Sample Itinerary · Tripcuro
Family · 4 adults + 1 child (senior-friendly pace)

Sikkim & Darjeeling Himalayan
Circuit

Monasteries, Kanchenjunga views and a UNESCO toy train across the eastern Himalayas

7 Nights · June 2026 · India

View Day-by-Day
Trip Overview
Duration
7 Nights
June 2026 · Family · 4 adults + 1 child (senior-friendly pace)
Where
India
Rumtek Monastery, Gangtok · Pelling Sky Walk & Chenrezig Statue · Khecheopalri sacred lake
Budget
₹71,000 per person all-in
~₹71,000 per person all-in (flights, hotels, private transport, meals and sightseeing) for a group of five
Where You'll Stay

Royal Sarovar Portico Siliguri

Siliguri (arrival, near airport) · 1 Night

Reliable plains-side 4-star on Sevoke Road for the arrival night

Summit Norling Hotel & Spa

Gangtok · 2 Nights

Premium room with a private balcony

Sumitel Pelling

Pelling · 2 Nights

Premium room with Kanchenjunga-facing windows

Summit Hermon Hotel & Spa

Darjeeling · 2 Nights

Deluxe room at a spa property near Mall Road
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
DAY
Day 1 of 8
Arrive Bagdogra, overnight Siliguri
  • Fly into Bagdogra (IXB), arriving early evening
  • Meet pre-booked Innova and drive 20 min to Siliguri
  • Check in at a plains-side 4-star near the airport approach
  • Evening free: dinner at the hotel or street food on Sevoke Road
  • Restful first night before the mountain drive — no night driving with seniors
2
DAY
Day 2 of 8
Siliguri to Gangtok
  • Breakfast and check out, depart ~9:00 am
  • Scenic 105 km drive to Gangtok (~4 hrs via NH10 and the Rangpo checkpoint)
  • Arrive ~1:30 pm, check in and lunch
  • Evening stroll on MG Marg pedestrian plaza — cafes, curio shops, Sikkimese handicrafts
  • Dinner of thukpa, momos and Sikkimese pork
3
DAY
Day 3 of 8
Gangtok full-day sightseeing
  • Morning drive to Rumtek Monastery — Sikkim's largest, seat of the Karmapa lineage
  • Banjhakri Falls & Energy Park, then Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
  • Do Drul Chorten stupa (108 prayer wheels) and the Flower Show conservatory
  • Gangtok Ropeway cable car for the best valley views
  • North viewpoints: Tashi Viewpoint, Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok
  • Enchey Monastery, a 200-year-old Nyingma site, before dinner
4
DAY
Day 4 of 8
Gangtok to Pelling via Namchi & Ravangla
  • Early start for the big drive day (~145 km on mountain roads)
  • Namchi Char Dham (Solophok) — pilgrimage replicas and 87-ft Shiva statue
  • Samdruptse Hill — 135-ft Guru Padmasambhava statue with panoramic views
  • Buddha Park, Ravangla — 130-ft seated Buddha and landscaped gardens
  • Scenic switchback drive into Pelling, arriving ~6:45 pm
  • Check in and dinner at the hotel
5
DAY
Day 5 of 8
Pelling full-day sightseeing
  • Optional Kanchenjunga sunrise from the hotel terrace
  • Pelling Sky Walk & 137-ft Chenrezig Statue — glass-floored walkway and mountain views
  • Rimbi Waterfall and sacred Khecheopalri wish-fulfilling lake
  • Kanchenjunga Waterfall — multi-tier cascade with viewing platform
  • Pemayangtse Monastery (1705) and Rabdentse Ruins, the old royal capital
  • Return for dinner — last night in West Sikkim
6
DAY
Day 6 of 8
Pelling to Darjeeling, easy afternoon
  • Breakfast and check out, ~73 km drive via Jorethang (3.5–4 hrs)
  • Mid-drive tea break at Jorethang, arrive Darjeeling ~12:30 pm
  • Happy Valley Tea Estate — Darjeeling's oldest garden (1854)
  • Japanese Peace Pagoda & Peace Temple — white stupa and valley views
  • Relaxed stroll on Chowrasta & Mall Road, past Glenary's bakery
  • Dinner in town — gentle day by design
7
DAY
Day 7 of 8
Darjeeling full-day sightseeing
  • Relaxed breakfast, then the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 'Toy Train' joy ride (~11:25 am, UNESCO steam train to Ghoom via Batasia)
  • Lunch in town after the ride
  • Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park — red panda, snow leopard, Siberian tiger
  • Himalayan Mountaineering Institute — Tenzing Norgay's legacy and Everest Museum
  • Tenzing Rock photo stop, then Observatory Hill & Mahakal Temple at sunset
  • Free evening for last-night shopping on Mall Road
8
DAY
Day 8 of 8
Darjeeling to Bagdogra, fly home
  • Leisurely breakfast and final check-out
  • Descent drive to Bagdogra (~70 km, ~3 hrs via Kurseong)
  • Arrive with buffer for check-in with luggage
  • Afternoon flight home from Bagdogra (IXB)
  • Recovery day — no sightseeing
Good to Know

Senior-friendly pace

The route is built for a multi-generation group — no night mountain driving, an arrival buffer night in Siliguri, and full sightseeing days with easy drop-candidates if energy flags.

No permits needed

With the Nathu La leg dropped, the whole circuit (Gangtok, Pelling, Darjeeling) is freely accessible to Indian nationals. Carry a government photo ID for all travellers for hotel check-ins and the routine Rangpo entry register.

Pre-monsoon weather

Mid-June brings pre-monsoon showers. Pack light raincoats and waterproof shoe covers; the Pelling drive, Darjeeling transfer and Bagdogra descent are the most weather-exposed legs.

Cash and ATMs

Withdraw enough cash in Gangtok — ATMs in Pelling and Ravangla can be unreliable on weekends. Budget roughly the daily cash you'll need for meals and entries.

Getting around

A single Innova with one driver covers the full ~635 km circuit — comfortable for a family of five with luggage across eight days of mountain roads.

Make this trip yours

Every Tripcuro itinerary is planned from scratch around your dates, pace and budget — this sample shows the level of detail you'll get.

Plan my tripMore sample itineraries

Reading up first? India travel guide