, Tashiding Gompa, built in 1641. Overnight is at a very pleasant family-run ecoresort. Altitude 1750 → 1620m.
Day 09: Rumtek - Gangtok (22 km/ 45 min)
The large monastery of Rumtek was constructed in the sixties by the abbot of the Karmapa sect and his followers, who had to flee Tibet in 1559. After visiting this interesting gompa, you can spend the whole day exploring Gangtok, one of India's most sloping cities, mostly on foot. There is a lot to see and visit, not in the last place the many 'hip' restaurants and bars. Altitude 1620 → 1650 → 1620m.
Day 10: In Gangtok
Today you can explore Gangtok, by car and on foot. Apar from nearby Rumtek Monastery, you can visit the Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology, the Do Drul Chorten, the largest stupa in Sikkim, the Cottage Industries Center, the Flower Show and Enchey Monastery. Altitude 1650m.
Day 11: Gangtok - Kalimpong (74 km/ 2.5 h)
After breakfast, you drive south to Kalimpong through the most beautiful region of Sikkim, the hills high above the river Teesta. You can visit the market, the cactus and flower nursery, and the Dzangdogpalri monastery. Altitude 1650 → 1250m.
Day 12: Kalimpong - Bagdogra ✈︎ Delhi (77km/ 2.5 h drive, 2 h flight)
After breakfast you descend to Bagdogra where you check in for the flight to Delhi. It depends on the timing of your international flight whether you will need an overnight stay in Delhi. In the latter case we can arrange this for you.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

DARJEELING

The town of Darjeeling was built by the British in the middle of the eighteenth century, initially as a place of rest and recuperation for their troops. But over time it became one of the most important hill stations (holiday resorts in the mountains) of India. During the time when Kolkata was the capital of British India, Darjeeling, situated at over 2000m, functioned as a summer getaway for the Brits, who had a hard time enduring the heat of sea-level Kolkata. Darjeeling has retained much of the ‘old world’ charm that is so typical of British hill stations. Apart from exploring the steep and winding roads of the main bazaar, its is worthwhile to explore some of the Buddhist temples, notably Ghoom Monastery, the oldest in the region, as well as the very interesting Mountaineering Institute.

DARJEELING'S TOY TRAIN

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), also known as the Toy Train, is a narrow gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km long. It climbs from about 100 m (328 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,218 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and five loops to gain altitude. Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghoom – India’s highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. On 2 December 1999, UNESCO declared the DHR a World Heritage Site.

Darjeeling Tea

If there is one legacy of the Brits in India it is tea. Tea estates, tea processing and exporting, and tea drinking. It was long believed that wild tea, Camelia sinensis, only grew in China, but this small woody brush was ‘rediscovered’ by the British in the early 19th century in the jungle of Assam. Camelia sinensis var. assamica had long been used by indigenous people. Large tracts of land were converted into tea gardens and these days Darjeeling (and Assam) tea are known worldwide. There are two kinds of preparation. The black tea that is being dunked in water that just has been boiled is called orthodox. In Indian households and tea stalls the tea is generally boiled for some time with milk and sugar, and sometimes spices. This is called CTC tea. The two kinds of tea require different factory handling, but both have the same Camelia leaves as the starting point.

Singalila Ridge Trek

If we were to pick one trek that is, at best, moderately strenuous while offering superb views of the Himalayan giants, it is the Singalila Ridge Trek. On this trek you climb through well-protected subtropical forests teeming with butterflies, birdlife and some rare species like the red panda up to the montane zone of fir and Rhododendron. From late April to May exuberantly blooming rhododendrons and magnolias set the hill sides on fire. Emerging at the alpine meadows of Sandakphu, you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the Himalayan range. Especially during autumn (October – December), when you can expect clear skies, you can see five summits higher than 8000m within one sweeping view, amongst them Everest, Kangchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse.

Yangsum Farmhouse

Yangsum Farm is tucked away in an idyllic landscape with the Khangchenjunga (the third highest mountain in the world, 8586m) and the skyline of the Singalila Range in the background. It is a historic farmhouse, that was built in 1833 and renovated in 1966. The owners, Thendup Tashi and his wife Pema will certainly do their best to make you feel at home here. A large part of the estate consists of half-open forest with pines, Himalayan alders, sweet chestnuts, magnolias, rhododendrons, wild cherry and more tree species. If you arrive early, you can also walk to the local Buddhist monastery, or visit the old Lepcha Heritage House, dedicated to the culture of the oldest inhabitants of Sikkim.

The Lepchas

When visiting Yangsum, be sure to visit the Lepcha Heritage House. The Lepchas are a very interesting people. Both “genetically” and ethnically-culturally they differ from the Nepalis and the Bhutias. Originally, they were hunters-gatherers who practiced wet rice cultivation in the lower reaches of Sikkim. The Lepchas consider themselves the most original inhabitants of Sikkim. Researchers suspect that they originated from (eastern) Tibet or Southeast Asia and that they have come to Sikkim via southern Bhutan (where Lepchas still live today). Originally, they were animist and some still are, particularly those living in the Lepcha Reserve in northern Sikkim. Until the nineties, shamans would be found in most Lepcha villages, where they would practice their rituals. Today, in central and southern Sikkim, most Lepchas have converted to Buddhism, and a minority to Hinduism or Christianity.

Pemayangtse Monastery

Pemayangtse Gompa was built by Lama Lhatsun Chempo in 1705, and it is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. It was expanded by the third Chogyal (king) of Sikkim Chakdor Namgyal, who was considered the third incarnation of Lhatsun Chenpo. The monastery follows the Nyingma order (‘Old sect’) and is the main monastery of this order in Sikkim. The monks of the monastery are normally chosen from the Bhutias (ethnic Tibetans living in Sikkim since the seventeenth century). The top floor of the monastery houses a rare work of art made of wood, a seven-storey representation of Guru Rinpoche’s Celestial Palace (known as ‘Sanghthokpalri’ or ‘Zandog-palri’). Guru Rimpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, was one of the most important spreaders of Buddhism in the eighth century.

Teen Taley Eco Resort

Teentaley Eco Resort is not a hotel but, as they say “an organic experience of the real, rural Sikkim.” Here, you stay in cozy bamboo cottages amidst a sprawling landscape garden, with a farmhouse and a private forest where you can go bird watching without leaving the premises. The food is home-grown, organic of course, and dinners are accompanied with the typical Sikkimese tongba – bamboo containers filled with millet beer. As the location, in Rumtek, is close to Gangtok, you can stay here, sleeping in the quiet of the mountains and waking to the birds’ songs, while visiting Sikkim’s capital during the day.

Rumtek Monastery

Rumtek Gompa is the most famous monastery of Sikkim. It was originally built in the middle of the eighteenth century under the direction of Changchub Dorje, the 12th Karmapa, the reincarnated head abbot of the Karma Kagyu Sect. It served for some time as the seat of the Karma Kagyu Sect in Sikkim, but later this was moved to Tsurpu (or Tshurphu) in Tibet. When the 16th Karmapa arrived in Rumtek in 1959 after fleeing the Chinese oppression in Tibet, the monastery was in ruins. At the invitation of India’s first prime minister, Jawahal Nehru, and with generous support from the Sikkimese royal family and the local population, the monastery was rebuilt as a replica of the Tsurpu monastery, and the sacred objects that had been brought from Tsurpu were reinstalled. A golden stupa in the monastery contains the remains of the 16th Karmapa.

Gangtok

In Sikkim’s capital Gangtok, the rear neighbours almost always live on another street and hardly anyone has a garden, because the slopes are too steep for that. This also means that the roads are nowhere wide and often clogged. But fortunately most locations in the city can be reached on foot. Pedestrians can use a whole series of footbridges to cross busy roads. Gangtok was also the first city in India to declare its centre a pedestrian area. Here it is pleasant to stroll and shop and there are numerous ‘hip’ restaurants and cafes. Thanks to the government’s serious approach to environmental problems – a rarity in India – this is also one of India’s cleanest city centres. Interesting places to visit include the flower exhibition – with many varieties of orchids, – the Institute of Tibetology, Enchey Gompa and Tashi Viewpoint.