Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Comfort Sikkim · Balanced
Six nights through South and West Sikkim by private car: two in Gangtok, two in Ravangla for Buddha Park and Maenam, and two in Pelling for Pemayangtse and Rabdentse. Hotels are chosen for views, and drives are short enough to leave afternoons free.
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsThis route follows the old royal heartland south and west of Gangtok at a pace that suits families and couples. A private car means you skip the shared-jeep waits and stop where you like, at a tea shop in Temi or a viewpoint above the Rangit.
Hotel Tibet is a central Gangtok hotel; The Chumbi Mountain Retreat in Pelling faces the Kangchenjunga range. In Ravangla we use a good local hotel and walk to the Buddha Park and Ralong monastery. All nights are below 2,200 m, so acclimatisation is not an issue.
Sleeping altitude, night by night
Red points are nights above 3,000 m. We pace those climbs by the usual advice of no more than 300–500 m of sleeping height a day. This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor before a high trip. Try the altitude planner.
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Bagdogra and heads up NH10 along the Teesta, with a tea stop at Rangpo, where foreign nationals complete Restricted Area Permit formalities. Check in at Hotel Tibet and rest. In the evening, walk MG Marg, the car-free promenade, for a first meal of momos or a Sikkimese thali.
About GangtokDrive to Rumtek, the Karma Kagyu seat built in the 1960s, for the morning prayers and the golden stupa. Return to Gangtok via Enchey monastery and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. Ask permission before photographing inside any hall. Afternoon is free for the ropeway, flower show ground or a cafe on MG Marg.
About GangtokDrive south through Singtam and up through Damthang, with a stop at the Temi tea garden if the road is clear. Reach Ravangla by early afternoon and visit Buddha Park, home to a large seated Buddha statue completed in 2013. The view runs across the Maenam range. Dinner is at your hotel; temperatures drop in the evening.
About RavanglaDrive up to the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary gate and walk the first forest section, where rhododendrons flower in spring. Then visit Ralong monastery, a Kagyu gompa on a green hill. Return for lunch and a quiet afternoon. If clouds close in, your driver can take you to the market instead.
About RavanglaTravel west over the ridges to Pelling, crossing the Rangit near Legship if the route runs that way. Check in at The Chumbi Mountain Retreat and spend the late afternoon at a viewpoint facing Kangchenjunga. Clear mornings, from October to December, give the sharpest views; cloud is common in monsoon.
About PellingVisit Pemayangtse, founded in 1705, and sit in the upper floor if it is open to see the painted images. Then walk to Rabdentse, the capital from 1670, and wander its stone terraces. Rabdentse is a gentle half-day walk. Return for lunch and an easy afternoon; if the weather is clear, the sunset from the retreat is worth waiting for.
About PellingDrive down via Jorethang and Melli to Bagdogra, arriving mid-afternoon. We suggest flights or trains after 6 pm; landslides on NH10 can add hours in the monsoon, so check current status before you travel.
Where you sleep
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
A long-established mid-range hotel near Paljor Stadium, a few minutes' walk from MG Marg, decorated in Tibetan sty…
Photo: Santanu Paul · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
A mid-range resort in upper Pelling with rooms facing Kangchenjunga, a restaurant and gardens. A comfortable base …
Questions
Six nights with breakfast in the hotels named, a private car with driver, and monastery entry fees. Most lunches and dinners are extra. Prices are indicative for 2026; we confirm exact quotes at booking.
Foreign nationals need a free Restricted Area Permit for Sikkim. Indian nationals need none for this route as we understand it. Rules change, so check current status before you travel.
Yes, with caution. Drives are on winding roads and Pemayangtse and Rabdentse involve steps and short walks. All nights are below 2,200 m. Tell us about mobility needs and we adjust.
March to May for flowers and mild weather, and October to December for the clearest mountain views. January and February are cold but clear. Avoid June to September if you are nervous about landslides.
Yes. The drives are the main challenge; the hotels welcome families and the sights are short. Buddha Park and Temi are easy stops for children.
Yes, with extra nights in Gangtok. Tsomgo is a day trip needing a permit tour; Lachung and Yumthang need two nights and a permit arranged by a registered agent. Check current status before you travel.
Yes, as an upgrade; it is part of our signature trip. Ask for a quote. The Chumbi Mountain Retreat is our comfort choice for views and price.
Hotels serve Indian, Chinese and Sikkimese dishes. Look for momos, thukpa, phagshapa and gundruk soup; vegetarian options are easy. Your driver knows local places for lunch.
Yes. Siliguri is about 20 km from Bagdogra, so a Siliguri pick-up and drop add little. Say so at booking.
More from Sikkim
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Seats on shared permit-tour vehicles
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Shared jeeps and local taxis
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Private SUV with driver
Plan with a local planner
We reply within one working day with a route, a sleeping-altitude profile and an itemised price in your tier. Change anything. Pay nothing until you are sure.