I Thought I Knew India… Then I Saw Sikkim & Darjeeling.

Route / Itinerary

Land at Bagdogra Airport (IXB) → drive to Darjeeling
▸ Distance: ~70 km, about 2.5–3.5 hours by road
▸ Options: shared cab (~₹800–1000 per person) or full taxi (often ₹1800–2500+ depending on car & season)

In Darjeeling:

Tiger Hill – sunrise on Kanchenjunga, faint Everest in the back.
Batasia Loop & War Memorial – toy train curve + Kanchenjunga views.
Ghoom (Yiga Choeling) Monastery – old monastery + big Maitreya Buddha.
Overrated (Toy Train) – the classic hill toy train ride.
Tea gardens like Happy Valley Tea Estate, viewpoints, Mall Road, etc.

Darjeeling → Gangtok (Sikkim)
▸ Distance: ~95–100 km, about 3–4 hours on NH10
▸ Taxi: usually ₹2600–₹3600 for a small car, more for SUV/Innova, cheaper in shared cabs
From Gangtok, you do the “Sikkim side”:
▸ Tsomgo / Changu Lake & Baba Mandir
▸ Optional: Nathula Pass (India–China border, very weather & permit dependent)

▸ Longer trips: Lachen, Lachung, Gurudongmar Lake, Yumthang Valley (North Sikkim) – usually as packaged tour

MG Marg, Gangtok – main street, cafés, chill walks.

Tsomgo (Changu) Lake – glacial lake at ~12,300 ft, frozen in winter, with prayer flags and crazy reflection views.

Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir / New Baba Mandir – legendary soldier shrine people believe in strongly.

Nathula Pass (if open) – high-altitude pass on the old Silk Route; border viewpoint.

If you extend: Lachen, Lachung, Gurudongmar, Yumthang Valley for full North Sikkim madness.

Permits (Very Important)

For Indians:
Entering Gangtok / normal Sikkim areas:
▸ Indians usually don’t need a special permit just to enter Gangtok / normal tourist zones.

Protected areas like Tsomgo Lake, Nathula, Gurudongmar, North Sikkim need a Protected Area Permit (PAP).
▸ You get this through a local travel agent / hotel in Gangtok.
▸ For Nathula & Gurudongmar, only Indian citizens allowed; foreigners are restricted to places like Lachen/Yumthang only.
▸ Typical permit fee for Nathula side is around ₹200–₹500 per person, plus vehicle charges / package cost
▸ Documents: voter ID / driving licence + 2 passport photos. Aadhaar is often not accepted at some checkposts. Kids may need birth certificate or parent’s ID.

Shot & Edited by: Dhyey “Dap” Patel (@ddhhyyeeyy)
Locations: Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake, Sikkim – India

Music is used only for normal/non-commercial purposes. All rights belong to the original creator.

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