Darjeeling and Bhutan by road in 8 nights

Day by day

The timetable

1. Day1

   Siliguri up to Darjeeling

   ≈ 70 km · 3 hDarjeelingDinnerDarjeeling guide

   We meet you at NJP or Bagdogra and drive up through Sukna's forest and the tea gardens around Kurseong to Darjeeling at about 2,050 m. Budget travellers can ride a shared jeep from Siliguri; the reserved car is better with bags and children. The road and the toy train line cross each other many times on the way up. After checking in, walk to Chowrasta and the Mall, the flat open square at the top of town, for tea and momos. Bring a warm layer: evenings here are cool in every month except the monsoon.

2. Day2

   Tiger Hill, Ghum and the toy train

   ≈ 30 km · 4 h with the trainDarjeelingBreakfast, dinnerDarjeeling guide

   Leave at about 4 am for Tiger Hill, about 2,590 m, where dawn lights Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m, on clear mornings from October to April. On the way down stop at Ghum Monastery and the Batasia Loop, where the railway turns a full circle around a war memorial garden. Later take a toy train joyride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, built in 1881 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999; book seats on IRCTC well ahead. In the afternoon visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the zoo next to it, or a tea estate below the town.

3. Day3

   Down the hills and across to Bhutan

   ≈ 230 km · 7–8 hPhuentsholingBreakfast, dinnerPhuentsholing guide

   The longest drive of the trip, so we leave by 7 am. Down to Siliguri, then east through Sevoke, the Malbazar and Chalsa tea gardens, Birpara and Hasimara to Jaigaon. Lunch on the way. Indian cars stop at Jaigaon; you walk through the gate into Phuentsholing with your passport or original Voter ID, as Aadhaar is not accepted. If you did not get your Entry Permit online, the immigration office at the pedestrian terminal issues it, and the SDF of ₹1,200 per person per night is paid with it. Evening at Zangtho Pelri Lhakhang in town.

4. Day4

   Phuentsholing up to Thimphu

   ≈ 165 km · 5–6 hThimphuBreakfast, dinnerThimphu guide

   Your guide and Bhutan-registered car collect you after breakfast. At the Rinchending checkpoint, about 5 km up the road, permits are checked. The road climbs from about 300 m through Gedu, where fog is common, and past the Chukha hydropower area to Chhuzom, where the Paro and Thimphu rivers meet beside three chortens. Then up the Thimphu valley to the capital at 2,320 m. After Darjeeling's traffic, Thimphu feels very calm: there are no traffic lights, and a policeman directs the main junction from a painted box.

5. Day5

   Thimphu sightseeing

   ≈ 30 km in townThimphuBreakfast, dinnerThimphu guide

   Start at the Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 for the Third King, where older residents walk circuits all morning. Then Buddha Dordenma, about 51.5 m high, and the Motithang Takin Preserve; the takin became the national animal in 2005, and legend says Drukpa Kunley made the first one from a goat's head and a cow's skeleton. After lunch, Simtokha Dzong, built by the Zhabdrung in 1629, and Tashichho Dzong, rebuilt by the Third King and completed in 1968. Your guide times the dzong to its visiting hours. Entry fees Nu 300–500 each, indicative 2026.

6. Day6

   Thimphu to Paro

   ≈ 55 km · 1–1.5 hParoBreakfast, dinnerParo guide

   A short morning drive back to Chhuzom and up the Paro valley past the airport. Walk up to Rinpung Dzong, consecrated in 1646, which still houses the district administration and monks, then on to the National Museum in the old Ta Dzong watchtower above it. In the afternoon visit Kyichu Lhakhang, which tradition counts among the 108 temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. Compare Paro's red rice with Darjeeling's thukpa at dinner, and go to bed early for the hike.

7. Day7

   The Tiger's Nest hike

   ≈ 30 km round tripParoBreakfast, dinnerParo guide

   Leave by 7 am for the car park at about 2,600 m. The trail climbs about 500 m to Paro Taktsang at about 3,120 m; allow 4–6 hours return, with tea at the cafeteria halfway. Legend says Guru Rinpoche flew here on a tigress in the 8th century and meditated in the cave. The temple was built in 1692, burned in 1998 and was restored by 2005. Entry Nu 1,000, indicative 2026; cameras stay in the locker. After a week of hills, a farmhouse hot stone bath in the evening, ₹1,500–3,000, is money well spent.

8. Day8

   Paro down to Phuentsholing

   ≈ 150 km · 5 hPhuentsholingBreakfast, dinnerPhuentsholing guide

   After breakfast, drive back to Chhuzom and down the long road through Chukha and Gedu to the border, losing about 1,900 m of height in five hours. You arrive by mid-afternoon, with time to shop along Zhung Lam for Bhutanese textiles, incense and handmade paper. The ngultrum equals the rupee, so spend your last ngultrum here rather than carry it home. Your guide signs off at the hotel. Sleeping on the Bhutan side keeps tomorrow's run to Siliguri short enough for an afternoon flight.

9. Day9

   Phuentsholing back to Siliguri

   ≈ 160 km · 4–5 hBreakfastSiliguri (NJP and Bagdogra) guide

   Walk back through the gate to Jaigaon after breakfast to meet your car. Leave by 9 am for an afternoon flight from Bagdogra or an evening train from NJP. Traffic around Birpara and Sevoke can add an hour, and in the rains check the Sevoke road for landslides. If you are travelling on a tight budget, the train from Hasimara, 18 km away, reaches NJP in about 3–4 hours, and buses run from Jaigaon to Siliguri for ₹150–300. Check current status before you travel.