Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
Eleven nights pairing two very different hill regions: Sikkim's Buddhist monasteries and Kanchenjunga views from Taj Guras Kutir and the Elgin Mount Pandim, then a short flight to Guwahati for Meghalaya's lake, falls and living root bridges from Ri Kynjai and Sohra.
Sikkim and Meghalaya are both hill regions, but they could hardly be more different. Sikkim is Himalayan and Buddhist, with snow peaks, prayer flags and monasteries founded by Tibetan lamas. Meghalaya is a high, rain-carved plateau of Khasi villages, waterfalls, caves and bridges grown from living roots. Seeing both in one journey shows the range of the North East.
We begin in Gangtok, with three nights at Taj Guras Kutir for Rumtek and Tsomgo Lake, and three at the Elgin Mount Pandim in Pelling for Kanchenjunga at dawn, Pemayangtse and Yuksom. A flight from Bagdogra to Guwahati links the two regions; schedules change, so we confirm close to booking. In Meghalaya, three nights at Ri Kynjai and two in Sohra cover Shillong, Dawki and the walk to Nongriat.
Highlights
Day by day
Your guide meets you at Bagdogra and drives you up the Teesta valley, with a permit stop at Rangpo for foreign travellers. Arrive at Taj Guras Kutir in the afternoon, with time to rest and look across the hills before dinner.
A morning at Rumtek, the largest monastery in Sikkim, then the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, the Do Drul Chorten and Enchey Monastery. In the evening, walk MG Marg with a food guide for momos, thukpa and Sikkimese dishes.
An early drive to Tsomgo Lake, at about 3,750 m on the road to Tibet, with permits arranged the day before. Frozen in winter and ringed by rhododendrons in spring, the lake is sacred to Sikkimese Buddhists. Return for lunch and a quiet afternoon at the spa.
Drive through Singtam and up to Ravangla, with a stop at its Buddha Park, then on to Pelling and the Elgin Mount Pandim below Pemayangtse Monastery. If the evening is clear, the Kanchenjunga range glows across the valley as you arrive.
Watch the first light on Kanchenjunga from the hotel lawn. After breakfast, visit Pemayangtse, founded in 1705, with its carved model of Guru Rinpoche's celestial palace, and walk through forest to the ruins of Rabdentse, Sikkim's capital from 1670 to 1814.
A second dawn view, then the sacred wishing lake at Khecheopalri and Yuksom, where the first Chogyal was crowned in 1642. Fit walkers can climb to Dubdi Monastery, founded in 1701. Return to Pelling for a final evening in the mountains.
A long travel day. Drive down to Bagdogra after an early breakfast and take a short flight to Guwahati, where a new driver and your Meghalaya guide meet you. Climb into the Khasi Hills to Ri Kynjai on Umiam Lake, arriving in the evening. Flight schedules change, and on some dates we route via Kolkata or add a night in Guwahati.
A slow morning at the lake, then the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures and a guided walk through Iewduh market with a Khasi lunch. Return to Ri Kynjai for a quiet afternoon by the water.
Row the glass-clear Umngot at Dawki, sit by the river at Shnongpareng, and in the afternoon walk Mawlynnong and the easy root bridge at Riwai. Return to the lake for dinner. Planned for Monday to Saturday.
A guided walk in the sacred forest at Mawphlang, then on to Sohra for Nohkalikai Falls, the Seven Sisters at Mawsmai and the lit passages of Mawsmai cave. Your hotel is close to the root bridge trail.
Start at Tyrna by 7 am with your registered guide and descend about 3,000 steps to Nongriat's double-decker root bridge. Swim in the pools in the dry months, then climb back up. Rest in the afternoon, or visit Thangkharang's cliffs.
After breakfast, drive across the plateau and down to Guwahati airport for your onward flight, with a stop at Umiam Lake if time allows.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A recent Taj resort and spa in the hills around Gangtok, named after the guras, Sikkim's rhododendron. It brings Taj service to Sikkim, with mountain-facing rooms, …
A heritage hotel on the ridge below Pemayangtse Monastery near Pelling, run by Elgin Hotels, with a lawn and rooms that face the Kanchenjunga range. It …
A lakeside resort on the wooded shore of Umiam Lake, about 20 km north of Shillong, with cottages built in the Khasi manner of timber and …
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Questions travellers ask
By road to Bagdogra, a short flight to Guwahati, and road again to Shillong. Direct Bagdogra to Guwahati flights have operated, but schedules change, and on some dates we route via Kolkata or add a night in Guwahati. Check current status before you travel.
October, November and March. Autumn gives clear Kanchenjunga views and dry Meghalaya paths; March brings rhododendrons in Sikkim and still-dry walking in Meghalaya. December to February is also good, though cold in Sikkim.
Foreign nationals need a Sikkim Restricted Area Permit and a separate Tsomgo Lake permit. Indians need a permit only for Tsomgo Lake and other protected areas. Meghalaya requires no permit. We arrange all of them.
Darjeeling is in West Bengal and outside our North East region. We can add it on request, but most guests find Pelling's Kanchenjunga view and Sikkim's monasteries a better use of the mountain nights.
Yes. Taj Guras Kutir, the Elgin Mount Pandim and Ri Kynjai are three of the region's most romantic stays, and the pace allows quiet afternoons. We can replace the Nongriat walk with a slower day if you prefer.
From about ₹3,70,000 per person, twin sharing, including hotels, the meals listed, the Bagdogra to Guwahati flight, private cars and guides, permits and entry fees. Prices vary with season and room choices. International and domestic flights in and out are extra.
Yes, if road access allows. Two nights in Lachung for Yumthang Valley add snow peaks and flowers, extending the journey to 13 nights. North Sikkim has been disrupted since 2023, so check current status before you travel.
Most days involve short walks. Tsomgo Lake is at about 3,750 m, so take it slowly. The Nongriat walk, with about 3,000 steps each way, is the main physical day and is optional.
Yes. Kaziranga adds three nights at Diphlu River Lodge, best placed after Meghalaya, with the drive from Shillong taking about 6.5 to 7 hours. The journey then ends at Jorhat or Guwahati after 14 nights.
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