The India travel specialists · London
East India Tour — 7 nights through Kolkata, Darjeeling, Gangtok and Kalimpong.
Most British visitors to India go west and south - Rajasthan, Agra, Kerala, Goa. The eastern hills get a fraction of that traffic, and it shows. Darjeeling is a Victorian hill station that never quite stopped being one, with tea estates dropping away below the road and, on a clear morning, Kanchenjunga sitting above the cloud at the far end of the valley. Gangtok is a Sikkimese state capital at 5,800 feet where the monasteries are working buildings rather than exhibits. Kalimpong grows flowers for a living.
The trip starts with a full day in Kolkata, which is worth the time on its own, then flies up to Bagdogra and climbs. From there it is road travel: three and a half hours to Darjeeling, four and a half to Gangtok, three to Kalimpong, three back down to the airport. These are mountain roads and the hours are honest ones. Day 4 begins at about four in the morning for sunrise at Tiger Hill, and whether you see Kanchenjunga at all depends entirely on the weather, which we cannot promise and will not pretend to. You have a private car and driver with local guides in each place, apart from Gangtok, where the local transport union requires sightseeing to be done in a non-air-conditioned Maruti van.
Private car between the hill towns, with flights at each end between Kolkata and Bagdogra. Gangtok sightseeing is by non-air-conditioned Maruti van, as the local transport union requires.
A four in the morning departure to watch the sun come up over Kanchenjunga, weather permitting. On a clear day it is the reason people come to Darjeeling. On a cloudy one it is a cold hour in the dark, and that happens too.
The Kali Temple at Kalighat, Victoria Memorial Hall sitting in its own park, the small Georgian bulk of St John's Cathedral and the offices round Dalhousie Square. Mother House and the Tagore Museum in the afternoon. One full day, and it does not feel like enough.
Enchey Monastery in town, the Research Institute of Tibetology and the Chorten, and Rumtek a short drive out. These are working religious buildings in a Buddhist state capital, not restored showpieces. The Flower Show at the White Hall complex rounds the day off.
Dello Hills and the Durbin Dara Hills give you the long views down the valleys. Dr Graham's Home and the flower nurseries, which are a genuine local industry rather than a photo stop, fill the rest. The Jang-Dong-Palriffo Brang Monastery is the last call of the trip.
March to May and October to November are the clearest months for the mountains. June to September is the monsoon and the views mostly disappear. December to February is cold and crisp, with the best odds on a clear Kanchenjunga sunrise but hard frosts at night.
Arrive Kolkata
You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Kolkata
full day with guide
The Kali Temple at Kalighat, Victoria Memorial Hall, St John's Cathedral and the old administrative blocks around Dalhousie Square. The Jain Temple, the Tagore Museum and Mother House fill the afternoon.
Kolkata to Darjeeling
flight to Bagdogra, then 93 km / 3.5 hrs by road
A flight north to Bagdogra, then three and a half hours climbing into the hills by car. The rest of the day is at leisure, and by the time you arrive you will want it.
Darjeeling
full day, about 4am start
You leave for Tiger Hill at around four in the morning for sunrise over Kanchenjunga, which happens only if the sky is clear. Then Ghoom Monastery, the Batasia Loop, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Tenzing and Gombu Rock, the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre and a tea estate seen from the outside. The Institute closes on Thursdays and the Refugee Centre on Sundays, so the running order depends on which day you are there.
Darjeeling to Gangtok
98 km / 4.5 hrs
Four and a half hours of switchbacks over into Sikkim. Gangtok sits at 5,800 feet and the rest of the day is free, which is the right way round after that drive.
Gangtok
full day, non-AC Maruti van
The Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms, Enchey Monastery, the Research Institute of Tibetology, the Chorten and the Flower Show at the White Hall complex, then Rumtek Monastery outside town. Gangtok sightseeing is by non-air-conditioned Maruti van because the local transport union requires it, not to save money.
Gangtok to Kalimpong
80 km / 3 hrs
Three hours down and across to Kalimpong. Dello Hills and the Durbin Dara Hills for the long views, then Dr Graham's Home, the flower nurseries the town lives on, and the Jang-Dong-Palriffo Brang Monastery.
Kalimpong to Bagdogra, then Kolkata
83 km / 3 hrs, then by flight
Three hours back down to Bagdogra and a flight to Kolkata for your onward connection. The two Bagdogra flights are not in the tour price, so we quote them with your international tickets.
We price the land arrangements and your flights together, then come back with one number. No deposit is taken on the call and nothing is booked until you say so.
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No. The price is for the land arrangements only and we quote your UK flights separately. The Kolkata to Bagdogra and Bagdogra to Kolkata flights are not in the operator's inclusions either, so those are quoted alongside your international tickets.
Yes. British passport holders need an Indian visa before travelling and the cost is yours. Apply well in advance. If you hold a passport other than a British one, tell us early, because the requirements are not the same.
This needs a straight answer. The operator lists a toy train fare in the inclusions, but no day in the itinerary contains a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. We do not know which service or which day it is meant to apply to, so we confirm it with the operator when we quote you and tell you exactly what you are getting. Once the ticket is issued it is non-refundable.
Foreign nationals need an Inner Line Permit to enter Sikkim, which includes Gangtok. Permits are arranged as part of the booking and we will tell you what we need from you, usually passport and visa copies and photographs. Who bears the cost is not stated by the operator, so we confirm that in writing with your quote rather than guessing here.
Sometimes. Sunrise at Tiger Hill needs a clear sky and the eastern Himalaya is often cloudy, particularly in the monsoon months and in the spring haze. You make the 4am trip regardless and take what the weather gives you. Nobody can guarantee the view, and anyone who does is selling you something.
A fair amount. Bagdogra to Darjeeling is 93 km in about three and a half hours, Darjeeling to Gangtok 98 km in four and a half, Gangtok to Kalimpong 80 km in three, and Kalimpong back to Bagdogra 83 km in three. Short distances, slow roads. If anyone in the party is prone to travel sickness, come prepared.
Prices shown are the supplier’s published “from” price for the land arrangements only, per person on a twin-share basis, and vary by date, hotel grade and party size. International flights are quoted separately. The route map is an illustration of the order of stops, not an accurate map. Patel Travel is ATOL 74904 and IATA accredited. Tours are operated by our ground partner in India; your confirmation will state who is responsible for your booking.
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