Itineraries

Sikkim & Darjeeling Himalayan Loop

Seven days through the eastern Himalaya — Darjeeling's Tiger Hill sunrise and tea gardens, Pelling's front-row Kanchenjunga and old monasteries, and Gangtok with the glacial Tsomgo Lake.

7 daysNatureComfortable3 Cities covered

Duration: 7 days
Pace: Comfortable
Theme: Nature
Cities covered: 3
Best season overall: March to May (rhododendron bloom, clearest Kanchenjunga views) and October to December (post-monsoon clarity); avoid the June-September monsoon, when cloud and landslides are common
Mid-range budget: ₹25,000 – ₹45,000

About Sikkim & Darjeeling Himalayan Loop

The eastern Himalaya around Darjeeling and Sikkim offer some of the most accessible and spectacular mountain scenery in India — front-row views of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, a heritage "toy train," centuries-old Buddhist monasteries, emerald tea gardens, and glacial lakes, all within a compact week-long loop.

This seven-day journey begins in Darjeeling, the queen of Himalayan hill stations in West Bengal, famous for its tea, its UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and the sublime sunrise over Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill, when the snows blaze pink and gold above a sea of cloud.
From Darjeeling the loop crosses into Sikkim, India's first fully organic state, to Pelling in the west — a quiet ridge town with an almost absurdly close, full-frontal view of Kanchenjunga and a wealth of heritage in the 17th-century Pemayangtse Monastery, the moss-grown Rabdentse royal ruins, the glass Pelling Skywalk, and the sacred Khecheopalri Lake.
The journey ends in Gangtok, Sikkim's lively hill capital, with its pedestrianised MG Marg, the Rumtek and Enchey monasteries, and a day excursion (with permit) to the glacial Tsomgo (Changu) Lake at around 12,300 feet on the old Nathula trade route.
Throughout, the food is easy and vegetarian, drawing on Sikkim's organic kitchens and the region's Nepali-Tibetan traditions — dal-bhat-tarkari, gundruk soup, vegetable momos and thukpa, churpi, and fresh Darjeeling and Temi tea.
The best windows are March-May, when the rhododendrons bloom and the peaks are clearest, and October-December, after the monsoon.
Indian nationals need a permit for Tsomgo Lake and Nathula (easily arranged through hotels and agents); foreign nationals require a Sikkim Inner Line Permit.
Roads in these hills are winding and weather-dependent, so the unhurried seven-day pace leaves room for the photo stops at every bend, where another snow peak or tea-clad valley opens up, and for the slow ceremony of Himalayan tea.
It is the perfect, well-paced introduction to the eastern Himalaya.

Day-by-day timeline

1
Day 1
Darjeeling
overnight
Arrive Darjeeling by shared jeep from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) or Bagdogra. Afternoon at the Mall Road and Chowrasta; the Happy Valley Tea Estate and a tasting at Nathmull's. Sunset over the hills.
Vegetarian highlight Veg momos and thukpa at Kunga; Darjeeling first-flush tasting; cheesecake and hot chocolate at the heritage Glenary's bakery.
2
Day 2
Darjeeling
overnight
Pre-dawn drive to Tiger Hill for the Kanchenjunga sunrise; Ghoom Monastery and the Batasia Loop. The UNESCO toy-train joy ride; the Padmaja Naidu Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
Vegetarian highlight Keventer's veg breakfast (toast, baked beans, hot chocolate); tingmo and Tibetan veg at the Mall; Darjeeling tea by the pot.
3
Day 3
Pelling
overnight
Cross into West Sikkim to Pelling (~70 km, 3-4 hours). Afternoon Kanchenjunga views from the ridge; the Sanga Choeling Monastery and the 137-foot Chenrezig statue at the Skywalk.
Vegetarian highlight Sikkimese organic dal-bhat-tarkari; gundruk soup; vegetable momos and thukpa; churpi.
Transit · Darjeeling → Pelling · Road · 3-4 hours — About 70 km from Darjeeling to Pelling via Jorethang, crossing into Sikkim at the Melli/Jorethang checkpost (foreigners need the Sikkim Inner Line Permit; Indians carry photo ID).
4
Day 4
Pelling
overnight
The 1647 Pemayangtse Monastery and its seven-tiered wooden palace model; the Rabdentse royal ruins; the sacred Khecheopalri Lake; the Kanchenjunga and Rimbi falls and the high Singshore bridge.
Vegetarian highlight Organic vegetable thali; sinki and gundruk soups; momos and thukpa; local Temi tea.
5
Day 5
Gangtok
overnight
Drive to Gangtok (~108 km, 5 hours) along the Teesta valley. Evening on the pedestrianised MG Marg; the Enchey Monastery and the Tashi or Ganesh Tok viewpoints for Kanchenjunga.
Vegetarian highlight Dal-bhat-tarkari at Taste of Tibet; organic veg momos and gundruk soup at Nimtho; churpi and fresh apple juice at MG Marg.
Transit · Pelling → Gangtok · Road · 5 hours — About 108 km from Pelling to Gangtok along the Teesta and Rangit valleys; a scenic shared-jeep or private-cab transfer. The return from Gangtok to NJP/Bagdogra on day 7 is ~114 km (4-5 hours) back down the Teesta valley.
6
Day 6
Gangtok
overnight
Permit-led day excursion to the glacial Tsomgo (Changu) Lake at ~12,300 ft on the old Nathula trade route (arrange the permit a day ahead). Afternoon at the Rumtek Monastery, seat of the Kagyu school.
Vegetarian highlight Hot vegetable thukpa and momos at Tsomgo; Sikkimese organic veg thali back in Gangtok; butter tea against the cold.
7
Day 7
Gangtok
transit
Morning at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and the Do Drul Chorten. Drive back down the Teesta valley to New Jalpaiguri or Bagdogra (~114 km, 4-5 hours) for the onward train or flight.
Vegetarian highlight Final MG Marg breakfast — Tibetan veg or South Indian; carry home Temi and Darjeeling tea as the best souvenir.