June to September
A June, July or August trip lands in the monsoon, which sits on these hills from June until late September. You can still come. Here is what that really means, without the brochure gloss.
Photo: Arto Suraj / Pexels
The rain
Darjeeling averages about 420 mm (17 in) of rain in June and 650 mm (26 in) in July, and Gangtok is much the same. The peaks sit behind cloud on most days.
Photo: Arto Suraj / Pexels
The roads
Slides closed NH10 at Sevoke in June 2026 and cut NH110 near Kurseong the same month. One closed road can cost you a day, so a monsoon plan carries a spare one and half a day of slack before any flight out of Bagdogra.
Photo: Boudhayan Bardhan / Unsplash
Parks and treks
West Bengal's protected areas close from 16 June to 15 September, Singalila, Neora Valley and Jaldapara among them, and we run no treks. Leeches are out on the forest paths.
Photo: Debendra Das / Pexels
What stays open
The monsoon flush comes off the bushes between downpours, and the estates stay open, green and quiet. A tea estate that plucks right through the season is a house where rain is part of the pleasure.
Photo: Garvit Nama / Unsplash
Bhutan
Thimphu's wettest month averages about 150 mm (6 in), under a quarter of Darjeeling's July, and it tends to fall in the afternoons. Paro flights are delayed more often and slides can close the Phuentsholing road, so guests fly in.
Photo: Pema Gyamtsho / Unsplash
How it works
Plan one or two places, not five: a tea estate, Kalimpong or Bhutan's western valleys. Leave out anything that depends on a clear dawn, keep a spare day, and book an afternoon flight home.
Photo: Daniel Dara / Unsplash