East & Northeast
The Undiscovered
“Kolkata, the tea hills and the living root bridges”
Kolkata to the living root bridges of Meghalaya, via what may be the world’s most beautiful narrow gauge railway and Buddhist monasteries above the clouds. The east is the differentiator. No Bollywood reference points, no preconceptions, nothing between you and the real thing.
Trip trajectory & transit passages
Kolkata
This is the least visited region in the collection. Mobile signal and amenities are noticeably sparser than the other routes. Sikkim requires an Inner Line Permit and, for parts of North Sikkim, a Protected Area Permit. Since January 2026 these are processed entirely online through India’s e-FRRO system rather than issued on paper, and peak season processing can take one to three weeks, so we start the application well ahead of travel. Foreign passport holders currently cannot visit Nathu La Pass, Gurudongmar Lake, or the Zuluk circuit, and cannot travel solo in North Sikkim. The Gangtok to Shillong leg is a full transit day by design, routed via Guwahati, worth setting that expectation rather than letting it feel like a wasted day. The northeast monsoon, June to September, is intense. The Sohra to Mawsynram ridge around Cherrapunji is among the wettest places on Earth, with Mawsynram now holding the official record for highest average annual rainfall.
- All ground transport between cities, including the Gangtok to Shillong transit via Guwahati
- Accommodation per selected tier
- Daily breakfast
- Guided experiences as listed in the itinerary
- Sikkim permit processing, arranged on the traveller’s behalf
- Entry fees for all listed sites
- A dedicated English speaking guide
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses and tips
- The Tsomgo Lake day trip, where accessible
Paid in the UK, in pounds
We’re a small UK-based team. When you book, you pay us directly in pounds, so there’s no overseas transfer to arrange and no separate agent to chase.
Change it, right up until you fly
This is a bespoke trip, built around you. Swap a city, shift your dates, change the service tier, for as long as you haven’t boarded your flight to India. Customisation is available throughout, not just at checkout.
A person replies, within one to two days
Every inquiry reaches a member of the team directly, with a reply on dates and pricing within one to two days, by whichever contact method you prefer.
Every inquiry becomes a dossier
We don’t just email back a price. The team turns your inquiry into a personal dossier, with a personal touch: confirmed dates, your chosen module swaps, and the exact land price, sent within one to two days.
Ready to make this yours?
Tell us when, how many of you, and any swaps you have in mind. Someone from the team replies within one to two days, and none of this is locked in early, so keep changing your mind until you fly.
Not sure this is the one?
Five questions, no typing required. We'll match you to one of the eight routes: this one, or another.
Getting there
Join, leave, and everything in between.
Join
Kolkata (CCU)
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
Private transfer from the airport, roughly 45 minutes into the city.
Leave
Kolkata (CCU)
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
Private transfer from the airport, roughly 45 minutes into the city.
Alternative gateway
Bagdogra (IXB) : Bagdogra Airport
Around 65km from Darjeeling and 124km from Gangtok: a practical way to join or leave partway through the route rather than doubling back to Kolkata.
Primary hub: Kolkata (CCU)
Fly into Kolkata to join the journey and depart from Kolkata at the end. Travellers who would rather join or leave closer to Darjeeling or Sikkim can use Bagdogra instead, partway along the route.
You can arrive early or stay on after the trip. Rooetd does not require your international flight to match our itinerary exactly.
Heritage connection
Kolkata on the East trip hits differently if you have Bengali heritage. College Street, the intellectual cafés, and Durga Puja if you time it right. The city that produced Tagore and Ray isn’t just history, it still feels like a living version of that culture.More on Bengali heritagePlan a trip rooted in this heritage →
4 real trips through The Undiscovered, not stock footage
Not staged for us. Real people's real trips, on camera: food, heritage sites, and the everyday texture of the route.
Meghalaya: India’s Beautiful State in the Lap of Nature
Kanishk Gupta
CENTRAL Kolkata STREET Food Tour | Kathi ROLL + Mughlai POROTA + VADA
Delhi Food Walks
Darjeeling Joy Ride | Toy Train Journey on UNESCO Mountain Railway
Wander Wings
4K Walk Around Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge and Railway Station
The Silent Wanderlust