How to reach Gangtok depends on two facts. First, Gangtok itself has neither an active commercial airport nor a railway station. Second, the only road in (NH-10) runs along the Teesta river through some of the most landslide-prone terrain in northeast India. The practical answer for most travellers is: fly to Bagdogra (BDQ, 124 km, 4 hours by road) or take a train to New Jalpaiguri (NJP, 117 km, 4 hours by road), then drive up. Pakyong (PYG) — Sikkim's own airport, 33 km from Gangtok — exists but operates only a handful of flights a week and is regularly cancelled due to weather. Here is the honest version for each starting point.
Bagdogra airport (BDQ) — the main air gateway
Bagdogra is the airport most guests fly into. It is in West Bengal, near Siliguri, 124 km from Gangtok by road. The drive takes 4 to 5 hours depending on traffic and road condition. Direct daily flights run from Delhi (2.5 hours), Mumbai (3 hours), Bangalore (3 hours), Kolkata (1.5 hours) and Chennai (3.5 hours). IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Vistara and Akasa all operate the route.
- Best flight timing: arrive Bagdogra between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. — gives you afternoon to reach Gangtok before dark (sunset is around 5:30 p.m. in winter)
- Last departure: avoid flights after 3 p.m. — you will reach Gangtok after dark, which means missing the road scenery and arriving tired
- Private taxi from Bagdogra to Gangtok: ₹4,000-5,500 (Innova or similar, fixed-rate via the airport pre-paid counter; we book it as part of every package)
- Shared sumo from Siliguri (12 km from airport): ₹350-450 per seat, leaves when full from Sevoke Road. Cheap but slow and crowded
- No Uber/Ola at Bagdogra — pre-arranged transfers are the norm
New Jalpaiguri railway station (NJP) — the main rail gateway
New Jalpaiguri is the railhead serving Siliguri and the gateway for Sikkim/Darjeeling rail travellers. 117 km from Gangtok, 12 km from Bagdogra airport. Major direct trains from Delhi (Rajdhani 20-22 hours, Sealdah Mail 27 hours), Kolkata (Darjeeling Mail 10 hours, Padatik Express 11 hours), Mumbai (no direct, via Kolkata), Bangalore (no direct, via Howrah).
- Best train arrivals from Kolkata: Darjeeling Mail (departs Sealdah 22:05, arrives NJP 08:15) — gets you to Gangtok by lunchtime
- From Delhi: Rajdhani Express (departs New Delhi 17:00, arrives NJP 13:00 next day). Tatkal booking opens 11 a.m. one day before
- Private taxi NJP to Gangtok: ₹3,800-4,800 (slightly less than Bagdogra because NJP is on the Gangtok side of Siliguri)
- Shared sumo NJP to Gangtok: ₹450-550 per seat from the Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) stand at NJP
- Time to leave NJP: arrive no later than 2 p.m. to ensure daylight drive to Gangtok
Pakyong airport (PYG) — Sikkim's own airport
Pakyong opened in 2018 as Sikkim's first commercial airport. It sits at 1,400 m on a mountain ridge 33 km from Gangtok — a 90-minute drive on a good day. The problem is reliability: Pakyong is regularly cancelled for weather (the runway has restrictive crosswind limits) and only operates a few flights a week. As of 2026 schedules, SpiceJet runs a daily Kolkata-Pakyong service and IndiGo runs Delhi-Pakyong four days a week. Both are subject to last-minute cancellations.
The NH-10 road — what to expect
The road from Siliguri (Bagdogra/NJP) to Gangtok follows NH-10 along the Teesta river — a stunning, twisting, two-lane mountain highway. The route: Siliguri → Sevoke (Coronation Bridge over Teesta) → Rangpo (Sikkim border, Inner Line check, 15 minutes) → Singtam → Gangtok. Drive distance 124 km from Bagdogra, climb from 100 m to 1,650 m.
- Drive time: 4 to 5 hours October-May, 5 to 7 hours June-September (monsoon, possible landslide delays)
- Lunch stop: Most drivers stop at Rangpo just after the border check — small dhabas with hot rotis, dal, momos. ₹150-200 per head
- Road quality: Generally good after the 2024 widening project — newly tarred from Singtam to Gangtok. The pre-Sevoke section had repairs through 2025
- Landslide stretches: Lohapool to Tindharia (worst in monsoon), and Setijhora (smaller slips). Border Roads Organisation clears these usually within hours
- Sikkim entry: All vehicles stop at Rangpo for inner-line check. Driver shows vehicle papers, you may be asked for ID. Foreign passport-holders need the RAP issued before this point or at the post itself
From major Indian cities
From Delhi
Flight: 2.5 hours to Bagdogra, fares ₹4,500-9,000 depending on season. IndiGo runs morning departures (06:50 arrival 09:20 at Bagdogra) which give you a full day to reach Gangtok. Train: Rajdhani Express from New Delhi to NJP takes 20-22 hours; the ₹3,000-4,800 first-class AC is comfortable but the morning-after journey to Gangtok still adds another 4 hours. Most Delhi guests fly.
From Mumbai / Pune
Flight: 3 hours direct to Bagdogra (Vistara, Air India, IndiGo daily). Fares ₹5,500-12,000. No direct train option — Mumbai to NJP requires either a change at Kolkata (long route, 36+ hours) or Howrah-Mumbai-Howrah connection. Flying is the only practical option.
From Kolkata
Flight: 1.5 hours to Bagdogra, fares ₹2,200-5,500 — cheapest and fastest. Train: Darjeeling Mail from Sealdah (22:05 departure, 08:15 arrival at NJP) is the classic option, ₹1,200-3,000 in AC, ₹400-700 sleeper class. Many Kolkata guests prefer the train — the overnight journey wakes up to the Teesta valley.
From Bangalore and Chennai
Direct flights to Bagdogra: 3 hours from Bangalore (Vistara daily, IndiGo via Kolkata), 3.5 hours from Chennai (mostly via Kolkata). Fares ₹6,500-14,000. The train route from southern India is impractical (40+ hours via Howrah). Flying is the default.
Getting around once you reach Gangtok
- No Uber or Ola in Gangtok or anywhere in Sikkim
- Local taxis at Bhutia Bazaar and Lal Bazaar charge ₹100-200 for short trips within the city
- Private vehicle hire (Innova, Bolero, Scorpio): ₹2,500-3,500 per day plus ₹15-18 per km for inter-city trips. Most tour packages include this
- Shared sumos run on fixed routes — Gangtok to Pelling, Gangtok to Lachung etc — and are the cheapest option but with no flexibility on stops or timing
- Self-drive: technically possible but not recommended for first-time visitors. Hill driving on NH-10 in monsoon requires experience
