CAFrom Canada
Darjeeling and Sikkim, from Canada
From Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Vancouver: the visa, the routing and the weeks when the Himalaya is clearest.
In short
How do I plan a Darjeeling and Sikkim trip from Canada?
Canadian passports qualify for India's e-Tourist Visa, applied online at least four days before you fly; one- and five-year visas allow up to 180 days a visit. Fly to Delhi, nonstop in some seasons or one stop via Europe or the Gulf, then two hours to Bagdogra and three by road. October to mid-December is clearest. Sikkim needs its online permit about 30 days ahead.
At a glance
What changes for your passport
The numbers that are different for you. Everything else on this site applies as written.
- Visa
- e-Tourist VisaOnline, at least four days before you fly. On a 1- or 5-year visa, Canadians may stay up to 180 days a visit.
- Long haul
- Toronto or Vancouver to DelhiNonstop in some seasons; otherwise one stop via Europe or the Gulf.
- Last leg
- Delhi to Bagdogra, about 2 hThen three hours by road to Darjeeling.
- Time difference
- India is 9h30 to 13h30 aheadToronto +9h30 in summer and +10h30 after 1 November 2026; Vancouver three hours more.
- Best weeks for you
- Late October to mid-DecemberAfter Thanksgiving at home, the clearest weeks in the hills.
- Bhutan on a Canadian passport
- US$100 a night + US$40 visaThe nightly fee is half for children 6 to 12.
- Sikkim
- Online permit, 30 days aheadRestricted Area Permit via e-FRRO. No fee is reported.
Door to the hills
Your route, stop by stop
Long-haul to Delhi or Kolkata, a short flight to Bagdogra, and the hill road. We meet every flight.
- Day 0 Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal Or wherever your flight to India starts
- 15 to 22 h Delhi Clear immigration on your e-Visa; a night near the airport after a late landing
- About 2 h Bagdogra (IXB) A domestic flight; your driver waits at arrivals
- About 3 h by road Darjeeling, 2,045 m Three hours up the hill road through the tea
Your holidays, our seasons
When your time off meets clear skies
Your school and public holidays set against the hills' weather. October to mid-December is the clearest; June to September is monsoon.
- October
- After Canadian ThanksgivingThe season opens
Thanksgiving falls on 12 October in 2026; the hills clear in the weeks after.
- After Canadian ThanksgivingThe season opens
- November
- Remembrance Day weekThe clearest weeks
Dry, cold dawns. A good time to swap the first snow at home for a clear Himalaya.
- Remembrance Day weekThe clearest weeks
- December
- Christmas and New YearCold and bright
Christmas in the hills, 22 to 26 December, or a winter tea-and-snow week.
- Christmas and New YearCold and bright
- March
- March breakRhododendrons begin
Red rhododendrons on the Singalila Ridge and the first-flush tea harvest.
- March breakRhododendrons begin
- May
- Victoria DayWarm, hazier
Gardens and walking; the mountain shows itself less often.
- Victoria DayWarm, hazier
- July
- SummerMonsoon
Rain most days and slow roads. We would point you to the autumn instead.
- SummerMonsoon
Sikkim on the same trip
Darjeeling and Sikkim, one permit apart
Foreign passports need Sikkim's Restricted Area Permit before the border at Rangpo or Melli. Since January 2026 it is issued only online, through India's e-FRRO portal, and Indian missions suggest applying about 30 days ahead. We prepare the application with you. Gangtok, Pelling and Yuksom are then open to you; Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim need a further protected-area permit filed by a registered agent for two or more travellers, and children five and under cannot go up. Nathu La, Gurudongmar and Zuluk stay closed to foreign passports.
Part of a bigger India trip
After Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, the hills
Many first visits to India start in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The hills fit neatly after them: end in Delhi, take the two-hour flight to Bagdogra, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the three-hour climb to Darjeeling. After the plains the change is total: cool air, tea gardens, monasteries, and a mountain at dawn. Five nights in the hills is the least we would suggest after a Golden Triangle; eight lets Sikkim in as well.
Where to start
Journeys that suit a long flight
Each can be moved, stretched or cut. Prices on each page are per person, twin share, before flights.
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The First Time
Eight nights: Darjeeling, Gangtok and Pelling.
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Tea and Snow
Five winter nights, December to February, for travellers who like the cold clear.
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Sikkim End to End
Ten nights from Gangtok to the far north and the west.
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Three Generations
Seven nights paced for grandparents and grandchildren together.
Questions
Darjeeling and Sikkim from Canada, answered straight
Can Canadians get an e-Visa for India?
Yes. Canadian passports are eligible for India's e-Tourist Visa, applied online on the official portal at least four days before you fly. One- and five-year visas allow Canadians up to 180 days a visit. Holders of diplomatic or official passports apply for a regular visa instead.
How do I get from Canada to Darjeeling?
Fly to Delhi, nonstop from Toronto or Vancouver when those services are running, or with one stop in Europe or the Gulf. Then a two-hour domestic flight to Bagdogra and three hours by road. Most Canadian guests rest a night near Delhi airport before the last leg.
What is the time difference between Canada and Darjeeling?
India is 9h30 ahead of Toronto in summer and 10h30 in winter, and three hours more ahead of Vancouver. India has no daylight saving, so the gap shifts by an hour when your clocks change on 1 November 2026.
Is it cold in Darjeeling in winter?
Yes. December to February nights fall to a few degrees above freezing in Darjeeling, and below it on the high ridges, though days are often clear and sunny. The houses we book have heating or fires, and we send a packing list. Canadians tend to find it bracing rather than harsh.
Can we add Bhutan from Canada?
Yes. Bhutan charges Canadian passports US$100 a night plus a US$40 visa. Reach it by Drukair from Bagdogra to Paro, or by road from Darjeeling to Phuentsholing. Our Two Kingdoms journey links Sikkim and Bhutan in eleven nights.
Sources we checked for this page (9)
- e-Tourist Visa: Bagdogra is an e-Visa airport; 30-day e-Tourist visa; holders may exit from any ICP
- 1- and 5-year e-Tourist visas: continuous stay up to 180 days per visit for nationals of the USA, UK, Canada and Japan, 90 days for other eligible nationals
- Sikkim RAP and PAP for foreigners only through e-FRRO; apply about 30 days ahead from abroad
- Bhutan SDF US$100 a night for dollar-paying tourists until 31 August 2027, half for children 6 to 12
- Bhutan visa fee US$40, applied for online
- Nepal tourist visa US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30, US$125 for 90
- Bagdogra flights, road times to Darjeeling, Gangtok and Pelling
- Which permits each passport needs, place by place
- India resumed e-visa services for Canadian nationals in late 2023
Checked 10/2026. We confirm every rule, fee and flight again for your dates.
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