New Jalpaiguri is a major railway station in North West Bengal.It is nearest railway station to Gangtok.For details of Train from your city to New Jalpaiguri check IRCTC website with station code NJP for New Jalpaiguri.Travel guide for Gangtok to New Jalpaiguri is at Gangtok to NJP.You can also download Gangtok travel guide for free.

New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok transport options

You should not worry about transportation.After reaching the platform just move out of it and you will see lot of people approaching you.They are drivers or agents.You should not directly book your vehicle through them as it will cost more.You should just move outside the railway station and reach Taxi stand.

You can take either shared taxi or reserve taxi from the stand just outside the railway station. Bus service is also available but from Siliguri which is at a distance of 8 kms from New Jalpaiguri railway station.

Bagdogra to Gangtok transport options

Bagdogra is nearest airport to Gangtok.It is situated 8 kms from Siliguri.Often tourists ask me about Bagdogra to Gangtok travel.So I am including this topic here itself instead of writing a separate post.The transport options mentioned above are applicable for this case as well.

Taxi is by far the most convenient option to reach Gangtok from Bagdogra.The route is same as that to New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok.The distance however increases by ten to twelve km.So time taken is increased by 20 or so min.

The taxi rent is somewhat inflated but not much.You should add 200 INR to 300 INR on top of rate from NJP.I have dealt with this below in the post.So read that section for more details.

New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok Bus service

Bus is cheaper than either shared taxi and reserved ones.You can take shared autos to reach Siliguri from the railway station.The fare of shared autos are not much.They will take 30 INR to 50 INR per person.The rates may differ slightly depending upon the season.

It is better to clarify the rates before boarding the vehicle.Moreover in shared autos chances are lesser of paying more as there will be local travelers as well.You can get idea of the fare from local passengers traveling along with you.

Bus service from NJP to Gangtok is decent.There is one bus per hour approximately.You need to take ticket from counter.The ticket cost is around 150 INR.The bus stops at couple of places for refreshments.It takes around 5 hours to 6 hours to reach Gangtok with Bus.Standing is not allowed in bus so you can rest assured of berth.

New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok Shared Taxi

But in case you do not want to go for bus then shared taxis are next budget friendly option.Here I am using the word Taxi for cars like Innova,Indica,Tata Safari and other vehicles of similar category.The cost of shared taxis vary from 150-300 INR for each person depending upon the season.

Please negotiate before agreeing to give a fare and also don’t take shared taxis from any agency as it is much costlier.There are many shared taxis available so finding one will not be an issue.

The trick in selecting shared taxis is to look for one which will get filled early.The taxis will not leave unless it is filled to capacity.So you should not board a taxi which is empty initially as you might need to wait more.

NJP to Gangtok Reserved Taxi

The most costly option is reserved taxi.The cost of reserved taxi varies from 1500 INR to 2500 INR.The price depends upon the car you are selecting.The price also depends upon season.In peak season the prices may shoot up and in off season you will get vehicles in cheaper rate.

It becomes best option if you have a group close to seven or eight member.As cost of shared and reserved taxi will be same.The cost also depends on season.So before finalizing one try to get price quote from one or more taxis.

NJP to Gangtok in night

Many travelers have asked asked me below questions

• Should I travel from New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok in night with family?
• What time it takes to reach Gangtok from New Jalpaiguri?
• Which is best tour agent for Gangtok?

Traveling from NJP to Gangtok is not recommended in night.I would say you can travel but it is not advisable.It is hilly region.There are places with no shop or human presence.Imagine in case your vehicle has some problem will there be a way out.Also driving in hilly region in night is not safest of option.

The time to reach Gangtok from New Jalpaiguri is dependent on traffic jam.Traffic jam is heavily dependent upon weather conditions.On an average the journey takes 4 hours to 5 hours.The distance between NJP and Gangtok is 114 km.But on hilly region 25 km/hr to 30 km/hr is standard.But this time may go up by an hour and half in case of jams and all.

I am not attached or represent any tourism company or tour agent.I am a traveler like you.You have lots of tour agents to choose from.

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