Sandakphu Trek

The pickup will be available for the participants at New Jalpaiguri. The distance of 110 kms is covered in around 5 hrs. The journey takes you through the beautiful towns of Mirik. The meandering mountain roads pass through small hamlets, pine-covered forests, and tea gardens. The journey is enthralling throughout, and you would not want to miss out on its beauty.

The road journey to Jaubari offers you an array of local restaurants to indulge in some authentic momos and soupy Thukpa. You will reach the base camp in the late afternoon.

The trail starts from Jaubari and you will pass through the village and enter the lush green forest. Tumling is a hamlet with very few tea houses. You will stay in one of the tea houses in Tumling. The village has its own charm. With small huts and cottages, the hamlet is quaintly engulfed in absolute solitude. From here you will see the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga staring right at you.

After reaching the tea house you can explore the village and try to converse with the locals and understand their humble yet fulfilling life.

You will leave Tumling after breakfast and head toward Kalipokhri. While the trail is a mix of some gradual walking and steep climbs, you will have the company of Mt. Kanchenjunga looming in front of you to keep moving ahead.

Kalipokhri is a hamlet with few houses and derives its name from a small pond in the village. Kali translates to black and Pokhri to a pond. The pond derives it name from the black water of the pond. The pond is revered by the locals as a holy.

The day starts early as you will have to reach Sandakphu to witness the most beautiful sunrise. The first ray of sun falls on the snowy peaks turning the mountain peaks into different hues. To witness the sunrise and the changing colours of Mt. Kanchenjunga every second is a sight to behold, a memory you will never forget.

After spending some time and immersing yourself in the magic of nature, you will head towards our next halt in Aal.

​Today, you will start for Phalut, the next summit point on your trek. It offers the most mesmerizing
and infamous view of the ‘Sleeping Buddha’​. After immersing in the surreal experience of witnessing the spellbinding Sleeping Buddha, formed by the mountains of the Kanchenjunga family, the team heads to Samanden.

Samanden is a picturesque and dreamy village with colourful houses surrounded by pine forests in its periphery. The team heads for Gorkhey village to witness the picturesque landscape of the village.

Today is the last day of your trek and you will reach Shrikhola Bridge by early afternoon. The team will head back to New Jalpaiguri for the onward journey.

Sandakphu is around 44 km long. If you go further to Phalut, the total distance becomes 65 kilometres. The trek spreads over six days including travel to and from Siliguri where the nearest railway station and the airport are located. 

Sandakphu Trek is a 6-day long trek. It is categorized as an easy to moderate-level trek. Beginners can also opt for the trek. 

Due to its easy-to-moderate trail, the trek witnesses an increased footfall in winter. Participants between the ages of 8-60 years can opt for this trek. 

The Trek can be categorized as an easy-to-moderate trek and is completed in six days. The trail is categorized as an easy-to-moderate trail due to the well-laid path. 

The trail also requires you to walk on some steep ascents and descents. It climbs to an altitude of 11,950 ft when you reach Sandakphu

The difficulty of the trek depends a lot on your preparedness. Although the trek is just two days long, come prepared for the trek and work on your fitness a minimum of two months before to trek comfortably. 

Sandakphu temperature dips down to sub-zero at night. The temperature in winter can go down to –3°C  to -4°C. The day temperature remains between 8°C and 12°C.

Check out the monthly Sandakphu temperature here 

The best time to visit Sandakphu trek depends on the trekker’s preference. Autumn is considered the best season for a magical mountainscape. 

Read more about the best time to visit Sandakphu trek here. 

Yes, there will be snow on the trail during the winter months. The snowfall in Sandakphu is mild as it is located at a lower altitude compared to other Himalayan treks. During the winter, the snow is sufficient to enjoy the beauty of a winter wonderland. 

Sandakphu trek cost is Rs. 14499/-

The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp. The trek cost covers your accommodation, meals at the base camp and during the trek. 

Sandakphu is the highest peak in West Bengal. Located inside the Singalila National Park, the trek is near the picturesque town of Darjeeling, a former summer escapade for British officials. The trek spreads across the villages along the Indo- Indo-Nepean border. 

Yes, you can opt to travel on the age-old Land Rovers that came to Darjeeling in the early 50s. Sandakphu is known for having age-old Land Rovers in running condition in the entire world. The trail is famous for the Series Land Rovers, a heritage of  Sandakphu, and also Darjeeling. The Land Rovers run between Maney Bhanjang and Sandakphu. It takes around 4-5 hours to cover a total distance of 32 km between Sandakphu and Maneybhanjyang. 

Yes, you can do the Sanadakphu trek on your own. Easy access to the trail and the availability of tea houses throughout the trail make Sandakphu one of the most loved treks. If you are going solo, book a guide and tea houses. A permit from the forest check post is required since the trek spreads within the purview of Singalila National Park. You can find guides in Maneybhanjyang. The charge for guides starts at a minimum of Rs 1500 per day. 

Take the assistance of a guide while booking tea houses and buying permits. 

The distance between Manebhanjyang and Sandakphu is around 32 Km. Maney Bhanjyang is one of the starting points of the Sandakphu- Phalut Trek. Sepi, Jaubhari, and Shrikhola are some of the starting points of the Sadakphu Phalut trek. 

From Sandakphu you can get a magnificent view of the Kanchenjunga Range, also renowned as Sleeping Buddha. The mountains appear in such a way that they create the shape of a resting Buddha, hence called the ‘ Sleeping Buddha’. You will witness four of the world’s highest peaks from Sandakphu. Everest, Makalu, and Lhotse appear in their glory, a rare sight you will never forget. 

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

On Sandakphu Phalut Trek you will stay in tea houses. If you are trekking on your own there are tea houses throughout the trail. The cost of these accommodations starts at around Rs 300. The meal will be charged per plate. 

You can book the trekker’s hut in Sandakphu and Phalut via GTA Accommodation. The website does not allow you to book the huts online. The contact details are provided on the GTA website. You can call and book your stay for the trek. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 350 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

The OWLS team will set up a toilet tent near the campsites. The toilets will be dry toilets and you will have to use toilet paper. There will be a pit dug by the team and you will have to cover your nature’s call with dry soil. Avoid using wet wipes, as they are not biodegradable. At OWLS, we thrive to leave no trace in the mountains. 

At the base camp, you will have regular concrete toilets.

In tea houses, you will have authentic local food. The staple diet of locals is rice/roti, dal, and vegetables/meat. If you want to try local cuisines, ask for Gundruk ko jhol, Rayo ko Saag, Kinema, Ishkush, and homemade pickles. Don’t miss the spicy local chilly called Dalle. 

You will have access to most of the mobile networks at the base camp. You are likely to receive a scanty network on the trail. 

We suggest our participants make important calls while at the base camp. There will be no signals throughout the trek.