Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, the Dooars and Bhutan · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Gangtok", "toy train", "rhino", "Bhutan permit"
A short, easy trip: two nights in Kalimpong for Durpin, Deolo, the nurseries and the haat, then a night in the homestay village of Sillery Gaon for Kanchenjunga and the Teesta view from Ramitey Dara. Good for a long weekend from Siliguri or Kolkata.
This is the shortest trip we plan in the Kalimpong hills, and one of the most relaxed. The drives are short: 2.5–3 hours up from Siliguri, 1.5 hours from Kalimpong to Sillery Gaon, and about 3.5–4 hours back down to the plains.
You get the two sides of the district: an old trading town with monasteries, colonial buildings and a twice-weekly haat, and a quiet ridge village where a family cooks for you and the mountains fill the window. Time the trip to include a Wednesday or Saturday if you want the haat at its fullest.
Highlights
Three ways to do it
Budget
₹9,500 pp
Cheapest way to see both town and village
Ask for BudgetValue
₹17,500 pp
Our most booked option for couples and families
Ask for ValueComfort
₹32,000 pp
Heritage rooms and a spa after the village night
Ask for ComfortIndicative, per person, twin sharing, for the whole package. Mix tiers night by night if you like. Your written quote lists every cost.
Day by day
Pick-up at NJP station or Bagdogra airport, then drive through Sevoke and up the Teesta on NH10. Stop at the river at Teesta Bazaar or Chitre for tea and a view. You reach Kalimpong by early afternoon. After lunch, walk the main bazaar and the area around the motor stand, and try momos or thukpa in one of the small eateries. In the evening, rest at your hotel and plan the next morning's early start for Durpin.
Start early at Zang Dhok Palri on Durpin Hill, when monks are at prayer and the mountains are most likely to be clear. Walk past Morgan House, then drive to Deolo Hill for the view over the Teesta. Stop at Dr Graham's Homes if visits are allowed, and at a cactus or orchid nursery. In the afternoon, explore the haat if it is Wednesday or Saturday, and pick up Kalimpong cheese and lollipops on the way back.
Drive east through Algarah to Pedong, where the Sangchen Dorjee monastery dates from Bhutanese rule. A local jeep takes you up the last steep stretch to Sillery Gaon. After lunch with your host family, walk about 3 km to Ramitey Dara for the view of the Teesta winding far below. Return for evening tea on the balcony as the light fades on the snow peaks, and a home-cooked dinner.
Wake early for sunrise over the Kanchenjunga range, best from October to February. After breakfast, drive down via Pedong and Kalimpong, or via Algarah and Lava to Gorubathan if NH10 is blocked. You reach NJP or Bagdogra by early afternoon, in time for evening trains and flights. Leave a margin of at least two hours in the monsoon months.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A stone colonial mansion on Durpin Hill, built in the 1930s by the jute merchant George Morgan and now run as a government tourist lodge by …
The old Himalayan Hotel on Upper Cart Road, built as the home of the MacDonald family and now run by Mayfair as a spa resort. It …
A cluster of family homestays in Sillery Gaon above Pedong, with rooms facing Kanchenjunga across the valleys. They are the only kind of stay in the …
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Questions travellers ask
Yes, for the main sights at an easy pace. Two nights in Kalimpong cover Durpin, Deolo, the nurseries and the bazaar, and one night in Sillery Gaon gives you a sunrise and Ramitey Dara. If you want Lava or Rishop as well, add two nights, or choose our five-night trip instead.
Yes. Bagdogra is about 80 km from Kalimpong, roughly 3 hours by car. Morning flights let you reach Kalimpong by mid-afternoon. On the last day, aim for a flight after 2pm, and later in the monsoon, since landslides on NH10 can add delays.
A simple hotel in Kalimpong and a homestay in Sillery Gaon with all meals, shared jeeps from Siliguri to Kalimpong and from Kalimpong to Pedong, and a shared car for sightseeing. The local jeep up to Sillery Gaon is included. Lunches in town and entry fees are extra. Prices are indicative per person, twin sharing.
Mostly yes. Walks are optional and short, and the highest point is under 2,000 m. The last stretch to Sillery Gaon is steep and bumpy, and some homestays have stairs. Tell us about mobility needs and we will pick rooms close to the road and suggest a Comfort hotel in Kalimpong.
It is possible but not ideal. From June to September landslides can close NH10, the Sillery road gets slippery, and views are rare. If you travel then, keep a spare day at the end and take the Gorubathan route if needed. Check current status before you travel.
On clear days, yes, from Durpin, Deolo and Sillery Gaon. October to February gives the best odds, especially at sunrise. From March to May haze often hides the peaks after mid-morning, and from June to September they are usually in cloud. Nobody can promise a view; it is weather.
Yes. Add two nights after Kalimpong: one in Lava for the monastery and a forest walk, one in Rishop for the sunrise view, then go to Sillery Gaon via Algarah and Pedong. That makes a five-night trip. We price it with the same three tiers.
No permits are needed for Kalimpong, Pedong or Sillery Gaon, for Indians or foreigners. You need a permit only if you cross into Sikkim, for example towards Aritar or Zuluk from Rhenock. Rules can change. Check current status before you travel.
We take a small advance to confirm hotels and the car, with the balance before the trip starts. Homestays and government lodges have their own cancellation rules, which we explain before you pay. If a landslide or road closure forces a change, we rebook or refund unused nights where the property allows.
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