Meet our driver at Bagdogra and transfer to Gangtok, Its 4hrs drive, first 20-25kms of drive is through crowded city road but after that rest of the driving through nice road with green forest both side, reach Gangtok and check in at hotel, evening meet cycling guide and go through the plan for the next day cycling, guide will brief you on Sikkim cycling tour.
Hotel: Netuk House/ Similar
Meal Plan: Dinner
The Sikkim cycling tour starts off right after breakfast at the hotel and is a perfect getaway to warm yourself up for mountain biking in Himalayas. The day’s itinerary ticks off the best tourist attractions of Gangtok, namely the Gonjang monastery, Tashi View Point, Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok.
Located just 6km from the heart of Gangtok is the Gonjang monastery, an important port of call for any vacationer on Sikkim holiday tour. The monastery was established in 1981 by H.E. Tingkye Gonjang Rimpoche and it follows the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. But what makes it unique is that the Bodhisattva deities enshrined in it are different from the ones at other Nyingma sect monasteries. The main highlights of the monastery are the three idols of the founding fathers of Tibetan Buddhism, and the statues of 25 disciples of Guru Padmasambhava.
Quite close to the Gonjang monastery is the Tashi View Point, which offers great views of many peaks of the East Himalayan mountain range. From here you may spot the Kanchenjunga and the aesthetically beautiful Siniolchu Mountain peaks.
Our Gangtok cycling tour then winds its way to Ganesh Tok, which derives its name from a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Though the temple itself is quite small, it is built on top of a hill and makes for an excellent view point for seeing the Himalayas. If you miss out watching the mighty Kanchenjunga at Tashi View Point, Ganesh Tok won’t disappoint you.
Pressing on still higher on our Gangtok cycling holiday, we reach Hanuman Tok, the highest point of Gangtok. Legend has it that this was the very place where Lord Hanuman rested on the journey carrying the mountain Dronagiri with sanjeevani herb to revive Lord Rama’s brother Laxman. The temple is located at such an excellent vantage point that it is not just a place of worship, but also provides unobstructed views of Kanchenjunga and several other sweeping, snow-capped peaks of the eastern Himalayas.
This daylong cycling tour of Gangtok is a great chance to test out your bicycle, to find out any niggles or faults in the gear or brakes, so that we can repair the cycle and tweak its settings to your liking, or – in some cases – change the cycle itself. This is important because from day 3 onwards, when we are deep into our tour, you won’t have the option of changing the cycle.
So the Gangtok city trip is the perfect warm-up for you and your cycle before venturing deeper on Sikkim cycling tour.
Cycling Dist: 25 Kms.
Hotel : Netuk House/Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast and Dinner at hotel, Lunch in Midway Or City Restaurant
Around mid-way, the cycling route takes a short detour to Rumtek Monastery, located at the altitude of 1500 meters. Rumtek Monastery is the biggest Buddhist monastery in Sikkim. Though it was built in the 18th century, it fell to disrepair and neglect until it was revived, reconstructed and revamped by the 16th Karmapa (Tibetan spiritual leader) after his escape from Tibet in 1959. Being the new seat of the Karmapa and a place of spiritual erudition, the monastery is also called the Dharma chakra Centre. The monastery houses many sacred items like paintings and relics. The golden stupa (reliquary monument) still contains the relics of the 16th Karmapa. After the stopover at the monastery, we continue biking towards Martam, which is located at the altitude of 1363 meters. The first part of the first day of our Sikkim cycling holiday trip is fairly easy, save for a bit of uphill ride in the latter part of the journey. Martam village is located in a calm and beautiful countryside of Sikkim. It is surrounded by lush forests and hillsides covered with terraced paddy fields. The flora and fauna is very diverse and rich in this region, owing to the Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary close by. In this picturesque setting of Martam village we start our day’s cycling with a breezy 24-km-long downhill ride to Sirwani Bridge on the river Teesta. The river originates in Eastern Himalayas and winds its way southwards through the mountains and gorges to form a natural border between Sikkim and West Bengal. After crossing the Sirwani Bridge, we begin the tough uphill ride to Temi Tea Garden, a gorgeous estate that produces some of the best quality tea in the world.
The tea connoisseurs will particularly like Temi Tea Garden. The estate is spread over an area of 440 acres almost all of which is under the cultivation of top quality tea that attracts great demand in the international market. Very many different varieties of tea are cultivated at this garden. The air is full of wonderful aroma. Even to a disinterested visitor, the great view of the tea garden with the postcard perfect mountains in the backdrop make for a worthwhile visit. Since the day’s cycling is bound to tire you out, we plan our tour of the tea garden for the next morning.
Note : From Gangtok till Sirwani bridge which is approx 51kms of cycling is mostly downhill easy cycling with no stress but from sirwani bridge to Temi Garden is all ascend of 17kms, in this 17kms of cycling we will gain elavetion of approx 1500m
Cycling Dist: 68 Kms.
Hotel : Cherry Resort/Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast and Dinner at hotel, Lunch in Midway Or Picnic Lunch
After the tour of the tea estate, we mount the saddles and hit the road through a picturesque landscape that will tempt you to stop and take photographs. An uphill ride takes us to the small town of Damthang and is followed up a brief descent before the road starts winding up towards Ravangla.
We take a short detour to drop by at Ralang monastery, which is an important port of call for Buddhist pilgrims in Sikkim. Legend has it that when the fourth Chogyal (monarch of Sikkim) returned from his pilgrimage in Tibet, the 12th Karmapa, performed a blessing ritual by throwing grains from Tsurphu Monastery. The ground where the grains fell was deemed consecrated and a monastery was built there. The Ralang monastery that stands today is a relatively new structure built and renovated in the 1970s and 1990s. However, the old structure still stands to the west of the new monastery. The art and culture enthusiasts will particularly love the extensive collection of Thangka paintings in the monastery.
Cycling Dist: 23 Kms.
Hotel : Mt. Narsing Village Resort /Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast and Dinner at hotel, Lunch from Midway restaurant Or Picnic Lunch
The word ‘Tashiding’ means ‘devoted central glory’ and the monastery, located on top of a hill, is considered the most sacred Buddhist gompa in Sikkim because it was founded by one of the three holy men or Lamas, who came from Tibet to Sikkim in 1641 to choose the first king of Sikkim whom they gave the title Chogyal, meaning the righteous and religious king. Tashiding Monastery is the gompa of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. What lends extra consecration to this monastery is the legend that Sikkim’s patron saint Lhatsun Chempo built a famous chorten or stupa here. Every year, the Tashiding monastery attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims during the Bumchu festival when a barrel of holy water is opened and the level of water in it helps to predict the year to come.
The trip to Tashiding monastery is rejuvenating, what with the stunning views of the surrounding landscape and the calm state of mind the place of worship evokes. Refreshed and re-energized, we then hit the road again for the remaining 19km ride to our destination for the day, Yuksom.
Cycling Dist: 60 Kms
Hotel : The Tashighang Resort / Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast and Dinner at hotel, Lunch in Midway Or Picnic Lunch
At the elevation of 1780 meters, the town of Yuksom is located in the lap of the Kanchenjunga mountain range and it serves as the base camp for the mountaineers trekking to Mount Kanchenjunga. Quite close by is the Kanchenjunga National Park which is a biosphere reserve and also the first ‘Mixed Heritage’ site of India. Yuksom is hailed as the model village for eco-tourism. Besides being a favourite haunt of mountaineers, Yuksom is also a town of great religious and historical importance. It was the first capital of Sikkim and it is here the three holy men from Tibet met to coronate the first king of Sikkim in 1641.
Leaving Yuksom behind we head for Khecheopalri Lake, which is an important point in the circuit of Buddhist religious pilgrimage in Sikkim. Revered by Hindus and Buddhists, the lake is said to have wish-fulfilling powers. The lake is part of the revered valley of rice and even the Khecheopalri hill nearby is considered sacred. This place is also called the land of hidden treasures which was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava, the 8th century Indian Buddhist master renowned for reviving and spreading Buddhism in Tibet. An interesting feature of the lake is that one rarely spots a tree leaf floating on its water. As soon as a leaf falls, birds from the trees pick it up to keep the blessed lake’s water clean and clear.
We wrap up the day’s biking by heading to Pemayangste and enjoying the invigorating views of waterfalls, forests, and the snow-capped peaks of the Kanchenjunga range.
Distance : 45 Kms
Hotel : Norbu Ghang Resort/ Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast and Dinner at hotel, Lunch in Midway Or Picnic Lunch
We begin the day 7 of our Sikkim mountain biking tour with a visit to the monastery located on top of a hill at the elevation of 2085 meters. It is a three-storied structure with the first floor itself showcasing an impressive collection of Buddhist paintings, sculptures and antique idols. One of the artworks depicts eight incarnations of Padmasambhava, all in fierce forms. The monastery also hosts the annual Cham dance festival in which the lamas perform sacred dances in colourful costumes. Following our visit to the monastery, we hit the road again for Darjeeling, which is a place renowned for its extensive tea plantations and is located on the northern tip of West Bengal.
The last big riding day is fairly easy on the legs as most of the ride is downhill. The descent isn't steep, so look around and enjoy the breath-taking landscape and stop and take photos. When we have finished our freewheeling, lunch at Jorethang town. We pack up the bikes after lunch and drive approximately 4 hours up a steep incline to the hill station of Darjeeling. . It has a cool climate, situated 1,100 metres above sea level.
Cycling Dist: 55 Kms
Hotel : Dekeling Resort and Hotel/Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast, and Dinner at hotel. Lunch in Midway
We make an early start to the day by heading towards Tiger Hill, which, at the altitude of 2600 meters, is the sixth highest peak in West Bengal. Tiger Hill is from where you can have a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga together. The best time to visit Tiger Hill is around sunrise when the first rays light up the snow-capped peaks. After sunrise, we will come back to hotel for shower and breakfast.
After breakfast we visit Ghoom Monastery which houses a 15-foot-high statue of the Maitreya, the future Buddha. Built in 1875, the monastery follows the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and continue the day’s excursion to the railway station for a ride in the narrow gauge Toy Train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. We ride till the line’s summit at Ghoom, which, at the altitude of 2258 meters, is India’s highest railway station. The route is touted as one of the most beautiful railway routes in the world. We visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute which details the ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. We then drop by at the Tibetan Self Help Centre to see the young people training in the art of Tibetan handicrafts. You may also do the souvenir shopping at the market before heading back to the hotel in Darjeeling.
Hotel : Dekeling Resort and Hotelt/Similar
Meal Plan : Breakfast
Driving Distance: 120 Kms
Meal Plan : Breakfast
Departure date based on your inquiry
Tour Cost : Contact US
Note: For Guaranteed Departure we need only 2 Cyclist.
Note: Domestic flight ticket and train tickes or extension tour can be done on request.
Tour Cost Includes:
- Hotel Based on Twin Sharing
- Bikes for complete Tour (Cycling Part Only - Trek Bikes)
- All Meals as mentioned above in itinerary
- Lunch in Midway restaurant/City Restaurant or Pack Lunch
- Expert Cycle Guide / mechanic throughout the tour
- Back up AC vehicle for complete tour
- Fresh Fruits/Snacks (Only Cycling Part)
- Inner Line Permit
- Unlimited water during cycling (Only Cycling Part)
- All road and transport taxes
- All Airport and Hotel Transfers
- Driver Allowance
- Toll and Parking charges
- 5% Government Taxes
Tour Cost Excludes:
- Any Domestic or International flight tickets
- Monument or Sightseeing entry fees
- Still/Video camera fees
- Tips and Gratitude
- Travel insurance
- Any Hard and Soft Drink
Difficulty
6/10 - Moderate
Avg. Daily Distance
41kms / 25 miles
Number of Cycle Days
07 days
Max Altitude
2,590 m / 8,497 feet
