Tuesday 7th July – Bagdogra / Siliguri, India

• Arrive at your convenience in Bagdogra Airport – serving the city of Siliguri which is well connected to many cities within India, Paro in Bhutan, and Bangkok.
• Airport transfer to our centrally located hotel
• Pre-tour meeting held at 6:00pm in the lobby of our hotel to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Siliguri is REAL India, so we go out to enjoy the madness and chaos that is this railway town, sampling West Bengal cuisine with optional Indian Whiskies available.

Wednesday 8th July – Siliguri – Gangtok

Morning

• Breakfast in the hotel
• Begin a scenic 4-6 hour drive up winding roads through tea estates, forested hills, and Sikkimese villages. Watch roadside monkeys, women drying chillies on rooftops, and prayer flags fluttering across valleys. This stunning drive is considered one of the most scenic routes in India.
• Stop for roadside snacks like pakoras, sweet milk tea, and fruit hacked apart with machetes.

Afternoon

• Check into our hotel in the capital Gangtok. Our hotel is very much downtown, with you able to explore the winding roads at your own leisure.
• Dinner and drinks at Cactus Bar, a new bar and restaurant that offers authentic local food and one of the best cities view available in the city.
• Overnight in Gangtok

Thursday 9th July – Gangtok

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit the majestic Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre – spiritual seat of the Karmapa Lama and home to some of the most vivid Buddhist murals in the region.
• Explore Lingdum Monastery, a peaceful gompa set against thickly forested hillsides and surprisingly free of tourists.
• Visit the Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts Centre – where you can watch artisans weave traditional patterns and perhaps pick up a yak wool scarf or two.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local eatery famous for its vegetarian momos and spicy tomato chutney. The kind of place that’s been feeding locals for decades and doesn’t need a menu.
• Wander down MG Marg, Gangtok’s pedestrianised heart. Sample sel roti, chew on chhurpi (hard fermented cheese), and browse everything from Buddhist prayer wheels to knockoff watches.
• Optional rest with a cup of chai, or a short hike up to a viewpoint overlooking the valley. Good chance to catch the golden light hitting the hills and to get that scenic photo.
• Dinner and drinks at Taste of Tibet, one of the most popular eating and drinking places in town.
• For those inclined, we can head to one of the karaoke bars for “late night drink”, which legally has to close at 11:00pm and heavily enforced by local police.
• Overnight in Gangtok

Friday 10th July – Gangtok – Changu Lake – Gangtok

Morning

• Early morning breakfast at the hotel and begin our stunning drive up winding mountain roads to Changu (Tsomgo) Lake, a glacial lake at 3750 metres. We will be stopping for lots of pictures on the way!
• Walk along lakeside trails, greet the local yak herders, and sip on salty butter tea to warm your hands. The air is thin, the views are vast, whilst the yaks wear bells and colourful woollen tassels.
• As part of the trip we will take the highest cable car in India 3960 / 13,000 ft to get a true rooftop view, which on a clear day means being able to see Bhutan in all its glory.

Afternoon

• Before we begin the descent back to Gangtok we will stop for lunch at Lucky 7, a place that serves hearty highland food such as momo and yak (everything), as well some western fare for the less adventurous. Also a great place to buy Sikkimese or Tibetan clothing and souvenirs.
• On the way back we visit Enchey Monastery, a 200-year-old site perched on a ridge, known for its tantric rituals and brilliant murals.
• Take in panoramic views over Gangtok and the distant Kanchenjunga range (weather permitting)
• Dinner featuring gyurma (blood sausage), seasonal vegetables, and a local brew or two at a local restaurant in the city.
• Overnight in Gangtok

Saturday 11th July – Gangtok – Pelling

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel, before we continue our exploration of the rest of Sikkim
• Begin a long but rewarding 6–7 hour drive through winding Himalayan roads and terraced farmland to Pelling, with lots of scenic spots throughout the journey.
• Stop at Buddha Park in Ravangla – where a towering 40m / 130 ft golden statue of the seated Buddha rises above manicured gardens and misty hillsides. This is stunning no matter what the weather, but is particularly beautiful when the clouds form in the background.

Afternoon

• Continue to the natural thermal springs at Legship, nestled by the Rangit River. In theory we will enjoy a soak in this natural phenomenon, but last time we were there it was actually sinking! Regardless, it makes a great stop.
• We find a local restaurant for food like aloo dum, crispy pakoras, and fresh fruit.
• Arrive in Pelling a stunning and cute town nestled firmly in the clouds. We check into our hotel where the rooms offer stunning mountain views, particularly at sunrise.
• Pelling’s main street offers a number of local restaurants for us to choose from all serving local and regional favourites, as well as local wine and even the slightly pungent millet beer.
• Overnight in Pelling

Sunday 12th July – Pelling

Morning

• We suggest getting up super early to see the clear skies around the mountains, although this is of course optional.
• Breakfast in the hotel, before we continue exploring eastern Sikkim.
• Visit Pemayangtse Monastery – built in 1705, full of ancient Nyingma relics dusty scriptures and a trippy seven-tier wooden model of Zangdokpalri the Buddhist version of a paradise palace carved by hand with monk-level patience. This is not only a great stop, but where we begin our hike from.
• Trek through the forest to Rabdentse Ruins the moss covered remains of the old Sikkimese capital with crumbling walls throne stones and killer views of Kanchenjunga if the mist clears for once in your life. This is a moderate hike with decent footwear required.

Afternoon

• Head to Khecheopalri Lake a sacred wish granting spot where locals say birds keep the surface leaf-free out of pure respect steeped in spiritual energy.
• We then take the leisurely drive to Kanchenjunga Waterfalls a thundering beast of a cascade powered by glacier melt from the big mountain itself that not only offers a great picture stop, but also a “free car wash”, itself an amusing thing to do.
• There is a small village next to the waterfall which not only offers great views, but also fresh cooked vegetables from around the area. This is a great chance to try spicy Wai-Wai – the local take on ramen noodles.
• We finish the day at the truly massive Chenrezig Statue a 41 / 137 foot Buddha of Compassion looming over the hills. The highlight here is the glass bottomed walkway, for those not scared of heights. The cloud filled summit can be completed without doing the walkway.
• We again enjoy dinner in the quaint town that is Pelling, trying one of the other restaurants, as well as perhaps a different bottle of wine.
• Overnight in Pelling

Monday 13th July – Pelling – Darjeeling

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel
• We begin the slow, but very scenic drive from Sikkim to Darjeeling, now a part of West Bengal, but formerly a jewel in the crown that was the Kingdom of Sikkim
• During the 5 hour drive to Darjeeling we do our exit formalities in Sikkim with the officials before enjoy the stunning scenery of tea plantations while driving through the clouds.

Afternoon

• We stop for a simple lunch on the way to Darjeeling, which will give the options of Momo, noodles, and or course tea.
• On arrival in Darjeeling we check into our homestay which is located firmly in tea country offering stunning views from the balcony, as well as many hiking options.
• In the early evening we head to downtown Darjeeling for an explore of this bustling place before heading to the best restaurant in town!
• Dinner at Glenary’s the most iconic restaurant in the whole town and one that has been around since the British Raj. As well as a great view they offer food from throughout the region, non-beef western fusion dishes and some great cocktails.
• Head back to the homestay in preparation for the early start.
• Overnight in Darjeeling.

Tuesday 14th July – Darjeeling

Morning

• Up at 3:30am to begin the drive to 2585m / 8482 ft! You will watch the sunrise from Tiger Hill, where the first light hits Mt Kanchenjunga and on a clear day you can even catch a glimpse of Mount Everest in the distance. And if that is not enough you even see the newly formed clouds weaving over the land like a cloth. This is truly a trip highlight
• We head back to the homestay for breakfast and a few hours to either take a break, or take a walk around the local area.

Afternoon

• Visit Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park known for its conservation work and focus on high-altitude species including Red Pandas Snow Leopards Tibetan Wolves and Himalayan Monals. The red pandas here are particularly famous and dare we say pretty cute.
• Explore the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute founded by Tenzing Norgay which includes a museum mountaineering school and his final resting place all set against the backdrop of the mountains he once climbed
• Quick lunch at the Railway Cafe which offers local fare from the cuteness of train carriage, all the while as we wait for our train.
• Trip highlight: Ride the Darjeeling Toy Train a UNESCO listed narrow gauge steam railway that takes you from Darjeeling to Ghoom (the highest train station in India). On arrival we get to check out the Railway Museum, before jumping back on and heading back with the steam train weaving through the streets of Darjeeling.
• We head back to the homestay for perhaps our best meal of the trip, a home cooked Gorka meal. Expect lots of local fish, vegetarian options and for those inclined one of the hottest peppers in the land.
• Darjeeling is known as the city of thunder, so if we are lucky we will get to have a few drinks whilst watching the natural show. It might mean the power goes out every now and again, but it is well worth it.
• Overnight in Darjeeling

Wednesday 15th July

• Breakfast in the hotel before we begin the 5 hour drive through the mountains to the heat and madness of Siliguri.
• Tour concludes: we can arrange your transfer to Bagdogra Airport (we suggest flights after 1:00pm), or to one of the train stations in Siliguri which have trains to Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai and beyond, or to local accommodation, with Siliguri offering everything from budget to high end brands.
• YPT are currently working on a research trip to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland directly after Sikkim. We will aim to get this up as soon as possible, but do let us know in advance if you are interested.

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