Gangtok and Darjeeling Tour ( 3 GANGTOK | 2N DARJEELING)

 06 DAYS & 05 NIGHTS TOUR PLAN

( 3 G ANGTOK | 2N DARJEELING)

DAY 01 TRANSFER FROM (IXB) BAGDOGRA AIRPORT/(NJP) RAILWAY STATION TO GANGTOK

 After pick up from Bagdogra Airport / Njp Railway Station. Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. It is a modern city but with a great history and tradition. At 1,650 meters, Gangtok offers excellent weather throughout the year and offers multiple tourist attractions in and around the city. We assist you to check-in at the hotel. Recommended: Visit to M.G Marg, the main promenade of the city. There are plenty of shops and eateries in the nicely decorated road where locals and tourists visit during the evening. Visit to MG Marg is to be self. Overnight stay at Hotel in Gangtok

 DAY 02 FULL DAY EXCURSION TO TSOMGO LAKE, BABA HARBHAJAN SIGH TEMPLE After a heavy breakfast, we take you to the famous Tsomgo Lake at 12000 ft (3600M). We start around 8.30 AM in the morning from the hotel. You have the whole day to enjoy the snow and Yak ride at the scenic high altitude alpine lake near Indo-Tibet border. The 1 km long and 15m deep lake is considered sacred to the local people. The pristine clear water remains frozen during winter. Have fun with snow and enjoy an exciting Yak ride around the lake. Tsomgo Lake, also known as Changu Lake is a glacial lake in Sikkim. The name Tsomgo means 'Source of water'. It's located 40kms from Gangtok town and leads all the way to Nathula Pass. This is one of the few high-altitude lakes in India. Prior to 1962, this was part of the old trade route between India and China. It takes about 2 hours by car from Gangtok to reach the lake along the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, the home to the red panda and the blood pheasant with Rhododendron and other alpine trees along the road - Situated at an elevation of 3753 meters / 12310 feet - The Lake is oval shaped lake nearly 50 feet deep - Generally covered in snow for most of the year the year – This lake is home to the Brahmini ducks & many migratory birds – Enjoy playing in snow and Yak Ride. Proceed further to Legendary Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir (“Hero of Nathula” An Indian soldier who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra medal for his bravery and known for doing his duty still after death).. Nearby is the sacred Baba Mandir known to be a very holy site for all. You can take a ride on colorfully adorned yaks and ponies. There is also a 957-meter long ropeway (cable car) that carries passengers from the lake to a hilltop nearby. You should reach Tsomgo lake before noon because in the afternoon the weather here usually starts getting bad. Additionally, Nathula Pass (14,140 ft) which is the Indo Chinese border has not been combined in this trip, later Back to Hotel. Overnight stay at Hotel in Gangtok

DAY 03 GANGTOK FULL DAY CITY EXCURSION After Breakfast we go for a sightseeing of Gangtok. Please note- Due to Covid Restrictions by the Authority of West Bengal Government only few sightseeing points are opens. Later in the evening return back to the hotel.

Places Include:

Banjhakri Falls: The Banjhakri Water Falls and Energy Park is a recreation centre and tourist attraction near Gangtok, in the state of Sikkim, India. The park's statuary and other displays document the Ban Jhakri, or traditional shamanic healer who worships spirits living in caves around the falls.

Tashi view point: It was built by Tashi Namgyal who was the king of Sikkim between 1914 and 1963, and that is how the place got its name. Developed by the tourism department of Sikkim and nestled in a perfect location, one can get a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains from Tashi Viewpoint.

Ropeway (Cable Car): Great ride to view the whole of Gangtok, the valley and the peaks from far above. Institute of Tibetology: A world famous institute doing research on Tibetan language and culture also has a great museum and library with rare and huge collections. It's located within a short walk from Chorten Stupa.

Handicraft Center: This is the building of Directorate of Handicraft & Handloom including a Sales emporium and a Museum showcasing many different handicraft items and artwork created by the local artists and craftsmen. Flower Exhibition: Flower Show and Exhibition Center is located at one end of the Ridge Park in Gangtok. It showcases many different flowers includings Orchids.

Hanuman Tok: The legend of this temple says that Lord Hanuman rested here for a while during his return trip to Lanka from the Himalayas carrying the Sanjeevani herbs to cure Lord Lakshman. The temple is famously known as the wish-fulfilling temple. Ganesh Tok: Ganesh Tok offers spectacular sights of the snowcapped peaks and lush green valleys. It is close to tashi view and 6 km away from Gangtok town.

Enchey Monastery: The Enchey Monastery was established in 1909 above Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim in the Northeastern Indian state. It belongs to the Nyingma order of Vajrayana Buddhism. The monastery built around the then small hamlet of Gangtok became a religious centre.

Do Drul Chorten: Do-drul Chorten is a stupa in Gangtok in the Indian state of Sikkim. The stupa was built by Trulshik Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism in 1945. Inside this stupa is a complete set of Dorjee Phurba, Kangyur (Holy Books) and other religious objects.

Recommended: Visit to M.G Marg, the main promenade of the city. There are plenty of shops and eateries in the nicely decorated road where locals and tourists visit during the evening. Visit to MG Marg is to be self.

Overnight stay at Hotel in Gangtok

 DAY 04 TRANSFER FROM GANGTOK TO DARJEELING After an early morning breakfast we continue our tour to the next best and beautiful destination Darjeeling for hotel check in. Evening will be free for leisure. Overnight stay at Hotel in Darjeeling.

DAY 05 DARJEELING FULL DAY EXCURSION Early Morning (at 04:00 am) drive to Tiger hill (8,400 ft.) to watch the spectacular sunrise over Mt. Khangchendzongha (28,208 ft. Worlds 3rd highest peak), After breakfast relax for a while and then continue your tour visit to Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop.

Places Include:

Tiger Hill: Who doesn't know about the magnificent view of sunrise from Tiger Hill. You will need to wake up by 3:30am and take a vehicle. But the rewards are awesome. You can see the changing colours of the colossal Kanchenjunga snow peaks as the light strikes; it's a place where you can soak yourself with Himalayan beauty. On a clear day you can also get a glimpse of Mount Everest, Mount Makalu and one of the most beautiful peaks of the world, Tibet's Chomol Hari. Tiger Hill is 11kms away and at an altitude of more than 8,400ft. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the top where there is a view tower for watching sunrise. There is an entry fee.

Ghoom Monastery: The Ghoom Monastery, also called the Yiga Choeling Monastery, is one of the oldest monasteries in the town of Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. It is located near the Ghum Railway Station, which is famous for its narrow gauge toy train.

Batasia Loop and the War Memorial: Batasia Loop is an engineering marvel located in Ghoom area. This is where the toy train makes a double spiral loop to negotiate a drop of 1000 ft as it moves towards Darjeeling town. Amidst the beautiful garden where the railway track is laid in form of a loop, there is also a War Memorial. You can walk along the track and complete the loop yourself. I do it every time I am there. Or take the many pathways in the garden and walk around, enjoy the many flowers and the surroundings. It was constructed in honour of the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. There is a nominal entry fee. Don't miss the Samosas (fried vegetable pastries) that are sold near the entrance of Batasia Loop in the morning.

Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda: Close to the Darjeeling town and in a scenic setting there is a temple built in a traditional Japanese style. About 100 yards away and in the same complex, there is large Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Buddha. The view of the mountain range and Darjeeling town from the top of the pagoda is spectacular. No entry fee. Caution: In order to save time, some drivers try to treat these two attractions as separate ones and count 2 instead of one. Don't be deceived or you will miss out on one of the following.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute - Darjeeling Zoo - Natural History Museum: These are three attractions co located in the same large compound. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built to honor Tenzing Norgay's triumph to the Everest and is dedicated to provide mountaineering and rock climbing lessons to students from all over the world. There is a mountaineering museum as well. The highlights of this museum include the artefacts from various Himalayan expeditions, the Everest section showcasing Tenzing's personal belongings, an eagle found dead at 26,000 feet during 1960 Everest expedition, a high power telescope that once belonged to Hitler and was used by the Institute etc. Darjeeling Zoo has many high altitude Himalayan animals including Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Panda, yaks etc. And the Bengal Natural History Museum is great to know about flora and fauna of Bengal including high altitude animals of Himalayan region as well as of Darjeeling district. There is a combined entry ticket to visit all three attractions in one go. Darjeeling Ropeway: You will board the cable car from Singamari located 3km away from the town centre. The 45 minutes ride takes you from an altitude of 7,000ft to 800ft with wonderful vista of a valley around Rangeet River, tea estates and sweeping views of the snow peaks of Himalayan range including Kanchenjunga. Ticket needs to be purchased. During high season, there may be long queues. So try to book in advance. Note* Darjeeling Ropeway Entry Tickets are not included, It will be available on the spot like other points.

Tenzing Rock: It is a gigantic natural rock in Darjeeling named after Tenzing Norgay. It was learnt that Tenzing himself used to practice climbing on this rock. Tenzing and Gombu rocks are situated on Lebong Cart Road and face opposite to each other. The huge Tenzing rock is named after Tenzing Norgay.

Tea Garden: An old tea estate that exports all its produce to Harrods in London and few other countries. You can see the delicate tea processing in the factory with the help of a guide and buy tea packets from its outlet. You won't get this tea anywhere else in the country. There is no entry fee, however there is fee for the guide. Overnight stay at Hotel in Darjeeling.

DAY 06 TRANSFER FROM DARJEELING HOTEL TO (IXB) BAGDOGRA AIRPORT/(NJP) RAILWAY STATION