Trekking holiday in Sikkim
| country: | India |
| location: | Indian Himalayas, Sikkim |
| trip type: | High altitude, strenuous to very challenging trekking holidays |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade (5th -18th October) and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £999 (14 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people travelling together. A discount will be offered to groups of 4 or more. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
For the inhabitants of Sikkim, Khangchendzonga (8598 m) is much more than just the third highest peak in the world; it is the abode of the state's patron deity.
This trek takes us up close to the giant mountain, through forest of rhododendrons, pine and magnolia, and up to the higher meadows used for grazing by the nomadic yak-herding Lepchas.
On arrival to India you will be met at the airport. At the end of the trip, depending on your personal itinerary you will be transferred to the domestic airport or hotel.
This is a high altitude trip (max. height 4940 m). Please contact us to discuss the implications of this and your own personal fitness.
Extensions: Please contact us for sightseeing in Delhi, or a visit to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a rafting expedition or wildlife safari.
This trek takes us up close to the giant mountain, through forest of rhododendrons, pine and magnolia, and up to the higher meadows used for grazing by the nomadic yak-herding Lepchas.
On arrival to India you will be met at the airport. At the end of the trip, depending on your personal itinerary you will be transferred to the domestic airport or hotel.
This is a high altitude trip (max. height 4940 m). Please contact us to discuss the implications of this and your own personal fitness.
Extensions: Please contact us for sightseeing in Delhi, or a visit to the Taj Mahal at the start or end of this trip. We can also tailor this trip with a rafting expedition or wildlife safari.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Delhi to Darjeeling (2134 m): 6 hrs. We take the two hour flight from Delhi to Bagdogra airport offer great views of the Himalaya. We then drive three hours through the infamous tea estates to Darjeeling, the ‘Tea capital of India‘. The drive is all uphill all the way and on arrival, we may get our first view of the distant Khangchendzonga, weather permitting. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 2: | In Darjeeling: Rest day. Sight seeing in Darjeeling. We explore the town visiting tea gardens and Tibetan markets. Also visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling Zoo, both well worth a visit. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 3: | Drive Darjeeling to Pelling (2440 m): 4 hrs. A beautiful drive as we ascend further into the mountains. We stop at Pemayangste, the second oldest monastery in Sikkim. Great views of the Khangchendzonga Range. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 4: | Drive Pelling to Yoksum (1760 m): 5/6 hrs. We drive to Yoksum, the earliest capital of Sikkim. It is the trail head for our trek with super views of the rolling hills of southern Sikkim and the Rathong Valley. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 5: | Trek Yoksum to Tshoka (3050 m): 6/7 hrs. First day of trekking. Before lunch the terrain is all level as we walk through mixed forests of magnolia, rhododendron and fern. After lunch the route crosses the Rathong Chu River and then ascends steeply for an hour and a half until the rest house at Bakhim. We walk past Bakhim through the forest to Tshoka, a small Tibetan refugee settlement and monastery. Overnight camp. |
| Day 6: | Tshoka to Dzongri (4020 m): 5/6 hrs. In the morning we start on a steep trail through some lovely rhododendron forests to a small clearing at Phedang, our usual lunch spot. Another steep ascent from here takes us to the top of the ridge at Deorali Dara, which is just higher than the tree line. |
| Day 7: | In Dzongri: Rest Day. A day of rest and acclimatisation at Dzongri as we have now ascended above 4000 m. One can take a walk up to the ridge past fluttering prayer flags for some rewarding views of the Khangchendzonga massif and its secondary peaks, or even walk up to the Dzongri pass. Overnight camp. |
| Day 8: | Dzongri to Thangsing (3920 m): 3/4 hrs. We walk down on a well defined trail through rhododendron forest to reach the Prek Chu River. We cross the river and walk to a grassy campsite at Thangsing, at the foot of Pandim peak. Overnight camp. |
| Day 9: | Thangsing to Samiti Lake (4200 m): 2/3 hrs. Easy walking takes us past Onglathang to a small moraine ridge and down to a beautiful campsite at Samiti Pokhari lake. Todays walk is short to give us plenty of rest before tomorrow’s big day. The Samiti is a gorgeous emerald green lake surrounded by Buddhist prayer flags. Overnight camp. |
| Day 10: | Samiti Lake to Goecha La (4940 m) to Thangsing: 7/8 hrs. Rise early in the morning for the steep climb to the Goecha La Pass. We do this is to get the best of the weather, as it is normally clear until just after lunch. We climb the hill behind the lake up to the Zemathang Plateau. From here it is another two hours to the pass. The views of Khanchendzonga and the surrounding peaks and valleys in the distance are stunnig. After having spent time on the pass we return to the campsite in time for lunch. After lunch we pack up and go down to Thangsing. Overnight camp. |
| Day 11: | Thangsing to Tshoka (3050 m): 6/7 hrs. We start the day by walking down to reach the Prek Chu River. The trail passes through some dense forests of rhododendron. We stop for lunch at Phedang and then descending to Tshoka. Overnight camp or village lodge. |
| Day 12: | Tshoka to Yuksom (1760 m): 5/6 hrs. Our last day of the trek. We descend along the Prek Chu river, contouring gently downwards around hills to reach Yuksom. Treks over, well done everybody! Overnight hotel. |
| Day 13: | Yuksom to Darjeeling: 5/6 hrs. We start driving in the morning arriving in Darjeeling just after lunch. Take it easy, or go to the markets for some last minute retail therapy. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 14: | Darjeeling to Delhi: 6hrs. Drive three hours to Bagdogra Airport, stop to visit a tea garden on the way and then take the two hour flight to Delhi. Trips ends. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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We use locally run hotels in Darjeeling. We have a number of family run hotels we use and we try to rotate our business equally among them all. These hotels are full of character and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Staying is places like these ensures that money goes directly into the local economy.
We visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. This institute has a museum dedicated the great mountaineers of the Himalaya, past and present. They also train local people in mountaineering and guiding to a high standard and have produced some of India’s finest climbers. The money you pay to visit the Institute helps to keep the school open and ensures that the high quality of guiding in India continues.  We also visit the Himalayan Zoo in Darjeeling. The entry fee to the zoo helps to keep the animals, pay for the zoo vet and funds research of rare Himalayan species. We have a strong environmental policy, carrying all non-biodegradable produce off this trip with us and disposing of it in a responsible manner. We bury all organic matter deep in the ground, and this breaks it down over a short period of time. We use eco-friendly toilets or pit toilets on this trip. This is essentially a pit dug in the ground where all waste is covered with a mixture of soil and lime, and no water is used. Furthermore, we source almost all of our drinking and cooking water from fresh water springs. If this is not possible, water from the river is filtered. We have teamed up with an environmental organisation, Climate Care, that funds sustainable energy and forest restoration projects in India and all over the world. Climate Care facilitate us to offset or neutralise the harmful CO2 emissions caused by your flight. We offset your emissions on your internal flights, and we encourage you to offset the emissions on your international flights to and from India. We sponsor Clean Himalaya, a recycling and waste management project, dedicated to maintaining the sanctity and beauty of the Ganges and Himalayas. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |