Do you know that Sandakphu/Sandakfu Trek is the only trek from where you can view 4 of the 5 Tallest Mountains in the world? You can view the following mountains (Mesmerizing view of Sleeping Buddha). Inthis post you will get all the related information of Sandakphu Phalut trek.
From the Sandakphu, you can see these peaks in any clear day-
- Kanchenjunga
- Mount Everest
- Lhotse
- Makalu
It is the highest point of the Singalila Ridge in Darjeeling district on the West Bengal-Nepal border (pristine region of eastern Himalayas). Sandakphu means the ‘Height of the Poison Plant’, the bizarre name is derived from the poisonous aconite plants that grow near the peak.
Towering gradients, rock-strewn pony tracks and treacherous weather are just some of the hazards faced daily by the residents. We 3 friends took this unforgettable journey to the hilltop village, which is at an altitude of approx.11990 ft (3636 m).
Sandakphu Trek at a Glance
- Where to Start: Maney Bhanjyang/ Manebhanjan. Darjeeling to Manebhanjan shared Jeep fare: Rs. 50/- per person and reserved small car fare: Rs. 1,300/-
- Where to End: SEPI/SRIKHOLA (Sepi to Darjeeling shared jeep fare: Rs 150/-, and reserved car fare: 3000/- ; SEPI to NJP reserved car Rs. 5000/-)
- Trip Duration: 4 nights and 5 days
- Avg. Temperature: Daytime: 10°C to 18°C, Night time: -1°C to 8°C
- Best time to travel: March to April, September to November.
- Destination Covered: Manebhanjan, Chitrey (2400 m), Meghma (2800 m), Tonglu(3070 m), Tumling (2895 m), Jaubari, Gairi Bas(2625 m), Kali Pokhari(3185 m), Sandakphu(3636 m), Gurdum, SriKhola (1900 m ), SEPI.
- Nearest Rail station: Ghoom / New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station
- Nearest Airport: Bagdogra, Siliguri.
- Guide/Porter (Mandatory): Available from Manebhanjan (Rs800/- to Rs1000/- per day per porter)
- Level of Difficulty: Between Easy and Moderate.
- Option Available: It is motorable. Apart from trekking you can hire 4×4 SUV from Maney Bhanjyang /Siliguri. Bike riding is extremely difficult and not advisable.
- Place to stay: There are both GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, erstwhile DGHC) lodges and private trekkers’ huts on the way for night stays. Double/triple bedded room in a good private hotel or lodge can cost between Rs. 1,000 to 2,500 per day. Cheaper ones available too.
- Any Pass required: Yes, Singalila National Park Entry fee. (approx. Rs.100/-)
Attractions/Specialties:
6 reasons to visit Sandakphu
- Sandakphu Trek is the only trek from where you can view 4 of the 5 Tallest Mountains in the world.
- Mesmerizing view of Sleeping Buddha from Sandakphu.
- Breath-taking ride through the Rhododendrons, Chapa, oak, magnolia and numerous orchids
- Spectacular panoramic view of the Singalila national park with rare animals like Red Pandas and Pangolins.
- Enjoy the view of the Rhododendron forests at its full bloom in month of April/May
- Birder’s delight with over 120 species recorded including many exotic species.
List of things to carry while Hiking/Trekking
Essential for hiking.
| Cash | Rain coat |
| ID cards | Rucksack waterproof cover |
| Important Contact list | Sleeping Bag |
| Sun screen lotion | Power bank |
| Book and pen | Trekking Shoes |
| Blanket | Water bottle |
| Odomos or mosquito repellant | Knife |
| Wollen gloves | Lighter/Matches |
| Army/swiss knife | Torch |
| Extra pair socks | Minimum Personal Clothing but to include an extra T-Shirt |
| Under garments | Towel |
| Water-proof jacket/sweater | Tissue paper |
| Sun cap | Soap |
| Winter cap | Brush/Paste |
| Map | Plastic Covers for wet/dirty clothes and garbage |
| Electrolyte drinks, ORS | Slippers |
| Glucon-D (glucose) | Sun Glasses |
| Tents (depends on the trek) | Camera |
| Sanitizer | Few old newspapers |
| Waist Pouch | Good length of rope |
| Video Camera +batteries | Wollen socks |
| Cellphone | Travel guide |
| Chocolates | Waist pouch |
| Ipod | Chain |
| Watch | Lock and key |
| Chewing gums | Blades/ Scissors |
| Soap strip | Cotton |
| One Candle | Savlon/Dettol |
| Cold cream | Vaseline |
| Thermals | Adhesive tape |
| Clean cloth | Bandages |
| Trek stick | Antiseptic ointment |
| Fleece | Crepe bandage |
| Comb | Anti-Diarrheal medicine |
| Pocket Mirror | Crocin (paracetamol) |
| Mouth wash | Pain reliever (avoid sprays) |
| Wind cream | Antacid |
Itinerary for Sandakphu Phalut Trek:
DAY 1
Land of Land Rovers: Maney Bhanjyang / Manebhanjan:
Maney Bhanjyang is also a border town. While coming from Darjeeling, the houses on the left of the road belong to Nepal and the right-side being India. Most trekkers start their trek at Maney Bhanjyang. There are a few trekker’s huts and small hotels where one can put up for a night. Porter and guides are available here but be cautious while negotiating the rates per day (approx. Rs.600-800/- per day). You must take pass for Singalila national park (approx. Rs.100/- per person and extra for DSLR cameras) from Maney Bhanjyang.
We started from Maney Bhanjyang @ 10.30 am.
Land Rover took its 70th anniversary celebrations to new heights by visiting Maney Bhanjyang -Sandakphu motorable route. Maney Bhanjyang is also known as the ‘Land of Land Rovers’.
Read : Bhutan 7 days itinenary
Read : Tiger Monastery Trekking with Kids
The Charming Chitrey:
Trek Route from Maney Bhanjyang to chitrey pass is quite steeply uphill’s which makes it little tough for senior people. Its takes about 2hrs to reach Chitrey from Maney Bhanjyang. Small shops are available to have light snacks, we took a tea break.
3 km ahead of Chitrey is the small settlement of Lamey Dhura, you will find few shops selling hot tea and noodles.
Village covered with clouds ‘Meghma’:
It is located 3 kms from Lamey Dhura. The track bifurcates at Meghma. The right uphill route leads to the trekkers’ hut at Tonglu (3070m) in India. The trail in the left passes through Nepal. The roads meet again at Tumbling. You can have your lunch break in meghma.
Dumpling in Tumling:
2 km ahead of Meghma through the left route is the location village. A tourist attraction in Eastern Himalayas at an altitude of 2970m, its population is composed mostly of Gurung families, with the total population being a mere 15 in number. Many Buddhist prayer flags are hoisted at the viewing area that flutter in passing breeze. The locals believe that fluttering of the prayer flags brings in purity and holiness to the area.It is a decent night halt location with few available homestays. The lights of the towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong and other settlements can be seen in clear night. We had delicious hot Dumpling in dinner.
We reached Tumling @5:30 pm and stayed in a homestay that night. (Approx. cost per bed Rs 300-400/- excluding food).
‘House of Rhododendron’ Joubari:
Read: How to prepare yourself for solo trip
Why should you travel solo atleast once?
DAY 2
We started our journey from Tumling @ 7:30 am in next day morning towards Kalipokhri through Joubari. Tumling to Joubari is about 5 km and from Joubari to Gairibans is about 3 km. The area is the house of wide varieties of Rhododendron and the playing ground of Red Pandas. Most of the times we were weaving our way in and out of Nepal. Some residences and tea-houses spotted the route. The sparsely populated alpine landscape is a visual treat with every turn bringing into view mind numbing scenery.
The Black Lake, Kalipokhri:
Kalipokhri means ‘Black lake’ (“Kali” meaning black and “Pokhri” meaning lake) is a village in Nepal situated at an altitude of 3108 m. At Kalipokhri there is a small crystal lake surrounded by pine trees and prayer flags. It is almost 13 kms from Tumling. The Kanchenjunga was now visible throughout our trek. We reached there by 4 pm. I have no words to describe the sunset that was on display that evening. The sky was a canvas, awash with all possible hues of red and orange. We were supposed to halt at Night in Kalipokhri. We stayed at homestay near to that lake that was available in Kalipokhri.
DAY 3
Enchanting Sandakphu:
The last day’s trek is quite tiring, every bend extracted a heavy toll on the leg muscles. The distance from Kalipokhri to Sandakphu is about 8 km and an altitude gain of approx. 1,600 ft. The ascent to Sandakphu saw the weather turn for worse. Clouds rolled in making us numb with cold. Battered and tired, we almost crawling into Sandakphu. It was snowing for almost 2 hours now and it was 1st time in my life to experience snowfall for such a long time. This was something exhilarating to experience the natural bliss. I felt like waking up in heaven… literally. As strange as this sounds, all you first timers out there aren’t alone! Waking up to a bright white blanketed ground, a cold breeze, and the odd feeling of entering an entirely new world.
Our halt for the night was still a one kilometer away and we had to trek through a narrow snow-filled path to reach the homestay. (Accommodation charges Rs 200/- to Rs 300/- per person, food Rs 200/- per meal)
The next morning began with a climb to the adjoining hilltop to have an unrestricted view of the sunrise and a panoramic view for the Everest and Kanchenjunga. As we reached at the top, a 180-degree view of the Himalayas welcomed us!
“The best view comes after the hardest climb.”
There are separate sunrise and sunset points in Sandakphu for that matter Sunsets are equally charming but generally, the views in the morning are clearer.
DAY 4
The Scenic Srikhola:
After breakfast, we began our descent to Srikhola @6:30 am, an 18 km beautiful walk down through bamboo and pine forests covered with snow. We listened to the concert of the mellifluous birds. But the descent was steep and tiring.
If your trek does not go beyond Sandakphu, you may decide to trek down through Gurdum to reach Srikhola. There is a direct downhill trek to Gurdum through dense forests. Gurdum is a village with a couple of trekkers huts and about 12 kms away from Sandakphu. We reached there @ 12:30 pm and took a tea break in Gurdum.
Then from there the road follows the Siri river through small settlements and paddy fields interspersed between forest to reach Srikhola. (from Srikhola you can drive out through Rimbik and Manebhanjan and back to Darjeeling or Siliguri)
Our halt for the night was still a one kilometer away in a small village known as SEPI. We had to cross the Srikhola hanging bridge and reach SEPI @ 4:00 pm. The trek ends at SEPI. Pritam homestay is economical and hospitality shown by the staffs was commendable. (Stay Rs 200 per person, food Rs 200 per meal). Cars are available on hire and sharing basis. You must inform the homestay staffs to arrange the same for next morning. (Sepi to Darjeeling shared jeep fare: Rs 150/-, and reserved car fare: 3000/- ; SEPI to NJP reserved car Rs 5000/-)
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than what we could learn from books.” – John Lubbock
Read : Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking, Nepal
Places to visit in East Sikkim
Cautionary notes: Things to know before Sandakphu trekking !!
- There is a GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) Trekkers hut in Phalut. You can book by visiting one of the GTA tourism offices. It not advisable to trek without advance booking. Phalut is further 21kms from Sandakphu (one day trek).
- You should carry water and light snacks as you trek. There is limited water supply in between and hardly any place to eat specially from Kali Pokhari to Sandakphu and Sandakphu to Phalut.
- Personal suppository should be carried.
- Carry cash as ATM are not available and there is no option of online payments.
- Indian mobile networks do not work for most part of Sandakphu/Phalut trek.
- There is no electricity/power for most part of the trek route (available only up to Tumling).
Route Maps:
“Your mountain is waiting……… so get on your way.”- by Dr. Suess
About the Writer:
This time writer is not me but my husband Mr. Aritra Mandal. This is his recent experience of trekking along with 2 of our college friends. He also loves to travel, explore new place, new culture like me.