Sikkim

Gangtok & Tsomgo Lake — the short Sikkim break

3 Days / 2 Nights · 2N Gangtok

1. 1

   Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok

   Up the Teesta valley, and an evening on MG Marg.

   • •Met at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station
   • •The NH10 drive along the Teesta — about 4-5 hours, with a tea stop
   • •Check in at Gangtok and the rest of the afternoon free
   • •MG Marg in the evening — the pedestrian street at the centre of town

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Permit paperwork for tomorrow is completed this evening, so carry your original ID.

2. 2

   Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and back

   A glacial lake at 3,753 m, two hours above the town.

   • •Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — frozen through much of the winter, yaks on the shore
   • •Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir, a little further along the old Silk Road
   • •Nathula Pass — optional, permit-only and subject to the day and the weather
   • •Return to Gangtok by evening

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Nathula Pass is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, is open to Indian nationals only, and needs a separate permit applied for the day before. Snow shuts it without notice, so we treat it as a hope rather than a promise.

3. 3

   Gangtok sights, then the drive down

   The viewpoints above town, then back to the plains.

   • •Early breakfast and check out
   • •Ganesh Tok and Tashi Viewpoint — Kanchenjunga on a clear morning
   • •Do Drul Chorten and the Institute of Tibetology
   • •Drive to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri for your onward journey

   ⚠️ Please keep the departure after midday — the drive down is 4-5 hours.

Gangtok, Tsomgo & South Sikkim — Ravangla and Namchi

4 Days / 3 Nights · 2N Gangtok + 1N Ravangla

1. 1

   Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok

   Up the Teesta valley, and an evening on MG Marg.

   • •Met at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station
   • •The NH10 drive along the Teesta — about 4-5 hours
   • •Check in at Gangtok, evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Permit paperwork for tomorrow is completed this evening, so carry your original ID.

2. 2

   Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and back

   A glacial lake at 3,753 m, two hours above the town.

   • •Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — frozen through much of the winter
   • •Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir on the old Silk Road
   • •Nathula Pass — optional, permit-only and subject to the day and the weather
   • •Return to Gangtok by evening

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Nathula Pass is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, is open to Indian nationals only, and needs a separate permit applied for the day before. Snow shuts it without notice, so we treat it as a hope rather than a promise.

3. 3

   Gangtok → Rumtek → Ravangla

   The great monastery, then south to the Buddha on the ridge.

   • •Rumtek Monastery — seat of the Karmapa, and the largest in Sikkim
   • •Drive south to Ravangla through tea gardens and cardamom
   • •Buddha Park, Ravangla — the 40 m statue, with Kanchenjunga behind it on a clear day
   • •Ralang Monastery if the light holds

   Overnight — Ravangla
4. 4

   Namchi, then the drive down

   The hilltop temples above Namchi on the way out.

   • •Char Dham at Solophok — four shrines and a Shiva statue on the hill
   • •Samdruptse — the Guru Padmasambhava statue above Namchi
   • •Drive to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri for your onward journey

   ⚠️ The run down from Ravangla is a little shorter than from Gangtok, at about 4 hours.

Gangtok & North Sikkim — Lachung and the Yumthang valley

5 Days / 4 Nights · 3N Gangtok + 1N Lachung

1. 1

   Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok

   Up the Teesta valley, and an early night before the north run.

   • •Met at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station
   • •The NH10 drive along the Teesta — about 4-5 hours
   • •Check in at Gangtok, evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ North Sikkim permits are completed tonight against your original ID.

2. 2

   Gangtok → Lachung

   Six hours north, with the waterfalls of the Lachung road.

   • •Leave early — the road north is slow and the light goes early in the valley
   • •Seven Sisters Falls and Naga Falls on the way up
   • •The Teesta and Lachung rivers meeting at Chungthang
   • •Arrive Lachung by evening

   Overnight — Lachung

   ⚠️ Beyond Gangtok the North Sikkim road is rough and runs on local 4x4s rather than a sedan. That change of vehicle is included — it is also why the Lachung days are long.

3. 3

   Yumthang Valley, then back to Gangtok

   The valley of flowers at first light, then the long run south.

   • •Yumthang Valley at 3,564 m — rhododendrons from late March into May
   • •The hot spring across the river
   • •Zero Point — optional, snow-dependent and on a local jeep
   • •Return to Gangtok by evening

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ This is the longest day of the trip. We start it early rather than cut the valley short.

4. 4

   Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and back

   A glacial lake at 3,753 m, two hours above the town.

   • •Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — frozen through much of the winter
   • •Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir on the old Silk Road
   • •Nathula Pass — optional, permit-only and subject to the day and the weather
   • •Evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Nathula Pass is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, is open to Indian nationals only, and needs a separate permit applied for the day before. Snow shuts it without notice, so we treat it as a hope rather than a promise.

5. 5

   Gangtok sights, then the drive down

   The viewpoints above town, then back to the plains.

   • •Ganesh Tok and Tashi Viewpoint — Kanchenjunga on a clear morning
   • •Do Drul Chorten and the Institute of Tibetology
   • •Drive to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri for your onward journey

   ⚠️ Please keep the departure after midday — the drive down is 4-5 hours.

North Sikkim & Pelling — Yumthang, Tsomgo and the old capital

6 Days / 5 Nights · 3N Gangtok + 1N Lachung + 1N Pelling

1. 1

   Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok

   Up the Teesta valley, and an early night before the north run.

   • •Met at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station
   • •The NH10 drive along the Teesta — about 4-5 hours
   • •Check in at Gangtok, evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ North Sikkim permits are completed tonight against your original ID.

2. 2

   Gangtok → Lachung

   Six hours north, with the waterfalls of the Lachung road.

   • •Seven Sisters Falls and Naga Falls on the way up
   • •The Teesta and Lachung rivers meeting at Chungthang
   • •Arrive Lachung by evening

   Overnight — Lachung

   ⚠️ Beyond Gangtok the North Sikkim road is rough and runs on local 4x4s rather than a sedan. That change of vehicle is included — it is also why the Lachung days are long.

3. 3

   Yumthang Valley, then back to Gangtok

   The valley of flowers at first light, then the long run south.

   • •Yumthang Valley at 3,564 m — rhododendrons from late March into May
   • •The hot spring across the river
   • •Zero Point — optional, snow-dependent and on a local jeep
   • •Return to Gangtok by evening

   Overnight — Gangtok
4. 4

   Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and back

   A glacial lake at 3,753 m, two hours above the town.

   • •Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — frozen through much of the winter
   • •Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir on the old Silk Road
   • •Nathula Pass — optional, permit-only and subject to the day and the weather
   • •Evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Nathula Pass is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, is open to Indian nationals only, and needs a separate permit applied for the day before. Snow shuts it without notice, so we treat it as a hope rather than a promise.

5. 5

   Gangtok → Pelling

   West through the hills to the old royal capital.

   • •Drive west to Pelling — about 4-5 hours
   • •Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest in Sikkim
   • •Rabdentse Ruins — the second capital, in the woods behind the monastery
   • •Pelling Skywalk and the Chenrezig statue, weather permitting

   Overnight — Pelling
6. 6

   Khecheopalri, then the drive down

   The wishing lake, then back to the plains.

   • •Khecheopalri Lake — a sacred lake where leaves are said never to settle
   • •Kanchenjunga Falls if the road is clear
   • •Drive to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri for your onward journey

   ⚠️ Pelling to Bagdogra is about 4-5 hours. Please keep the departure after midday.

Sikkim & Darjeeling Complete — Yumthang, Pelling and Tiger Hill

7 Days / 6 Nights · 3N Gangtok + 1N Lachung + 1N Pelling + 1N Darjeeling

1. 1

   Bagdogra / NJP → Gangtok

   Up the Teesta valley, and an early night before the north run.

   • •Met at Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station
   • •The NH10 drive along the Teesta — about 4-5 hours
   • •Check in at Gangtok, evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ North Sikkim permits are completed tonight against your original ID.

2. 2

   Gangtok → Lachung

   Six hours north, with the waterfalls of the Lachung road.

   • •Seven Sisters Falls and Naga Falls on the way up
   • •The Teesta and Lachung rivers meeting at Chungthang
   • •Arrive Lachung by evening

   Overnight — Lachung

   ⚠️ Beyond Gangtok the North Sikkim road is rough and runs on local 4x4s rather than a sedan. That change of vehicle is included — it is also why the Lachung days are long.

3. 3

   Yumthang Valley, then back to Gangtok

   The valley of flowers at first light, then the long run south.

   • •Yumthang Valley at 3,564 m — rhododendrons from late March into May
   • •The hot spring across the river
   • •Zero Point — optional, snow-dependent and on a local jeep
   • •Return to Gangtok by evening

   Overnight — Gangtok
4. 4

   Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and back

   A glacial lake at 3,753 m, two hours above the town.

   • •Tsomgo (Changu) Lake — frozen through much of the winter
   • •Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir on the old Silk Road
   • •Nathula Pass — optional, permit-only and subject to the day and the weather
   • •Evening free on MG Marg

   Overnight — Gangtok

   ⚠️ Nathula Pass is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, is open to Indian nationals only, and needs a separate permit applied for the day before. Snow shuts it without notice, so we treat it as a hope rather than a promise.

5. 5

   Gangtok → Pelling

   West through the hills to the old royal capital.

   • •Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest in Sikkim
   • •Rabdentse Ruins — the second capital, in the woods behind the monastery
   • •Pelling Skywalk and the Chenrezig statue, weather permitting

   Overnight — Pelling
6. 6

   Pelling → Darjeeling

   Across into West Bengal, and the tea hills.

   • •Khecheopalri Lake on the way out of West Sikkim
   • •Drive to Darjeeling — about 4-5 hours
   • •The Mall and Chowrasta in the evening

   Overnight — Darjeeling

   ⚠️ Darjeeling is in West Bengal, not Sikkim, so no permit is needed — but it is a separate state for anything you are carrying.

7. 7

   Tiger Hill sunrise, then the drive down

   Kanchenjunga at first light, then back to the plains.

   • •Tiger Hill before dawn — sunrise on Kanchenjunga, and Everest on the clearest mornings
   • •Batasia Loop and the Ghoom Monastery on the way back
   • •Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park, if time allows
   • •Drive to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri for your onward journey

   ⚠️ Tiger Hill is an early start and a cold one. Darjeeling to Bagdogra is about 3 hours.

• →Bagdogra airport and New Jalpaiguri station are both about 4-5 hours from Gangtok on NH10. Please book an arrival before early afternoon and a departure after midday, so neither end of the trip is a race.
• →Permits for Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim are issued against original photo ID. Carry your Aadhaar or passport and two passport photographs each. Foreign nationals need an Inner Line Permit for Sikkim itself, and are not permitted at Nathula.
• →Tsomgo is at 3,753 m and Yumthang at 3,564 m, with Zero Point higher still. If anyone travelling has a heart or breathing condition, tell us before we book North Sikkim.
• →June to September brings landslides on NH10 and in North Sikkim, and the road can shut for hours. We plan around the monsoon rather than promise through it.
• →Beyond Gangtok the North Sikkim road is rough and runs on local 4x4s rather than a sedan. That change of vehicle is included — it is also why the Lachung days are long.
• →Lachen and Gurudongmar Lake can be added where permits and conditions allow. We keep Gurudongmar out of the fixed plan because it is closed more often than people expect, and at 5,430 m it is not a casual add-on.
• →Lachung accommodation is simple by design — it is a mountain village, and the power and hot water follow mountain rules.
• →Lachen and Gurudongmar Lake can be added where permits and conditions allow. We keep Gurudongmar out of the fixed plan because it is closed more often than people expect.
• →Tiger Hill is shared with a great many vehicles in season. We leave early for a reason, and on a cloudy morning no one can promise you the mountain.

Booking, payment and cancellation terms are the same as every trip we run — see our Trip Policies.