Darjeeling And Gangtok, A Day Hike

A tour of Darjeeling and Gangtok, two of the best-known hill towns of north-east India, including a day hike near Darjeeling.

Duration
6 days
Group size
No limit
Country
India

Darjeeling And Gangtok, A Day Hike Overview

A tour of Darjeeling and Gangtok, two of the best-known hill towns of north-east India, including a day hike near Darjeeling.

This Darjeeling Gangtok Tour visits two of the best-known hill towns of north-east India, Darjeeling and Gangtok, and includes a day hike near Darjeeling.

Darjeeling, in West Bengal, is known as the 'Queen of the Hills'. It combines green hills, peaceful monasteries, tea plantations and views of the Himalayan ranges, including 'Kanchenjunga', the world's third-highest mountain. Gangtok is a hill town known for its natural scenery of lakes and mountains, and for its views of Kanchenjunga.

The 6-day tour covers the main attractions of both towns. In Gangtok you visit the historic Enchey Monastery, Ranka Monastery, Rumtek Monastery and the Do Drul Chorten, a large stupa surrounded by 108 prayer wheels. In Darjeeling you see green vegetation, tea gardens, hill stations, villages and distant high peaks. The itinerary includes a day hike near Darjeeling for views of the Kanchenjunga range.

The combination of the two towns and a day hike offers a quiet break from city life in a natural setting.

Earthbound Expeditions is recommended by Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, The New York Times, The Guardian and many other national and international newspapers and magazines. We offer the Darjeeling and Gangtok Tour at a competitive price. Which season is best for a tour to Darjeeling and Gangtok? We recommend visiting in summer, although you can also travel in spring and winter. For more information on the Darjeeling and Gangtok Tour, please get in touch with us.

Key highlights of the Darjeeling And Gangtok, A Day Hike

Itinerary

  1. On arrival, you are met by our representative at the airport and drive to Gangtok. The road follows the Teesta River to the checkpoint at Rangpo, then climbs the hill to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. On arrival, you check in to the hotel and, if time permits, take a walk along MG Marg, the pedestrian boulevard.

    Altitude
    1,650 m (5,410 ft)
    On foot
    None, 4–5 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Gangtok
    Meals
    None

  2. After breakfast, you drive up to the ridge to visit Enchey Monastery, which belongs to the Nyingma order of Himalayan Buddhism. After the visit you drive down towards Ranka Monastery, stopping on the way at Banjhakri Falls. Ranka Monastery is one of the finest monasteries in Sikkim and has good views. You then continue to Rumtek Monastery, the seat of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is the largest monastery in Sikkim and a replica of the Karmapa's monastery at Tsurphu in Tibet. On the way back you can visit the Do Drul Chorten, a large stupa surrounded by 108 prayer wheels.

    Altitude
    1,650 m (5,410 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Gangtok
    Meals
    Breakfast

  3. After breakfast, you drive down the hill and cross the state border to Darjeeling. The drive is scenic, with green vegetation, tea gardens and roadside villages. On arrival in Darjeeling, you check in to the hotel and wait for the other members of the group to arrive, or take a walk around the Chowrasta.

    Altitude
    2,050 m (6,730 ft)+400 m
    On foot
    None, 4–5 hr drive
    Night in
    Hotel, Darjeeling
    Meals
    Breakfast

  4. After breakfast, we begin sightseeing, mostly on foot. We visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (closed on Thursdays), one of the leading mountaineering institutes in the world, whose first field director was Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. At the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (closed on Thursdays) you can see the rare and shy red panda, among other animals. The Snow Leopard Breeding Centre houses this elusive cat of the Himalayan highlands. Within walking distance is the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre (closed on Sundays), whose shop sells high-quality Tibetan handicrafts. Darjeeling is known worldwide for its tea, so on the way back we visit a tea estate. In the afternoon you can take a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which stops at the Batasia Loop. We also visit Dali Gompa (a monastery) and the Japanese Temple.

    Altitude
    2,050 m (6,730 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 3–4 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Darjeeling
    Meals
    Breakfast

  5. Early in the morning (6 am) you drive to Dhotrey via Manebhanjyang, which takes about 2 to 3 hours. After a packed breakfast at Dhotrey, you begin the trek to Tonglu on an uphill trail through dense rhododendron forest. It takes about 3 hours to cover the 6 kilometres to Tonglu. Tonglu, at an altitude of 3,087 m, has views of the Kanchenjunga range (weather permitting) and even Mount Everest in the far distance. From Tonglu you continue 2 km to Tumling, where you stop for lunch. Tumling also has a good view of the Kanchenjunga range. After lunch you walk the last section of the trek to Chitrey. It is a downhill walk through small villages such as Meghma and Lamaydhura. At Chitrey you board the waiting vehicle and return to Darjeeling for the night.

    Altitude
    3,087 m (10,130 ft) at Tonglu+1,037 m
    On foot
    6–7 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Darjeeling
    Meals
    Breakfast

  6. After breakfast, you drive down the hill to Bagdogra Airport for your departure flight.

    Altitude
    2,050 m (6,730 ft)−1,037 m
    On foot
    None, 3 hr drive
    Night in
    No overnight
    Meals
    Breakfast

What's included

  • Meals as per the meal plan above.
  • All private transfers and sightseeing in a Toyota Innova or Xylo SUV (2 people per vehicle).
  • Entrance fees for monuments and sights.
  • English-speaking local tour guide.
  • Bottled mineral water during drives.
  • All hotel taxes and service charges.

Not included

  • International and domestic flights.
  • Personal expenses such as bar bills, drinks, laundry, telephone calls and shopping.
  • Travel medical insurance.
  • Anything not listed as included.

Reviews

Exceptional5.0 out of 5Reviews from Tripadvisor
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Showing 10 reviews from 901 on Tripadvisor

Annapurna trek and Chitwan National Park

November 2023, Tripadvisor

First trip to Nepal, and it exceeded our expectations. Wanted to use a Nepal- based company, and Rajan at EE was excellent at communicating with us, and building a multi- centred and multi- activity 2 week holiday. His knowledge and experience gave us complete confidence throughout the trek. As did that of our wonderful guide Bharat, and our 2 charming porters. We enjoyed great weather, good transport, and the accommodation was just right for our needs at the various times of the holiday. Rajan really wants you to experience all levels of life and culture in Nepal- it’s not just a quick in and out to a specific base camp and back on the plane home. Nepali people are definitely worth spending time with- charming, friendly, and always willing to help. Thank you , Rajan and the team for a memorable visit- we are already planning our return!

MartimojoStirling, United KingdomRead on Tripadvisor

This was the best trip !!!

November 2023, Tripadvisor

I go for a solo trip every year and normally I don’t use any company I just go on my own… but I just had a baby last year so this time I wanted to be safe and went with EarthBound. They were THE BEST!!! I couldn’t have been better taken care of. I always felt super safe, I crafted my own schedule from start to finish, they were super flexible, responsive and helpful and on top of that, all the guides and porters were super knowledgeable, kind, funny and spoke good english. I couldn’t recommend them enough, and from now on I will be using them for all my adventure trips, even the ones with my family. Thanks for everything guys, you are awesome!

Victoria DRead on Tripadvisor

28 days of amazing

November 2023, Tripadvisor

I signed up with Earthbound Expeditions because of a recommendation of a friend. I can’t say enough good things about this company. The trip was perfectly planned with contingencies build in. We are two women with very different abilities. We did trekking, Buddhist/historic sites, wildlife viewing and much more. Our guides were experienced and exceptional! For trekking we had Gopal Tamang who is competent and kind. He assured the success of our inexperienced hiker while challenging our ‘like a deer’ hiker. Plus, he answered my millions of questions about the history and infrastructure of our treks. Our guide in Lumbini is an expert in archaeology, Buddhist history, butterflies, and birds - perfect! The service and talent of the people make this company an excellent choice for traveling. I normally travel and trek self-supported and am happy to have opted for hiring guides- I learned so much AND didn’t have to deal with the Lukla airport check-in process. Note - it is colder than imaginable at the high altitude tea houses so even better that Earthbound has very high quantity parkas and sleeping bags for guests. Tip - many Europeans had small thermoses for tea - heavy but nice!

CFINDGolden, ColoradoRead on Tripadvisor

Kailash Mansarover Tour from Kathmandu - August 2023

August 2023, Tripadvisor

Rajan ji runs his tour company not as a typical business for commercial benefits but from his heart and soul. So is his entire supporting team from beginning to the end. I had a wonderful time with them right from the moment I crossed immigration at Nepal airport. Honestly - all along I felt that bhagwan shiva himself sent them personally to help us take this tour. Undertaking this 10 day journey to seek blessings from bhagwan Shiva at Kailash Mansarover is deeply spritual as well as adventerous. His team led by Arjun and assisted by a staff of 6 were an excellent support to our entire group. This team knew how to keep all of us protected from weather elements. They had the best of the cooks. We got piping hot / freshly prepared soups/ food all along even in difficult terrain conditions. Most impressive and compassionate actions I have seen from their team related to close monitoring of every one's health and how they helped out each and everyone with their heart and soul. Overall an extremely satisfying experience.

Rakesh KHyderabad, IndiaRead on Tripadvisor

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