Join Alpine Club of Himalaya on an enchanting tour of Sikkim and Darjeeling among the world’s third-highest mountain Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586m/28,162 ft), and the amazing scenery of the Himalayan mountain ranges at close proximity. Sikkim is a beautiful mountainous region with five seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn, and monsoon. This Sikkim and darjeeling tour is a great tour to explore the beauty and mountain scenery of Sikkim and Darjeeling.
A stronghold of Tibetan Buddhism, Sikkim is home to over two hundred monasteries, mostly inhabited by the Lepchas, Nepalese, Tibetans, Indians, and Bhutanese, although its major religion is Hinduism. Darjeeling meanwhile, is located at an elevation of 6,700 ft (2,000 m) in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region that is nestled within higher peaks with the snow-clad Himalayan ranges towering over the town. Darjeeling or “Durjaya Linga” in Sanskrit, means “Shiva of invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas”. Chosen by the British Raj as their hill resort for its mild climate and scenic beauty, it is still a popular hill station with its vast tea estates and cool climate.
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Important Note :
Your safety is of paramount importance to us at the Alpine Club of Himalaya. We have the absolute authority to cancel the trip or change the itinerary, when deemed necessary or when we have reason to believe your safety is at stake. Weather conditions, the health condition of a group member, natural disasters, and such, can contribute to changes in the itinerary when traveling in remote mountainous regions. In these extreme situations, we kindly request that you offer your full co-operation to the trusted leader of the group appointed by Alpine Club of Himalaya. However, we assure you that we will make every effort to keep to the above itinerary.
Itinerary
A representative of Alpine Club of Himalaya will pick you up at Phuntsholing (Bhutan Border), the Bhadrapur Airport (Nepal Border) or the Bagdogra Airport (flights connect from Delhi and Kolkata). We drive to Kalimpong, a hill station in the Darjeeling district located at an elevation of 1,250m (250km/6 hours from Phuntsholing, 140km/5 hours from Bhadrapur Airport, and 78km/3hours from Bagdogra Airport). Overnight in Kalimpong.
Kalimpong is a bustling bazaar town situated on saddle-shaped mountain ridge that connects two hills, Deolo Hill and Durpin Hill, overlooking the roaring Teesta River, with views of the Himalayas, Buddhist monasteries, colonial architecture, and a fascinating nursery industry, all linked by some fine hikes. We will tour Deolo View point, the Hat Bazar, the Tharpa Choling Gompa (monastery) and the Kalimpong Science Centre, established under the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 2008. After lunch we will drive to Gangtok, the largest town in Sikkim. (75km/3hours). Overnight in Gangtok.
We rise very early and drive to the Tashi View point, about 8 km from Gangtok, to witness the magnificent views of Kanchenjunga, the highest peak in Sikkim and third highest in the world, and Siniolchu, an aesthetically attractive mountain, having been described by Douglas Freshfield as “the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world”. The distant north Sikkim monasteries are also visible from this point.
Back to the hotel for breakfast. We then visit the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms, the Government Institute of Cottage Industries, the Enchey Monastery, Research Institute of Tibetology, and Rumtek Monastery. Overnight in Gangtok.
We drive to Pelling, a small town in western Sikkim nestled at an altitude of 2,150m. The drive will be 126km and will take 6 hours including sightseeing. En route, we visit the Pemayangtse Monastery, built in 1705 it is one of the oldest and premier monasteries of Sikkim located at an elevation of 2085m among a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Then we hike up a hill through a lake to see the ruins of the Rabdenste Palace and its chortens, which was established by the second Chogyal in 17th century, and was the capital of the kingdom till 1814 A.D. Overnight in Pelling.
We visit Khecheopalri Lake, a lake sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus, situated amidst pristine forests at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) near the Tsozo village. An interesting feature of the lake is that the birds immediately pick up any leaf that floats on to it, leaving the lake pristinely clear, and is believed to be a wish fulfilling lake. The tranquility of the lake is amazing.
We then drive to Darjeeling, the drive is 105km/5hours. Overnight in Darjeeling.
We rise very early to watch the exquisite sunrise over a spectacular 250km stretch of Himalayan horizon, including Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8501m), Makalu (8475m) to the far west, and the great five-peaked snow fortress, Khangchendzonga, at Tiger Hill (2590m), 11km south of Darjeeling, above Ghum.
Next, we tour the Ghum Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1875 by Lama Sherub Gyatsho, a monk from Mongolia and has a 15-feet high statue of Maitreya Buddha. Then we visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, established to encourage mountaineering as an organized sport in India, the gleaming white Japanese Peace Pagoda, perched on a hillside, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the Toy Train.
We can also visit one of the 78 tea estates or tea gardens in the Darjeeling hills that cover over 17,500 hectares of land, producing over 9 million kg of tea per year.
A representative of Alpine Club of Himalaya will transport you back to your place of pickup; Phuntsholing (280km/7hours), Bhadrapur Airport (130km/5hours), or Bagdogra Airport (95 km/4hours).
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