Search

Transindus · Tailor Made Tour

Sikkim and the Darjeeling Railway

Himalayan foothills from Kolkata to Sikkim, Gangtok, and Darjeeling on narrow-gauge steam rail

Illustration of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Railway

Transindus offers a 14-day tailor-made tour through the Himalayan foothills of northeast India, starting in the charismatic city of Kolkata and moving north through Sikkim's remote hill stations. You travel with a private English-speaking guide and chauffeur-driven vehicle, staying in hotels across Kolkata, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Pelling, and Darjeeling. The route focuses on Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples, tea plantations, and panoramic views of the Kangchenjunga massif and surrounding ice peaks. On Day 11, you ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow-gauge steam line built by the British in the late 19th century, from Darjeeling to Kurseong. An early morning drive to Tiger Hill at 2,585 metres offers dawn views of the northeast Himalaya. The tour can be customized for hotel grade, duration, and travel style, making it well suited to couples and first-time visitors to India who prefer guided comfort and a structured itinerary.

What to know before you look closer

  • Hotels are not named on Transindus's published page; confirm the specific properties and their grades before booking.
  • The rail experience is a short taster ride (Darjeeling to Kurseong), not a dominant feature of the tour; most travel is by road and internal flights.
  • This is a tailor-made tour, so departure dates are custom-arranged rather than set group departures. Confirm availability and cost once you select your preferred dates.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    UK, Kolkata

    Fly from the UK to Kolkata via the Middle East.

  2. Day 2overnight: Hotel in Kolkata (not named on page)

    Kolkata

    On arrival in the morning, you'll be met by your TransIndus driver and guide and escorted to your hotel for a two-night stay. Spend the remainder of the day recovering from the journey, perhaps venturing out to the College Street Coffee House as an acclimatiser.

  3. Day 3overnight: Hotel in Kolkata (not named on page)

    Kolkata

    A full day's sightseeing, starting at the Victoria Memorial, the city's most iconic building, and continuing to the Indian Museum, New Market and Park Street Cemetery.

  4. Day 4overnight: Hotel in Kalimpong (not named on page)

    Kalimpong

    Fly to Bagdogra and drive to Kalimpong for an overnight stay. A typical Indian hill town, its attractions include market gardens where orchids, amaryllis, palms, ferns and cacti are cultivated for export, and a spellbinding view of the distant Himalayas from the monastery of Zong Dog Palri Phodrang.

  5. Day 5overnight: Hotel in Gangtok (not named on page)

    Gangtok (Sikkim)

    Drive to Sikkim for a two-night stay in the capital, Gangtok. Sikkim only became part of India in 1975, and much of it retains the feel of a remote Himalayan kingdom, with ancient Buddhist monasteries clinging to ridgetops and the glaciers and ice peaks of the Kangchenjunga massif on the horizon.

  6. Day 6overnight: Hotel in Gangtok (not named on page)

    Gangtok (Sikkim)

    A full day's sightseeing including Enchey Monastery, the Do-Drul Chorten, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, and the Flower Exhibition Centre and Zoological Gardens to see red pandas and snow leopards. In the evening, soak up the atmosphere of MG Road.

  7. Day 7overnight: Hotel in Pelling (not named on page)

    Pelling

    Drive to Pelling for a two-night stay, visiting Rumtek Monastery, seat of the Karma Kagya ('Black Hat') monastic order, en route. Pelling boasts one of the best views in Sikkim of Kanchenjunga and its outlying peaks.

  8. Day 8overnight: Hotel in Pelling (not named on page)

    Pelling

    Visit nearby Pemayangtse Monastery on a day trip from Pelling, and enjoy a walk around the village. Built in the 17th century, the monastery marks the start of a popular trekking route north to the base camp of Kanchenjunga.

  9. Day 9overnight: Hotel in Darjeeling (not named on page)

    Darjeeling

    A half-day's drive south from Pelling to the hill station and tea-growing centre of Darjeeling, founded by the British as the site of an army sanatorium in the early 19th century, at an altitude of 2,200m amid lush tea gardens.

  10. Day 10overnight: Hotel in Darjeeling (not named on page)

    Darjeeling

    An early start to reach the top of Tiger Hill (2,585m) shortly after dawn for a panoramic view of Kanchenjunga and the northeast Himalaya. Afterwards, visit Ghoom Monastery, home to a beautiful bronze-faced Maitreya, and a tea plantation.

  11. Day 11railovernight: Hotel in Darjeeling (not named on page)

    Darjeeling

    Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, once directed by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, and take a ride on the world-famous Darjeeling Railway - a narrow-gauge line built by the British in the late 19th century and the only one in India still using steam locomotives - to Kurseong.

  12. Day 12overnight: Hotel in Kolkata (not named on page)

    Kolkata

    Fly back to Kolkata for a two-night stay. Visit the Kali Ghat temple, the most important Hindu shrine in the city, in the early evening.

  13. Day 13overnight: Hotel in Kolkata (not named on page)

    Kolkata

    A free day to explore the city in greater depth, with or without a guide, and shop for souvenirs.

  14. Day 14

    Kolkata, UK

    Head for the airport to catch your return flight to the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 4Fly to Bagdogra and drive to Kalimpong to visit Zong Dog Palri Phodrang monastery with distant views of the Himalayas.
  • Day 6Full day exploring Gangtok's Enchey Monastery, Do-Drul Chorten, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, and Flower Exhibition Centre to see red pandas and snow leopards.
  • Day 10Early start to Tiger Hill at 2,585m for dawn views of Kanchenjunga and the northeast Himalaya; visit Ghoom Monastery.
  • Day 11Ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow-gauge steam line built by the British in the late 19th century, from Darjeeling to Kurseong.

Included

  • International flights from UK
  • 12 nights accommodation
  • All internal transportation and transfers using private, chauffeur-driven vehicles
  • Private English-speaking guides
  • Breakfast daily
  • Entrance fees to sites and monuments listed in tour itinerary

Questions travellers ask

Is this tour guided or independent?
It is guided. Transindus provides private English-speaking guides throughout the 14 days, and all internal transport uses private chauffeur-driven vehicles.
What train journey is included?
On Day 11 in Darjeeling, you ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a narrow-gauge steam line, from Darjeeling to Kurseong. International flights from the UK are included; internal flights to Bagdogra and back to Kolkata are part of the tour.
What accommodation is provided?
The itinerary includes 12 nights in hotels across Kolkata (4 nights), Kalimpong (1 night), Gangtok (2 nights), Pelling (2 nights), and Darjeeling (3 nights). Specific hotel names are not listed on the operator's page; they can be tailored to your preference.
What meals and activities are included?
Breakfast is daily. Entrance fees to all sites and monuments in the itinerary are included: monasteries, museums, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, tea plantations, and the Flower Exhibition Centre. Lunch and dinner are not mentioned as included.
How much physical activity is required?
An early drive to Tiger Hill (2,585m) requires stamina; otherwise, activities are moderate. You visit monasteries on ridgetops, walk around Pelling village, and explore tea plantations. No trekking is listed.
When does the tour depart?
This is a tailor-made tour with no fixed group departures. You arrange dates with Transindus, and the itinerary and accommodation can be customized.

Similar journeys