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A tall stone obelisk and a soldier's statue on a green garden terrace under a bright sky with towering white clouds
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Photo: Dr Vikramjit Kakati · CC BY-SA 4.0
4 nights · 5 daysFirst visitMulti-hubbalanced

Darjeeling and Gangtok in five days — the tea town, the toy-train ridge, then Sikkim

A five-day Darjeeling and Gangtok plan: the old town and a tea estate, Tiger Hill and the Batasia Loop, then Gangtok's chorten, Rumtek and Tsomgo Lake. Copy it.
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Five days across two hill capitals of the eastern Himalaya. Two are in Darjeeling, for the old town and the Happy Valley Tea Estate. They add sunrise at Tiger Hill and the toy-train ridge at the Batasia Loop. Then the plan goes over to Gangtok, about 173 minutes by road on our routing, for the Do-drul Chorten, Rumtek and Tsomgo Lake, which needs a permit. For more days in Darjeeling, see the three-day plan.

Photos: Dr Vikramjit Kakati (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Matt Stabile (CC BY 2.0) · Amitabha Gupta (CC BY 4.0) · Indrajit Das (CC BY 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

First-time visitors to the eastern Himalaya who want both Darjeeling and Sikkim in one trip, best in spring and autumn.

Day by day

Day 1

Darjeeling's ridge and the tea

3 stops · 17 min on the road

The old town and the nearest tea garden.

  1. 09:30
    Chowrasta
    area · 4 min from Darjeeling · about 1 h there
    The square at the top of the town, where the Mall roads meet, at about 2,134 m.
  2. ↓ a short walk
    10:35
    Mahakal temple
    temple · 5 min from Darjeeling · about 45 min there
    The shrine on Observatory Hill above Chowrasta, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike.
  3. ↓ 14 min by road · 4 km
    14:00
    Happy Valley Tea Estate
    park · 11 min from Darjeeling · about 1 h there
    Darjeeling's second oldest tea garden, founded in 1854, about 11 minutes from the town on our routing. We have no verified visiting hours.
Day 2

Tiger Hill and the toy-train ridge

3 stops · 22 min on the road

Sunrise on Kangchenjunga, then the loop and the monastery at Ghum.

  1. 05:00
    Tiger Hill
    viewpoint · 25 min from Darjeeling · about 1 h there
    The summit at about 2,590 m for sunrise on Kangchenjunga; dress warmly.
  2. ↓ 19 min by road · 7 km
    07:30
    Batasia Loop
    monument · 9 min from Darjeeling · about 30 min there
    The spiral of the toy-train line below Ghum, built in 1919, with the Gorkha war memorial.
  3. ↓ 3 min by road · 1 km
    09:00
    Yiga Choeling Monastery
    temple · 12 min from Darjeeling · about 30 min there
    The monastery at Ghum, founded in 1850, with its large statue of the Maitreya Buddha.
Day 3

Over to Gangtok

2 stops · 5 min on the road

About 173 minutes by road on our routing from Darjeeling to Gangtok, then an easy afternoon.

  1. 14:00
    Do-drul Chorten
    temple · about 30 min there
    Gangtok's great white stupa, ringed by prayer wheels, a short way from the centre.
  2. ↓ 5 min by road · 3 km
    16:00
    Mahatma Gandhi Marg
    area · about 1 h there
    The car-free main street of Gangtok, for the evening walk.
Day 4

Rumtek and the city's monasteries

2 stops · 51 min on the road

The great monastery across the valley in the morning, Enchey in the afternoon.

  1. 09:30
    Rumtek Monastery
    temple · about 1 h there
    The great monastery across the valley from Gangtok. Read our Rumtek page before you go.
  2. ↓ 51 min by road · 26 km
    14:00
    Enchey Monastery
    temple · about 45 min there
    The hilltop monastery above the city, of the Nyingma school.
Day 5

Tsomgo Lake

1 stop

The high lake on the Nathu La road; a permit is needed.

  1. 09:30
    Tsomgo Lake
    lake · about 1 h there
    The glacial lake on the road to Nathu La, in a restricted area: Indian visitors need a permit and foreign nationals a special one, by Wikipedia's account. Confirm the current rule in Gangtok the day before.

Getting there

Fly into Bagdogra or take the train to New Jalpaiguri; Darjeeling is about 127 minutes from Bagdogra on our routing. Return from Gangtok to the same airport or station. See how to reach Darjeeling and how to reach Gangtok.

Where to stay

Two nights in Darjeeling and two in Gangtok. We have no verified lodging or prices.

Know before you go

  • Tsomgo Lake lies in a restricted area; Indian visitors need a permit and foreign nationals a special permit. Confirm the rule in Gangtok the day before.
  • Book the Tiger Hill drive the evening before; the road fills before sunrise.
  • The Darjeeling–Gangtok road is slow in the monsoon; leave early on day three.

Places on this route

Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
area · 4 min from Darjeeling
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
temple · 5 min from Darjeeling
Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial
Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial
monument · 9 min from Darjeeling
Happy Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling — the town's second oldest tea garden
Happy Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling — the town's second oldest tea garden
park · 11 min from Darjeeling
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Ghum — the Old Ghoom Monastery and its Maitreya statue
temple · 12 min from Darjeeling
Tiger Hill, Darjeeling — the sunrise viewpoint for Kangchenjunga and Everest
Tiger Hill, Darjeeling — the sunrise viewpoint for Kangchenjunga and Everest
viewpoint · 25 min from Darjeeling

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

Start a groupHow groups work

Other ways to do it

All Darjeeling itineraries →
Darjeeling in three days — Tiger Hill and Senchal, the zoo and the tea, and the old town
Darjeeling in three days — Tiger Hill and Senchal, the zoo and the tea, and the old town
2 nights · 3 days · Family · Classic
A three-day Darjeeling plan: Tiger Hill sunrise, Batasia Loop and Senchal Lake, the zoo and HMI, Happy Valley Tea Estate and the old town on foot. Copy it.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
One day in Darjeeling — Tiger Hill sunrise and the ridge road
One day in Darjeeling — Tiger Hill sunrise and the ridge road
Day plan · First visit · Classic
A one-day Darjeeling plan: Tiger Hill at sunrise, the Batasia Loop, the Yiga Choeling Monastery, the Peace Pagoda, Mahakal temple and Chowrasta.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Darjeeling →
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
monument · 23 m away
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
monument · 120 m away
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
monument · 447 m away
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling — the school founded after Everest
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling — the school founded after Everest
museum · 1.2 km away
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
park · 1.2 km away
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
temple · 1.8 km away
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
monument · 14 km away
Mirik Lake (Sumendu Lake) — the lake town among the tea gardens below Darjeeling
Mirik Lake (Sumendu Lake) — the lake town among the tea gardens below Darjeeling
lake · 15 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The huge copper-coloured seated statue of Guru Padmasambhava on its painted base on Samdruptse hill under a grey sky
Namchi
18 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
A long snow-covered Kanchenjunga ridge in blue morning light above dark forested hills with a few wisps of cloud
Pelling
29 km away · 3 itineraries · 8 places
The seated golden and dark-blue Buddha statue on a stepped, richly painted base against a forested hillside and a cloudy sky
Ravangla
32 km away · 1 itineraries · 3 places
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
48 km away · 5 itineraries · 11 places
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Questions people ask

How far is Gangtok from Darjeeling?

About 95 km and 173 minutes by road on our routing, down to the Teesta valley and up again into Sikkim. It is a mountain road that is slower in the monsoon and after landslides, so leave in the morning and keep the afternoon light, as this plan does on the third day.

Is five days enough for Darjeeling and Gangtok?

Yes, for the main sights of both: two days in Darjeeling for the town, a tea garden, Tiger Hill and the Batasia Loop, a travel day to Gangtok with an easy afternoon, a day for Rumtek and Enchey, and a day for Tsomgo Lake. Add days for Pelling or north Sikkim.

Do I need a permit for this trip?

Not for Darjeeling or Gangtok themselves as far as we know, but Tsomgo Lake lies in a restricted area: by Wikipedia's account Indian visitors need a permit and foreign nationals a special permit. Rules change, so confirm the current requirement with Sikkim Tourism or your hotel in Gangtok.