Route: Delhi(2N) – Darjeeling(2N) – Pelling(2N) – Yuksum(1N) – Gangtok(2N) – Kalimpong(1N) – Delhi(1N)
Date: 23rd March to 03rd April 2024
Tiger Hill is 13 km from Darjeeling and you can see beautiful sunrises and the whole Himalayan mountain range like Kanchandzonga, Mount Everest etc. You can see the horizon changing colors before the sun rises and then all the mountains are bathed in gold. It is truly a majestic sight.
Ghoom Monastery
is the oldest monastery in this area, built in 1875, and it contains the 15-foot tall Buddha statue that we will see on the way back from Tiger Hill.
Arrival in Delhi. Transfer to the hotel after traditional welcome with garlanding. Rooms available from 2 pm onwards
In the afternoon we will be picked up for a city tour of both Old and New Delhi. We drive past the historic places of the city such as Qutab Minar, India Gate (war memorial), Rashtrapati Bhawan (presidential residence), Parliament and Secretariat buildings. Then we continue to Jama Masjid and past the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk - a traditional shopping place. After the sightseeing tour, we return to the hotel and spend the night there.
After a delicious breakfast we will be transferred to the airport to fly to Bagdogra.
Bagdogra – Darjeeling (93km, approx. 3.5 hours)
Darjeeling:
At an altitude of 2134 m in the Himalayas, “Dorje Ling” or the Place of the Thunderbolt rises, offering breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountain peaks, including Kanchendzonga, which rises higher than all the others. Often referred to as the “Queen of the Hills”, it enchants with its tiny waterfalls, small villages and a narrow-gauge railway. Surrounded by the world-famous tea gardens and snow-capped hilltops, Darjeeling remains one of the most exotic places. Graeme Westlake, in his book “An Introduction to the Hill Stations of India,” attests to Darjeeling that “one would be hard-pressed to find a view on earth that could compare with it.”
Overnight at hotel.
Early in the morning visit Tiger Hill and Ghoom Monastery.
Tiger Hill is 13 km from Darjeeling and you can see beautiful sunrises and the whole Himalayan mountain range like Kanchandzonga, Mount Everest etc. You can see the horizon changing colors before the sun rises and then all the mountains are bathed in gold. It is truly a majestic sight.
Ghoom Monastery
is the oldest monastery in this area, built in 1875, and it contains the 15-foot tall Buddha statue that we will see on the way back from Tiger Hill.
Breakfast at the hotel and then we can enjoy the ride on the toy train. (subject to it being operational and there being vacancies).
Toy Train
The spectacular scenery unfolds as the 2-foot-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan railway, opened in 1881, crisscrosses at approximately 10 miles per hour. It has tiny 4-wheeled locomotives (some over 100 years old) that look like living legends. You can experience the sounds, smells and romance of a bygone era. DHR is the genius achievement of a technology from 1881. It has social and cultural significance. It is very pretty to look at and has outstanding global impact. Because of its uniqueness, it remains important to humanity.
Back at the hotel we have lunch and then a visit to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Zoo & Tibetan Refugee Center.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute/ Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (closed on Thursdays)
This mountaineering institute came into being in Darjeeling when Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest to teach and provide training for mountaineering and other adventure sports related to mountaineering. In the institute you can see equipment etc. that he used. Attached is the Everest Museum with complete details about the mountain and the Zoological Park with animals such as snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan yak, Himalayan brown bear and diverse bird species.
Tibetan Self-Helf Center Or Refugee Center (closed on Sundays)
This facility is run by Tibetan refugees to preserve their craftsmanship and you can see carpets, leatherwork, painting and woodwork being made.
Overnight at hotel
After breakfast we drive from Darjeeling to Pelling via Jorethang & Reshi Hot Spring/ Rock Cave (from the main road to the hot spring it takes about 20 to 25 minutes - one way) and on to Pemayangtse Monastery (about 110 km / 6 to 7 Hours).
Pelling
120 km from Gangtok lies Pelling, a small, quiet mountain village in western Sikkim. The place is at an approximate altitude of 2000 m and the distance from here to Mount Kanchendzonga as the crow flies (as a crow flies) is about 26 km.
Phurchachu Reshi Hot Spring About 25 km from Gyalshing, near Reshi, after crossing the Rangit River via a footbridge, come
After breakfast we visit Pemayangtse Monastery & Rabdantse Ruins Pemayangtse Monastery
It is 2.5 km from Pelling at an altitude of 2085m. The Perfect Sublime Lotus, perched on a forested mountaintop, offers the most sublime view of the Kanchendzonga.
Built during the 17th century, it is one of the oldest and most important monasteries of the Nyingmapa Order of Buddhism in Sikkim. To this day, only the monks of this monastery can boast of having the title of “Tasang” or real monks. The importance of this monastery grew over time and reached its peak when only monks from this monastery were allowed to anoint the ruling ruler with holy water.
Pemayangtse Monastery follows the Mindroling tradition and also holds the lineage of Lhatsun Chenpo. Mindroling Monastery was founded by Minling Terchen Gyurme Dorje, whose famous daughter Jetsun Migyur Paldon lived and taught near the monastery during her exile. Her stone throne can still be seen in the monastery, which is home to 108 monks. But the main attraction is the wooden replica of Zangdog Palri; the heavenly abode of Guru Padmasambhava, built in 1971 by Serdup Lhundrup Dorje Rinpoche. The annual Chaam (dance of the monks) is held here on the 28th and 29th day of the twelfth month in mt. It takes just under 10 minutes from the road to the Phurchachu spring, with medical facilities - ideal for skin diseases. Rock Cave is also close to the source.
Tibetan lunar calendar held.
Rabdentse is Sikkim's second capital. The ruins are worth exploring.
A winding path through the forest brings us to a small ensemble of ruins of the early city and perhaps to the ruins of a palace with a stupa next to it. Further away are the Changay Falls.
Afternoon walk to Sanga Choling Monastery
Sanga Chieling means “the island of esoteric teachings”. It takes around 45 minutes from Pelling to reach the second oldest monastery in Sikkim. A 4 km path leads from the playing fields up to the small monastery of Sanga Choeling, one of the oldest gompas of Sikkum, via Pelling. This gompa is another creation of Lhatsun Chenpo and it has a very high status among the Nyingmapa. Burnt out in a fire but rebuilt, it houses some of the original clay statues.
Overnight at hotel.
After breakfast we start this journey.
Khechopalri Lake is a sacred lake for the Buddhists of West Sikkim, in Sikkim, the small Himalayan formerly Buddhist kingdom in eastern India that is now part of the democratic republic. Khechipalri is also considered as a wish granting lake and there are thousands of non-Buddhists who believe and pray here. The lake's real name is Sho Dzo Sho, meaning "Oh, Lady, sit here", but it is commonly known as Khechipalri Lake because it "sits" on the peak of Khechipalri, as if on the lap of the especially sacred mountain.
The origin of the lake, as related in the scriptures of Sikkimese Buddhism, begins after the Nepalese invasion of the medieval kingdom in the 1780s. The Nepalese army destroyed the original (third) palace of the Namgyal dynasty located in Rabdentse.
Before breakfast we visit Tashiview Point and come back to
Hotel.
Tashiview Point
From here you can enjoy wonderful views of the entire mountain range, and Kanchandzonga and other mountains already in Tibet. It's 10km from the hotel to here.
After breakfast there will be a visit to Rumtek Monastery, Tebetology (closed on Sundays), Do Drul Chorten. After lunch visit Enchey Monastery and Cottage Industry (both closed on Sunday).
Rumtek Monastery, 24 km from Gangtok, is awe-inspiringly located, the World Dharma Chakra Center and the seat of His Holiness, the Gyalwa Karmapa, who is the head of the Kagyupa Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Behind the main monastery lies the lavishly decorated Karmae Nalanda Institute of Buddhist Studies, which attracts students from around the world. Opposite the entrance is a small hall which, as a special feature, displays a beautiful jeweled chorten, the Golden Stupa, which contains the ashes and relics of His Holiness the xvi Gyalwa Karmapa. According to legend, after years of meditation, the first Karmapa received a visit from tens of thousands of fairies who came to congratulate him and give him a strand of hair as a gift. They are said to have been woven into a black hat which was passed down to him and which is kept in the Rumtek Monastery to this day. It is further said that if the hat was not held by the wearer (who of course could be none other than the Karmapa) or kept in a box, it would fly away.
The Enchey Monastery (closed on Sundays) is perched on a ridge above Gangtok and sits like a nest in a lush forest with spectacular views of the city.
Built in 1910 next to the hermitage of the great tantric saint Lama Drutob Karpo, who was famous for his levitation power, it houses the monks of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism.
Namgyal Institute Of Tibetology (closed on Sundays)
The unique facility, which was founded in 1958, lies amidst oak, birch and ash trees. Built in a traditional style, it promotes research in Mahayana Buddhism and the Tibetan language and tradition. It has one of the world's largest
Collections of unique books and manuscripts of Mahayana Buddhism. Attached to the institute is an outlet where relevant books and commercially produced religious handicrafts from Tibet can be purchased.
In the vicinity of the institute are two special stupas, the Do Drul Chorten, built to commemorate the victory of good over evil and the Jhang Chub Chorten, built to commemorate Thrukshik Rinpoche, an ardent devotee and great spiritual teacher of Buddhism. Next to the chorten are 2 huge statues of Lord Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rimpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim.
Directorate Of Handloom And Handicrafts (closed on Sundays) was established to promote traditional handicrafts of Sikkim. Exquisitely carved wooden friezes, intricately decorated bamboo works, hand-woven blankets and carpets and hand-woven cloth items are exhibited here. Visitors can not only purchase these things here, but they can also watch the artists at work.
Among other things, a favorite item is a choktse, a wooden table with carved panels that folds up into a handy package.
Overnight at hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel and then a day excursion to Tsomgo Lake.
Tsomgo Lake, which freezes over in winter, is located 40km from Gangtok at an altitude of 12,400 feet. The lake gets its water from the melting snow of the surrounding mountains. Legend has it that llamas can predict the future by looking at the color of water. Fishing is prohibited without exception and everyone is encouraged to keep the entire area clean to preserve the sanctity of the lake.
Above the 15-mile Sikkim Police Post, at a unique altitude, lies Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, home to the red panda and the blood pheasant, both of which are the heraldic animals of the state of Sikkim.
Overnight at hotel
At an altitude of 1250m, the city is ideal for a pleasant, relaxing break. The mild climate has made Kalimpong's orchids and gladioli very famous.
Until the early 1700s, the Kalimpong area was part of the dominion of the Kings of Sikkim. In the early 18th century it was conquered by the king of Bhutan. In 1865, after the war between England and Bhutan, it was incorporated into Darjeeling. Scottish people arrived in the late 1800s
Missionaries. The town prospered on the wool trade with Tibet until 1950. Today it is a quiet resort and a good place for retired people.
In the afternoon we visit the city.
Flower Nurseries
The climate is ideal for growing flowers and plants. The city is known for its nurseries that export such exotic flowers as amaryllis lilies, anthuriums, gerberas, dahlias, gladioli, as well as orchids and cacti.
Zang Dog Palri Fo-Brang Monastery
is fairly new and is located in Durpin Dara, from where you have an exclusive panoramic view over the city and the surrounding area. The prayer room inside is decorated with murals and an unusual three-dimensional mandala can be seen on the upper floor.
Tharpa Choling Monastery on Tirpal Mountain on the route to Dr. Graham's Home, belongs to the Yellow Hat sect of Lamas, to which the current Dalai Lama belongs.
Thongsa Gumpa
This monastery, of Bhutanese origin, was built around 1692. It is the oldest in Kalimpong. The original structure was destroyed in the wars between the clans before the English came to the country.
Dr. Graham's Homes School
The foundation supports boys and girls attending school together. It has been providing education and care for impoverished and disadvantaged, mainly Anglo-Indian children since 1900. The main task of the UK Committee is to provide an opportunity for these children to be educated and cared for in these homes, which is achieved by: that one finds generous donors and benefactors in England and elsewhere.
Overnight at hotel.
Overnight in Delhi.
Flight to back home
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