Pickup from Bagdogra airport and drive to Darjeeling. After checking into our hotel we walk around Chowrasta or the Main Square to absorb the atmosphere of the place.

Accommodation:Homestay

After breakfast we go for a ride on the Darjeeling Hill Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, recreating the glory days of the British Raj and catching glimpses of the Khangchendzonga. On completing the ride we drive down to Kurseong to visit Makabari tea estate, an organic tea estate producing some of the finest quality of Darjeeling teas. Walk through the verdant tea gardens to understand how tea is grown and picked, followed by a tea tasting session. Have a picnic lunch in the garden after which we drive back to Darjeeling.

Accommodation: Homestay

Shortly after breakfast, we depart to the picturesque village of Darap in West Sikkim. Darap is a hotbed of cultural diversity with Limboo, Bhutia, Gurung and Rai tribes coexisting in harmony. Gently sloped terraced fields with panoramic views of snow-capped mountains welcome you to the village. It is an ideal place to experience the rural Sikkimese way of life.

Accommodation:Homestay

Drive Time: 7 hours

Start our day with a traditional breakfast consisting of Fafar, a local millet flatbread, and farm fresh vegetables. Post breakfast we go for a walk through the terraced village, skirting black cardamom fields, absorbing the routines of farm life here. We hike up to a local Limboo house in the village for lunch. Starting with Khodo, a tea made out of corn, the main course will involve rice with various varieties of grown and foraged vegetables.

In the early evening, we learn how to prepare Churpi,a local soft cheese, used in many of their dishes. The later half of the evening, we warm up around a fire and sip local millet beer, known as Chang, out of traditional wooden casks called Tungba. Supper will involve a fermented spinach soup called Gundruk, followed by Churpi and other farm vegetables.

Accommodation:Homestay

After breakfast, we bid farewell to our hosts. On the way, we visit Khecheopalri lake, a sacred lake nestled in the hills. Considered to be of great reverence for both Buddhists and Hindus in these parts, it is believed to fulfill any wish asked by a devotee. From here we drive to Yuksom, the first capital of Sikkim, where the first Chogyal (holy King) was coronated in 1642. We will visit the site and see the stone throne.

From Yuksom we drive on to Kewzing.  For dinner we will have some special delicacies made out of pork: Gyari – a pork stew using local spices and Gyuma – a local sausage prepared out of Pork mince.

Accommodation: Homestay

Kewzing which translates to ‘Land of Wheat Fields’ is a predominantly Bhutia village. With three monasteries belonging to different Buddhist sects, it is the ideal place to experience the Buddhist way of life. The village boasts of the only Bon monastery in all of Sikkim.

For breakfast, we will have Gyathuk, a local broth made of vegetables and handmade noodles, learn hands-on how to prepare this broth with your hosts. After breakfast, we set out to explore the village and the scenic fields where they grow a variety of vegetables and crops. We will learn how to prepare distilled alcohol out of corn. From here, we trek uphill through a mixture of forest and open fields to the Bon monastery.

In the evening we learn to make Momos or Tibetan dumplings.

Accommodation: Homestay  

Bid farewell to our hosts and drive to Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim.  On the way, we visit the Rumtek monastery, the seat of the Karmapa. This grand monastery is the most important one of the Karmakagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

From Rumtek we drive a bit further to the Lepcha village of Ray Mindu. Over here we will have a traditional Lepcha lunch after which we walk around the village to experience the lifestyle of this unique tribe. The Lepchas are believed to be the original inhabitants of Sikkim. Being animists they have a very close association with nature, which in turn, reflects the tremendous diversity of their food.

In the evening, we will visit the fresh market in Gangtok to see the diversity of fresh vegetables and other items sold there.

Accommodation:  Chumbi Residency or similar

You would be dropped off at Bagdogra airport.

Drive Time: 5 hours