Fares
Darjeeling to Gangtok, by vehicle
One way from your Darjeeling hotel to your Gangtok hotel, in a reserved car with nobody else in it. Most people do this leg in the middle of a Darjeeling–Gangtok trip, so the same car can carry on down to NJP or Bagdogra at the end.
| Vehicle | One way | Round trip | Per extra km | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan — Dzire / Etios4+1 · 2 bags | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| SUV — Bolero / Scorpio6+1 · 4 bags | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| Innova Crysta6+1 · 4 bags | On request | On request | On request | On request |
Travelling Gangtok to Darjeeling? Same fares apply.
Fuel, driver and tolls included · GST extra. Send the date and we quote it.
The drive
Darjeeling to Gangtok, stop by stop
Out through Ghum, down the Peshok tea gardens to the Teesta, then up NH-10 into Sikkim. Ninety-eight kilometres in about four hours.
0 km · 00:00
Darjeeling
Pickup from your hotel. The Mall is car-free, so the driver waits at the nearest road.
Departure
7 km · 00:20
Ghum
Over the ridge and onto the Peshok road.
Drive through
22 km · 00:55
Lamahatta
Pine forest and a small eco-park with prayer flags and a viewpoint.
Adds 20 min
35 km · 01:40
Teesta Bazaar
Down at the river after the tea-garden hairpins. Tea and momos, and the Kalimpong turn-off.
Adds 20 min
63 km · 02:40
Rangpo checkpost
The Sikkim border. ID check for Indians, Restricted Area Permit for foreign nationals.
Adds 10–30 min
98 km · 04:00
Gangtok
Dropped at your hotel, or at the nearest point to MG Marg, which is car-free.
Arrival
Road & drive detail
What the road is like
Road condition
Steep, then highway
Hairpins down through the tea gardens, then NH-10 along the river.
Best departure
By 10AM
Into Gangtok by mid-afternoon, well before dark.
Mobile coverage
Patchy by the river
Gaps between Teesta Bazaar and Rangpo. Fine again in Sikkim.
Fuel stops
Darjeeling, Rangpo
Drivers fill up before leaving. Sikkim fuel is usually cheaper.
The usual road leaves Darjeeling through Ghum, drops through the Peshok tea gardens to the Teesta, and joins NH-10 at Teesta Bazaar. From there it is the same road the NJP cars take, up the river to Rangpo and Gangtok.
When NH-10 is closed by slides, usually in the monsoon, we go round through Kalimpong instead. It adds an hour or two. We check the road the evening before and tell you which way you are going before you leave.
This car is West Bengal-registered, which is fine for the drive and the drop. It can't go on to Tsomgo, Nathu La or North Sikkim, which take a Sikkim-registered vehicle with a permit.
Vehicles on this route
Down to the Teesta and up again
Sedan — Dzire / Etios
Two people and two bags. Fine on this road in dry weather.
SUV — Bolero / Scorpio
Monsoon and winter, when the Peshok road is wet and broken.
Innova Crysta
Families with luggage. Four hours of bends is easier in it.
Entering Sikkim at Rangpo
Indian travellers need only photo ID for Gangtok. Foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit.
Indian travellers
Original photo ID for each traveller, shown at Rangpo.
No permit for Gangtok, Pelling, Namchi or Ravangla.
Tsomgo, Nathu La and North Sikkim need a permit, filed in Gangtok.
Foreign nationals
Restricted Area Permit, issued at Rangpo or filed in advance.
Passport and visa copies, and two photos each.
Nathu La is closed to foreign passports.
What this car can't do
It is West Bengal-registered, so it stops at Gangtok.
Tsomgo, Nathu La and North Sikkim take a Sikkim-registered vehicle.
We book that one too and time the handover.
No hidden charges
What's included, what's extra
Included in the quoted fare
- Fuel for the quoted route
- Driver, and the driver's allowance
- Night halt for the driver on multi-day trips
- Tolls and state entry taxes on the quoted route
- GST, shown on the invoice
Charged extra, at actuals
- Night charge for pickups or drops after 10PM
- Permits and ILP where the route needs them
- Parking and entry fees at airports, parks and city lots
- Off-route detours and extra kilometres beyond the quoted block
- Sikkim entry fee at Rangpo, where it applies, and parking in Darjeeling and Gangtok
Travel agent or tour operator?
Get net rates and white-label vouchers. We never contact your client.
Get a fare
Get the Darjeeling–Gangtok fare
Dates and pax. We reply on WhatsApp with the fare, the vehicle we would send, and anything that is extra.
FAQ
Darjeeling to Gangtok, asked most
About four hours for 98 km, with a tea stop. In the monsoon, or if NH-10 is closed and we go round through Kalimpong, allow five to six.
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