Best of Himalayas

Best of Himalayas

Day 1

Bagdogra Airport/NJP Station>> Gangtok (130 KMS / 5 HRS)

Pick-up from Bagdogra airport/NJP railway station to be taken to Gangtok (5500 ft) -the Land of the Pristine and unspoilt natural beauty of Sikkim, with alpine landscapes and thick luxuriant forests, rivers in torrent and peaceful lakes, a journey 130kms & takes 5hrs to reach Gangtok, arrive at the hotel & check-in. Relax & refresh yourself & then walk to the mall which is just 5 minutes away & overnight stay at Gangtok.

Day 2

Gangtok>> Tsomgo Lake>> Baba Mandir >> Gangtok

After breakfast, proceed to Tsomgo Lake (12,313 ft), a 40kms drive which takes 2.5 hrs. This lake is located very close to Nathula Pass which is the entry point to China termed as the “Silk Route & remains frozen for most parts of the year. Legend has it that the Lamas use to forecast the future by studying the colour of the lakes waters. Enjoy the surroundings, majestic snowy peaks which feed the lake and the clean fresh air, back to Gangtok by 3 pm for a late lunch. Evening free for leisure or go shopping for Sikkimese traditional handicrafts & overnight stay at Gangtok.

Day 3

Gangtok (Full day local ss)

After breakfast, visit to Tashi View Point to view Mt. Khangchendzonga. Situated 8kms from the town, this point offers a breathtaking view of the majestic peak & surrounding hills. Also can be seen are the monasteries at Phodong & Labrang. On the return visit Hanuman Tok (7200 Ft), temple devoted to Hanuman. From the temple you can also get a bird’s eye view of the Selep waterworks which supplies drinking water to the Gangtok town. Near this temple which is maintained by the Army, is Lukshyama- the royal cremation grounds of the erstwhile royal family of Sikkim. Then go to Ganesh Tok (6500Ft), a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha which is so small in size that it can hardly accommodate one person & one has to crawl to get inside, The Handicraft & Handloom Showroom, which promotes traditional arts & crafts, a veritable storehouse of exquisite carpets, blankets, shawls in “Lepcha” weaves; The Flower Show, which contains over 200 species of orchids set amidst a beautiful landscape; Do-Drul Chorten (Stupa) which is one of the most important stupas of Sikkim, built by the head of the Nyingma order- Trullshi Rimpoche in 1945. It contains rare details of Dorji Phupa, Holy Books, Mantras and is encircled by 108 prayer wheels; The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology built in 1958 in traditional style, a renowned worldwide centre for the study of the Mahayana Buddhist philosophy & religion, a treasure house of rare “Thankas”, statues, over 200 Buddhist icons and prized objects of art & finally Ban Jhakhri Waterfalls, back to the hotel by late afternoon, Overnight stay at Gangtok.

Day 4

Gangtok>> Pelling (112 KMS / 5 HRS)

After breakfast, proceed to Pelling (6800 Ft), a 5 hour journey (112 kms) via Ravangla (6800 Ft), a small township & transit point to various destinations in South & West Sikkim, situated at the base of Meenam Hill (10300 Ft).

Arrive at Pelling by afternoon & check-in at Hotel. This is one of the closest points to the Kanchenjunga range & one can see it upfront touching the sky from Pelling & overnight stay at Pelling.

Day 5

Pelling (Full day local ss)

Leave early for the Skywalk, Khecheopalri Lake, also called the “Wish Fulfilling Lake”. It lies in a depression surrounded by prayer flags & forested hills & then go to the Rimbi Falls & Khangchendzonga waterfalls.

After lunch, proceed to The Pemayangtse Monastery (7021 Ft), 2.5kms from Pelling. Built during the late 17^th century, it is one of the oldest & most important monasteries of the Nyingmapa order of Buddhism in Sikkim. Even today, it is only the monks of this monastery who enjoy the title of ‘Tasang’ or pure monks. The monastery follows the Mindroling tradition & has 108 monks.

The main attraction of the monastery is the wooden replica of Zangdog Palri, the celestial abode of Guru Padmasambhava, built by Serdup L Dorje Rinpoche in 1971, Rabdentse Ruins – the second capital of the erstwhile King of Sikkim till 1814 A.D. This is also very close to the Pemyangtse Monastery, a 30mins walk from the main road. The scenic view from the top of the ruins scanning across the deep valley, to the mystic heights of the Kanchenjunga range is something to be cherished & etched in memory &  Helipad Ground, back to hotel by evening & overnight stay at Pelling.

Day 6

Pelling>> Kalimpong (95 KMS / 4 HRS)

After breakfast depart to Kalimpong (4000 Ft), a drive of 95 kms & taking around time 4 hrs to reach. Also called the garden of flowers, this town has almost everything- scenic beauty, flowers, greenery, waters, mists, clouds etc. Arrive at Kalimpong & check-in at the hotel.

Evening free at leisure with a visit to the market, Where you do some curio shopping, buy some Kalimpong Cheese & lollypops of Swiss technology from “Larks” or just take a walk thru the market & overnight stay at Kalimpong.

Day 7

Kalimpong>> Darjeeling (50 KMS / 2.5 HRS)

After breakfast, proceed for a half day sightseeing of Durpin Hill (which has the famous Zong Dog Palri Fo- Brang Monastery which belongs to the same Buddhist sect as the present Dalai Lama), Pine View Point, Dr Graham’s Homes complex with its historic church & well maintained grounds founded in 1900 by Rev. Dr. J A Graham, a Scottish missionary, Delo Hill (5556 ft) appears to be the roof- of- the- world, is the highest point in Kalimpong. Delo also has the town’s picturesque water reservoir. Then on to Mangal Dham Temple constructed in memory of the late Guru Shree (108) Mangal Dasji and dedicated to Lord Krishna.

After lunch, proceed to Darjeeling (7100 ft), a 50kms drive taking around 2.5hours to reach, the “Queen of the hill stations”, its name derived from “Dorje-Line” which means the place of “Dorje”, the mystic thunderbolt. After a very scenic drive thru the mountains, tea gardens etc. Reach Darjeeling by evening & check in at hotel.

Spend the evening lazing around or walk up to the mall area & overnight stay at Darjeeling.

Day 8

Darjeeling (Full day local ss)

Start the day at 4am with an early morning trip to Tiger Hill (7800 Ft) to catch the sunrise from behind the majestic Kunchenjunga range. On the way return back visit the Ghoom Monastery & Batasia Loop, back to the hotel for breakfast.

(09:00 AM TO 03:00PM) After breakfast, proceed for a half day Darjeeling local sightseeing of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Ropeway, Zoo, Tenzing Rock, Tibetan Refugees Self Help Centre, Tea Garden (outer view) & Japanese Temple. Back to the hotel by evening; take a walk to “Chowrasta” the centre point of the Mall area.  You can do some window shopping & overnight stay at Darjeeling.

Day 9

Darjeeling>> IXB Apt/ NJP Rly station (72 kms/3.5 hrs)

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel & proceed to Bagdogra Airport/NJP Railway Station for onwards destination.