Sikkim & Darjeeling: Wonderful Northeast (Self-Launched)

Land at Bagdogra (IXB) and make your way to Gangtok under your own steam. The cheapest option is the shared sumo/jeep from Siliguri's SNT bus stand or the Bagdogra-NJP junction stand — around 3.5–4.5 hours up the Teesta valley for roughly £4–6 per seat. A private taxi for the run is about £22–28 if you'd rather go door-to-door. Remember the Sikkim inner-line permit: most nationalities can get it on arrival at Rangpo/Melli checkposts or at the Sikkim Tourism office in Siliguri (bring passport copies and photos). Settle into a mid-range Gangtok guesthouse or budget hotel on MG Marg and walk the pedestrianised promenade in the evening.

🚌Shared sumo/jeep from Siliguri or Bagdogra, ~£5 (~4 hrs); private taxi ~£25

🛏Budget guesthouse or 2–3* hotel near MG Marg, Gangtok (£12–18/night)

• →Shared jeep Bagdogra to Gangtok
• →Sikkim inner-line permit (free/permit office)
• →Evening stroll on MG Marg

Do the classic Gangtok loop independently. Start early with a local taxi (or shared jeep) up to Tashi View Point, Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok — a half-day taxi charter of these three viewpoints costs about £10–14 per vehicle, split between you and any travellers you meet. In the afternoon take a shared jeep or bus out to Rumtek Monastery (about 24 km, £1.50–2.50 each way); entry is a small fee. If Rumtek is closed for renovation, swap in Banjhakri Falls. Finish with the Do-Drul Chorten stupa and the flower show at the Botanical Garden in town. Optional: cable car ride (£1.50–2), the Institute of Tibetology, and the Handicrafts & Handloom directorate for souvenirs.

🚌Half-day shared/private taxi charter ~£7–10 pp; shared jeep to Rumtek ~£3–5 return

🛏Budget guesthouse or 2–3* hotel near MG Marg, Gangtok (£12–18/night)

• →Tashi View Point, Hanuman Tok & Ganesh Tok
• →Rumtek Monastery
• →Do-Drul Chorten stupa
• →Botanical Garden flower show
• →Optional cable car & Institute of Tibetology

Break the long transfer with a stop in Namchi. Take an early shared jeep or SNT bus from Gangtok to Namchi (about 2 hrs, £1.50–3), leave your bag at a tea stall or the taxi stand, and visit Samdruptse Hill with its giant Guru Rinpoche statue and the Char Dham complex with its replicas of the four dhams (small entry fees, roughly £1 each). Then continue by shared jeep from Namchi to Pelling (2.5–3.5 hrs, £3–5). Alternatively hire a private taxi for the whole day (about £30–40) which is far simpler if you're carrying a full pack. Arrive in Pelling in the evening and check into a guesthouse with views toward Kanchenjunga.

🚌Shared jeeps Gangtok–Namchi–Pelling ~£5–7 total; private day taxi ~£35

🛏Guesthouse or small 3* hotel in Pelling (£12–18/night)

• →Samdruptse Hill & Guru Rinpoche statue
• →Char Dham complex, Namchi
• →Scenic drive through West Sikkim

Rent a local taxi for the day (about £35–45 per vehicle, £12–15 pp if shared) or join a shared jeep on the standard Pelling sightseeing circuit. Hit Pemayangtse Monastery first, then Rimbi Falls, Rimbi Rock Garden and Kanchendzonga Falls. Carry on to the sacred Khecheopalri Lake — a short walk up from the road, shoes off around the lake perimeter — and stop at Darap village for a homestay-style lunch (£2–4). If you'd rather slow down, walk the Pemayangtse–Rabdentse ruins trail on foot (£free) in the afternoon instead. Keep an eye on the sky: clear early-morning views of Kanchenjunga from Pelling are the real prize here.

🚌Shared sightseeing taxi ~£12–15 pp, or ~£40 private

🛏Guesthouse or small 3* hotel in Pelling (£12–18/night)

• →Pemayangtse Monastery
• →Rimbi & Kanchendzonga waterfalls
• →Rimbi Rock Garden
• →Sacred Khecheopalri Lake
• →Darap village
• →Optional Rabdentse ruins walk

A long but scenic transfer day. The standard DIY route is a shared jeep from Pelling to Jorethang or Melli (1–1.5 hrs, £1.50–3), then onward shared jeep/bus toward Siliguri or directly to Darjeeling; total journey 5–6 hours and roughly £5–8 per person. Private taxi all the way is £40–55 and takes 4–4.5 hrs. Arrive in Darjeeling, drop your bag at a Chowrasta-area guesthouse, and spend the evening acclimatising over momos and tea. Book tomorrow's Tiger Hill sunrise jeep at your hotel tonight (they'll arrange it, roughly £1.50–2.50 per seat) or reserve the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 'toy train' joyride ticket in advance at the station.

🚌Shared jeeps via Jorethang/Siliguri ~£6–8 total (~5–6 hrs); private taxi ~£45

🛏Guesthouse or budget heritage hotel in Darjeeling (£14–20/night)

• →Overland transfer through the Teesta valley
• →Evening at Chowrasta & Mall Road
• →Book Tiger Hill sunrise jeep and toy train ticket

Leave around 4am in a shared jeep for Tiger Hill to catch sunrise lighting up Kanchenjunga (and, on clear days, Everest in the far distance). On the way back stop at Ghoom Monastery and the Batasia Loop war memorial — most jeeps include both. Back in town, do the afternoon circuit yourself: the Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda (walkable, free), Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park with its snow leopards and red pandas (about £1 entry), then Tenzing & Gombu Rock. Finish at a working tea estate — Happy Valley or a tasting at a Glenary's-style tea room — or visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre if you have time.

🚌Shared sunrise jeep ~£3 pp; local taxis/walking ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or budget heritage hotel in Darjeeling (£14–20/night)

• →Tiger Hill sunrise over Kanchenjunga
• →Ghoom Monastery & Batasia Loop
• →Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda
• →Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
• →Tenzing & Gombu Rock
• →Tea estate visit
• →Optional Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Tibetan Refugee Centre

Ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway steam/diesel joyride from Darjeeling to Ghum and back — book the 8:00/10:00 departure at the station or via IRCTC in advance (roughly £12–18 for the tourist joyride). Afterwards take a shared jeep down to Siliguri/Bagdogra (about 3–3.5 hrs, £2.50–4) or a private taxi (£20–28) in time for your flight. If you're flying out late, a stop at a Siliguri tea shop for last-minute purchases rounds things off.

🚌Toy train ~£15; shared jeep Darjeeling–Bagdogra ~£4 (~3.5 hrs) or private taxi ~£24

🛏None (departure day)

• →Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train joyride
• →Shared jeep descent to Bagdogra