Lamahatta, Darjeeling, Sandakhphu, Lepchaghat, Mirik


This is a circuit can be covered in 5 to 6 days time. 1st day could be at Lamahatta that be reached in 3 hour time from New Jalpaiguri Rail station / Bagdogra airport.

Lamahatta is small picturesque village, 23 km far from Darjeeling where you can stay for a day or two to enjoy tranquility amidst Pine Trees and Kanchenjunga, on the forefront. It is at the edge of the hill from where you can see sunrise and sunset on Mount Kanchenjunga. You can enjoy the beauty of the well managed park and garden or trek through the maze of Pine trees.

You can then move to Darjeeling, the queen of hills which is about 1 hour drive from Lamahatta and 3.5 hour drive from Bagdogra airport / New Jalpaiguri Rail Station. Once a summer resort for the British Raj elite, Darjeeling remains the terminus of the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or “Heritage Toy Train,” running since 1881. It's famed for the distinctive black tea grown on plantations that dot its surrounding slopes. Its backdrop is Kanchenjunga, among the world’s highest peaks. Places to see around are the Zoo with extinct animals like snow leopards, red panda, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Tea Garden, Ropeway, Rock Garden, Ava Art Gallery, Ghoom Monastery, Batasia Loop and above all Tiger Hill for enjoying the sunrise on Kanchenjunga. Resting in Darjeeling Mall an open area is another interesting activities in Darjeeling.

Sandakhphu and Faloot are the two places one would love to trekk or go by car. Manebhanjan is around 25 km from Darjeeling and you can reach easily in 1 hour time. From there, you need to hire or share Old Jeeps like Land Rover to reach Sandakhphu and Faloot. You can also trek this part of 32 km in a day time. This is a good experience. Sandakhphu experiences snowfall in the winter.

Lepchaghat is a small village around 20 km from Darjeeling on the way to Mirik from Darjeeling. The skyscraping trees, clean mountain air and unpretentious natural beauty of Lepchaghat mesmerize the onlooker. The view of Kanchenjunga turning red during sunrise is unforgettable. The meaningless wandering in the village nestled in fog and mist also leaves a mark on one’s memory forever.

You can reach Mirik from Darjeeling or from Manebhanjan which is around 2 hour drive to reach the picturesque Mirik town situated by the side of Mirik Lake. This lake has Pine Tree on one side and town on the other. It is a wonderful journey for 20 km where on one side of the road is Nepal and the other is India. It is also an experience staying in the hotels near pine forest or at the Swiss Cottage. Seeing the orange orchards, tea gardens, Mirik Monastery, boating at the lake, you can spend ½ days and then go back to Siliguri which is about 2 hour drive.




Places to visit


Batasia Loop, Darjeeling

Kanchenjunga from Lamahatta

Mirik Lake