The Sandakphu trek is an absolute delight for trekkers as you can see the panoramic views of the mighty Himalayas including four of the highest peaks in the world Kanchenzongda, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu.
DIFFICULTY : EASY – MODERATE.
MAX ALLTITUDE : 11,929 FT.
BASE CAMP : KOPIDANA .
DURATION : 6 DAYS 5 NIGHTS.
BEST SEASON : OCT – JUNE.
Here’s a short itinerary of The Sandakphu Trek:
Day 01: NJP to Kopidana (90 Km drive | 4/5 hours)
Day 02: Trek to Tumling (9 Km | 6 hours)
Day 03: Tumling to Kalapokhri (13 kms trek/ 6-7 hrs)
Day 04: Kalapokhri to Sandakphu (06 kms/ 3-4 hrs)
Day 05: Trek from Sandakphu to Sepi (15 Km | 7/8 hours)
Day 06: Sepi to NJP (140 Km | 5/6 hours)
On Day 1, we will meet at New Jalpaiguri railway station at 7:00 in the morning for our journey. Today’s journey from NJP to Chitrey will take around 4-5 hours.The drive on the mountain roads meandering through tea estates and perfect pine forests, will take you to a viewpoint at a decent height. Enroute we will stop for breakfast and also get fresh for the rest of the journey. We will reach Chitrey in the afternoon and then you have the day to explore and enjoy the views. In the evening, get briefed about your trek and enjoy ht dinner before you get some sleep.
The second day, we will start our trek to Tumling right after a nourishing breakfast. The trek gradient is moderate and inlcudes a steep climb and takes around 5-6 hours. You can fill up your water bottles at Chittrey, Lamyadhura and Meghma. The trek route will move through forests, which will lead to a viewpoint, from where you will be able to see the magnificient gorge below. Throughout the trek, you come across rocky roads and muddy sections leading to a beautiful mountainous grassland, from where the Tonglu peak of the Singalila Range can be seen. En route, you will cross many Tibetan villages, tea shops and buddhist monasteries. The trek route then goes through a meadow again, from where there is a diversion after hiking for approximately 20 minutes, that will take you to the forest for Tonglu/Tumling. This small area lies on the India-Nepal border from where you will be able to se mesmerizing views of Sleeping Buddha.
On the third day, we will follow the same routine of morning exercises, breakfast and a short trek briefing about today’s trek schedule. Today will trek for around 13 kms to Tumling campsite to Kalipokhri. Along the trek route, you will able to see peaks of Kumbhakarna, Kangchenjunga and Simvo in the landscape. Below Kangchenjunga are Koktang, Rathong, Frey, South Kabru, North Kabru, Kabru Forked, Goecha and the ridge of Pandim just ahead of Simvo. The trek route will go through Singalila National Park and will take your directly to Gabrias, a small village and then Kaiyakatta. 2 hours away from Kaiyakatta, you have your destination of the day, Kalipokhri. Pitch your tents and enjoy the dinner.
Today we will go trekking from Kalipokhri to Sandakphu which takes around 3-4 hours, the trek gradient is easy to moderate. The trek is goes through open meadows and beautiful views of snow capped peaks like Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Nuptse, Baruntse, Chamling, Chomolonzo, Machapucchare and other peaks of the Annapurna range . After trekking for approximately 3 hours you will reach the camp, enjoy the delicious lunch prepared by our team and enjoy the views of this trek in the Himalayas.
Today morning, after a hot and nourishing breakfast, you will climb down to Timburey through dense forest that also holds beautiful views of the mountains. This tiring yet beautiful trek is laden with countless species of flora and fauna, that passes through the beautiful village of Gurdum. You will spend the entire night in Timburey.
In the morning, after experiencing the beautiful sunrise amidst nature, you will now return to NJP. You will have to walk for one and half an hour to the Srikhola road, from where you will be driven towards NJP station, which will take around 7-8 hours for you to reach. And at around 2 pm you will reach the station, and here we end our journey.
