Best of North East Tour
11 Nights
12 Days
Sikkim is so much more than just Gangtok and this tour will reveal all the best places in Sikkim and West Bengal. This Best of North East Tour is your guide to the icy wonderland of Sikkim and all its beautiful lakes and other tourist attractions. You will go beyond Gangtok and Darjeeling and discover the hill stations of Pelling, Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang Valley, and so many such places. We have designed this tour to give you an exciting tour of Sikkim and North East. You will do so much on this tour such as boat rides, yak rides, ropeway cable car rides, and much more.
Your North East Tour starts as you arrive at Siliguri Airport/ New Jalpaiguri Railway Station. Our tour representative will pick you up and drive you to your first destination of this tour, which is Gangtok. On arrival in Gangtok, you can check-in at your hotel. After rest, you can spend the day at your hotel or explore the local markets in Gangtok. You will find some popular restaurants in Gangtok, where you can dine on North East dishes. Or, you can dine in your hotel restaurant and have overnight rest.
You will begin this day with an excursion to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir. These two places are within a short ride from Gangtok. We will take you to visit Tsomgo Lake, which is a high-altitude natural lake with incredible natural beauty. The lake is surrounded by icy mountains, glaciers, and the shore of the lake has greenery and vegetation. The waters of the lake appear to change their colors at different times of the day and seasons. You must take the yak ride at Tsomgo Lake, and this is one of the most exciting things to do. If you are lucky you might spot Brahminy Ducks and a few other Himalayan creatures at the lake.
You will now visit Baba Mandir, and this is a shrine that is dedicated to Harbhajan Singh, who was an Indian soldier who died during the battle. It is said that his soul still visits the place and he is still regarded as a living being. In the evening you will return to Gangtok after the day trip. You can explore the local bazaar and rest for the night at your hotel. If you have the required permit you can also visit Nathu La Pass, which is a high-altitude mountain pass on the India-Tibet border. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims use this pass to cross over to Tibet from India.
You will proceed to visit Lachen on this day after check-out from Gangtok. Lachen is about a 6-hour journey from Gangtok by car. We will leave Gangtok after breakfast and on the way to Lachen, you will enjoy beautiful waterfalls, valleys, snow-capped mountains, Buddhist monasteries, and small hamlets. You can make small halts on the way to admire the Seven Sisters Waterfall, Singhik Viewpoint, and Naga Falls. In the evening you will reach Lachen and check-in at the hotel. You will spend the night at the hotel after a delicious dinner.
In the morning you will proceed from Lachen to visit Gurudongmar Lake. This is an immensely sacred lake and ranks among the highest lakes in the world. It is believed that the great Tibetan monk and master Guru Padmasambhava visited Tibet through this lake. Gurudongmar Lake is situated very high in the Tibetan Plateau. If you are lucky you might spot a yak, sheep, and other wildlife near the lake. On the way back from the lake, you will visit Chopta Valley, which is a beautiful valley full of high mountains, valleys, and waterfalls. Later you will return to Lachen and move onward on your journey to Lachung. You can check-in at your hotel when you reach Lachung. You can now visit the famous Lachung Monastery. This is a very ancient monastery and the mask dance is a very famous cultural celebration that takes place here. Later you can rest in your hotel in Lachung.
You will start after breakfast and visit Yumthang Valley. This valley is among the finest places that you can visit in Sikkim. During summer this valley turns into a flowering valley with so many wildflowers growing in it. But during winter the valley turns into a carpet of snow and ice. You can view towering mountains and rugged terrain from Yumthang Valley. You can spend some time here in Yumthang Valley and then head to Gangtok. On the way, you can visit the Hot Springs at Yumthang. Later you will check-out from Lachung and drive towards Gangtok. You can stop by to visit Bheema Falls and Twin Falls. You can check-in at the hotel in Gangtok and spend the rest of the day in your hotel room.
After breakfast, you will tour the famous places in Gangtok, such as Do Drul Chorten, Bonjhakri Falls, and Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. Flower Exhibition Center, and Gangtok Ropeway. After lunch, you will check-out from Gangtok and proceed to visit a famous hill station in Sikkim, which is called Pelling. This hill station of Pelling is worth visiting for its incredible landscapes and mountain views. When you arrive in Pelling after a journey of around 5 hours, you will check-in at your hotel and rest for the night.
You will begin this day with a full-day sightseeing tour of Pelling. Among the best places that you will visit today are Kanchenjunga Falls, Rimbi Orange Garden, Rimbi Waterfalls, and Khecheopalri Lake. You can take a skywalk at Pelling Skywalk and view the wonderful mountain ranges from the glass bridge elevated skywalk. Later you will visit the other famous places in Pelling such as Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdantse Ruins, and Helipad Ground. Later you can enjoy the whole day at your hotel in Pelling and rest here overnight.
You will check-out from Pelling on this day and visit Darjeeling. This Pelling to Darjeeling by road trip will be around 4-5 hours in duration. You can check-in at your hotel in Darjeeling on arrival and rest for some time. You can now enjoy the day as you wish and explore the local market in Darjeeling and rest overnight at the hotel.
You have the whole day to explore Darjeeling and see its magnificent places. We will begin with Tiger Hill, which is a viewpoint from where you can view Mount Kanchenjunga and its beautiful sunrises. Later you will visit Batasia Loop and which is a toy train route that is very picturesque. The next attraction in Darjeeling that you will visit is Ghoom Monastery. This monastery is famous for its 15-foot-tall statue of Maitreya Buddha.
You will now check-out from Darjeeling and visit Kalimpong. This hill station in West Bengal is famous for its British-era schools and churches. After you arrive in Kalimpong you can check-in at the hotel and then visit some famous sightseeing places in Kalimpong such as Cactus Garden, Durpin Dara Hill, Deolo Hill, Crockety, Lepcha Heritage Museum, St Teresa’s Church, Haunted Morgan House. In the evening you can rest in your hotel and stay here overnight.
You will check-out from Kalimpong and drive to Kurseong, which is another famous hill station in West Bengal. Kurseong is famous for its orchids, tea plantations, lush greenery, waterfalls, mountain views, and Buddhist monasteries. After you arrive in Kurseong, you will check-in at the hotel and then go on a sightseeing tour of Kurseong. We will take you to visit Eagle’s Crag Viewpoint, and this viewpoint offers breathtaking views of Mount Kanchenjunga. You will now visit one of the many tea gardens in Kurseong. You can take guided tours in the tea estates and see the entire process of tea making from cultivation to producing tea powder. You can also taste the different varieties of tea produced here. You will enjoy taking a walk in Bagora Pine Forest. Afterward, we will take you to Chimney Heritage Park, Dow Hill, Rock Garden, Naya Basti Monastery, and Subhash Chandra Bose Museum. After this sightseeing tour of Kalimpong, you will return to your hotel and rest here for the night.
You have reached the end of this delightful tour and you will check-out from Kurseong on this day. We will drop you to Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri Railway Station.