India: Trekking in Sikkim - A Hiking Trip in Northern India with the Himalayan Adventure Experts!

Day 1: Arrive in Delhi

Arrive at the airport in Delhi. A Mountain Travel Sobek representative will meet you outside of customs and immigration and transfer you to your hotel. The afternoon is free to relax, recover from jet lag, or explore on your own.

Note—It takes two to three days (depending on your flight arrangements) to travel to Delhi from the U.S. The date and time of arrival varies greatly from carrier to carrier. You may arrive early in the morning (between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m.) or midday (according to the British Airways schedule). We hold reservations at the hotel in Delhi for you starting the afternoon of Day 1. If you arrive early in the morning of Day 1, you will need to book an extra night of hotel accommodations to check in immediately. This night is at your own expense, but we can make reservations for you at the same hotel.

Radisson Hotel - New Delhi

Day 2: Delhi to Darjeeling (7,500')

Our representative will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for the 1½-hour flight to Bagdogra. Upon arrival in Bagdogra, you’ll be met by the trip leader, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, and transferred to vehicles for a beautiful three-hour drive to the town of Darjeeling. Lunch en route. This drive takes us through lovely forests, quaint hill towns, and past some of Darjeeling’s famous tea estates. The serpentine road follows the route of Darjeeling’s famous “Toy Train,” an antique steam train on a narrow-gauge track that is still in operation. We’ll spend tonight and tomorrow night at a hotel. All meals are included while in Darjeeling and Sikkim. (3 hours driving)

Lunch, Dinner / New Elgin Hotel or Cedar Inn

Day 3: Darjeeling

After breakfast, we’ll have a full day of guided sightseeing around Darjeeling. We’ll visit monasteries, schools, tea gardens, and landmarks such as the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, started by the late Tenzing Norgay. At the Norgay family’s Darjeeling residence, we’ll have afternoon tea and a trek briefing with Jamling. This will also be an opportunity to see some of the family’s memorabilia including photos, personal items, and some of the medals of Tenzing Norgay.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / New Elgin Hotel or Cedar Inn

Day 4: Darjeeling to Yoksum (5,800')

We’ll drive along Rangit River through tiny Sikkimese villages and cardamom groves to the outpost of Yoksum. Yoksum is important in Sikkimese history as the place where the first chogyal (king) of Sikkim was crowned in 1642. At Yoksum, we’ll rendezvous with our trekking staff, including the Sherpas, porters, and cook staff. Yaks will be used on the trek to carry some of the gear. We’ll have our first hike today, a 45-minute walk to Dubdi Monastery, beautifully situated overlooking Yoksum. We’ll also take a 20-minute walk to visit the historic coronation site of the first king of Sikkim. (5 hours driving)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Yoksum to Bakhim (8,800')

We’ll wake an early morning start today with traditional “bed tea,” a service of hot coffee or tea brought to your tent. After breakfast at camp, we’ll begin our hiking journey into Sikkim’s pristine wilderness. The hike today will last about six hours and pass through wooded hills of oak and spruce, giant magnolias, and rhododendrons. We’ll break for lunch along the route, then continue up the Ratong Valley, making a steep climb up to camp in Bakhim. Overnight in a forest bungalow. (6 hours hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Forest bungalow

Day 6: Bakhim to Dzongri (13,221')

Today is the most challenging day of the trek as we gain altitude and ascents are steep. After breakfast, we begin a moderate climb through yak and sheep grazing areas around Choka, a resettlement camp for Tibetan refugees and the last village encountered on this trek. This where we get our first close up view of Mount Pandim (21,952'). After Choka, the trail continues up through rhododendron forests to our lunch spot at Phedang (12,100'). After lunch, we’ll continue our climb up to our camp in Dzongri, where there are awe-inspiring views of Kanchenjunga and its surrounding peaks. (6 hours hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 7: Day hike to Gingay Dara (14,200')

If weather is clear this morning, we’ll rise at dawn and hike up to an overlook to watch the sun rise over Kanchenjunga and the Onglathang Valley. After breakfast we'll do a day hike to Gingay Dara for panoramic views of the Ratong Valley and Ratong Glacier, the snowy peaks of Koktang, Kabru, Frey, and the mountains to the south of the Kanchenjunga. We will also be able to see in the distance the H.M.I. Base Camp, an area designated for high altitude mountain training courses by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The hike to Gingay Dara is moderate. (4 hours hiking roundtrip)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 8: Dzongri to Thangshing (12,900')

After breakfast, we begin our three-hour hike to Thangshing. All along the way we will enjoy fantastic views of Kabru, Sinolchu, Siomvu, Pandim, and Goecha peaks. We’ll start with a nice easy walk and gradual downhill through a thick low-growing rhododendron forest for about an hour, then a steep downhill brings us to Kokchorung (12,100'). We then start a gradual uphill climb along the Onglathang Valley through meadows and gorges to camp in Thangshing by the Prek Chu River. We will reach Thangshing by lunch, and the rest of the afternoon is free, or you'll have the option to hike to the base of Jopuno peak (about 15,000', about three hours).

Camp

Day 9: Thangshing to Lamuney (13,700')

Today we begin our journey to the last camp at Lamuney. The hike is a short 2½-hour gradual uphill climb through the Onglathang Valley, passing yak herders and grazing yaks. After lunch at camp, you’ll have the afternoon to do optional day hikes to either Samiti Lake (14,400') or the base of Mount Tinchin Khang’s glacier (15,500'). 

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 10: Day hike to Goecha La (16,400') – Thangshing (12,900')

We’ll aim for an early start for our day hike to Goecha La (16,400'). This hike takes about six hours roundtrip and its terrain can be very challenging and strenuous depending on weather. Those who do not want to hike to Goecha La or prefer an easier day have the option of a two-hour hike to a lower viewpoint at 15,000'. This viewpoint still provides great views of Kanchenjunga and the surrounding peaks, though trip members who are up for it are strongly encouraged to undertake the hike to the Goecha La—it’s quite simply the best view of the Kanchenjunga massif. Hike back to Thangshing and camp overnight. (7 hours hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 11: Thanshing – Phedang – Bakhim

We’ll leave the Onglathang Valley behind as we descend to Kochchurong, about one hour from Thangshing, then trek back to Bakhim along a different route. This route is a little longer, off-the-beaten-path, and follows the edge of the hill for about three hours. We join our previous trail at Phedang where we’ll have lunch. After lunch, we'll continue for about two hours to the village of Choka, where we’ll stop to visit the local monastery, then onto camp at Bakhim. (6 hours hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 12: Yoksum - Darjeeling

We'll hike the same easy route on our way back to Yoksum. We should reach Yoksum by late morning and after lunch, we'll bid farewell to the staff and board vehicles for the drive to Darjeeling. We'll pass through the lush landscape of the Rangit and Tista River Valleys before ascending to the hill town of Darjeeling, arriving by the late afternoon. We'll cap off the trip with a farewell dinner with Jamling and his family. (3 hours hiking, 5 hours driving)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Elgin Hotel - Darjeeling

Day 13: Darjeeling to Bagdogra/Delhi

After breakfast, we’ll drive back to Bagdogra (around three hours) and depart on a flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, we'll transfer to a hotel close to the airport, where you'll have a day room reserved until it's time to transfer to airport for your homeward-bound flight (U.S.-bound flights generally depart after midnight). You’ll arrive home the following day.

Breakfast / Radisson Hotel - New Delhi

Jamling Tenzing Norgay

In 1996 Jamling Tenzing Norgay realized his childhood dream of climbing Mt. Everest with the IMAX Everest Film Expedition and unfolded the Tibetan flag on the summit. The son of Tenzing Norgay, who summitted Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary, Jamling is a charming young man gifted with many skills besides his outdoor exploits. A black-belt karate instructor and avid rafter and skier, Jamling had led many treks in Sikkim, Nepal, India and Bhutan. We are very proud of his association with Mountain Travel Sobek and are confident you will greatly enjoy his leadership. He was featured in a recent article in the San Francisco Examiner and is one of the protagonists of the new National Geographic Imax film on Everest.

The most popular trekking seasons in Sikkim are March through April and October through November. Temperatures are relatively moderate and skies are usually brilliantly clear. As a general guideline, daytime temperatures at altitudes of around 10,000 to 14,000 feet can range between 50° and 65°F, and nighttime temperatures between 10° and 40°F. Rain or snow is possible.