Kolkata To Gangtok

Gangtok + Nathu La review

Post by Globetrotter | Kolkata | Oct 29, 2008

The major entry-point for Gangtok is Siliguri. Siliguri can be reached by the following means: (A) By air - Bagdogra is the nearest airport. Bagdogra has daily connectivity with Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi. Bagdogra is 14 kms from Siliguri. From Siliguri, you have innumerable options to reach Gangtok (bus and taxi). Take a pre-paid taxi from Bagdogra airport to SNT (Sikkim National Transport) bus-stand. It will cost you Rs 260. There is also a North Bengal Transport bus-stand which is in the same road. From Bagdogra you can also have a helicopter ride to Gangtok; cost Rs 2000. Bagdogra airport has a counter from where bookings for the helicopter ride can be done. For more info, probably some other sources needs to be checked. (B) By train - New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the nearest rail-station. It is 12 kms from Siliguri. NJP has daily connectivity with trains from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. From Mumbai, there is a train Dadar-Guwahati express which goes via NJP. Once you reach Siliguri, ask for SNT bus-stand or NBSTC (North Bengal State Transport Corp) stand. Both the bus-depots are on the same main road about 1 to 2 km apart. (1) SNT buses leave every hour for Gangtok. The last bus leaves at 13:30 hours. It is sometimes difficult to get a bus without waiting as there is a queue. Ideally, you might get a ticket for a bus which departs after 1 hour. (2) A better option would be to settle for a shared cab (Sumo, MaxX, Qualis, etc). They are usually 10-seaters (2 besides the driver, 4 in the middle and 4 at the back). We being a couple chose the front-seat from where you get a good view while travelling. The only disadvantage of sitting at the front is for the person sitting next to the driver often being poked at due to the gear being adjusted. The cost is Rs 150 per person. Usually, if its the holiday season one needn't wait much for the taxis to get filled (we waited 15 minutes). During non-holiday season, the drivers usually depart before its even full and you might get a bargain also in terms of price. We paid Rs 120 per person while returning. A private taxi can also be booked for around Rs 1500. There are lots of shared-taxis around the SNT bus-stand so locating one will not be a problem. The entire stretch has lot of private tourist buses also if one needs to inquire further. The entire Siliguri-Gangtok route is 114 km and it will take anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 hours to commute. Do not miss the following in your journey: 1. Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (15-20 km from Siliguri). Though we didn't sight anything out of the ordinary. 2. Teesta river which accompanies you for the major part of the journey offers some breath-taking views and photo-ops. 3. More than half-way into your journey, there is a stretch along the river where there are options for river-rafting both for swimmers and non-swimmers. The more adventurous can try it out. But its better to negotiate with the driver if you want to do so before you start your journey. 4. Soon on entering Sikkim, the Sikkim-Manipal Technology University on the banks of the river is a sight to behold. While returning from Gangtok, you have the following options: (1) Catch a helicopter ride to Bagdogra. The Sikkim Tourism office at the start of MG Marg provides you with booking options. (2) Go to Deorali bus-stand and catch a bus or shared taxi to Siliguri. There could be other options also but they need to be explored. Precautions: For the long hilly-rides, its better to carry medicines like Avomine (for Nausea and dizziness). Don't travel on an empty stomach and eat light before you travel, or else it will aggravate the problem. Maximum people were afflicted by nausea. I am no doctor, but I used a Avomine tablet as a precaution before my journey and it served its purpose. Carry an umbrella as the rains are unpredictable. People with breathing problems and a weak heart might face an issue at Nathu La as the oxygen content is low and even healthy people had to struggle to walk-up a few steps. Such people should consult a doctor before travelling.

Crowded but Clean

Post by Sharmistha | Mumbai | Nov 27, 2010

We went from Bagdogra to Gangtok by car and found the view spectacular but the road was really bad , it took us close to 5hrs to reach there although its only about 120 km. On our way back we took the chopper and it was an adventure .Although its a little dear with 2400 per head but the view is breathtaking and the time taken is just 25 min to reach Bagdogra.One word of caution if one is planning to take the helicopter then the shopping has to be curbed as they are very strict about weight , one can carry only 15 kg per head plus his own weight which should be average of 70 kg.Our baggage could not travel with us and had to follow us in the next trip , fortunately for us there was a long wait for the connecting flight to Kolkata.

SIKKIM - a must visit destination for nature lovers

Post by milsum | Pune | Feb 21, 2011

We reached Bagdogra airport at about 2.00 pm. A taxi booth is available at the airport for booking taxi (sumo/max and even Innova) to Gangtok. it takes about 4-5 hrs and cost ranges from Rs. 1600/- to Rs 2200/-. The taxis are not allowed directly to your hotel in Gangtok city if you reach there before 5.00 pm. They will drop you at taxi stand where you have to hire another taxi for local travel (Maruti van/Wagon r). Since we reached in evening the taxi driver dropped us at hotel (Mintokling guest house) by charging extra rs.200/-.

Gateway to Sikkim

Post by Amit | Bangalore | Apr 27, 2006

The closest airport is in Bagdogra, West Bengal, about 5-6 hours drive from Gangtok. There are regular flights from Kolkotta, Delhi and other cities. The closest train station is NJP (Siliguri) in north Bengal, also about 4-6 hours drive. Good roads connect Gangtok with Darjeeling, NJP, and Bagdogra. Roads within Sikkim are really good. Avoid travel in the winter and monsoon. Landslides are common in the mountain roads.