Kolkata to Gangtok

Bus journeys are common for travel in the entirety of India and West Bengal is no different. There are several buses that take the route from Kolkata to Gangtok on a daily basis. However, there is no bus that drives straight from Kolkata to Gangtok. This route is generally broken into two, which means you will have to board a total of two buses to get to Gangtok. The first route is that of Kolkata till Siliguri. From Siliguri it is a short ride to the city of Gangtok.

Kolkata to Siliguri

Operators such as Shyamoli Paribahan Pvt. Ltd, Greenline, Royal Cruiser, and Shantanu Travels make a daily journey from Kolkata to Siliguri. The buses leave anywhere between 5:30 PM to 10:15 PM and the average duration of the ride is twelve hours and forty minutes.

Siliguri to Gangtok

The roads from Siliguri to Gangtok have one of the most mesmerising landscapes and never fail to amaze everyone who drives through them. The buses that ply from Siliguri to Gangtok are mainly operated by Apsara Travels and the average time for this journey is four hours and thirty minutes. The first of the buses leave somewhere around 5:30 AM to 2:50 PM.

Bus Stands

Kolkata: Esplanade, Golpark, Behala and BBD Marg.

Siliguri: Siliguri Bus Station

Gangtok: Deorali Stand (2 kilometres from town centre- take a taxi or auto from here)

The drive from Kolkata to Gangtok is an extensive and taxing ride but an extremely beautiful one. The overall drive takes at least seventeen hours and thirty minutes by way of the National Highway 34 (NH34). This covers around 672.1 kilometres of distance. The route that is generally taken from Kolkata to Gangtok is the following:

Kolkata- Krishnanagar- Baharampur- Ingraj Bazaar- Kishangang- Siliguri- Gangtok

Individuals can take routes from Siliguri, New Jalpaiguri as well as Bagdogra but all these routes meet at the Sevoke Road to join National Highway 10 (NH10). This is the famous road that drives alongside the Teesta River with the mountains and hills as a scenic landscape. Gangtok is at a distance of 25 kilometres from the check post of Rangpo. At this check post, all vehicles will have to acquire a permit to enter Sikkim. Even while hiring a taxi keep note that due to restrictions over non state vehicles in Sikkim, individuals will have to hire a local cab once they reach the border check post if travelling from a non state taxi. Taxi fare usually varies from INR 2500 to INR 3300 from cities like Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri which are closer to Sikkim then Kolkata.

Tips

The path through the hills for Gangtok can be prone to landslides so individuals must take caution. It is also not advisable to drive at night due to the same reason as well as the low visibility. At night time, the beauty of the route is also lost in the darkness and you may miss out on it.