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Private journeys in the Eastern Himalaya

Journeysbeneath thegreat snow

Unhurried, private travel through Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan, planned by people who know these roads by heart.

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DarjeelingKalimpongSikkimNepalBhutan

The Teesta meets the Rangeet, with Kanchenjunga beyond

In Sikkim, Kanchenjunga is not a summit to be conquered. It is a guardian, and its five peaks are said to hold five treasures: gold, silver, gems, grain and holy books.

We design private journeys in its shadow, through five lands and one great range, at the pace the mountains ask for.

  • 8,586metresKanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain on Earth
  • 4 of 5highest peaksvisible together from Sandakphu on a clear morning
  • 5regionsone itinerary, one team, every permit handled

Where we go

Five lands, one range of mountains

Each has its own permits, roads and seasons. We plan journeys that cross between them without the paperwork and long transfers becoming your problem.

NepalSikkimBhutanDarjeelingKalimpongEverest 8,849 mKanchenjunga 8,586 mChomolhari 7,326 mAnnapurnaTeestaRangeetPokharaKathmanduSandakphuDarjeelingPellingKalimpongGangtokLachungGurudongmarBagdograParoThimphuPunakhaPhuentsholing

Illustrative map, not to scale. Rivers shown: Teesta and Rangeet.

Kanchenjunga at sunrise from Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
Kanchenjunga at sunrise from Tiger Hill, DarjeelingPhoto: Arvind Telkar

2,042 m

Planters' bungalows, the toy train and Kanchenjunga filling the northern sky at dawn from Tiger Hill. Tea has been grown on these slopes since the 1850s.

  • Tiger Hill sunrise
  • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
  • Tea-estate stays
  • Ghum Monastery
  • Singalila Ridge

Signature journeys

Routes we know by heart

Every journey is private and shaped around you. Start from one of these, then change the pace, the stays and the days.

  1. Day 1Arrive at Bagdogra and climb through Kurseong to Darjeeling, about three hours. Evening walk along the Mall.
  2. Day 2Tiger Hill before dawn for first light on Kanchenjunga, then Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop. Afternoon ride on the heritage toy train.
  3. Day 3A morning on a tea estate: plucking, the factory floor and a guided tasting. Afternoon at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
  4. Day 4Drive via Lamahatta to the Teesta–Rangeet confluence viewpoint, then on to Kalimpong.
  5. Day 5Durpin Monastery, Deolo Hill, the flower and orchid nurseries, and Dr Graham's Homes.
  6. Day 6Drive down to Bagdogra, about three hours, for your onward flight.
The toy train near Darjeeling
The toy train near DarjeelingPhoto: vineet singh

The classic hill-station pairing, done slowly: dawn on Tiger Hill, a morning in a working tea garden, and the quieter monasteries and nurseries of Kalimpong.

Highlights

  • Kanchenjunga at sunrise
  • Toy train, a UNESCO World Heritage railway
  • Private tea tasting
  • The river confluence
Easy paceAll agesYear-round, best Oct–May
  1. Day 1Arrive at Bagdogra and follow the Teesta up to Gangtok, four to five hours.
  2. Day 2Rumtek and Enchey monasteries, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, evening on MG Marg.
  3. Day 3Tsomgo Lake at 3,753 m. Indian nationals can add Nathula Pass, permits permitting.
  4. Day 4North to Lachung past the Seven Sisters waterfall and the Teesta gorge.
  5. Day 5Yumthang Valley, in rhododendron bloom from April to May, and Zero Point when the road is open.
  6. Day 6Return to Gangtok through the valleys. A slow evening.
  7. Day 7Via the Buddha Park at Ravangla to Pelling.
  8. Day 8Sunrise on Kanchenjunga, Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdentse ruins and the sacred Khecheopalri Lake.
  9. Day 9Drive to Bagdogra, five to six hours.
Yaks by Tsomgo Lake, East Sikkim
Yaks by Tsomgo Lake, East SikkimPhoto: Aakanksha

Sikkim end to end: Gangtok's monasteries, a high glacial lake, the flowering valley of Yumthang, and Kanchenjunga at sunrise from Pelling.

Highlights

  • Rhododendrons at Yumthang
  • High-altitude lakes
  • Monasteries of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma schools
  • Permits arranged for you
Moderate paceBest Mar–May and Oct–Dec
  1. Day 1Arrive at Bagdogra and drive to Gangtok.
  2. Day 2Gangtok to Lachen, about six hours, through Chungthang where the Lachen and Lachung rivers join to form the Teesta.
  3. Day 3An early start to Gurudongmar Lake at 5,183 m, then across to Lachung for the night.
  4. Day 4Yumthang Valley and, when open, Zero Point at the edge of the snows.
  5. Day 5Back to Gangtok.
  6. Day 6Rest day in Gangtok, or Rumtek Monastery and the ropeway.
  7. Day 7Drive to Bagdogra.
Gurudongmar Lake, North Sikkim
Gurudongmar Lake, North SikkimPhoto: Abhishek Singh

Up to 5,183 m at Gurudongmar, one of the highest lakes in the world, and down through the alpine valleys of Lachung, with acclimatisation built in.

Highlights

  • Gurudongmar Lake
  • Alpine Yumthang
  • Source country of the Teesta
High altitudeIndian nationals; restrictions for foreign visitorsBest Apr–Jun and Oct–Nov
  1. Day 1Fly into Paro, or drive in through Phuentsholing. Continue to Thimphu.
  2. Day 2Buddha Dordenma, the Memorial Chorten, the takin preserve and a weaving centre.
  3. Day 3Over Dochula Pass and its 108 chortens to Punakha. Punakha Dzong at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu.
  4. Day 4Walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, then the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal chorten. Drive to Paro.
  5. Day 5The hike to Taktsang, Tiger's Nest, clinging to the cliff at 3,120 m.
  6. Day 6Kyichu Lhakhang, Paro's market, and a farmhouse dinner with a hot-stone bath.
  7. Day 7Depart from Paro.
Punakha Dzong
Punakha DzongPhoto: Arghya Mondal

The western heart of Bhutan: the capital, the great dzong at Punakha where two rivers meet, and the climb to Tiger's Nest.

Highlights

  • Tiger's Nest
  • Punakha Dzong
  • Dochula Pass
  • Farmhouse evening
Moderate paceSDF appliesBest Mar–May and Sep–Nov
  1. Day 1Arrive in Kathmandu. Evening in Thamel or a quiet courtyard hotel.
  2. Day 2Pashupatinath, the great stupa at Boudhanath, and Patan Durbar Square.
  3. Day 3An optional dawn mountain flight past Everest, then medieval Bhaktapur.
  4. Day 4Fly to Pokhara. Boat on Phewa Lake at sunset.
  5. Day 5Sunrise from Sarangkot over Annapurna and Machhapuchhre. The World Peace Pagoda.
  6. Day 6Fly back to Kathmandu. Swayambhunath at golden hour.
  7. Day 7Depart.
Phewa Lake, Pokhara
Phewa Lake, PokharaPhoto: Meera Pankhania

The temple squares of three ancient royal cities, then the lake town of Pokhara, with the Annapurnas reflected in Phewa Lake.

Highlights

  • UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley
  • Everest mountain flight
  • Annapurna sunrise
Easy paceAll agesBest Oct–Apr
  1. Day 1Arrive in Darjeeling. Kit check with your trek leader.
  2. Day 2Drive to Manebhanjan and walk to Tumling, about 11 km.
  3. Day 3Through rhododendron and bamboo forest to Kalipokhri, about 13 km.
  4. Day 4A short, steep climb to Sandakphu. Sunset on Kanchenjunga.
  5. Day 5Dawn on Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. Descend towards Srikhola.
  6. Day 6Walk out and drive back to Darjeeling for a hot bath and a proper bed.
  7. Day 7Drive to Bagdogra.
The snows from a terrace in Darjeeling
The snows from a terrace in DarjeelingPhoto: Aashh Subba

A ridge walk along the India–Nepal border to Sandakphu at 3,636 m, where four of the five highest mountains on Earth line the horizon.

Highlights

  • Everest and Kanchenjunga in one view
  • Teahouse and lodge stays
  • Red panda country
TrekGood fitness neededBest Mar–May and Oct–Dec
  1. Day 1Arrive at Bagdogra and drive up the Teesta valley to Gangtok.
  2. Day 2Rumtek Monastery, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and MG Marg.
  3. Day 3Tsomgo Lake at 3,753 m, with Nathula for Indian nationals when open.
  4. Day 4Down to Kalimpong: Durpin Monastery and Deolo Hill at sunset.
  5. Day 5Through the tea gardens of the Dooars to Phuentsholing on the Bhutan border.
  6. Day 6Climb into the hills to Thimphu.
  7. Day 7Thimphu: Buddha Dordenma, the Memorial Chorten and the weekend market.
  8. Day 8Over Dochula Pass to Punakha Dzong.
  9. Day 9Drive to Paro. Kyichu Lhakhang and the town.
  10. Day 10The hike to Tiger's Nest, and a farmhouse dinner.
  11. Day 11Depart from Paro, or drive back to Bagdogra.
A mountain road in Sikkim
A mountain road in SikkimPhoto: Prantik Mitra

Two Himalayan kingdoms, old and new, joined by road: Sikkim's monasteries and lakes, a night above the Teesta in Kalimpong, then across the border into Bhutan.

Highlights

  • Two kingdoms by road
  • Border formalities handled
  • Tsomgo Lake and Tiger's Nest
Moderate paceSDF applies in BhutanBest Mar–May and Oct–Nov
  1. Days 1–3Darjeeling: Tiger Hill, a tea-estate stay and the toy train.
  2. Day 4Kalimpong, by way of the river confluence.
  3. Days 5–7Gangtok, Rumtek and Tsomgo Lake.
  4. Day 8Down to the plains and across the border at Phuentsholing.
  5. Day 9Up into the hills to Thimphu.
  6. Days 10–11Dochula Pass and the Punakha valley.
  7. Days 12–14Paro and the hike to Tiger's Nest.
  8. Day 15Fly out of Paro.
Tiger's Nest above the Paro valley
Tiger's Nest above the Paro valleyPhoto: Aaron Santelices

Our longest journey crosses from the tea hills through Sikkim and into Bhutan overland, the way traders once travelled.

Highlights

  • Four regions, one team
  • Overland border crossing handled for you
  • Room to slow down
Relaxed paceBest Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr

The mountain

Five treasures of the great snow

Kanchenjunga's name is usually read as the five treasures of the great snow: five summits holding gold, silver, gems, grain and holy books. At 8,586 metres it is the third-highest mountain on Earth, and for Sikkim's Lepcha and Bhutia communities it is a protective deity.

When Joe Brown and George Band made the first ascent in 1955, they stopped just short of the top, keeping a promise to the ruler of Sikkim that the summit would stay untouched. Most climbers have kept that custom since.

Each year, the festival of Pang Lhabsol honours the mountain with masked dances in Sikkim's monasteries. It is the spirit in which we travel here: with respect, and without hurry.

When to go

Pick a month, see the mountains

Views, flowers, festivals and road conditions shift through the year. Choose when you can travel and we'll tell you how each region will feel.

Darjeeling

Kalimpong

Sikkim

Nepal

Bhutan

Three bars: the best time to goTwo: good, with trade-offsOne: quiet season, go with flexibility

The way we travel

Quietly taken care of

Behind every journey is a small team that has driven these roads, stayed in these rooms and waited out these clouds. You see the mountains; we handle the rest.

Private car and driver

A dedicated vehicle and an experienced hill driver for your whole journey. Never a shared tour.

Stays with character

Tea-estate bungalows, heritage hotels, the best addresses in Thimphu and Kathmandu, and farmhouse nights when you want them.

Guides who belong here

Local guides who can explain a thangka, a tea flush or a masked dance, and who know when to stay quiet.

Permits handled

Sikkim's Inner Line and Protected Area permits, Bhutan entry and Nepal formalities, arranged before you arrive.

A pace that respects altitude

Routes planned for acclimatisation and the reality of mountain roads, with time to rest built in.

Someone on call

A named contact on WhatsApp throughout your trip, from the first transfer to the last.

How it works

From first message to first sunrise

  1. Tell us your window

    Dates, who's travelling and what you'd love to see. A rough idea is enough.

  2. Receive a draft route

    Within a day, a day-by-day plan with stays, drives and a clear price.

  3. Shape it together

    Swap hotels, slow down, add a trek or a festival. We revise until it fits.

  4. Travel, supported

    Permits ready, driver and guide waiting, and a person on call every day.

Plan a journey

Start with a conversation

Send us a few details and a travel designer will reply with a draft itinerary. Prefer to chat? Pema can help you shape it first.

Where would you like to go?

We reply within one working day. Your details are only used to plan your trip.

Tashi delek! I'm Pema. Ask me about routes, permits or the best month to see Kanchenjunga.