• Altitude: 7,545 ft
• Trek Distance: 15 km
• Altitude gain: 1295 ft
• Lunch on the way
• Stay in Teahouse

Wake up and lace up your trekking boots, today we are going to start our trek towards Sandakphu. Starting the day early, its a considerably easy walk till Ramam with a gradual ascent and some steep sections. Maintain a steady pace and rest a few moments if needed. Ramam is approximately 3.5 km away from the Sepi campsite. The trail here is a constructed route for most parts and you will notice several cut fields and tiny dwellings on the way. Take a short break at Ramam if you need to and then we will head on towards Samanden.

As you move out of Ramam, the trail becomes more secluded with the huts disappearing and the forest trail starting to open up. Walking through the quiet forest with the sound of nature all around you is a great experience in itself. The Singalila Range is quite popular for its abundance of greenery and you can now feel the same. For about 6 km you will traverse through the forests until you arrive at a bridge.

After the bridge, its a steep climb for 15 minutes or so, following which you will arrive at a zone where there are stone benches, each dedicated to locals that have passed away. The locals made these benches with the kind intention that those who have passed away can serve the passersby even after their death by providing them with a place to rest.

From this point on, the trail begins to ease out a bit for a few minutes post which you arrive at a clearing dotted with wooden huts and farmlands. This is the beautiful Samanden village. Samanden has a very picturesque setting and the locals here are very friendly. Chat up with the locals and hear their interesting stories and you will also be greeted with incredible hospitality. The simplicity and the tranquility of the place may take you by surprise

A couple of kilometers more and you will arrive at the Gorkhey campsite. Gorkhey is a small village situated in the northern part of West Sikkim and is pretty close to the state border. Gorkhey is an ideal location to halt for the night before we continue on our Sandakphu trek

• Altitude 11450 Ft.
• Trek Distance - 15 Km.
• Altitude Gain - 3905 Ft.
• Hot lunch on the way at aalu bari
• Stay in camps

Start your trek early in the morning from Gorkhey towards Phalut. It is about 15 km from Gorkhey. The beautiful Gorkhey Khola flows through the village of Gorkhey after which it is named. It is a tributary of the Ramam River. Crossing this picturesque setting we will head on towards Phalut.

You will again cover long sections of forested trails today, be prepared as you have to continue ascending for a long distance and at some points, the ascent can be pretty steep. You may spot plenty of Oaks and Rhododendrons on the forested path. Maintain a steady pace along the trek.

It takes about 5 hrs to reach Phalut. Phalut is one of the highest peaks of the Singalila Range, it is the second-highest point after Sandakphu Ridge. To reach from Gorkehy to Phalut, you also need to get permits, which can be acquired from the Gorkhey check post.

En route to Phalut, you will get to see the Singalila Range from up close and you will get to see a stunning view of the Kanchenjunga Massif as well. The closer you get to Phalut the more beautiful the landscape gets. At 11,450 m Phalut offers stunning mountain views. Your stay is arranged in camps and after a delicious dinner, you will rest under the canopy of a million stars. Keep in mind that Phalut does not have electricity and everything runs on the solar panel, so keep extra batteries and power banks with you for your gadgets.

• Altitude 11217 Ft.
• Trek Distance - 10 Km.
• Altitude Less - 233 Ft.
• Packed lunch on the way
• Accommodation in camping

The next day we will start our journey towards Thakum. If you didn't know Thakum campsite is located in Nepal, so we will be skirting the Indo-Nepal border into Nepal. Thakum is a beautiful valley that falls on the way to Sandakphu between Sabargram and Sandakphu and has a very soothing and relaxing vibe with beautiful meadows and a picturesque setting.

En route to Thakum, you may spot some Yaks grazing in the meadows and you have crossed the Indo-Nepal border into Nepal. Although it is a remote and unknown location, the views here are stunning and extremely admirable. The route to Thakurn is also lined with a thicket of Rhododendron trees.

Sleeping Buddha formation stays in the backdrop as you cross some abandoned huts and cattle grounds. From Thakum, several routes branch into Nepal. This is your campsite for the night. We will pitch our tents here and rest for the night

• Altitude 11600 Ft.
• Trek Distance - 11 Km.
• Altitude Gain - 383 Ft.
• Hot lunch at Aal campsite
• Accommodation in camping

From Thakum, you will have to take the route that branches into the southwest direction towards Aal. Aal is the closest campsite to Sandakphu summit and is set in a scenic location. Today's trek is not as tiring as other days and the trail is extremely today. A few kilometers ahead of Thakom lies the Aal campsite, which offers a very beautiful view of the Kanchenjunga Ranges and the adjacent peaks. Enjoy hot lunch at the Aal campsite today and you have the evening to spend at your leisure exploring the area.

From Thakom its about an 8km walk to Aal. Follow the hiking trail and it will lead you to the Aal campsite. On a clear day, you can see stunning views of the Sleeping Buddha formation. You will be staying in tents in Aal and you can see beautiful Himalayan views from here. You are still in Nepal territory and as you move towards Sandakphu you will again move to Indian territory. Rest well in Aal and tomorrow we will trek to Sandakphu.

• Altitude 6560 Ft.
• Sandakphu Altitude - 11930 ft.
• Trek Distance - 14 Km.
• Altitude Gain - 330 Ft.
• Altitude less - 3700 Ft.
• Hot lunch on the way at Gurdum
• Accommodation in Tea House

The stretch from Aal to Timbure is about 14 km. As we start from Aal after 3km we will reach Sandakphu. We start early in the morning so that you can watch the sunrise from the top of Sandakphu. It is one of the prettiest sights we will ever see. The first rays of sun over the snow-capped sleeping buddha cover it in an alpenglow that is way too beautiful to be described in words.

Watching the sunrise at Sandakphu and spending some time at the summit we will head towards Timburey, our next campsite. From Sandakphu it is about 10km to Timburey and takes about 4 hours to complete. As you head towards Timburey, Gurdum is the first village that you will come across. Gurdum is a postcard-perfect village with only 4 to 5 dwellings. It is one of the remote Himalayan villages. Surrounded by forests and Himalayan mountains, Gurdum also offers a private stay for tourists in its scenic setting.

Timburey is not far from here. After trekking for another 3 km you will arrive at Timburey, your campsite for the night. There are also a couple of home stays here and we will be staying at one of the local tea houses.

• Trek Distance - 3 km (1 hrs)
• Drive Distance - 130 Km (6 hrs.)
• You will reach NJP by 06.00 pm

This is the last day of your trekking and also the last day in the mountains. Your beautiful journey to Sandakphu ends today. From Timburey, we start our trek towards Srikhola again. Its a 3 km descent to Srikhola and takes about an hour. Once we reach Srikhola road-head, a vehicle will be waiting for you that will drive you back to NJP Railway Station. These are the same roads that you came in at the start of your journey. Reminisce about the mountains as you head back onwards on your journey, taking back with you wonderful memories of Sandakphu.