Mountain
Roads
&
Monasteries
Sikkim
Day
1
Arrive
Kathmandu
,
Nepal
Himalayan
Roadrunners
Staff
will
meet
you
at
the
airport.
Transfer
to
our
hotel
overlooking
Kathmandu
Valley.
Afternoon/evening
free
to
relax
after
your
long
flight.
Day
2
AM
Kathmandu
Sightseeing
-
East
Nepal
Flight
Morning
tour
of
Kathmandu
including
Swayam-bhunath,
Durbar
Square,
Pashupati
&
Bodhnath.
Late
afternoon
flight
to
Biratnagar.
Guest
House
Accommodations.
Day
3
Nepal-India
Border
Cross-Roadrunners
Briefing
Early
morning
transfer
to
the
border
at
Kakarbhitta
(3
hours)
followed
by
border
formalities
and
1
hour
transfer
to
Sinclairs
Hotel
at
Siliguri,
West
Bengal
where
we
will
meet
HRR
staff
waiting
with
motorcycles
and
equipment.
Late
afternoon
briefing
including
staff
introductions,
travel
and
health
infor-mation,
and
motorcycle
assignment
and
orientation.
Day
4
Bagdogra
-
Mirik
-
Darjeeling
Motorcycle
tour
starts
today.
After
a
quick
rundown
of
road
safety
precautions
&
check
of
personal
equipment,
we
will
start
out
on
the
back
roads
along
the
Nepal
Border
through
endless
Tea
Plantations,
and
follow
the
road
as
it
snakes
its
way
to
the
famous
old
hill
station
of
Darjeeling
with
commanding
views
toward
Kanchenjunga,
world's
3rd
highest
peak
(8598m).
Accommodations
at
the
New
Elgin
Hotel.
Day
5
Darjeeling
-
Kalimpong
Morning
free
to
visit
the
mountaineering
institute
in
memory
of
one
of
Darjeeling's
most
famous
residents,
Tenzing
Norgay
Sherpa,
hike
down
to
the
Tibetan
Refugee
Camp
to
look
for
a
carpet,
or
relax
up
at
Chowrasta
and
watch
Darjeeling
life
as
it
happens.
Situated
on
both
sides
of
a
ridge
with
views
into
the
Dragon
Kingdom
of
Bhutan,
Kalimpong
once
belonged
to
the
Rajas
of
Sikkim.
Dramatic
after
lunch
ride
along
a
spectacular
road
through
thick
forest
with
steep
descent
to
the
Tista
River
where
we
will
meet
the
Kalimpong
Road
and
follow
the
amazing
loops
and
switchbacks
to
our
accommodations
high
above
the
village
at
a
beautiful
"Days
of
the
British
Raj"
residence,
turned
hotel.
Day
6
Kalimpong
-
Rumtek
Monastery
We
will
start
this
morning
with
a
visit
to
the
Zangdog
Palriphodang
Monastery
situated
on
the
top
of
the
ridge
up
behind
our
hotel
with
sweeping
views
into
Bhutan.
A
short
ride
through
town
and
up
the
other
side
of
the
ridge
will
bring
us
to
Dr.
Grahams
Homes,
an
old
British
built
colony.
The
church
here
is
especially
interesting.
Moving
on,
we
will
run
back
roads
through
terraced
hills
and
small
villages
to
the
Sikkimese
border
crossing
at
Rangpo,
and
follow
the
road
to
Rumtek.
The
largest
and
most
famous
monastery
in
the
Eastern
Himalaya,
Rumtek,
is
the
seat
of
the
Kagyu-pa
sect
of
Tibetan
Buddhism
founded
in
the
11th
century.
Accommodations
at
the
Shambhala
Mountain
Resort.
Late
afternoon
free
to
visit
the
monastery.
Day
7
Rumtek
-
Phodang
Monastery
-
Chungthang
Inaccessible
for
most
that
have
to
rely
on
hired
or
public
transportation,
the
restricted
areas
of
North
Sikkim
see
surprisingly
few
western
travelers
per
year.
Moving
on
from
Rumtek,
we
will
ride
north
to
our
lunch
stop
at
Phodang
Monastery
before
crossing
into
the
restricted
area
and
on
to
our
accommodations
in
Chungthang,
North
Sikkim.
Day
8
Yumthang
Valley
Situated
at
over
11,500
feet,
the
Yumthang
Valley
and
surrounding
alpine
areas
offer
some
of
the
most
incredible
scenary
in
the
Himalaya
with
spectacular
mountain
views
of
the
Kanchenjunga
Himal
and
north
into
Tibet.
Day
9
Chungthang
-
Pemayangtse
Tour
continues
west
across
Sikkim
to
Pemayangtse,
a
quiet
village
situated
at
2089mts
with
unequaled
mountain
views
of
Kanchenjunga
and
beyond
into
Nepal
and
Tibet.
Life
in
this
remote
village
revolves
around
the
Monastery
here,
2nd
oldest
in
Sikkim,
belonging
to
the
Nyingma-pa
sect,
which
was
established
by
Padmasambhava
in
the
8th
century.
Accommodations
at
the
Hotel
Mt.
Pandim.
Day
10
Pemayangtse
-
Siliguri
After
a
last
interesting
look
around
this
mountain-top
Himalayan
Village,
we
will
follow
the
backroads
and
stop
at
a
hidden
sacred
lake
before
passing
Tashiding
Gompa
and
descending
to
the
Rangit
Khola
and
the
crossroad
town
of
Nayabazar.
Joining
the
national
highway
at
Mellibazar,
we
will
follow
the
Tista
River
out
of
the
mountains
and
back
to
Siliguri
and
Sinclairs
Hotel.
Day
11
Siliguri-Biratnagar-Kathmandu
Flight
Transfer
to
the
Nepal
border
and
Biratnagar
Airport
for
our
afternoon
flight
back
to
Kathmandu.
Farewell
group
dinner
this
evening.
Day
12
Flight
Home.
Transfer
to
Kathmandu
Airport
for
flight
home.
What's
Included
Airport
transfers
both
ways
from
Kathmandu
Intl.
Airport.
Domestic
Airfare
Roundtrip
from
Kathmandu
to
Biratnagar
in
East
Nepal.
All
Hotel
and
guest
house
accommodations,
some
breakfasts
and
buffet
dinners,
packed
lunches
on
tour,
Royal
Enfield
Bullet
500cc
Motorcycle
fitted
with
crash
bars
and
saddlebags,
petrol,
spares,
mechanic,
support
vehicle
with
adequate
space
for
luggage,
pre-departure
information
pack
including
maps,
tour
route
and
health
information,
Himalayan
Roadrunners
T-Shirt.
What's
Not
Included
International
airfare
unless
specified,
cold
drinks,
alcoholic
beverages,
bottled
water,
laundry
service,
tips,
airport
tax.
Visa
Requirements
Indian
Tourist
Visa
usually
valid
for
3
months
with
endorsement
for
Sikkim.
Nepal
Visa's
are
available
upon
arrival
at
Kathmandu
Airport.
Immunizations
Please
feel
free
to
call
us
to
discuss
these
requirements
and
consult
your
GP/Physician
or
Local
Travel
Clinic
for
the
latest
recommendations.
© 2004 Himalayan Roadrunners Ltd. All Rights Reserved
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