Sikkim experiences
Wildlife and birds
Red panda country, pheasants and sanctuaries
Photo: Shiv's fotografia · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sanctuaries and forest trails timed to season, with local guides who know the calls. 25 experiences below, each with its time, cost and the best hour to go.
Wildlife and birds
Birding morning in Fambong Lho
An early start with a local bird guide in one of the best forest birding sites near Gangtok. Mixed flocks of minlas, …
Wildlife and birds
Red pandas at the Himalayan Zoological Park
Cross the road from Ganesh Tok into a hillside zoo of natural forest, where red pandas, Sikkim's state animal, live in large …
Wildlife and birds
Early birding for the blood pheasant
An early-morning birding trip into Kyongnosla with a local guide, looking for Sikkim's state bird, the blood pheasant, as well as monals …
Wildlife and birds
Red panda habitat: what to expect
Kyongnosla's lower bamboo thickets are red panda habitat, but the animal is shy and rarely seen. An honest guide to your chances, …
Wildlife and birds
Morning birding around Martam
The mix of fields, bamboo, cardamom and forest edges around Martam draws a good variety of common Himalayan birds. An early walk …
Wildlife and birds
Yaks and blue sheep on the high plateau
Between Thangu and the lake, the high plateau is grazing land for domestic yaks and home to wild animals such as blue …
Wildlife and birds
Early bird walk around Kabi forest
A slow early walk along the highway edge and forest tracks near Kabi Lungchok. The surrounding subtropical hill forest is recorded as …
Wildlife and birds
Birdsong by the falls
Listen and look for birds in the forest around the falls before the traffic builds up. The Kabi area is recorded as …
Wildlife and birds
Birding morning in the Shingba forest
With a private vehicle and a local guide, spend an early morning birding along the road through the sanctuary. Mixed fir and …
Wildlife and birds
Early morning birding around Dentam
Walk the edges of fields, river and forest around Dentam at dawn, when the valley is quiet and the birds are most …
Wildlife and birds
Birding on the Dubdi trail
Walk slowly up the forested trail to Dubdi at dawn with binoculars, looking and listening for the mid-hill birds of West Sikkim …
Wildlife and birds
Birding in the park's lower forests
Walk the first stretch of the Yuksom trail at dawn with a guide who knows the birds, in forests where the park …
Wildlife and birds
Early birding on the Rabdentse forest path
The oak and rhododendron forest around Rabdentse is a gentle, quiet place to look for mid-hill Himalayan birds in the first two …
Wildlife and birds
Birding on the forest road above the gorge
Walk a quiet stretch of road from the Singshore Bridge up towards Uttarey in the early morning, when mixed flocks move through …
Wildlife and birds
Dawn birding walk for Kitam's peafowl
An early walk on the forest tracks of Kitam with a local guide, listening for peafowl and junglefowl at first light and …
Wildlife and birds
Bird photography at Kitam's forest edges
A patient morning for photographers along Kitam's forest edges and clearings, where soft early light and open sal canopy give better chances …
Wildlife and birds
Looking for red panda and blood pheasant
A slow, quiet wildlife walk into Maenam's upper bamboo and fir forest with a naturalist, searching for signs of red panda and …
Early birds in the Rock Garden
The flowering shrubs and forest edges around the garden draw sunbirds, bulbuls, white-eyes and laughingthrushes in the early morning. A relaxed birding …
Wildlife and birds
Birding the forest edges above Ravangla
An early walk with a local bird guide along the forest roads and trails above Ravangla, towards Maenam. Look for verditer flycatchers, …
Wildlife and birds
Rhododendrons and birds on Tendong in spring
A slower version of the Tendong walk with a bird guide in March and April, when rhododendrons flower on the upper slopes …
Wildlife and birds
Early morning forest-edge birding
A quiet early walk on forest paths near the village, listening for laughingthrushes, minlas and yuhinas in the mixed oak and magnolia …
Wildlife and birds
Birdwatching along the water
A quiet early session by the river, looking for dippers, wagtails and forest-edge birds in the warm valley.
Wildlife and birds
Morning birding in the Pangolakha forests
Walk or drive slowly along the road around Zuluk at first light to look for pheasants and Himalayan forest birds. The village …
Wildlife and birds
Dawn birding in the Barsey forest
Walk slowly into the Barsey sanctuary at first light with a local guide to look for the Himalayan forest birds that make …
Wildlife and birds
Early birding walk around Mangalbarey
Walk quiet village lanes and forest edges around Mangalbarey at dawn, where farmland and mixed forest at about 1,200 m attract common …
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartOther kinds of experience
Get my price
Tell us your dates and your budget
Who is travelling, when, and roughly what you want to spend. The Gangtok desk replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and an itemised price.
- No payment to start
- Permits handled through registered partners
- Every hotel, car and fee listed