How to Plan a Cheap Tour to Pelling and Gangtok with a budget tour of Sikkim

How to plan a cheap tour to Pelling and Gangtok yourself

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. It’s situated at a height of 5410ft. With a population of 100,000 it has of Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia class of people staying here. A Nice city for tourism with clean and clear view of Himalayas’s and very clean city above all. A round the year mild temperature with beautiful scenic view in summer and white ice lashed mountains of winter pull’s thousands of visitor or tourists to this city. It is also a very popular Buddhist Pilgrimage site after Enchey Monastery was built in 1840. Gangtok also became a major trade stopover for traders of Lhasa, Tibet and Kolkata during British Rule. Sikkim stayed as a independent country till 1975 and included to Indian territory from 1975 and Gangtok was made the capital of the state.

Pelling is situated in West Sikkim of India. Its height from sea is 7200 feet. The district headquarters of Geyzing in Sikkim is at a 10 km distance from Pelling. The in the lap of Himalayas’s gives beautiful scenarios to spend quite a little time alone or with your family. It’s safe and a lot of nice local sightseeing tours are available in the city. Himalayas’s and Kanchenjunga is clearly visible from this city, with facilities to start your trekking to West Sikkim. Numerous Waterfalls are around the city with scenic beauty of alpine vegetation making it a dream place to visit in summer and in winter, it stays covered in white snow making it more attractive. It is situated at 135 Km from State Capital Gangtok and 137 km from nearest Rail Station of New Jalpaiguri. The nearest Airport at Bagdogra is now closed for low traffic.

What I did to plan a budget tour : 

A. Using payback points and MakeMyTrip discount, I could book a stay in hotel at Pelling for 2 days and 2 days at Gangtok in only 2k…

B. For Train journey if you select 3tier AC it will keep your cost under control and provide reasonable comfort as well. So, train return journey from Sealdah to NJP and NJP to Sealdah in 3AC costed 3660 for 2 persons.

C. Other expenses could be like this

i. You may take direct bus from NJP (New Jalpaiguri) to Pelling which leaves at 10 AM if you can reach before it or else go for shared journey of 5 hours to Pelling in Trekker / Zeep / Others as available in a cost of Rs 300 per head.

ii. From Pelling also you will get same shared vehicles at a cost of Rs 300- 800 for Gangtok per head.

iii. And from Gangtok you will get shared vehicles to NJP at a cost of Rs 300-800.

These shared vehicle’s journey is not bad but if you are on a luxury tour then private car or self booked vehicle’s are suggested.

iv. So, in Rs 300 per head journey from NJP to Pelling and Pelling to Gangtok and Gangtok to NJP costing Rs 1800 in total for 2 persons is completed.

D. A private car booking for a day in Pelling for local sightseeing will cost you Rs 2500.

E. In Gangtok you can avail a local sight seeing tour in Rs 1800-2000 and go for 2-3 other distant tours in shared vehicle’s per head charge can come to 800 so for 2 long tours 1600+1600.

F. If you go according to this planned cost the tour will complete in 10-12k for 2 person and if you do 10k+ shopping it will keep the tour cost for two persons of 1 week duration to only 25k….

Tour Costs Details :

1. Train Return Journey : Rs 3660
2. Travel between NJP to Pelling to Gangtok : Rs 1800 (I am taking it all shared journey of Rs 300 per head for two persons)
3. Hotel Stay in Pelling and Gangtok : Rs 2000 ( For 4 day’s, may not available always as i book using payback card in budget hotels and further helped by online hotel booking site’s special discounts)
4. Sight Seeing tour in Pelling Rs : 2500
6. Local Sight Seeing tour in Gangtok Rs : 2000
7. Long Sight Seeing tours in Gangtok (In Shared Vehicle) Rs 1600 x 2 days = Rs 3200
8. Marketing Cost Rs 10,000

Total Pelling and Gangtok Budget Tour of 7 Days Cost : Rs 25,000 Only for two persons including all costs except food.

Here we are discussing the fixed costs only. For food charges of 7 day’s you may take 2500-3500 per head. It will varry as you move on.

Here I would like to highlight one thing if you want to keep your costing in Rs 25,000 reduce on marketing cost if you are paying more in any other area or go for sleeper reservations in train journey to and from NJP to Sealdah/Howrah in winter season Sleeper journey from Howrah / Sealdah to NJP can be afforded if you want. These are just alternate guideline’s to keep your budget within Rs 25k…

If anyone has already visited Pelling and Gangtok share guidelines and corrections in costing and other options as available. Post corrections if i am wrong anywhere or post better guidelines…

Places to Visit in Gangtok

1. Nathula Pass
2. Tsomgo Lake
3. Ranka Monastery
4. Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple
5. MG Marg
6. Hanuman Tok
7. Himalayan Zoological Park
8. Ganesh Tok View Point
9. Tashi View Point
10. Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
11. Flower Exhibition Centre
12. Enchey Monastery
13. Gangtok Ropeway
14. Do Drul Chorten Stupa
15. Mayfair Gangtok Casino Mahjong
16. Seven Sisters Waterfalls
17. Palzor Stadium
18. Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
19. Gonjang Monastery
20. Kanchendzonga National Park
21. Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
22. Sikkim Manipal University
23. Saramsa Garden
24. Cholamu Lake
25. Deorali Orchid Sanctuary
26. Shiv Mandir
27. Menmecho Lake
28. Lal Bazar
29. Kyongnosla Waterfall
30. Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden
31. Phurchachu Hot Springs
32. Shanti View Point
33. Parasailing & Paragliding points
34. River Rafting & Tubing Center
35. Kabi Lungchok
36. Phensong Monastery
37. Fambong La Wildlife Sanctuary
38. Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
39. Deer Park
40. Parbateyswar Shivalaya Mandir
41. Tsuk La Khang Monastery
42. Phensang Monastery
43. Thakurbari Temple

Pelling Tourist Places

1. Kanchenjunga Falls
2. Khecheopalri Lake
3. Pemayangtse Monastery
4. Singshore Bridge
5. Rabdengtse Ruins
6. Rimbi Waterfalls
7. Sewaro Rock Garden
8. Changey Waterfall
9. Sangachoeling Monastery
10. Darap Subba Village
11. Kaluk
12. Dubdi Monastery
13. Mayong
14. Rinchenpong
15. Hee Burmiok
16. Dzongri
17. Tashiding Monastery
18. Khangchendzonga National Park
19. Maa Durga Mata Temple
20. Parasailing & Paragliding points
21. Orange Garden