7 Days Gangtok Pelling & Darjeeling Tour Package

Overview

The 7 Days Gangtok Pelling & Darjeeling Tour Package covers three amazing hill destinations of the Eastern Himalayas. This week-long journey is a perfect mix of the cultural richness of Sikkim’s capital, the natural beauty of Pelling’s waterfalls and lakes and the colonial charm of Darjeeling’s tea gardens and mountain views.

Gangtok is your introduction to Sikkim. The capital city lies at 1,650 meters and boasts a blend of Tibetan Buddhist culture and modern-day hill station amenities. MG Road is the heart of the city and you can walk through here and see the local markets and the buzz of the evening. The tour consists of visits to important monasteries such as Enchey and Do Drul Chorten, and to the Research Institute of Tibetology which contains rare Buddhist manuscripts and artifacts.

The highlight of the Gangtok section is the excursion to Tsomgo Lake, which is 40 kilometers away from the city. This glacial lake sits at 12,400 feet and is frozen during the winter months. The oval-shaped water body is around one kilometer in circumference and attracts Brahmini ducks and other migratory birds. Near the lake, Baba Mandir stands as a memorial to soldier Baba Harbhajan Singh, whose spirit is said to protect the Indo-China border.

 Pelling is a different way of seeing Sikkim. This western town offers panoramic views of Kanchenjunga along with peaks around it. The tour includes Rimbi Waterfalls and Rimbi Rock Garden with natural rock formations that create scenic landscapes. Kechopalri Lake has religious importance for Buddhists and Hindus as they consider its waters sacred. Local belief is that the leaves that fall on the lake surface are immediately taken away by birds to keep the water pristine. Kanchenjunga Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the state of Sikkim, forms a massive cascade during monsoon months.

Darjeeling is the last leg of this journey. The town was well-known during British colonial rule for its tea plantations and cool climate. The pre-dawn visit to Tiger Hill at 8400 feet has views of  sunrise over Kanchenjunga, weather permitting. The return journey features a stopover at Ghoom Monastery, one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the region, and Batasia Loop, where the toy train takes a full circuit around a war memorial.

The town sightseeing includes Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park which is famous for its breeding programme for endangered species such as red pandas and snow leopards. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute shows equipment and photos from several Himalayan expeditions. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still runs its narrow-gauge toy train through the town. Tea estates dot the hills around, where you can see the process of making tea.

The Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre represents traditional crafts, carpets and woodwork made by Tibetan refugees who settled in Darjeeling decades ago. The ropeway offers aerial views of the valley and tea gardens below.This circuit covers about 355 kilometers across seven days, starting and ending at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station or Bagdogra Airport. The elevation varies from 400 meters at the plains to more than 12,000 feet at Tsomgo Lake, so the right clothing and acclimatization must be taken into consideration.