Getting Around the Darjeeling-Sikkim Circuit

Getting Around the Darjeeling-Sikkim Circuit

To visit both Darjeeling and Sikkim, consider a clockwise tour of this region. The closest railhead for both is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) or Siliguri and the closest airport is at Bagdogra, 16 km from Siliguri. From the airport or the railway stations the drive to Darjeeling takes about three hours; to Gangtok about five.

Start with Darjeeling. At the airport or train station, hire a sturdy vehicle. You'll pay about Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,500 from Bagdogra to Darjeeling (88 km ), possibly less from Siliguri. Better, but more expensive, is to have your hotel pick you up. Alternatively, the brave can buy a spot for Rs. 80 in a shared jeep, at Silguri taxi stand, which fits 9 passengers and takes mountain curves at breakneck speed. But do note that getting a taxi from the Bagdogra Airport or New Jalpaiguri to Siliguri will cost you about Rs. 250.

A half hour outside Siliguri, you'll find yourself deep in tea country. The most famous tea gardens are at higher altitudes, such as the Makaibari Estate and Castleton Estate, which makes the most expensive tea in the world. The road makes hairpin bends as it climbs, and about 30 km (19 mi) before Darjeeling is the town of Kurseong. As you approach Darjeeling, the track for Darjeling's historic Toy train weaves in and out of view, and you might pass one chugging feistily along. Just 8 km (5 mi) short of Darjeeling is Ghoom, site of the Yiga-Choling Tibetan monastery. Five km (3 mi) east of Ghoom, off the highway, is the region's highest point, Tiger Hill, at 2,520 meters (8,268 feet). Tourists flock here before dawn for spectacular views of the Kanchejunga and, on lucky days, Mt. Everest. Back on the road, you enter an amphitheater of towering snowy mountains and sweeping valleys.

After three days in Darjeeling, press on for Sikkim, ideally via Pelling 74 km (46 mi), about four hours northeast of Darjeeling. One pretty route descends through Darjeeling's densest tea gardens and tea villages to Jorethang. The road is narrow and bumpy, but this route is a rare glimpse at the underbelly of one of the world's wealthiest industries. Some of the villages with their little churches, temples, and clutch of houses on stilts make excellent pictures. Jorethang is a bustling border town. Beyond it, you'll be in the heart of Sikkim's mountainous but prosperous countryside.

Gangtok is 117 km (73 mi) from Pelling via Singtam, a six-hour drive through similar stunning semi-tropical and semi-mountainous vegetation and terrain.