Echoes of the Valley

On arrival at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station/ Bagdogra Airport, our representative will meet and greet with welcome drink. Transfer to Darjeeling via Mirik, snacks at Mirik. After enjoying horse riding at Mirik Lake for 1 hour you will be transfered to Darjeeling enroute Indo- Nepal border town Pasupati Nagar.

Overnight @ Darjeeling

Early morning our vehicle will pick you up for Sunrise point (St. Paul’s hill) if weather permits you will able to see spectacular sunrise over the majestic Kanchendzonga on the way back walk to Shanti Stupa and back to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, you could take the joy ride (10:40 hrs) on the famous toy train from Darjeeling to Ghoom. It is a heritage railways established during the British Raj. After a memorable joy ride visit railway museum, walk to Yiga Choling Monastery, Batasia Loop lunch at local Restaurant, evening prayer at Dali Monastery and drive back to Mall and stroll around @ Mall Road.

Overnight @ Darjeeling

After breakfast, you will be driven to Gangtok, East Sikkim. If weather permits; the majestic Kanchendzonga will be visible during most of your journey. En-route you will see lush tea plantation of “Darjeeling Tea”.

On reaching Rangpo (the border town of Sikkim), On reaching (the border town of Sikkim), we break journey here where westerners will be asked to show Inner line permit to enter the region of Sikkim and Indian guests will be asked for their identity cards for the safety reason. The process will take approximately 15 minutes.

Here on you will drive via small settlements that cater to the needs of the daily commuters and the people residing in the locality. The last 12 kilometers to Gangtok town is a gradual uphill climb.

Overnight at Gangtok

The word Lachung means “small pass”, at the confluence of the Lachen River and Lachung Rivers, tributaries of the River Teesta. The Indian Army has a forward base in the town. Before the annexation of Tibet in 1950, Lachung was a trading post between Sikkim and Tibet, after which it was closed down. The town’s economy has been boosted by tourism in recent years as the region has been opened up by the Indian government. Tourist come from all over the world to visit the town between October and May, mostly on their way to Gurudongmar Lake and Chopta Valley. Most of Lachung’s inhabitants are of Lepcha and Tibetandescent. Languages spoken here are Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia.
During winter the town is usually covered in snow. Lachung is also the base camp for Rhododendron Valley Trek which starts from Yumthang Valley and ends at Lachen Valley.
Lachung has been described as the “most picturesque village of Sikkim” by British explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker in his definitive, The Himalayan Journal (1855).Skiing is conducted in Phuni near this town.

Excursion to Chopta Valley & Gurudomgar Lake, After lunch transfer to Lachung.

Overnight at Lachung

Day excursion to Yumthang Valley and Zero point, It is popularly known as ‘Valley of Flowers’. It is also home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, and has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the state flower. A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall. & Hot Spring Sikkim has many hot springs known for their therapeutic value. High in Sulphur content, the waters are believed to have great medicinal properties with the average temperature of the water in these hot springs close to 50°C, After lunch, drive back to Gangtok with everlasting memories of North Sikkim.

Post breakfast proceed to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir and Nathula. Whole day excursion programme near Himalayas.

After breakfast, day excursion to Tsomgo lake (A drive from Gangtok take about 2 ½ hrs. The lake is about 1 km. long & oval in shape.50ft deep. This is an alpine zone & snowbound from December to April & the lake is regarded extremely Holy & attracts 99% of tourists visiting Gangtok, Sikkim.

It is also a home of Brahmini ducks besides stopover for various migratory ducks), Baba Mandir (He was an Indian army soldier who died near the Nathula Pass in eastern Sikkim, India. He is revered by the soldiers of the Indian army, who have built a mandir in his honour. Baba is reported to have granted favours to the soldier & guard each one in the inhospitable terrain. According to legend, Harbhajan Singh drowned in a glacier during the 1962 Sino-Indian War while escorting a colume of mules to a remote outpost. He was the first casualty of the 23rd Punjab Regiment, and a manhunt was launched to find him. He was found after three days & cremated with full military honours. According to legend, it was Harbhajan who led the search party to his body, and later through a dream, instructed one of his colleagues to build & maintain a shrine after him. A shrine was built at his Samadhi, at an elevation of around 14000 ft. (4000 meters), Ganesh Tok ( aerial view of Gangtok Town and surrounding).

Overnight @ Gangtok