Himalayan Frontiers

A journey to Darjeeling & Sikkim

Itinerary
Price Guide
Places you'll visit
Accommodation
How to Book

Travel through the tea plantations of Darjeeling and the neighbouring state of Sikkim, still one of the last Himalayan Shangri-Las with its remoteness, spectacular mountain terrain, and hundreds of varieties of orchids. You also visit remote parts of western Sikkim, a beautiful land of virgin forests and deep river valleys, with ancient Buddhist monasteries and great views of the Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak.

Day 1 - Kurseong
Arrive at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri railway station and transfer to your hotel in Kurseong.

Day 2 - Darjeeling
Morning tour of a tea plantation. Afternoon enjoy a ride on the toy train from Kurseong to Darjeeling, crossing spectacular scenery of forested hills and terraced tea gardens.

Day 3 - Darjeeling
Nepali and Tibetan houses mix with Victorian colonial mansions giving this Indian town an exotic feel. Travel to Tiger Hill to watch the sunrise over Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, and visit the nearby monastery at Goom, the Tibetan Refugee Centre and the famous Himalayan Mountain Institute.

Day 4 - Pelling
Drive into Western Sikkim, a beautiful land with virgin forests and deep river valleys.You stay in Pelling, with great views of the Kanchenjunga.

Day 5 - Pelling
Visit the awe-inspiring ancient monastery of Pemayangtse, one of the most important monasteries in Sikkim.

Day 6 - Yuksom
Drive to the sacred Khechepori Lake and trek to the tiny hill town of Yuksom, a good base for walking trips to nearby monasteries and jungles.

Day 7 - Martam
Trek from Yuksom to the gold-topped monastery in Tashiding, high on a conical hill with panoramic views all around. End the day in the village of Martam.

Day 8 - Gangtok
Drive to the nearby Rumtek monastery, brightly painted with beautiful murals. Continue to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, perched high on a ridge and inhabited predominantly by Buddhists. Our guesthouse is a retreat just outside Gangtok producing healthy organically grown vegetables and milk as well as"Chaang", local alcoholic beverage made from millet.

Day 9 - Gangtok
Visit Phodang and Labrang monasteries. This is an area rarely visited by tourists with spectacular views of Kanchenjunga and a serene atmosphere.

Day 10 - Kalimpong
Continue to Kalimpong, a hill station with superb mountain views and famous flower nurseries. Our guesthouse, an orchid farm situated in a botanical park, provides a great base to explore the surrounding area - by foot or bike.

Day 11 - Bagdogra
Drive from Kalimpong to Bagdogra airport (or New Jalpaiguri railway station) to connect with your onward travel.

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Tweakable Holidays

This is just one of our holiday suggestions for you. If it's perfect as it is, great! If not, let us tweak it for you, or we could tailor-make your ideal trip including:

Where you would like to stay
Dates that best suit you
Experiences or activities that you fancy
As long as you want in each place

Just get in touch and we will start advising and planning with you.

Email us at info@travellers-palm.com or use our online form to get in touch.

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Price Guide

From EUR 1,071 per person based on two people sharing.

Inclusions

Accommodation on twin share basis at selected hotels.
Stay on bed & breakfast basis.
Transport by private chauffeur-driven airconditioned car.
Toy train from Kurseong to Darjeeling.
English-speaking local guide for tour of Tiger Hill, Ghoom Monastery and Darjeeling./li>
English speaking escort in Sikkim.
All transfers as per the itinerary.

Tour price excludes

Tips and gratuities.
Services, Meals and Drinks other than those mentioned in the itinerary.
Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature.
Entrance fees (unless specifically mentioned in the inclusions) and extra charges for camera and video.

Make an enquiry

Tweakable Holidays

This is just one of our holiday suggestions for you. If it's perfect as it is, great! If not, let us tweak it for you, or we could tailor-make your ideal trip including:

Where you would like to stay
Dates that best suit you
Experiences or activities that you fancy
As long as you want in each place

Just get in touch and we will start advising and planning with you.

Email us at info@travellers-palm.com or use our online form to get in touch.

Get in Touch

Kurseong The perfect stopover en route to Darjeeling

Discover tranquility in Kurseong. Often you can look down on the cloud below. It seems like the sea, stretching for miles, filling the valleys and the peaks. Ranges rise out of it like islands and peninsulas. Kurseong is home to world famous tea gardens which produce the most delicate aromas of all black teas known to mankind. There is a daily toy train service (since 1890) that runs from Kurseong at 1,458 m. to Darjeeling at a height of 2,134m.

Darjeeling A charming Raj-era hill station and centre of tea plantations

You go to Darjeeling to enjoy the atmosphere of the British Raj, the lush green tea plantations, the magnificent views of the Kanchenjunga and the colourful hill people of the Northeastern Himalayas. During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during the summers, becoming known as the Summer Capital.

Pelling A good base for visiting the Pemyangtse monastery

Pelling is perched on a ridge, where a number of hotels compete to offer the "best" views of the Kanchenjunga range of the Himalayas. The view is usually clearest in the early mornings, and is best seen from the nearby hilltop Sanga Chelling Monsatery. Pelling is also situated near the famous monastery of Pemayangtse, where you can see an exceptional collection of religious artworks, and the ruins of Radbentse, Sikkim's second capitol.

Yuksom Starting place for treks to higher ranges

Yuksom is a small village in western Sikkim. It's the kind of place where you can sit on a bench outside a tea-stall, sip tea and gaze at the Himalayan mountains clearly visible in the distance. Yuksom is a well-known starting point for mountaineering expeditions and treks to higher Kanchenjunga ranges. The famous Dubdi monastery is an hour's trek from Yuksom.

Martam Martam is a good base to visit the Rumtek monastery.

Martam is a small village, situated 25 km from Gangtok and just 5 km from the ancient Rumtek Monastery, in a beautiful setting of rice terraces. Martam is an ideal base for easy walks to nearby villages, an excursion to the Rumtek monastery, and for short treks in the vicinity. Mountain bikes are for hire from the resort.

Gangtok Mountain views, orchids and Buddhist monasteries

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim, a tiny but beautiful state, sandwiched between Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. The mountainsides here are covered with orchids and vast forests of rhododendrons. Apart from the mountain scenery, the main attraction of Sikkim is its Buddhist monasteries. Sikkim is home to over 250 of these; and while some are deserted most others like Rumtek are thriving centres of Buddhism.

Kalimpong A scenic hill station with fabulous views of the Himalayas

Before the Chinese take-over of Tibet, Kalimpong was the centre of India's wool trade with that country, with Tibetan caravans winding their way down from the Tibetan plateau to trade wool for manufactured goods. As a result, even today, Kalimpong is home to people from many different backgrounds, and a short walk from the market area reveals temples, monasteries, churches and mosques. Kalimpong is also a centre for bird watching, hill-walking, and visiting word famous flower nurseries. Kalimpong produces 80% of India's gladioli and is a significant orchid-growing area.

1
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2
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After you receive our tour proposal, you will want to check it over carefully to make sure that you are happy with it.

This is the time to make tweaks or revisions. Is it more expensive than you had anticipated? If so, let us know and we will be able to make suggestions to reduce the price. Is it cheaper than you had anticipated? If so, perhaps you might want to upgrade to a snazzy hotel for your last night?

3
Confirming the arrangements

Once you are satisfied with all the arrangements, we ask you to complete a booking form and pay your deposit, at which point we start to confirm all the arrangements.

It is quite likely that you may think of some questions or clarifications anytime between booking the holiday and leaving home for it. No problem - just get in touch with us and we shall be happy to answer any question or simply to have a chat! That's the beauty of a tailor-made holiday. Our travel specialist will always be there for you.

Tweakable Holidays

This is just one of our holiday suggestions for you. If it's perfect as it is, great! If not, let us tweak it for you, or we could tailor-make your ideal trip including:

Where you would like to stay
Dates that best suit you
Experiences or activities that you fancy
As long as you want in each place

Just get in touch and we will start advising and planning with you.

Email us at info@travellers-palm.com or use our online form to get in touch.

Get in Touch

$ signs against Hotels indicate its Category

Kurseong

Cochrane Place $

On the outskirts of Kurseong is Cochrane Place, a beautifully restored stately B...

Darjeeling

Dekeling Hotel $

Dekeling Hotel is a well-situated, friendly and comfortable hotel. Spotlessly cl...

The Elgin $$

A well-preserved Victorian mansion dating back to 1885, The Elgin has interiors ...

Pelling

Norbu Ghang Resort $

Norbu Ghang Resort is situated at the end of the ridge in Upper Pelling, and so ...

The Elgin Mount Pandim $$

The Elgin Mount Pandim is set in eight acres of virgin forest and landscaped gar...

Yuksom

Hotel Tashi Gang $

Located on an upper street in Yuksom, and near the 'king's coronation' stupa, th...

Martam

Martam Retreat $

...

Gangtok

Hidden Forest Retreat $

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Nor Khill Hotel $$

A delightful hotel in a lovely garden, Nor-Khill used to be the royal guest hous...

Kalimpong

Holumba Haven $

Holumba Haven is a family run guesthouse with quaint wooden cottages in two acre...

Silver Oaks $$

A luxury boutique hotel in Kalimpong which offers 25 rooms of great charm. Most ...