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Voykit pocket guide · India
Panitanki
Panitanki is a border crossing, not a destination: allow time for formalities and stay overnight if you need to cross early. One hour from Siliguri, four hours from Darjeeling.
Panitanki is the Indian side of the Nepal border crossing at Kakarbhitta. Most travellers use it to switch between India and Nepal by road. The village itself has no sights — the reason to stop is the border formalities, a meal, or a night's sleep before an early crossing. From Siliguri it's one hour; from Darjeeling four hours.
- Country
- India
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (monsoon)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹500–1,000 (transit only) · Mid ₹1,500–2,500 (with overnight stay) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 112
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
Get in
By air
- IXB · Bagdogra Airport
- check
Typical fares
- Siliguri → Panitanki, bus/shared taxi
- about ₹100–200, 1 h (check)
- Darjeeling → Panitanki, shared taxi
- about ₹300–500, 4 h (check)
- Rickshaw Panitanki → Kakarbhitta
- about ₹50–100
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk or take a rickshaw the 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to Kakarbhitta. Shared taxis and buses connect to Siliguri and Darjeeling.Walk or take a rickshaw the 1.1 mi (1.7 km) to Kakarbhitta. Shared taxis and buses connect to Siliguri and Darjeeling.
See and do
Known for
- India–Nepal border crossing
- Gateway to Kakarbhitta and Kathmandu
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Siliguri | Bus or shared taxi, about 1 h | 1 h |
| Darjeeling | Shared taxi, about 4 h | 4 h |
| Kakarbhitta | Walk or rickshaw, 1.7 km (1.1 mi)Walk or rickshaw, 1.1 mi (1.7 km) | 15–20 min |
Sleep
- Near the border gate
- Basic guesthouses for transit travellers; check the room before paying.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | कितना?kitna |
| Where is the border? | सीमा कहाँ है?seema kahan hai |
| I need a taxi | मुझे टैक्सी चाहिएmujhe taxi chahiye |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Carry small Indian rupee notes for rickshaws and snacks.
- Border crossing hours: check the current opening times — some gates close at night (check).
- No ATMs at the border; withdraw in Siliguri or Darjeeling (check).
Panitanki is a quiet border village. The main risk is touts at the crossing: agree on rickshaw and taxi fares before you start.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Panitanki yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- India–Nepal border crossing
- Gateway to Kakarbhitta and Kathmandu
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Panitanki, revision 5327193 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5327193
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/panitanki). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.