Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan
The hills run on two clocks: the monsoon, which decides whether you see the mountain, and the tea bush, which decides what is in your cup. Here is what each season gives you, and what it asks in return.
Photo: Unsplash
October to mid December
The rains usually ease in early October, and Kanchenjunga stands out at dawn from Tiger Hill, Deolo and Pelling. Kalimpong averages under 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain in November.
Photo: Soumik Ghosh
Autumn's catch
Dashain, Tihar and the autumn flush of tea all fall in these weeks, and so do the fullest weeks of the year. If autumn is your season, write early.
Photo: Swastik Arora / Pexels
Mid December to February
Darjeeling nights average under 2 °C (36 °F) in January and Pelling about 1 °C (34 °F). Snow can shut Nathu La, the Zuluk road and North Sikkim, and Tsomgo freezes hard.
Photo: Bhaskar Palit
Winter's reward
The tea bushes rest and the towns empty after New Year, so the lanes are yours. Across the border in Bhutan, black-necked cranes spend the winter in the Phobjikha valley.
Photo: Chandan Chaurasia / Unsplash
March to May
First flush comes off the bushes from March. Rhododendron forest flowers at Barsey and on Dochu La from mid March into April, and days run a mild 16 to 24 °C (61 to 75 °F).
Photo: Arjis Kundu / Pexels
Spring's trade-off
Haze thickens towards May and often hides the range by breakfast. Spring is for flowers, walks and tea; if the mountain is the reason for your trip, autumn serves it better.
Photo: Monojit Dutta / Pexels
June to September
July is the wettest month in Darjeeling and Gangtok alike. Slides close NH10 and the roads up from Siliguri, and West Bengal's parks shut from mid June. Estates stay open, but the peaks hide on most days.
Photo: ARTO SURAJ / Unsplash
Choosing your season
Bhutan and Nepal keep the same broad pattern, with a lighter monsoon in Bhutan's western valleys. So the useful question is what you want most: the view, the leaf, the flowers or the quiet.
Photo: All teams name / Pexels