Sikkim has no railway of its own and only an intermittent airport, so almost every trip starts in Siliguri, at the foot of the hills. From there it is a five-hour drive up the Teesta to Gangtok.
By train: New Jalpaiguri (NJP)
NJP, in Siliguri, is the main railhead for Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimpong, with direct trains from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati and much of India. From NJP it is about 120 km and 4½ to 5 hours by road to Gangtok, about 3½ hours to Namchi, and about 3 hours to Darjeeling.
By air: Bagdogra (IXB)
Bagdogra airport, also in Siliguri, has flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities. Drive times are about the same as from NJP.
By air: Pakyong (PYG)
Pakyong, about an hour from Gangtok, is Sikkim’s own airport, but its flights have been suspended for long periods. We will tell you whether it is operating for your dates; most travellers still use Bagdogra.
By road: NH10 and the alternatives
The main road to Gangtok is NH10 along the Teesta river through Sevoke, Melli and Rangpo. It is prone to landslides in the monsoon, when traffic is sometimes diverted through Kalimpong or Lava. We check the road on the morning of your arrival and plan accordingly.
Shared jeeps or a reserved vehicle?
Shared jeeps run from Siliguri to Gangtok and are cheap, but you wait for them to fill and they stop where they stop. A reserved vehicle from us meets you at the platform or the arrivals gate, carries your luggage, and stops for photographs. Every one of our trips includes the pick-up and the drop.
Typical drive times from NJP or Bagdogra
- Gangtok – about 4½ to 5 hours
- Namchi – about 3½ hours
- Pelling – about 5 hours
- Darjeeling – about 3 hours
- Kalimpong – about 2½ to 3 hours
- Phuentsholing (Bhutan border) – about 4 to 5 hours
- Kakarbhitta (Nepal border) – about 1 hour
