The Eastern Himalaya
Six places, each with its own weather
Tea estates above 2,000 m. A flower town on a ridge over the Teesta. A small capital of monasteries and momo kitchens. A village facing Kanchenjunga. Then Bhutan and Kathmandu. Choose by what you want.
In short
Where should you go in the Eastern Himalaya?
Choose Darjeeling for tea estates, the toy train and a first trip to the hills. Kalimpong suits slow travellers and grandparents who want gardens, quiet and milder air. Gangtok and East Sikkim suit couples who want monasteries, good food and a day at the high lakes. Pelling and West Sikkim suit anyone who came for Kanchenjunga up close. Bhutan suits travellers who want dzongs, ritual and mountain walks. Nepal suits those drawn to Kathmandu's old courtyards.
The six worlds
Choose by what you want to feel
Start with the feeling, not the map. Choose what matters most on this trip and we will show you where it lives and how long the road is.
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27.04° N 88.26° E · 2,042 m
Darjeeling
Dorje-ling: the place of the thunderbolt
Tea, the toy train and a colonial town that still wakes to the Kanchenjunga.
Namaste नमस्तेNepali: I bow to you. Said with palms together, at any hour.
- Taste
- Second flush Darjeeling tea
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27.06° N 88.47° E · 1,250 m
Kalimpong
Kalenpung: in Lepcha, the hillock where people gather
Orchid nurseries, Bhutanese monasteries and the quietest hill town in the district.
KhamriLepcha: Greetings: the salutation of the Lepcha people of these hills
- Taste
- Kalimpong cheese
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27.33° N 88.61° E · 1,650 m
Gangtok & East Sikkim
Sgang-tog: the hill top
A capital of monasteries and momos, and the road to the high lakes.
Tashi delek བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགསSikkimese and Tibetan: Blessings and good fortune. Said on meeting, and above all at Losar.
- Taste
- Dalle khursani, the round chilli of Sikkim
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27.30° N 88.24° E · 2,150 m
Pelling & West Sikkim
Sikkim, from the Limbu su khyim: the new house
The closest bed to the Kanchenjunga, and the oldest monasteries in the state.
Sewaro ᤛᤧᤘᤠᤖᤥLimbu: The Limbu greeting. Say it to a Limbu host before the thee is poured.
- Taste
- Thee in a tongba: the Limbu millet brew
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27.47° N 89.64° E · 2,320 m
Bhutan
Druk Yul: the land of the thunder dragon
Dzongs, cliff monasteries and a kingdom that measures happiness. Two hours from Darjeeling's airport by road to the border.
Kuzuzangpo la སྐུ་གཟུགས་བཟང་པོ་ལགས།Dzongkha: Hello. Literally 'good body', a wish for your health; la adds respect
- Taste
- Ema datshi
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27.72° N 85.32° E · 1,400 m
Nepal
Kasthamandap: the wooden pavilion that gave the city its name
Kathmandu's temples, the Everest flight, and the far side of the same mountains.
Jwajalapa ज्वजलपाNewar: Hello. The Newar greeting of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur
- Taste
- Samay baji, the Newar festival platter
Nothing matches every filter. Choose another, or ask us: we will find the place.
At a glance
Altitude, access and season, side by side
The facts people ask us most, in one table. Times are for a private car in dry weather.
| Destination | Altitude | Getting there | Best months | Stay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darjeeling | 2,042 m | Bagdogra (IXB), about 70 km, about 3 hours by road | October to December, March to April | 3 to 4 nights | Tea estates, steam railway, Kanchenjunga sunrises, slow heritage stays |
| Kalimpong | 1,250 m | Bagdogra (IXB), about 80 km, about 3 hours by road | October to April | 2 to 3 nights | Monasteries, the Tibet trade story, market days, nurseries and slow, milder days |
| Gangtok & East Sikkim | 1,650 m | Bagdogra (IXB), about 124 km, 4.5 hours by road, or the helicopter to Burtuk when it runs | March to May, October to December | 3 to 4 nights | Monasteries, high lakes, Sikkimese food, a kingdom's living heritage |
| Pelling & West Sikkim | 2,150 m | Bagdogra (IXB), about 135 km, 5 to 6 hours by road | October to December, March to May | 2 nights on a longer route, 3 to 4 for the mountain | Kanchenjunga at dawn, Sikkim's oldest monasteries, heritage walks |
| Bhutan | 2,320 m | Paro (PBH), about 1 hour to Thimphu; or Bagdogra (IXB), 162 km to the border, about 4.5 hours | March to May, September to November | 5 to 7 nights | Dzongs, festivals, mountain walks, Tiger's Nest and slow lodge stays |
| Nepal | 1,400 m | Bagdogra (IXB), 43 km by road to Bhadrapur (BDP) via Kakarbhitta, then a 45-minute flight | October to November, March to April | 3 to 4 nights | Newar old cities, living Hindu and Buddhist ritual, the Everest flight |
How they fit together
Four combinations that simply work
The mountains decide the order, not the map. These are the routes we draw most, and why.
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DarjeelingKalimpong
Darjeeling and Kalimpong
5 to 6 nights
Two ridges that look at each other across the Teesta, 55 km apart. Begin in Darjeeling for Tiger Hill at dawn and the tea estates, then descend to Kalimpong's nurseries and softer air. Finishing lower makes the last nights warmer, and the airport is 80 km away.
Have us draw it -
DarjeelingKalimpongPelling & West Sikkim
Darjeeling, Pelling and Kalimpong
7 nights
One mountain from three angles. Darjeeling gives you the Tiger Hill sunrise. Pelling, about 70 km away across the Rangeet, brings Kanchenjunga closest. Kalimpong lets you come down slowly before the flight. In this order no single drive runs past four hours.
See Kanchenjunga at First Light -
Gangtok & East SikkimPelling & West Sikkim
Gangtok and Pelling
7 nights
East to west through the old kingdom of Sikkim. Start at Rumtek, seat of the Kagyu order, then take the road of about 115 km through Ravangla to Pelling, where Pemayangtse was planned in 1647 and enlarged in 1705 and a royal capital lies in ruin in the forest. The monasteries grow older and quieter as you go.
See Monasteries of the East -
Gangtok & East SikkimBhutan
Gangtok and Bhutan
10 to 11 nights
Sikkim was a Buddhist kingdom until 1975. Bhutan still is. Begin in Gangtok, drive 230 km down to Phuentsholing, a full day, and enter Bhutan by road for Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. Ending in Paro leaves Taktsang as your last climb and the airport in the same valley.
See Two Kingdoms: Sikkim to Bhutan by Road
How far apart
Distances in the hills are measured in hours
A 50 km drive can take two hours here. These are honest private-car times in dry weather, the way we plan them.
| From | To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darjeeling | Kalimpong | 55 km | 2.5 hDown through Lopchu and Peshok, across the Teesta |
| Darjeeling | Gangtok | 98 km | 4 to 5 hVia Peshok, Teesta Bazaar and Rangpo |
| Darjeeling | Pelling | 70 km | 3.5 to 4 hDown to the Rangeet at Jorethang, then up |
| Darjeeling | Phuentsholing, Bhutan | 200 km | 6 to 7 hVia the Teesta valley and the Dooars to Phuentsholing |
| Darjeeling | Kathmandu | 130 km | 6 to 7 hDrive to Bhadrapur, 45-min flight to Kathmandu |
| Kalimpong | Gangtok | 75 km | 3 hUp the Teesta on NH10 |
| Kalimpong | Pelling | 93 km | 3.5 to 4 hVia Melli and Jorethang |
| Kalimpong | Phuentsholing, Bhutan | 180 km | 5 hTo the Phuentsholing border via Sevoke |
| Kalimpong | Kathmandu | 135 km | 6 to 7 hVia Kakarbhitta to Bhadrapur, then fly to Kathmandu |
| Gangtok | Pelling | 115 km | 4.5 to 5 hVia Ravangla, a natural halfway stop |
| Gangtok | Phuentsholing, Bhutan | 230 km | 7 hTo the Phuentsholing border; a full day |
| Gangtok | Kathmandu | 185 km | 8 hVia Bhadrapur flight; best split with a night en route |
| Pelling | Phuentsholing, Bhutan | 240 km | 8 hTo Phuentsholing; best split with a night in Kalimpong |
| Pelling | Kathmandu | 200 km | 8 to 9 hVia Bhadrapur flight; split with a night in Darjeeling |
| Phuentsholing, Bhutan | Kathmandu | 200 km | 7 to 8 hOr fly Paro to Kathmandu direct on Drukair, about 75 min |
Questions
Choosing between them, eight questions
The questions we hear every week from people deciding between the hills, Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal.
Darjeeling or Gangtok, which is better?
Darjeeling is better for tea estates, the toy train and old hill-station character. Gangtok is better for monasteries, a modern town centre and day trips to the high lakes of East Sikkim. Darjeeling sits higher, above 2,000 m, and is colder in winter; Gangtok, at 1,650 m, is milder. They are 98 km apart, 4 to 5 hours by road, so most first visits include both, with a night in Kalimpong to break the drive.
Can you combine Darjeeling and Bhutan in one trip?
Yes. Drive from Darjeeling to the Phuentsholing border in 6 to 7 hours, or fly Drukair from Bagdogra to Paro, a flight of under an hour on the days it operates. Indian nationals carry a passport or original voter ID and pay a Sustainable Development Fee of Rs 1,200 per night; most other nationalities pay US$100 per night until 31 August 2027. A licensed guide is required. Allow at least ten nights for both.
How many days do you need for Darjeeling and Sikkim?
Seven nights covers Darjeeling, Gangtok and either Kalimpong or Pelling at an unhurried pace. Five nights suits Darjeeling and Kalimpong on their own. The roads set the rhythm: Darjeeling to Gangtok is 98 km and takes 4 to 5 hours, Gangtok to Pelling is 115 km through Ravangla. We plan at least two nights in each place, so mornings are for the mountain, not for packing.
What is the nearest airport to Darjeeling?
Bagdogra (IXB), near Siliguri, is the nearest airport: 70 km from Darjeeling, about 3 hours by car via Rohini and Kurseong. It has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, and Drukair flights to Paro. It also serves Kalimpong (75 km), Gangtok (124 km) and Pelling (135 km). Pakyong airport in Sikkim has no scheduled flights, so we do not plan around it.
Which place has the best Kanchenjunga view?
Pelling, in West Sikkim, has the closest and fullest view of Kanchenjunga, at 8,586 m the world's third-highest mountain, from many hotel rooms. Darjeeling's Tiger Hill, 11 km from town, is the classic sunrise: the summit turns rose before light reaches the valleys, and on clear mornings Everest shows on the horizon. Gangtok and Kalimpong see the range from further away. October to December and March to April bring the clearest skies.
Is the Eastern Himalaya good for a honeymoon in December?
Yes. December is one of the clearest months of the year, with long views of the snow peaks and quiet mornings. Darjeeling runs from about 2.5 to 10 °C, so evenings are for fireplaces and heavy quilts, and days are sharp and bright. Kalimpong, lower at 1,250 m, is milder. Snow in Darjeeling town is uncommon. Our Himalayan Honeymoon follows a Darjeeling tea estate, Kalimpong and Gangtok over seven nights.
Do you need a permit for Sikkim or Bhutan?
Indian nationals need no permit for Gangtok or Pelling, only for protected areas such as Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La, which we arrange a day ahead. Foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit for all of Sikkim, applied for online through e-FRRO since January 2026, and cannot visit Nathu La. For Bhutan, Indians carry a passport or original voter ID; Aadhaar is not accepted. Every visitor aged six and over pays the Sustainable Development Fee.
How do you get from Darjeeling to Kathmandu?
Drive about 130 km to Bhadrapur airport in Nepal, crossing the border at Kakarbhitta, then take the 45-minute domestic flight to Kathmandu. Door to door, allow 6 to 7 hours. There is no direct flight from Bagdogra to Kathmandu. Indians need a passport or original voter ID, not Aadhaar; most other nationalities can take a visa on arrival at Kakarbhitta. From Bhutan, Drukair flies Paro to Kathmandu direct.
Plan my journey
Tell us how it should feel and we will draw the route
Send your dates, who is travelling and what matters most. A designer from the hills will return a route with drive times and the rooms we would book, then refine it until it fits. Once you travel, we are on call 24x7.