Our Brochure
Search by Map
Our Polar Division
Arcturus Expeditions offers sea voyages and expeditions to The Arctic, Arctic Russia, Greenland, Norway, Iceland and The Antarctic.
Darjeeling and Sikkim
Mountains, monasteries and tea gardens | 11 days
This overland journey leaves Delhi for the green terraces of Darjeeling’s tea gardens, where the Himalayas rise up in the distance and on clear days you can see Kangchenjunga (8,586m) the world’s third highest peak. From here the road leads to Sikkim, a former independent kingdom, which was opened to foreigners only in the early 1980s. With its cultural mix of Tibetan, Mongolian, Nepalese and Indian people, Sikkim offers superb landscapes with lush vegetation and up to 600 species of orchids in the lowland areas. As one of the least visited of all the Himalayan kingdoms, it retains a pristine environment and an air of mystery. Visit a number of ancient monasteries before returning to Delhi via Kalimpong.
Day 1:Fly to Delhi
Day 2:Tour India’s capital city
Day 3Fly to Bagdogra, drive to Darjeeling, one of India’s foremost hill stations
Day 4:Visit Tiger Hill and Ghoom Monastery and experience the toy train
Day 5A free day to travel back in time at Darjeeling’s Windamere Hotel
Day 6:Cross into Sikkim to arrive at Pemayangtse
Day 7:Drive to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim
Day 8:Day in Gangtok
Day 9Drive to Kalimpong
Day 10:Return to Bagdogra and fly to Delhi
Day 11:Fly to London
guide price £2,225 per person
Trip reports for the Indian Subcontinent
Fiona’s travel tips
BEST TIME TO GO: Most of India is at its best from October to March, except Ladakh which is a summer destination. Visit Sri Lanka from September to April and the Maldives from December to April.DON’T MISS: Ladakh’s festival season in July and August when the colourful gompas are especially vibrant.
FESTIVAL FACT: Maha Kumbh Mela or the Great Festival of Urn, is the biggest religious ceremony in the world and takes place four times every 12 years.
FROM DELHI: The great British hill station of Shimla makes a superb extension from Delhi.
GETTING AROUND: I love to travel by Indian trains. It’s a great way to meet the locals and I’ve often been invited to share food or conversation with ordinary families sharing my compartment. Also you can’t beat simply looking out of the window for a snapshot of daily life in the rural villages.
FOR THE ACTIVE: India combines well with Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal for great trekking.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE: We have a great in-country team who will be there to meet you at each airport, hotel, border or train station, so the first-time visitor will never feel overwhelmed.
READ: William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns, City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre and Liberty or Death by Patrick French.
Clients’ comments
“Wow, quite a day — we thought we’d seen everything but then we met Raj, another fantastic local guide. He found places we didn't even know existed. The newly qualifying World Heritage Site, the Observatory in Jaipur was nothing short of incredible… All the local representatives we met were helpful, informed, very punctual and a real pleasure to be with. The tour was very well arranged and the choice of hotels was exemplary. What a wonderful holiday, thank you so much. We will be returning to Far Frontiers Travel at the first opportunity and recommending you to our friends and family”.
Charles and Elizabeth Godfrey, Rajasthan
“We left from Delhi today which was very sad. The trip you planned for us was faultless and we were so grateful for all your help. Having all our trains booked was amazing and we would both like to say a huge thank you! We are both in love with India and I’m sure we will be asking you to plan another trip in the near future”.
Ginny Neill and Molly Williams, India
“It is a testament to Far Frontiers Travel that as soon as we got home, we went to look for your brochure to see where else we could go with you!”
Gaskell and Jennifer Jacobs, India