Way to travel
Homestays
A room, two meals and a family kitchen
A homestay in these hills usually means a room in a family house or a cottage in its garden, with home-cooked dinner and breakfast included in the price. Expect squash, local greens, dal, rice, sometimes a chicken curry, and tea at any hour.
Facilities vary. Ask about hot water, heating and the road to the door before you book, especially in winter and the monsoon.
In brief
Village homestays in Sillery Gaon, Lepchajagat, Dzongu, Uttarey and the tea gardens, usually with dinner and breakfast included. Cheaper than hotels, warmer in winter and the best way to eat local food.
Trips
Homestays on a ticket
Shoestring
Darjeeling5 nights · Shared jeeps
Darjeeling and the forest villages by jeep
Darjeeling · Lepchajagat · Jorepokhri
₹12,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Value
Darjeeling7 nights · Reserved car
Chatakpur, Darjeeling and the Lepcha forest
Chatakpur · Darjeeling · Lepchajagat · Jorepokhri
₹26,000per personabout ₹3,250 a day
Comfort
Darjeeling9 nights · Reserved car
The grand Darjeeling hill loop
Chatakpur · Darjeeling · Lepchajagat · Lamahatta
₹55,000per personabout ₹5,500 a day
Comfort
Darjeeling5 nights · Reserved car
Darjeeling, Takdah and Tinchuley for two
Darjeeling · Takdah · Tinchuley
₹30,000per personabout ₹5,000 a day
Value
Darjeeling4 nights · Mixed
Darjeeling tea and Tagore's Mungpoo
Darjeeling · Mungpoo
₹16,000per personabout ₹3,200 a day
Value
Darjeeling5 nights · Reserved car
Lamahatta, Tinchuley and Peshok
Lamahatta · Tinchuley · Peshok
₹19,000per personabout ₹3,150 a day
Shoestring
Kurseong & Mirik3 nights · On foot
Dow Hill and Chimney forest walks
Kurseong · Chimney
₹7,000per personabout ₹1,750 a day
Shoestring
Kurseong & Mirik5 nights · Mixed
Kurseong, Sittong and Mirik on a shoestring
Kurseong · Sittong · Mirik
₹11,500per personabout ₹1,900 a day
Value
Kurseong & Mirik3 nights · Reserved car
Latpanchar hornbills and Ahaldara dawns
Latpanchar
₹12,500per personabout ₹3,100 a day Shoestring Kurseong & Mirik3 nights · Shared jeeps Three nights inside Makaibari tea estate Makaibari ₹7,500per person
about ₹1,900 a day Shoestring Kurseong & Mirik3 nights · Mixed Sittong orange village and Ahaldara Sittong ₹8,000per person
about ₹2,000 a day
Comfort
Kurseong & Mirik7 nights · Reserved car
Kurseong, Makaibari, Sittong and Mirik
Kurseong · Makaibari · Sittong · Mirik
₹38,000per personabout ₹4,750 a day
Value
Kurseong & Mirik9 nights · Mixed
Nine slow nights in the tea valleys
Kurseong · Makaibari · Sittong · Latpanchar
₹31,000per personabout ₹3,100 a day
Value
Kalimpong4 nights · Mixed
Icchey Gaon and Ramdhura village walks
Kalimpong · Ramdhura · Icchey Gaon
₹15,500per personabout ₹3,100 a day
Comfort
Kalimpong5 nights · Reserved car
Kolakham and Lava honeymoon by car
Kalimpong · Kolakham · Lava
₹30,000per personabout ₹5,000 a day
Shoestring
Kalimpong4 nights · Shared jeeps
Lava and Rishyap by shared jeep
Kalimpong · Lava · Rishyap
₹10,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Shoestring
Kalimpong5 nights · Mixed
Lolegaon and Charkhole backpack loop
Kalimpong · Lolegaon · Charkhole
₹13,000per personabout ₹2,150 a day
Value
Kalimpong5 nights · Mixed
Neora Valley birding from Lava and Kolakham
Lava · Kolakham
₹18,500per personabout ₹3,100 a day
Shoestring
Kalimpong3 nights · Shared jeeps
Sillery Gaon and Pedong homestays
Sillery Gaon · Pedong
₹8,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Value
Kalimpong6 nights · Mixed
Teesta Bazar up to the Sillery Gaon ridge
Teesta Bazar · Kalimpong · Pedong · Sillery Gaon
₹21,500per personabout ₹3,050 a day
Comfort
Singalila5 nights · Mixed
Sandakphu trek with a porter and private rooms
Dhotrey · Tumling · Kalipokhri · Sandakphu
₹28,000per personabout ₹4,650 a day
Value
Singalila7 nights · On foot
Sandakphu and Phalut from Dhotrey
Dhotrey · Tonglu · Kalipokhri · Sandakphu
₹25,500per personabout ₹3,200 a day
Shoestring
Singalila2 nights · On foot
Dhotrey and Tonglu on a shoestring
Dhotrey · Tonglu
₹7,000per personabout ₹2,350 a day
Shoestring
Singalila8 nights · On foot
The full Singalila Ridge on a shoestring
Maneybhanjan · Tumling · Kalipokhri · Sandakphu
₹19,000per personabout ₹2,100 a day
Value
Singalila4 nights · On foot
Red panda forest: Dhotrey to Kalipokhri
Dhotrey · Tonglu · Gairibas · Kalipokhri
₹16,500per personabout ₹3,300 a day
Value
Gangtok5 nights · Reserved car
Gangtok, Pakyong and Aritar for families
Gangtok · Pakyong · Aritar
₹19,000per personabout ₹3,150 a day
Shoestring
Gangtok7 nights · Shared jeeps
A backpacker week in East Sikkim
Gangtok · Rumtek · Aritar
₹16,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Comfort
Gangtok9 nights · Reserved car
The grand East Sikkim loop
Gangtok · Rumtek · Pakyong · Zuluk
₹48,000per personabout ₹4,800 a day
Comfort
Gangtok4 nights · Reserved car
A Gangtok honeymoon with Rumtek and Aritar
Gangtok · Rumtek · Aritar
₹26,000per personabout ₹5,200 a day
Comfort
Gangtok8 nights · Reserved car
Nathu La, Zuluk and the Silk Route in comfort
Gangtok · Aritar · Zuluk · Gnathang
₹45,000per personabout ₹5,000 a day
Shoestring
Gangtok5 nights · Mixed
Zuluk and the Silk Route by shared jeep
Gangtok · Rongli · Zuluk · Aritar
₹12,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Value
Gangtok6 nights · Reserved car
The Silk Route by homestay: Zuluk and Gnathang
Gangtok · Padamchen · Zuluk · Gnathang
₹24,500per personabout ₹3,500 a day
Value
North Sikkim4 nights · Reserved car
Lachung with the family, four sharing a car
Singhik · Lachung · Mangan
₹15,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Comfort
North Sikkim6 nights · Reserved car
Dzongu and Lachung, Lepcha valley to the snow
Phodong · Dzongu · Lachung · Mangan
₹37,000per personabout ₹5,300 a day
Shoestring
North Sikkim3 nights · Shared jeeps
Three nights with a Lepcha family in Dzongu
Dzongu
₹8,500per personabout ₹2,100 a day
Comfort
North Sikkim8 nights · Reserved car
North Sikkim end to end, slowly, in 8 nights
Phodong · Singhik · Lachen · Lachung
₹48,000per personabout ₹5,350 a day
Value
North Sikkim6 nights · Reserved car
Gurudongmar and Yumthang, four friends in a car
Singhik · Lachen · Lachung · Mangan
₹21,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Value
North Sikkim3 nights · Shared jeeps
Three slow nights in Lachung
Lachung
₹12,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Shoestring
North Sikkim5 nights · Shared jeeps
Teesta valley by shared jeep: Phodong to Dzongu
Phodong · Singhik · Dzongu · Mangan
₹12,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Shoestring
West & South Sikkim4 nights · Mixed
Barsey rhododendrons and Rinchenpong
Barsey · Rinchenpong
₹11,000per personabout ₹2,200 a day
Comfort
West & South Sikkim8 nights · Reserved car
Grand West and South Sikkim loop
Ravangla · Pelling · Yuksom · Rinchenpong
₹45,000per personabout ₹5,000 a day
Value
West & South Sikkim4 nights · Mixed
Hee Bermiok and Rinchenpong village stays
Hee Bermiok · Rinchenpong
₹15,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Value
West & South Sikkim2 nights · Shared jeeps
Temi tea garden weekend
Temi
₹10,500per personabout ₹3,500 a day
Shoestring
West & South Sikkim5 nights · Shared jeeps
Uttarey and Dentam village stay
Pelling · Dentam · Uttarey
₹12,500per personabout ₹2,100 a day
Shoestring
West & South Sikkim5 nights · Shared jeeps
Pelling and Yuksom by shared jeep
Pelling · Yuksom
₹12,000per personabout ₹2,000 a day
Value
West & South Sikkim7 nights · Mixed
Sacred lakes and monasteries of West Sikkim
Pelling · Khecheopalri · Yuksom · Tashiding
₹24,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Shoestring
Dooars5 nights · Mixed
Jaldapara, Buxa and Jayanti on a budget
Jaldapara National Park · Buxa · Jayanti
₹11,000per personabout ₹1,850 a day
Shoestring
Dooars3 nights · Mixed
Buxa Fort and Jayanti on foot
Buxa · Jayanti
₹7,000per personabout ₹1,750 a day
Value
Dooars6 nights · Mixed
Chilapata, Buxa Fort and Jayanti in a week
Chilapata · Buxa · Jayanti · Jaldapara National Park
₹21,000per personabout ₹3,000 a day
Shoestring
Dooars2 nights · Mixed
Gorumara forest weekend on a shoestring
Lataguri
₹5,000per personabout ₹1,650 a day
Shoestring
Dooars6 nights · Shared jeeps
Dooars rhino loop by train and jeep
Lataguri · Samsing · Jaldapara National Park
₹13,000per personabout ₹1,850 a day
Places
