Sandakphu in Land Rover

duration Duration 3 Night / 4 Days
altitude Maximum Altitude 11,930 ft
visit Best time to visit Sept - May
age Minimum Age 5+
Camp Vehicle Type
Camp Accommodation type Guest House

Sandakphu Land Rover : Sandakphu is the highest point of West Bengal which offers an incredible panoramic view of the world's highest snowline, serving from the snow ensconced peaks of Nepal to Bhutan and farther east to Tibet.

Sandakphu offers a clear view of Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world. Mt. Lhotse, the fourth highest peak of the world, is also known as the south peak in Tibet and Mt. Makalu, the fifth highest peak of the world standing along with Everest range of the peaks. The trip also offers a great view of Kanchenjunga massif shaped like a Sleeping Buddha.

Also See: Sandakphu Trek

Most of the time on this trip you will be walking on a ridge which acts as India - Nepal Border. On this trip you will be walking in Indian Territory, however you will enter Nepal for sleeping as all the guest houses on this route are in Nepal's territory, even the one in Sandakphu.

The trail goes through the Singalila National Park which is shared by India - Nepal, the route is a zig-zag ascend through the Singalila ridge. Singalila national park offers a great variety of flora & fauna with flowers blooming at the respective time of the year, not only it also offers a great variety of birds and animals the lucky one gets to spot Red Panda, Black Himalayan Bear, Barking Deer etc in their natural habitat.

The trip of Sandakphu is not one of the challenging trips as there’s no such abrupt altitude gain and is mostly swinging through. Although one must work on their fitness in order to take this trip as the sheer distance can be challenging, all in all it's a trip full of adventures while offering strong majestic views that no trip in India offers.

This mode of trip is best suitable for friends and families who have less days to travel and who wishes to enjoy the Historic Land Rovers drive.         

Take this magnificent journey with us to Sandakphu, West Bengal's highest mountain, in a 1960's Land Rover, that will be as stunningly gorgeous as it will be an adrenaline ride unlike any other. Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu, four of the largest global highest peaks, can all be viewed from the top. You'll also travel to Phalut from Sandakphu, from which you'll have the best mountain views Kangchenjunga. The grandeur and power of the rocky mountains will enchant and awe you. It appears as though you can reach out and touch the summit since it is so near.

The Manebhanjan area is famously known as the land of the Land Rovers. These land rovers have been left here by the pre-colonial Britishers who brought Land Rovers into India. They found Land Rovers to be a convenient way to travel from Manebhanjan to Sandakphu and back. Post Independence, they didn't only leave the country, but they also left their awesome Lad Rovers behind. These land rovers are still used to transport people and important products up to Sandakphu. In fact, the only vehicles allowed up to Sandakphu are these land rovers. Nothing else is deemed strong enough to be trusted to take people to such heights. These land rovers are so loved since they have the faith of the locals in them. They have been, for many years, taking people up and down the treacherous path of Sandakphu. Even though the vehicles are one of the sturdiest ones around, the drivers have to keep brushing their skills to safely drive up there. They sure are Bravehearts. So now you see, the Sandakphu Land Rovers have a rich history behind them, so get excited to join Moustache.

Day 1: Arrive at Manebhanjan

Altitude: 6,325 ft

Drive: 75 km (4-5 hrs drive)

Meals Included: Dinner

Stay type: Stay at guest houses on a double / triple sharing basis.

  • Take a shared cab from Siliguri to Manebhanjan, it's a 4-5 hrs drive which takes you to a small mountain township situated at the border of India & Nepal.
  • During your journey to Manebhanjan you will pass through Darjeeling.
  • Manebhanjan is the starting point of the trip and you can spot old Land Rovers which serve the Singlingla National park and the drive to Sandakphu.
  • After landing into your guest house, step out and explore on your own.

 

Day 2: Manebhanjan to Sandakphu in Vintage land rover

Altitude: 11,950 ft

Drive: 30 km (1-1.5hr drive)

Meals Included: Breakfast - Lunch - Evening Snacks- Dinner

Stay Included: Stay at the guest house in triple / quad sharing basis

  • Wake up to a chilly morning and enjoy your breakfast with a view to the Kachenjunga massif. After breakfast get ready for the drive
  • You will be heading to Sandakphu in approx 100 yrs old iconic Land Rover, During the drive enjoy the scenic views and do not forget to capture memories.
  • The main attraction of this spot is the 180 degree of panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks such as Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Nuptse, Baruntse, Chamling, Chomolonzo, Machapuchare and other peaks of the Annapurna range spread out towards the west, the sleeping Buddha lies before you. In the east you see the highest range of Butan, Chomolhari is the highest peak rises above all.
  • The hotel where you will be staying has the best view point in Sandakphu. You can view 4 out of 5 world's tallest mountains including Mt. Everest, you can also view sunrise and sunset with a panaromic view of all the important peaks of himalayas from Nepal in the west to Bhutan in the east, It also offers the best view of Sleeping Buddha. To view all this you don't have to go anywhere, you just have to go on the roof of the Hotel and you can enjoy the view with a hot cup of tea in your hand without doing any effort.
  • During winters Sandakphu is usually covered with snow and sometimes drops to sub zero temperatures in the night.

 

Day 3: Sandakphu to Manebhanjan in Vintage Land Rover

Drive: 30 km (1-1.5hr drive)

Meals Included: Breakfast - Lunch - Evening Snacks- Dinner

Stay type: Stay at guest houses on a double / triple sharing basis.

  • Start your day with a delicious breakfast overlooking 4 out of the 5 highest peaks of the world.
  • After breakfast pack your bags and get ready for a drive to Manebhanjan, during the drive you will pass through the dense forest of Singalila National Park, also different varieties of birds and animals can be spotted.
  • After reaching Manebhanjan, check in the guest house freshen up and step out of the property and explore the nearby shops on your own also you can try taking a nature walk around the village.

 

Day 4: Departure from Manebhanjan

  • After breakfast with a heavy heart bid bye to the majestic views of the highest peaks in the world.

Air: Take a flight to Bagdogra airport and plan a stay to siliguri, on the next day book a cab to Manebhanjan. It will take around 3 hours to reach the Manebhanjan base camp.

Rail: Take a train to NJP and book a cab to Manebhanjan. It will take around 3.30 hours to reach the Manebhanjan base camp.

Road: The road route is open from Siliguri to Manebhanjan, it’s a total journey of 76 km which takes around 3 hours to complete.

1. Shirts / T-shirts –2/3, Jeans

2. Warm and thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater

3. Thermal inner wear (upper & lower), Scarf/muffler (optional)

4. Woollen cap, Woollen gloves, Woollen socks & regular socks (3-4 pairs)

5. Comfortable Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole are recommended)

6. Lightweight floaters/sandals/slippers

7. Cap / Hat to keep the strong sun away from your face

8. Medicines, if requiring any specific medication

9. Personal toiletries

Inclusions:

1. Welcome & Greeting on Arrival at Manebhanjan.

2. All accommodation during this tour in guest houses on sharing basis.

3. Dinner from Day 1 to Breakfast to Day 4

4. Skilled local staff who has ample knowledge of the route.

5. Vegetarian meals on the trip.

6. Hot water in buckets shall be provided on request for limited hours while staying in Guest House at Sandakphu and Manebhanjan only.

8. Forest fee and Land Rover fee included.

9. Driver cum guide for the entire trip.

10. Basic First aid Kit.

11. Covid Related Information

 

Exclusions:

1. The above trip charges does not include the GST charges (5%).

2. Personal essentials -

(i) Insurance - Personal and travel insurances.

(ii) Beverage - Mineral water bottles/bottled or canned beverages

(iii) Snacks - Chocolate, dry fruits, protein or nutrition bar.

(iv) Entertainment - Camera or drone fees.

3. Transportation - The charges of transportation on day 1 and 4 are to be borne and shared between the travellers.

4. In case if your trip remains incomplete or uninitiated because of ""force majeure"", medical emergency or by personal choice after you arrive at the starting point, you will not be able to get refund, reschedule or replace any services that remain unutilized by you.

5. Any additional cost incurred due to changes in Government Guidelines related to travel/COVID-19 will be borne by the Guest.

6. Anything which is not included in Inclusion.

1. If cancellations are made 26 days prior to the start date of your trek/tour/activity, no cancellation fee will be charged.

2. If cancellations are made between 8-25 days prior to the start date of your trek/tour/activity, 25% of the total package amount will be charged as cancellation fee.

3. If cancellations and rescheduling are made within 7 days from the start date of your trek/tour/activity, 100% of the total booking amount will be charged as a cancellation fee.

4. Guest can reschedule the tour/trek/activity between 8-25 days prior to the start date of your trek/tour/activity (Depending on the availability), after this period no rescheduling can be done and no amount can be refunded.   

5. Rescheduling of the tour/trek/activity is applicable only once, after that if you want to cancel or reschedule the trek/tour/activity again, it will not be possible and no refund will be processed. 

6. If you book the tour/trek/activity by making a partial payment of the total booking amount and fail to make the 100% payment before 26 days from the date of travel. In this case, your booking will get canceled automatically and can only be reconfirmed once you make the full payment, depending on the availability of slots.

7. In case if your tour/trek/activity remains incomplete or uninitiated because of "force majeure", medical emergency, government policy changes, local strikes, or by personal choice after you arrive at the starting point, you will not be able to get a refund, reschedule or replace any services that remain underutilized by you.

8. In case if your tour/trek/activity gets cancelled because of "force majeure", medical emergency, government policy changes, local strikes between 0-7 days from your date of travel, you will be eligible to reschedule the date of your trek/tour/activity or you can get a credit note of the amount paid, however no cash refund will be possible in this case.

9. Cancellations are strictly subjected to cancellation policies mentioned on the website & are irrespective of the date of booking.

10. The applicable refund amount will be processed within 10 business days.

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Average Rating 4.5