Try "Sandakphu", "toy train", "homestay", "Gangtok in April"
Route · West & South Sikkim
About 75 km and 4–4.5 hours from Darjeeling to Pelling, dropping through tea gardens to the Rangeet at Jorethang and climbing again via Legship and Gyalshing. The usual way to link the Darjeeling hills with West Sikkim.
| From | To | How | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARJEELING | PELLING | Shared jeep | 4.5–5.5 h with a change | ABOUT ₹200–300 T |
| DARJEELING | PELLING | Reserved car | 4–4.5 h | ₹4,000–5,500 A C |
From our route pages. Fares change with fuel prices, season and demand: check current status before you travel.
Shared jeeps for Jorethang leave Darjeeling's main jeep stand in the morning. At Jorethang change for Pelling or Gyalshing. Leave Darjeeling by 8 or 9 am so you are not chasing the last afternoon jeep out of Jorethang.
A reserved car from Darjeeling to Pelling is the easy way with luggage or children. Agree whether the fare includes a stop at a tea garden on the way down and drop at your hotel in Upper Pelling.
Local tip: Foreign nationals should arrange the Sikkim Restricted Area Permit before this trip, since the route enters Sikkim at the Rangeet bridge near Jorethang.
Questions people ask
About 4 to 4.5 hours by reserved car for roughly 75 km, and 4.5 to 5.5 hours by shared jeep with a change at Jorethang. The road drops about 1,800 m from Darjeeling to the Rangeet and climbs back to 2,150 m at Pelling, so carry motion-sickness tablets if you need them.
Direct seats are rare. The reliable way is a shared jeep from Darjeeling to Jorethang, then another to Pelling or Gyalshing. Fares together come to about ₹350–520 a person (indicative). Ask at the Darjeeling jeep stand the day before about morning departures.
Indian citizens need only photo ID. Foreign nationals need a Sikkim Restricted Area Permit, which can be applied for online and is checked when you enter Sikkim. Check current status before you travel, as the issuing points and process have changed in recent years.
It is possible by reserved car but long, about 6 to 7 hours of driving. It is better to stop a night in Pelling, see Pemayangtse and Rabdentse, and go to Yuksom the next day. By shared jeep it is not realistic in one day.
Plan with a local
Where you want to go, how many of you, and roughly what you want to spend a day. A planner who lives in these hills replies within one working day with a route and every rupee written down.