Day by day itinerary

Day 1: Arrival transfer to Darjeeling. O/N Hotel New Elgin

Day 2: Whole day sightseeing in Darjeeling (2134m) on Jeeps - Drive to Tiger Hill at 4.30am to view the sunrise over the mountains (12km, 45min) and visit Ghoom Monastery on the way back to the hotel. After breakfast - Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Zoological Park, Tibetan refugee Self Center, Toy train ride to Ghoom, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum at Ghoom Railway Station and local market. O/N Elgin

Day 3: After breakfast at hotel whole day 3rd Mile/Rambi Village/Jorebunglow - drive to 3rd Mile Village, begin trek to Rambi Village through forest road, have pack lunch on the way, walk up to Jorebunglow via Senchal Lake and drive back to hotel. O/N Elgin

• This whole day trek is for about 5 to 6 hours of easy to moderate walking through temperate forests of Oak, Magnolia, Rhododendron and pine trees in the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary. The Rhododendron and Magnolia trees are in bloom in springtime (late March/April). The Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary has animals and birds like the wild boar, bear, deer, Kalij Pheasants and other birds.

Day 4: After breakfast, drive to Rangli Rangliot (1½ hr). Begin walk through the Rangli Rangliot, Galle and Teesta Valley Tea Estates. Visit Galle tea factory to see manufacture of Darjeeling tea. Have pack lunch and continue drive to Martam (6 hrs). O/N Martam Village Resort.

• This easy to moderate downhill walk of about 2 to 3 hours will be through tea estates and plantation villages. The labour force in the tea estates is mostly Nepalese and we can catch a glimpse of their culture and lifestyle as we pass through several villages. On a clear day, we can see the hills of Kalimpong and Sikkim with the Teesta River winding it's way to the plains.

Day 5: Whole day walks in Martam - After breakfast walk down to the village and rice fields with visits to typical village houses. After lunch - walk to the forests above Martam with visit to the Hermit's cave. O/N Martam Village Resort.

• Martam is a beautiful village situated in a large valley. The terraced rice field of the village is a sight to see during October/November when the crop is ripe. This is a pedominantly Bhutia village with some Nepalese families also. The morning walk will be to the rice-fields and the village. We will be visiting some typical Bhutia and Nepalese houses where one can interact with them. This leisurely walk will take between two to three hours.

After lunch, we will be climbing up to the fringes of the forests above Martam. These forests are part of the Fambrong Wild Life Sanctuary. The moderate climb will be up to the meditation cave above the village. This cave was once used by a holy lama for meditation. A small monastery has now been established in and around the cave.

Day 6: Drive to Gangtok (1600m/34 km/2 hrs) for city sightseeing after breakfast - Rumtek Monastery, Enchey Monastery, Flower Show, Handicrafts Center, Institute of Tibetology and local market. Drive to Kalimpong (1250m/65km/3hrs) after hot lunch at Gangtok. O/N The Orchid Retreat

Day 7: Whole day walk in Kalimpong. O/N The Orchid Retreat

• Walk starts from The Orchid Retreat. The entire walk will be on village paths through agricultural land on hill terraces.

A gentle 3km walk on a downhill gradient brings us to an old Shiva temple (Ichhanath Shivalaya Mandir) in the village of Echhey. From the temple the path runs level for 3 km through agricultural land to a point called Harra Botay and walking on a further 2 km one reaches an old wooden bridge straddling the Relli River.

After crossing the Relli River on the old wooden bridge, one has to climb a short (approximately half an hour) of steep mountain trail and then the path levels off on the hillside to reach the village of Lolay. This is a 4km stretch and one reaches the Roman Catholic Church, rom here one takes a 4km path/trail downhill to reach the small hamlet of Relli Bazaar on the banks of the Relli River

Day 8: Departure transfer from Kalimpong.

The above tour includes 3 full day hikes and 1 half-day hikes without any steep ascents or descents.