December 2028
A road trip for four from Kolkata through Darjeeling and Kalimpong, with a day on the Singalila ridge in a locally arranged 4×4.
Illustration from the original itinerary.
Day 8 doubles as a backup for Sandakphu if the ridge road is closed on Day 7.
Day 01 · Stay in Malda · 347 km · allow 8–10 hours
Aim for a 7 am pickup. Break near Krishnanagar and Berhampore and allow for traffic around Farakka. The Malda overnight splits the long drive north.
Day 02 · Stay in Siliguri · 256 km · allow 6–7 hours
Leave around 8:30 am, take a break near Dalkhola and have lunch en route. Rest in Siliguri and confirm the morning approach via Kurseong.
Day 03 · Stay in Darjeeling · about 77 km · allow 3–4 hours driving
Climb via Kurseong if the road is open, with time for a tea stop. After check-in, visit the Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda, then walk Chowrasta and Mall Road.
Day 04 · Stay in Darjeeling · local day
Try Tiger Hill at sunrise if visibility is promising. Fit Ghoom Monastery around the confirmed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway joyride. Check whether the booked service includes Batasia Loop. Swap this day with Day 5 if needed.
Day 05 · Stay in Darjeeling · local day
Allow two to three hours for the zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute museum. Check their opening days and ask Happy Valley Tea Estate about visitor access. A café or market visit works if the estate is closed.
Day 06 · Stay in Lepchajagat · about 14 km from Darjeeling
Drive via Ghoom and settle in for three nights. Manebhanjan is an alternate base. Use the afternoon to confirm the local 4×4 reporting time, paperwork, pickup point and road status.
Day 07 · Stay in Lepchajagat · about 32 km each way on the ridge
Switch vehicles in Manebhanjan. Tumling and Kalipokhri are optional stops on the climb. Allow time at the viewpoint if conditions are clear and return to the main cab by daylight. The plan has no trekking stage or summit overnight.
Day 08 · Stay in Lepchajagat · flexible day
Keep the day open for Sandakphu if Day 7 is postponed. Otherwise drive to Mirik for Sumendu Lake, its footbridge and lunch. Return to the same base.
Day 09 · Stay in Kalimpong · allow 3–4½ hours driving
Confirm the open route with the driver. After check-in, choose Deolo Hill for views or Durpin Monastery. Keep the afternoon flexible if the drive runs long.
Day 10 · Stay in Kalimpong · allow 1½–2 hours each way
Take a daylight drive via Algarah for Lava Monastery and a village stop. Choose Lolegaon instead for a forest village outing. Plan one main destination and return to Kalimpong in daylight.
Day 11 · Stay in Malda · allow 8–10 hours with stops
Leave early and ask the driver to confirm the open descent. Pause in Siliguri and take meal and comfort breaks on the plains before checking in at Malda.
Day 12 · Return home · 347 km · allow 8–10 hours
Leave around 8 am, with breaks near Berhampore and Krishnanagar as traffic allows. Confirm the drop-off order and check the final fare against the written quote.
Hire one private cab from Kolkata for the main loop. For the Sandakphu day trip, switch to a locally arranged 4×4 in Manebhanjan and rejoin the main cab there on the way back.
Allow for two rooms for four travellers. The plan has two nights in Malda (one each way), one in Siliguri, three in Darjeeling, three in Lepchajagat and two in Kalimpong. Manebhanjan is an alternate to Lepchajagat.
The November 2026 plan estimates ₹2.09–2.85 lakh for four (₹52,250–71,250 per person), including transport, lodging, meals, local 4×4 and fees, admissions and a contingency. Get fresh quotes for December 2028.
Check winter road access, park permits, identification and any health screening documentation before booking the ridge drive. Confirm how local 4×4 vehicles are allotted, and check the road again on the morning of the trip.
Check Toy Train availability and the zoo’s opening days before deciding the order of Days 4 and 5.