USFrom the United States
Darjeeling and Sikkim, from the United States
Two flights and a hill road from home. Here is the visa, the routing, the time difference and the weeks that line up with American holidays.
In short
How do I plan a Darjeeling and Sikkim trip from the USA?
Apply online for India's e-Tourist Visa; on a one- or five-year visa Americans may stay up to 180 days a visit. Fly to Delhi, nonstop from some US hubs or one stop via Europe or the Gulf, then two hours to Bagdogra and three by road to Darjeeling. Thanksgiving to mid-December gives the clearest views. Add Sikkim with its online permit, filed 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, Americans may stay up to 180 days a visit.
- Long haul
- Delhi, nonstop or one stopSome US hubs fly nonstop to Delhi; otherwise connect via Europe or the Gulf. Routes changed often in 2026.
- Last leg
- Delhi to Bagdogra, about 2 hThen three hours by road to Darjeeling.
- Time difference
- India is 9h30 to 13h30 aheadNew York +9h30 in summer, +10h30 after clocks go back on 1 November 2026; the West Coast three hours more.
- Best weeks for you
- Thanksgiving to mid-DecemberThe clearest season, with the mountain out most mornings.
- Bhutan on a US 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 Your home airport New York, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington or wherever you start
- 15 to 24 h Delhi Clear immigration on your e-Visa. Arriving late at night, sleep near the airport and fly on in the morning
- About 2 h Bagdogra (IXB) A domestic flight; your driver waits at arrivals with water and a plan for the road
- About 3 h by road Darjeeling, 2,045 m Up the hill road through Kurseong, where the tea begins
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
- Indigenous Peoples' Day long weekendThe season opens
Skies clear after the monsoon; Durga Puja and Diwali crowds some weeks, so we plan around them.
- Indigenous Peoples' Day long weekendThe season opens
- November
- Thanksgiving weekThe clearest weeks
Cold, dry dawns and Kanchenjunga out most mornings. Book three to four months ahead.
- Thanksgiving weekThe clearest weeks
- December
- Christmas to New YearDarjeeling at its brightest
Cold nights, clear days and Christmas in the hills, a journey built for 22 to 26 December.
- Christmas to New YearDarjeeling at its brightest
- March
- Spring breakRhododendrons begin
Red rhododendrons on the Singalila Ridge and the first-flush tea harvest.
- Spring breakRhododendrons begin
- May
- Memorial DayWarm, hazier views
Good for tea and walking; the mountain hides more often as the monsoon nears.
- Memorial DayWarm, hazier views
- July
- Fourth of July and summerMonsoon
Rain most days and landslides on the roads. We would rather send you in the autumn.
- Fourth of July and 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. The trip we would plan for anyone new to the hills.
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Kanchenjunga at First Light
Seven nights built around the mountain, with more than one dawn to catch it.
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Two Kingdoms
Eleven nights from Sikkim into Bhutan by road. Worth the long flight.
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Christmas in the Hills
22 to 26 December in Darjeeling, for a holiday week that feels like one.
Questions
Darjeeling and Sikkim from the USA, answered straight
Do US citizens need a visa for Darjeeling?
Yes: an Indian visa, and the e-Tourist Visa is the simple one. Apply on the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least four days before you fly; we suggest a month. The 30-day visa suits a single holiday, while one- and five-year visas allow Americans up to 180 days a visit. Darjeeling itself needs no other permit.
How long does it take to get from the US to Darjeeling?
Plan on a full day and a half. The flight to Delhi takes about 14 to 16 hours nonstop and longer with a connection, then two hours to Bagdogra and three by road. Most American guests sleep a night near Delhi airport and fly on to Bagdogra in the morning.
What is the time difference between the US and Darjeeling?
India keeps one time zone, 5h30 ahead of UTC, with no daylight saving. That puts it 9h30 ahead of New York in summer and 10h30 in winter, and three hours more on the West Coast. Our office answers 24x7 while you travel, so the gap only matters for calls home.
Can we see Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan in one trip from the US?
Yes, in ten nights or more. Darjeeling and Gangtok, then by road to Phuentsholing or by Drukair from Bagdogra to Paro. Bhutan charges US citizens US$100 a night plus a US$40 visa; Sikkim needs its online permit about 30 days ahead. Our Two Kingdoms and Three Kingdoms journeys do exactly this.
When should Americans book for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Three to four months ahead. Those weeks are the clearest of the year and the best houses fill first, especially for Christmas. Nothing is booked or paid until you approve the route, so it costs nothing to start early.
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 keeps a single time zone, UTC+5:30, without daylight saving
Checked 10/2026. We confirm every rule, fee and flight again for your dates.
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