Sikkim, Darjeeling with Nepal Tour
Trip at a Glance
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Country: Nepal
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Trip grade: Easy
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Destination: Nepal/India
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Activities: Cultural Sightseeing
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Accommodation: Hotels
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Meals: Breakfast included
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Transportation: Private vehicle/Plane
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Maximum altitude: Tiger hill Darjeeling (2,590 m)
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Trip Start / End: Kathmandu - Kathmandu
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Best Season: Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Sikkim, Darjeeling with Nepal Tour is a comprehensive holiday package that not only encapsulates the charisma of Sikkim and Darjeeling- the two splendid hill stations in the Indian state of West Bengal, but also unfolds the grandeur of the historical, cultural and natural wonders of Nepal- another serene Himalayan terra firma. This luxury trip offers you the opportunity to take a comfy cruise along the best known attractions of Sikkim and Darjeeling. Well, if that is not enough, you also get to explore the three awesome cities of Nepal, viz. Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara. To be honest, the roads do get bouncy, narrow and curvy, but there is nothing much to worry, when you are inside a luxury car, driven by one of the most experienced roadies. If you are a short vacationer type and are narrowing down your eyebrows at the length of this trip, all we want to say is, getting acquainted to the three Himalayan paradises of Asia viz. Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling in just a fortnight, is not a big ask at all, in terms of days!!
So what’s the catch about this trip? First would be an informative and enticing sightseeing in Kathmandu valley after which you will fly to the easternmost corner of Nepal, a small town called Bhadrapur, located near the Indian border. From Bhadrapur, your comfy drive begins, which takes you to Darjeeling, also known as the “queen of hills”. The fresh air of the hills keeps us pumped up all day as we go about visiting some of the best attractions here like- the Tiger Hills, the lush tea garden, zoological park and a tidy market place. We drive further to Gangtok, the prudent, prosperous and peaceful capital of Sikkim, poised under the canopy of the mighty Kanchenjunga (8586m). The Tashi View Point, Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology, Rumtek Monastery etc. are some of the sites we explore in Gangtok. The drive and the subsequent exploration of sites continue, this time in Kalimpong. Here, we visit several monasteries like- Tharpa Choling, Fo-brang etc. and also stroll around the local market place. We then drive back to Bhadrapur to board a flight to Kathmandu.
The fun is not yet over. The comfy drive resumes as we head to Chitwan for an array of entertaining jungle activities in the Chitwan National Park. Pokhara would be our next destination. We explore this fascinating tourist hotspot, admiring the chain of beautiful lakes like- Phewa, Rupa, Begnas etc. and also visit the very famous, Davis Falls. Thus, capturing the beautiful moments of the tour on our stills, we eventually drive back to Kathmandu. To make your last night Nepal memorable, Marron Treks will host a farewell dinner program, featuring a range of traditional Nepali cuisines and a live cultural show. With all said and done, we bet you are not still complaining about the length of the trip now, are you?
Sikkim, Darjeeling with Nepal Tour Highlights
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites tour in Kathmandu.
- Scenic drive along the winding roads to Sikkim & Darjeeling.
- Visit Gangtok- the capital of Sikkim & the most beautiful hill station town.
- Discover the cultural heritage of Sikkim by visiting the Enchey Monastery and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
- Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea at Happy Valley Tea Estate.
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train Ride, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Ghum Monastery visit, one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.
- Witness spectacular view of Mt. Kanchenjung, the world's third highest mountain.
- Jungle Safari at Chitwan National Park in Nepal
- Sarangkto Sunrise tour & Pokhara City Sightseeing.
Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1400m)
Day 02: Kathmandu city sightseeing (1400m)
Day 03: Flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur (91m/1 hr) and drive from Bhadrapur to Darjeeling (2050m/4-5 hrs)
Day 04: Sightseeing in Darjeeling
Day 05: Drive from Darjeeling to Gangtok (1650m/4-5 hrs)
Day 06: Sightseeing in Gangtok
Day 07: Drive from Gangtok to Kalimpong; half day sightseeing in Kalimpong (1250m/3hrs)
Day 08: Drive from Kalimpong to Bhadrapur (91m/4-5 hrs) and flight from Bhadrapur to Kathmandu
Day 09: Drive from Kathmandu to Chitwan (150m/5-6hrs)
Day 10: Full day jungle activities in Chitwan National Park
Day 11: Drive from Chitwan to Pokhara (830m/4 hrs)
Day 12: Early morning drive from Pokhara to Sarangkot (1600m/2.5 hrs); drive back to Pokhara followed by a half day city sightseeing
Day 13: Flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 14: Final departure
Upon arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be received by a representative from Marron Treks and then transferred to your hotel. At the hotel, you will be greeted with welcome drinks. We then have a quick pre-trip meeting where you will be briefed on the necessary formalities and your trip itinerary. To avoid the jetlag, you can spend the remaining half of the day, resting. Or if lying flat is too unbecoming for you, stroll around the nearby places just to get the feel of what this city is like.
This is the day that gives you the opportunity to get well versed to the city. After a succulent breakfast at your hotel, we will introduce you to our amiable and experienced city guide. Hop in to our transport vehicle and head for a drive piercing the heart of the Kathmandu valley. You will be visiting the most renowned historical and cultural landmarks of Kathmandu - like Pasupatinath Temple (The Most Revered Hindu Shrine), Swayambunath (The Monkey Temple), Boudhanath (The Greatest Stupa) and Kathmandu (Basantapur) Durbar Square . All these sites are included in the UNESCO world heritage list. After this informative and enticing, tour, we drive back through the noisy and usually cluttered streets of Kathmandu to the serene premises of the hotel. Hope the tour lived up to your expectations.
After breakfast you will be driven to the domestic wing of Tribhuwan airport. You board a flight to Bhadrapur, which is a small city located near Nepal's eastern border with India. Within an hour you will find yourself at a very unsophisticated looking airport of Bhadrapur. A representative from Marron Treks will receive you who will accompany you throughout the tour in India. We drive on a private car to Kakarvitta, which is the last town before Nepal's eastern border with India. We have to wait here for sometime until a custom and immigration formalities are sorted out. Crossing Kakarvitta, we immediately enter the Indian state of West Bengal. Our drive continues to Siliguri, a busy Indian town, where we possibly halt for lunch. The post lunch drive commences towards Darjeeling, a beautiful British designed hill station cum school town of India. The road to Darjeeling comprises of treacherous hair-pin curves. As you glance out of the car's window you can see the snaky tracks below which you just traversed. In about 5-6 hours you will reach Darjeeling. One can clearly feel the chilly winds hitting the ribs hard. We have an extra day at Darjeeling tomorrow, so we can get ourselves well rested and take a sound sleep.
On the chilly morning at Darjeeling, we wake up only to be greeted with a steamy cup of coffee/tea. We then freshen ourselves and have our breakfast. The sightseeing then begins with a drive along the narrow and curvy roads of this splendid hill-town. Darjeeling has many popular sites worth visiting. Our sightseeing covers most of the famed spots herein, viz. Tiger Hill (it offers a spectacular mountain and sunrise views) Ghoom Monastery (Yiga-Choling), statue of Maitreya (future Buddha). The post lunch sightseeing includes the visits to the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre, Tea Garden, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park and local marketplace. We will also have an opportunity to take a ride in the famous Toy Train (subject to operation) up to Ghoom.
After breakfast we bid farewell to the "queen of hills" and get our wheels going along the familiar twist and turns until we arrive at another stunning hilly paradise, Gangtok, which also happens to be the capital of Sikkim state. The long drive has perhaps made us a little fatigued, so its better if we check in to our hotel and rest. We have a busy day tomorrow, packed with plenty of entertaining activities.
We are at the capital of Sikkim state, so sightseeing should definitely be on the cards. After breakfast we drive to the Rumtek Monastery and Tibetology & Orchid Sanctuary. The post lunch tour comprises of a visit to Enchey Monastery, Cottage Industry, Tashiling, White Hall & Lal Market.
After early breakfast, we drive to Kalimpong. Upon arrival we check in to our hotel and freshen ourselves. The half day sightseeing begins after lunch. The attractions for the day are Durpin Dara, Tharpa Choling Monastery, Zong Dog Palri, Fo-brang Monastery, Nursery & local market. Kalimpong is also well known for its British styled schools. Most of children from the eastern region of Nepal are brought here by their parents for schooling. We can take a sneak peek on some of such schools here.
Its time now we say good bye to this lovely hill station. After an early breakfast we drive back to Bhadrapur airport. Its actually a long drive along the narrow and curvy roads for about 4-5 hours. We then board on a flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, you will be received by a representative from Marron Treks and transferred to your hotel. The remaining time is on your own. You would probably want to do some souvenir shopping at Thamel. In the evening, Marron Treks will host a farewell dinner party featuring a range of mouth watering Nepali cuisines, followed by a live cultural program.
After an early morning breakfast, we drive out of Kathmandu towards Chitwan which takes about 5-6 hours drive. Upon arrival in Chitwan, check-in hotel, have lunch and engage in activities like Tharu village tour, and watch Tharu Cultural Show with dance perforformed by Tharu cultural dancers.
Start your day with an early morning jungle safari, usually by jeep or elephant. This is the best time to spot wildlife such as rhinoceros, deer, various bird species, and if you're lucky, even a glimpse of a tiger or a leopard. Then go for other jungle actvities like canoeing, jungle walk, visiting the elephant breeding center. Aferwards back to hotel.
A profound indulgence in the dense and lively jungle of Chitwan yesterday perhaps got us real intimate with the wild side of Nepal. Its now time to once again evoke that city-persona within us. So, after breakfast, we head on for a drive to Pokhara, the most famed tourist hot spot of Nepal. The stunning mountains and the lush green valleys that you witness on the way, inching closer to Pokhara, gives you the sense of how blessed this city is. Upon arrival, we check in to our hotel and relax for sometime. In the evening, we can stroll around, watching the funky crowd. The youngsters here seem to be really fashionable and bubbly. Pokhara is literally flooded with international tourists all the year round, so the people here are actually very well accustomed to dealing with them. You won't find anybody being shy or uncomfortable talking to the tourist. So, you can have some good chit-chat with the local people here. We have an extra day at Pokhara tomorrow, so, this evening let's not stick to our routine and do whatever pleases us.
We enjoy our breakfast simultaneously relishing the view of the fascinating milieu. Before we explore Pokhara any further, a quick visit to another absolutely picturesque hill station nearby should be worth taking. We drive to Sarangkot which takes us about 2.5 hours. Sarangkot is boisterously perched on a mountainside ridge at an altitude of 1600 meters. This emerging tourist destination offers stunning views of Dhaulagiri range in the far west as well as an incredibly close up view of the Annapurna massif. The village overlooks the fascinating lake city, Pokhara to the south. We can have our lunch in one of the resorts here. There is also a paragliding service available from Sarangkot to Pokhara. (Please let us know if you want to glide all the way to Pokhara instead of the regular monotonous drive).
We drive back to Pokhara and then begin the sightseeing tour of this wonderful lake city. We cruise around visiting the major tourist attractions here, viz. Phewa Lake, Rupa Lake, Begnas Lake, Barahi Temple and Davis Falls. If you are one of those party freaks and craving to get loud and crazy, you can try one of the funkiest pubs here. Enjoy your heart out but make sure to save yourself for a drive back to Kathmandu tomorrow.
We board the short scenic flight to Kathmandu, beholding the fascinating chain of mountains from the tiny closed glass windows of our aircraft. After about 25 minutes, we touch down the domestic wing of the Kathmandu airport. A representative from Marron Treks will receive and transfer you to your hotel. You have the whole lot of day remaining, so after freshening up yourselves, you can indulge in some souvenir shopping at Thamel, but make sure that you cling to hardcore bargaining, as if it is your religion! If you think, the fun is now over, you’ve just made a premature judgment, because Marron Treks has some great stuff in store for you this evening. Come and be a part of a lavish farewell dinner program; a full-fledged Nepali cuisines and an enticing cultural show…the night is all yours!!!
A representative from Marron Treks will escort you to the airport. It is advisable to get there, three hours prior to the flight schedule. Goodbyes are not forever, goodbyes are not the end; they simply mean we’ll miss you, till we meet again! Hope you had a great time with us and we look forward to being you adventure companion to Nepal again.
What is included?
- Airport pick-up and drop services.
- All applicable domestic airfare as specified in the itinerary.
- Hotel accommodation costs in Kathmandu, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Pokhara on "BB" basis & accommodation in Chitwan on "full board" basis with respect to the itinerary.
- All ground transportation costs as prescribed in the itinerary.
- Remuneration to an experienced English speaking city guide for sightseeing in Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling.
- Full day jungle activities in Chitwan.
- All applicable tourist entrance and monumental fees during the sightseeing in Nepal and Sikkim & Darjeeling.
- Complimentary farewell dinner with live Nepalese cultural show.
What is not included?
- Personal Insurance for travel to Nepal.
- International airfare.
- Nepal & India entry visa fees.
- Bar bills & beverages.
- Emergency rescue evacuation.
- Tipping.
- Other expenses of personal nature.
Route Map
