Planning a budget trip is never an easy task. When it comes to a town full of nightlife and being a prominent attraction in Sikkim, it becomes harder. In this post, I am going to tell you exactly how you can plan a budget🤑 trip to Gangtok from Kolkata.
Why Do I Need to Plan a Budget Trip to Gangtok from Kolkata?
Kolkata is merely 650 km from the capital city of Sikkim.
You might think that you already know so much thing so why do you even need it when you can already manage it? Here is why.
Sikkim is culturally💃 different from West Bengal. So, even the experienced budget💸 travellers of Kolkata are most likely to spend more on their Gangtok trip.
Gangtok is the most happening place in Sikkim which makes it very lucrative. You tend to spend more at such a place. The nightlife of Gangtok is so vibrant for tourists in particular that it may draw 2-3000Rs out of your pocket in just a couple of minutes.
Local sightseeing is the main purpose of every visitor coming to Gangtok. Even the way you travel in Gangtok decides how much your expenses will be.
Unlike Kolkata, Gangtok is a hill station. Also, city transportation is not that easy in Gangtok because of its structure.
Therefore, you need a plan your budget trip to Gangtok from Kolkata strategically. Although this article is good enough to guide you for this trip, I do recommend you read my post – Sikkim: A Traveler’s Guide to the Best Places to Visit for better clarity.
How to plan your Budget Trip to Gangtok from Kolkata
1. Choosing the right transport to reach New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri
New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri are the two Railway Stations nearest to Gangtok. New Jalpaiguri is connected to most of the major railway stations in the country. Whereas, Siliguri is connected to comparatively fewer places via rail🚉.
However, Siliguri is the right place to start your trip to Gangtok irrespective of the mode of transport you wish to choose. Leave Gangtok, it is also the right place to begin your journey to Darjeeling.
Although, make sure you don’t end up taking a bus to Darjeeling whenever you wish to visit there after reading this article. You should check this one: Should I take a bus from Siliguri to Darjeeling?
You can easily guess that over all the other options train🚂 is still the most budget-friendly one. You can decide to pick the class as per your comfort and budget.
Here is the price range for several classes on some of the trains. These may vary but at least you will have an idea about it.
| Train Class | Sleeper | 3rd AC | 2nd AC |
| Price Range(in Rs) | 300-400 | 900-1200 | 1200-1400 |
2. The number of members travelling to Gangtok from Kolkata does impact the overall trip budget. Here is how:
You should always plan your mode of transportation as per the number of members travelling. Let me explain.
A Bike is great if you are a couple or a group of 2
Renting a bike🚲 from Siliguri will cost you way low than any other option if you are a group of two. Additionally, you will have more fun during your trip.
However, a bike may not be a good option if you are going to explore the whole of Sikkim. In case you are still unaware of it, here are the top 10 destinations in Sikkim.
Taking a bus is the best for solo travellers
If you started your Gangtok trip from Kolkata solo then using public transport🚌 is the best thing you can do for your budget.
Renting a cab is always good for groups of 4-5 people
If you are travelling in a group and want to keep your budget low, hiring a cab🚕 is the best option.
Either you take a bus or rent a bike, it is going to cost either more or at least equal to the taxi. So, why not hire a taxi which is more comfortable and enjoyable than the others at the same price.
3. Your Gangtok Trip Budget depends on where you stay in Gangtok: Surprisingly MG Marg is not the best option
One of the most recommended places to stay in Gangtok is less likely to be budget-friendly. And that’s true. MG Marg is recommended by most people to stay in Gangtok.
In fact, MG Marg does have a bunch of hotels🏨 for stay. But that may not be very budget-friendly. You need to walk away from it a little bit to find a budget hotel.
4. Not falling for a Taxi for Local sightseeing in Gangtok might save your pocket
Taking a taxi for local sightseeing in Gangtok is the most preferred option by tourists. Take a look at the following map of Gangtok.
All the tourist attractions are located within this circle in a range of almost 10-12 km. Now you need to pay Rs1800-2000 or even more depending upon the season for a day.
Apart from that, every spot has its own parking area which charges 30Rs/vehicle(four-wheelers). So the total cost may end up with an extra Rs300.
How to do local sightseeing in Gangtok without stretching your budget?
Most of the attractions in Gangtok are accessible from the main road so you can take a shared taxi for them. Now remember this list of places which are offroad and you must need a vehicle to reach there.
- Ban Jhakri Falls Park✔
- Hanuman Tok✔
- Laptsa Chorten✔
- Enchey Monastery✔
- Namnang View Point✔
- Namgayal Institue of Tibetology✔
- Do Drul Chorten✔
How to explore the off-road attractions in Gangtok? You can rent a bike for just Rs6-800 for half a day and cover these attractions in a go.
This way you can save at least 6-800Rs on local sightseeing which you can utilize on other things like food.
Now finding budget-friendly food🍔 outlets at any tourist place is the toughest task. Well, there is no such place where can find good quality foods in half amount or so than the others.
The only price difference you will see is 10-30rs a dish. So, in two days’ time, you can save a max of 2-300Rs which I don’t think is worth it.
Don’t Compromise with your food even on a budget trip to Gangtok
While trying to save a few bucks you might end up having a stomach ache🔥 or food poisoning🤮. So, it is best to have good food😋 during your trip which will help you create good memories.
You can explore the MG Marg for some amazing eateries. I would suggest you eat at some local and authentic food outlets like 👉”Hamro Bhansa Ghar“, etc.
How to Execute this Kolkata to Gangtok Budget Trip Plan
Planning is a different thing but execution is critical. Here are some tips which will help you execute this budget trip plan to Gangtok. I do recommend reading 👉 Budget Saving Tips for A Trip from Kolkata to Gangtok to save at least 2-3000Rs during your trip.
1. Do everything as per the number of members travelling to Gangtok
⭐ As planned above, make sure to follow the right mode of transportation best for you.
⭐ Couples or a group of 2 people should rent a bike from Siliguri.
⭐ Solo travellers should opt for a bus from Siliguri and use the local transport in Gangtok. Renting a bike for half a day in Gangtok for off-road sightseeing is also a good option for solo travellers.
⭐ A group of tourists should rent a taxi. It is comfortable and budget-friendly.
2. Plan your day in Advance and follow it
Local sightseeing in Gangtok might be exhausting if you don’t plan it beforehand.
Wake up early and rent a bike for half a day(for solo travellers). Cover the attractions which are off-road and are not accessible by shared taxi. Cover the rest of it by local transport.
3. Know where not to compromise just to save a few bucks
Eating good quality and tasty food is something we all deserve. So, don’t fall into the cheap food outlets trap which might result in food poisoning or stomach ache.
Takeouts
Listing out the key points for your takeout. You may call it a summary or conclusion of this post.
- Plan your trip according to the number of people travelling to Gangtok from Kolkata.
- Solo travellers should rent a bike only for half in Gangtok while couples can rent it from Siliguri as well.
- A group of tourists would prefer to rent a taxi.
- Staying away from the MG Marg can save your pocket.
- Don’t try to save money while buying food from cheap outlets.
Creating this kind of content needs research🈯 and knowledge💡. Just like this other one, I created it just for the people of Kolkata.🤷♂️ How much does the Darjeeling trip cost from Kolkata? You might want to take a minute to appreciate it by leaving a comment below. Don’t forget to share⏩ it with your friends👫 or colleagues👨💼.
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It was nice talking to you, hope to see you soon. Till then, Take Care, Keep Travelling😊.
