Nature · Tashi View Point
Kangchenjunga sunrise at Tashi View Point
Gangtok's classic dawn outing: a pre-dawn taxi up the north road, tea at the railing and the Kangchenjunga range turning pink and gold. On a clear winter morning it is the image most people take home from Sikkim.
Photo: Tomabarker · CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Set your alarm about an hour before sunrise. In December and January that means waking around 5 am, in October and late February closer to 4:30 am. Your taxi takes 20–25 minutes from MG Marg, past the Secretariat and Bakthang Falls, to the terrace on a bend of the North Sikkim Highway at about 1,890 m.
Find a place at the railing and face north-west. As the sky lightens, the shape of the Kangchenjunga range appears; then, a few minutes before sunrise in the valleys, the highest summits catch the light and glow pink, then gold. The whole show lasts around 20 minutes. A telephoto lens helps, but phone cameras capture it well too.
It can be cold, around 0–6 °C in midwinter, so dress warmly. Weekends are busy with families and tour groups; weekdays are quieter. If cloud hides the peaks, try again the next morning: many of our guests see the mountain on their second or third attempt.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
What time should we leave for Tashi View Point?
About 40 minutes before sunrise. That is roughly 5:15 am in October, 5:40–5:50 am in December and January, and 5:15 am again in March. The drive from MG Marg takes 20–25 minutes, and you want 15–20 minutes at the railing before the first light hits the peaks.
Is Kangchenjunga always visible from Tashi View Point?
No. It depends on the weather. From mid-October to February the chance of a clear sunrise is good, perhaps most mornings. In March and April haze increases, and from June to September monsoon cloud usually hides the range. Keep two mornings free if the view matters to you.
Is Tashi View Point crowded at sunrise?
On weekends, holidays and in peak weeks such as Durga Puja, Diwali and Christmas, the terrace fills up and parking is tight. On weekdays in January and February it is much calmer. Arrive 20–30 minutes before sunrise to get a place at the railing.
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