7 days, 6 nights ยท Darjeeling, Pelling, Gangtok, Kalimpong
Seven-day Darjeeling and Sikkim tour package: west Sikkim and the quieter hills
Seven days adds the two places the short circuit has no room for: Pelling in west Sikkim, which has the closest and least obstructed Kanchenjunga view of any town in the region, and Kalimpong, a quiet old trading town on the ridge between Darjeeling and the Teesta. Both are considerably less visited than Darjeeling and Gangtok, and together they turn a two-town trip into a proper look at the eastern Himalaya.
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The additions
Pelling and Kalimpong, and why they are worth the days
Pelling sits at about 2,150 metres in west Sikkim and has the single best Kanchenjunga view in the region — closer and less obstructed than Darjeeling's, and visible from hotel balconies rather than requiring a dawn convoy. Around it are Pemayangtse monastery, one of the oldest in Sikkim, the ruined former capital at Rabdentse, and the Khecheopalri sacred lake.
Kalimpong is a different proposition: a trading town at about 1,250 metres on the ridge above the Teesta, historically the head of the wool route to Tibet. It has nurseries famous for orchids and cacti, several monasteries, and a genuinely relaxed pace that neither Darjeeling nor Gangtok can offer in season. It also breaks the Gangtok-to-Bagdogra run neatly.
Together they change the circuit's character. Darjeeling and Gangtok are both, in their different ways, busy towns; Pelling and Kalimpong are not. A seven-day trip alternates between the two kinds, which is a better week than four days of crowds.
The west Sikkim loop
What Pelling holds
Two nights in west Sikkim is the right allocation.
Pemayangtse and Rabdentse
A seventeenth-century monastery of the Nyingma order, and ten minutes' walk away the ruins of Sikkim's second capital on a forested spur. Both are quiet and neither takes long.
Khecheopalri lake
A sacred lake about 30 km from Pelling where, by long tradition, leaves are not permitted to rest on the water — birds are said to lift them off. It is a short walk from the road and a genuinely peaceful hour.
The skywalk and the Chenrezig statue
A glass skywalk and a 41-metre statue at Sanga Choeling above the town, reached by ropeway. Newer, more commercial and popular with domestic visitors.
The driving
Six legs on mountain roads
About 550 kilometres across seven days, all of it hill driving.
- Bagdogra to Darjeeling — about 70 km, 3 hours Up through the tea gardens alongside the railway.
- Darjeeling to Pelling — about 75 km, 4 hours Down to the Rangeet, across into Sikkim at Jorethang for the permit, then up the other side. Slow but beautiful.
- Pelling to Gangtok — about 130 km, 5 hours East across west Sikkim through Ravangla and Namchi, with the big Buddha statue at Ravangla on the way.
- Gangtok to Kalimpong — about 75 km, 3 hours Down the Teesta valley and up to the ridge.
- Kalimpong to Bagdogra — about 70 km, 2.5 hours Down to the plains, timed on the outbound flight.
The weather
Seasons in the eastern Himalaya, which are not the western ones
The eastern Himalaya get considerably more rain than the western, and the seasons work differently from Himachal or Uttarakhand. The monsoon here runs from roughly June to September and is heavy enough that landslides regularly close hill roads in Sikkim and north Bengal; it is the one period we will actively advise against for this circuit rather than simply flagging.
October and November are the best months by a wide margin: the rains have cleared, the air is washed, and the Kanchenjunga odds are at their best. December to February is cold and clear, with snow at Pelling and above Gangtok, and very few visitors. March to May brings rhododendron and orchid flowering, warmer days and a building haze that makes the mountain less reliable.
One local detail worth knowing: the tea estates around Darjeeling are most interesting during the first flush in March and April and the second in May and June, when plucking and processing are in full swing. Outside those windows an estate visit is still pleasant but less alive. The events page carries the regional festival dates.
Booking
How to book the seven-day circuit
Book the transport direct on the booking page, fare fixed before payment. Give the desk the nationality of everyone travelling so the Sikkim permits can be arranged ahead, and say if north Sikkim or Tsomgo matter to you, since both carry their own permit regimes and lead times. For hotels, ask through the contact page. Cancellation is free beyond 72 hours, then 10%, 50% and 100%.
Day by day
The seven-day itinerary, leg by leg
Four hill towns across two states, with the Sikkim permit stops at Jorethang and Rangpo built into the driving days.
| Day | Where | What the day covers | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Bagdogra to Darjeeling | Met at Bagdogra and up through the tea gardens. The Mall and Observatory Hill in the evening. | Bagdogra-Darjeeling ~70 km, 3 hrs |
| Day 2 | Darjeeling | Tiger Hill before dawn, the Batasia loop and Ghum on the way back, then the Mountaineering Institute, Happy Valley and the toy train joy ride. | Tiger Hill ~11 km; depart 03:45 |
| Day 3 | Darjeeling to Pelling | Down to the Rangeet and into Sikkim at Jorethang for the permit, then up into west Sikkim. Pemayangtse and Rabdentse in the late afternoon. | Darjeeling-Pelling ~75 km, 4 hrs |
| Day 4 | Pelling | Kanchenjunga from the balcony at first light, then Khecheopalri lake and the Sanga Choeling skywalk and statue. | Khecheopalri ~30 km |
| Day 5 | Pelling to Gangtok | East through Ravangla, with the big Buddha statue and Namchi on the way. Into Gangtok for MG Marg in the evening. | Pelling-Gangtok ~130 km, 5 hrs |
| Day 6 | Gangtok to Kalimpong | Rumtek monastery and the Namgyal Institute in the morning, then down the Teesta and up to Kalimpong for the nurseries and the ridge. | Gangtok-Kalimpong ~75 km, 3 hrs |
| Day 7 | Kalimpong to Bagdogra | A last morning among the orchid nurseries, then down to the plains for the flight. | Kalimpong-Bagdogra ~70 km, 2.5 hrs |
What it costs
The 7-day Darjeeling and Sikkim circuit: two ways to buy it
Seven charter days at the published rate, for the car rather than per person. Sikkim permits are government charges billed at cost, and positioning the vehicle to Bagdogra is inside the rate.
Transport package — firm, published
Every kilometre of the 7-day circuit in a private chauffeured car: the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, and the driver's meals and accommodation on the road. Priced at the published charter-day rate × 7 days, the same figure as the rates page.
From $15,750 - $18,900 per car for the whole circuit
On the international card · Luxury SUV · GST extra · tolls, parking and state entry taxes at cost
All-inclusive — stays, meals and entries
The same itinerary with hotels, breakfasts, monument entries and a licensed guide arranged for you. Because we contract stays per departure date and per hotel category, this tier is quoted on request rather than published — we will not print a per-person figure we cannot hold.
Send the dates and the hotel category you want (3-star, 4-star, heritage or palace) through the contact page and the desk returns a written quote, itemised, within one working day.
| Vehicle class | Cars | Per charter day 10 hours / 300 km | 7-day circuit International card, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury SUV 5 passengers, 4 bags |
Toyota Fortuner, Land Cruiser & Mercedes-Benz GLS | $2,250 - $2,700 | $15,750 - $18,900 |
| Premium MPV 6 passengers, 5 bags |
Toyota Innova Hycross & Kia Carnival | $1,950 - $2,340 | $13,650 - $16,380 |
| Executive sedan 3 passengers, 2 bags |
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & BMW 5 Series | $1,700 - $2,040 | $11,900 - $14,280 |
| Group van 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Force Urbania & Tempo Traveller (executive) | $3,200 - $3,840 | $22,400 - $26,880 |
What the transport package includes
- A private, air-conditioned vehicle of the class you book, held for the whole circuit — the same car from the first pickup to the last drop, never shared and never re-assigned.
- One professional chauffeur for the whole circuit, holding a commercial licence and a state transport badge, police-verified and background-checked, in uniform and speaking English and Hindi.
- Fuel, the chauffeur's own meals and accommodation on every outstation night, and the vehicle's permits, fitness certificate and insurance.
- All airport, railway-station and hotel transfers inside the itinerary, with the flight tracked on the arrival leg and 60 minutes of waiting included after landing.
- A named coordinator at the desk for the whole trip, reachable on one number, who holds the run sheet and moves a leg when a day runs long.
- A written confirmation before departure carrying the chauffeur's name and licence number and the vehicle registration, so a security office or a hotel can check it against the operator record.
What it does not include
- Hotels, meals and anything consumed off the road — those are the all-inclusive tier, quoted on request rather than published.
- Monument and museum entry fees, which differ for Indian, SAARC and foreign visitors and change by notification; the desk quotes the current figures with the itinerary.
- Licensed local guides, which we arrange city by city on request and bill at cost.
- Tolls, parking and state entry taxes, charged at cost against receipts rather than estimated into the fare.
- Air and rail tickets into and out of the circuit, which the travel desk books separately.
- GST, added to every figure at the applicable rate, and any night allowance where a leg runs between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Airport transfers include 60 minutes of waiting after landing and meet-and-greet at the arrivals exit.
- The charter day (10 hours, 300 km) includes fuel and the chauffeur's meals and accommodation on outstation nights.
- Night driving between 10 pm and 6 am carries the night allowance per night; a second chauffeur is added on days over 12 hours.
- Tolls, parking, state entry taxes and permits are charged at cost against receipts; monument and guide fees through the travel desk are itemised.
- No gratuity is expected. GST is shown separately on every invoice. Cancellation terms are on the cancellation policy page.
- Vintage cars and stretch limousines are quoted per event.
- GST at 5% on chauffeured hire (18% where input credit is claimed) is added to every figure. The full international card is on the rates page; the charter builder prices a circuit of any length live, and the booking page takes the payment direct.
- Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before the first pickup, then 10% inside 72 hours, 50% inside 48 hours and the full first day inside 24 hours or for a no-show — the schedule on the cancellation policy page.
Questions
The 7-day Darjeeling and Sikkim circuit: frequently asked
Why add Pelling?
It has the closest and least obstructed Kanchenjunga view in the region — visible from hotel balconies rather than needing a dawn convoy — plus Pemayangtse monastery, the Rabdentse ruins and Khecheopalri lake.
What is Kalimpong like?
A quiet former trading town on the ridge at about 1,250 metres, known for orchid and cactus nurseries and several monasteries. Far calmer than Darjeeling or Gangtok, and it breaks the run down to the plains.
When should we avoid this circuit?
June to September. The eastern Himalaya get heavy monsoon rain and landslides regularly close hill roads in Sikkim and north Bengal. It is the one period we advise against rather than simply flag.
When are the tea estates most interesting?
The first flush in March and April and the second in May and June, when plucking and processing are under way. Outside those the visit is pleasant but quieter.
Can we add north Sikkim?
Lachen and Lachung have their own permit regime and need extra days and lead time. Tell the desk at booking and it will say honestly whether your dates and nationality make it workable.
How much driving is there?
About 550 km across seven days, all of it hill road. The longest leg is Pelling to Gangtok at around five hours; most are three or four.
Same circuit, other lengths
The Darjeeling and Sikkim in a different number of days
On the route
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Book
Book the seven-day Darjeeling and Sikkim circuit direct
Seven charter days price live by vehicle class, fare fixed before payment. Permits need lead time, so book early.
Weddings, film units, multi-day chauffeur hire, outstation journeys and anything with more than one vehicle are quoted by a person: call (877) 860-3388 or send the outline and a coordinator replies with a written quote.
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Hotels and flights for this itinerary, through BookingWorldwide.net
The stays along this route are on BookingWorldwide.net; reserve them there or ask our desk for the all-inclusive quote, and the chauffeured legs are lined up against whichever you choose.
Flight + hotel packages
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Kerala bundles for festival weeks, school holidays and long weekends, with the airport transfer added to the same itinerary.
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Delhi, Agra and Jaipur hotels on one booking, and the RUTZ.IN chauffeur for the whole circuit quoted beside it.
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Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Hyderabad palace hotels, chosen with the transfer distance from the airport in mind.
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Beach and backwater resorts for the weeks a chauffeur is only needed at each end of the stay, with Dabolim, Mopa or Cochin airport pickups timed to the flight.
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Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Ooty, Munnar and Coorg hotels, with the SUV from the gateway airport quoted on the same plan.
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Ranthambore, Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Periyar and Bandhavgarh lodges and safari permits reserved before the car is dispatched.
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Taj Mahal entry, Kerala houseboats, Jaipur hot-air balloons, city walks and festival tickets reserved ahead so the chauffeured day runs to the plan.
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Fares into every airport on the airports page, so the car is timed to a confirmed arrival rather than an estimate.
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For the middle days of a trip, returned to the airport where the RUTZ.IN chauffeur collects you again.
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See also, and where the facts come from
On RUTZ.IN: India tour packages · 5-day Darjeeling Sikkim tour · Chauffeur service in Kolkata · 7-day Northeast tour · Charter · Rates · Tourists.
Official references used on this page:
- Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India Official destination guides and tourist statistics.
- India Meteorological Department Forecasts and monsoon warnings we check before hill and coastal journeys.
- Ministry of Home Affairs Police verification and character-certificate procedures used in chauffeur onboarding.
- National Highways Authority of India Expressway and toll information for the intercity routes we drive.