Guides
Read before you go
What things really cost, which permits you need, when roads close, and the Lepcha, Bhutia, Limbu and Nepali histories behind the places. Written by our desk in Gangtok and checked against official sources.
Start with the money and permit guides for the district you are visiting, then read the season notes for your month. Rules, fees and road status change often, so every guide ends with the same advice: check current status before you travel.
Every guide
seasons
Best time to visit Gangtok, month by month
The best time to visit Gangtok is October to mid-December for clear Kanchenjunga views, and March to May for flowers and mild days. January …
stories
The Chogyals and the story of Sikkim
Sikkim was a kingdom ruled by twelve Chogyals of the Namgyal dynasty from 1642, when Phuntsog Namgyal was consecrated at Yuksom, to 1975, when …
planning
Gangtok in 3 days: a first-timer's plan
Three days in Gangtok works best as one easy arrival day, one permit day to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir (with Nathu La on …
food
Gangtok food guide: momo, thukpa, gundruk and more
Gangtok's food comes from three kitchens: Tibetan and Bhutia (momo, thukpa, phagshapa), Nepali (sel roti, gundruk, dal-bhat, sinki) and Lepcha and Limbu (kinema, tongba, …
culture
Gangtok's monasteries explained
Gangtok's main monasteries belong to two schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingma (Enchey, the Do Drul Chorten, the royal Tsuklakhang) and Kagyu (Rumtek, Lingdum). Rumtek …
money
Gangtok on a budget: real costs for 2026
A careful traveller can do Gangtok for about ₹1,800–2,500 a person a day in 2026: a shared jeep up from Siliguri for ₹350–550, a …
money
Sikkim tour costs explained: cabs, jeeps and SNT
A Sikkim trip costs mostly transport and rooms. Shared jeeps cost ₹150–800 a seat, a reserved small car ₹3,000–4,000 a day and an SUV …
practical
Sikkim with kids or seniors from Gangtok
Sikkim works well for families and older travellers if you keep drives under five hours, spend a night in Gangtok before going high, pick …
planning
Tsomgo, Nathu La and Baba Mandir: permits and day trip
Tsomgo Lake (3,753 m), Baba Mandir (about 4,000 m) and Nathu La (4,310 m) are one long day from Gangtok in a registered vehicle …
stays
Where to stay in Gangtok by budget
For most visitors the best place to stay in Gangtok is within a 10-minute walk of MG Marg, on Tibet Road, PS Road or …
stories
Dzongu and the Lepcha: a reserve with a story
Dzongu is a reserved homeland for the Lepcha in Mangan district, protected since a 1958 notification of the Chogyal's government. In 2007 its young …
stories
The Dzumsa of Lachung and Lachen
Lachung and Lachen are run by the Dzumsa, a village assembly of every household, led by an elected headman called the Pipon and two …
practical
Gurudongmar Lake and altitude safety
Gurudongmar Lake sits at about 5,183 m, 67 km and 3–3.5 hours above Lachen. You reach it only after a night in Lachen, leaving …
planning
Lachung vs Lachen: which valley to pick
Pick Lachung (2,700 m) for Yumthang's rhododendrons, Zero Point snow and an easier trip that foreigners can also do. Pick Lachen (2,750 m) for …
money
North Sikkim package costs explained
A 2N/3D North Sikkim trip from Gangtok costs about ₹6,500–9,000 per person on a shared seat with a basic lodge, and about ₹11,000–14,000 each …
planning
North Sikkim permits and rules 2026
Every trip north of Mangan needs a Protected Area Permit, issued only through a Sikkim Tourism-registered agent and a registered North Sikkim vehicle. Operators …
practical
North Sikkim road status and the monsoon
As of October 2026, Lachung, Yumthang and Zero Point are open, and Lachen and Gurudongmar permits resumed around 11–12 September 2026 after repairs. The …
planning
North Sikkim with children and seniors
Children under 5 are not permitted in North Sikkim, so families with toddlers should plan elsewhere. For older children and healthy seniors, choose Lachung …
practical
What to pack for North Sikkim
Pack layers, not one heavy coat: thermals, a fleece, a padded jacket and a windproof shell, plus a woollen cap, gloves, sunglasses and boots …
seasons
Yumthang and Zero Point by season
Come to Yumthang in late April and May for rhododendrons, October and November for clear skies and autumn colour, and December to March for …
practical
Getting to West Sikkim from Bagdogra and NJP
West Sikkim has no airport or railway. Fly to Bagdogra (IXB) or take a train to New Jalpaiguri (NJP), then drive 5–7 hours via …
practical
Goecha La and Dzongri trek: permits, cost, season
Goecha La is a 9–10 day round trek from Yuksom (1,780 m) through Khangchendzonga National Park to a viewpoint at about 4,570 m below …
seasons
Kanchenjunga views in West Sikkim: when and where
Your best chance of a clear Kangchenjunga is a dawn between mid-October and mid-December, from Upper Pelling, the Sanga Choeling ridge or the Rabdentse …
culture
Khangchendzonga National Park UNESCO site explained
Khangchendzonga National Park, inscribed by UNESCO in July 2016, was India's first mixed World Heritage Site, listed for both nature and culture. It covers …
money
Pelling on a budget: real costs for 2026
Two people can see Pelling well for about ₹8,000–10,000 each for three nights if they ride shared jeeps from Siliguri, stay in a ₹1,800–2,500 …
planning
Pelling vs Yuksom vs Uttarey: where to base
Base in Pelling for Kangchenjunga views, the most rooms and easy sightseeing; in Yuksom for history, quiet and the Goecha La trail; in Uttarey …
stays
West Sikkim homestays and villages
Homestays in West Sikkim cost about ₹1,200–2,500 per person a night with dinner and breakfast, often cheaper than a Pelling hotel once meals are …
culture
The West Sikkim monastic trail, stop by stop
West Sikkim's monastic trail links six sites from the founding years of the Namgyal kingdom: Pemayangtse, Sanga Choeling, the Rabdentse ruins, Khecheopalri Lake, Dubdi …
seasons
West Sikkim month by month
The best months for West Sikkim are mid-October to mid-December for clear Kangchenjunga views, and March to May for rhododendrons, birds and trekking. January …
stories
Yuksom 1642 and the birth of the Namgyal kingdom
Sikkim's 333-year Namgyal monarchy began at Yuksom, where tradition says three Tibetan lamas crowned Phuntsog Namgyal as the first Chogyal in 1642. The stone …
practical
Borong hot spring and village stays
Borong is a farming village about 17 km beyond Ravangla, above a sulphur hot spring on the Rangeet that locals call Borong Tsachu. The …
money
Namchi and Ravangla on a budget
Namchi and Ravangla are the cheapest comfortable corner of Sikkim. Shared jeeps from Siliguri cost about ₹250–450 a seat, clean rooms run ₹1,200–2,500, there …
stays
Ravangla vs Namchi: where to stay
Stay in Namchi (1,315 m) for town comforts, lower prices, warmer nights and the Char Dham and Samdruptse sights. Stay in Ravangla (about 2,100 …
practical
Birding in South Sikkim: Kitam, Maenam, Tendong
South Sikkim packs three bird habitats into an hour's drive: Kitam Bird Sanctuary's warm sal and pine forest at 370–980 m, the oak and …
food
Cardamom and farm life in South Sikkim
Large cardamom, grown in shady gullies under alder trees and dried over wood smoke, has been the cash crop of Sikkim's hill farms for …
planning
South Sikkim for families and seniors
South Sikkim is the gentlest part of the state: the main bases sit at 1,300–2,100 m, no permits are needed for Indian families, children …
seasons
South Sikkim month by month
The best months for South Sikkim are October to mid-December, for clear mountain views, and March to May, for flowers, tea and birds. January …
culture
Sikkim's pilgrim trail: Char Dham to Ralang
South Sikkim holds four of the state's best-known pilgrim sites within 40 km of each other: the Hindu Char Dham complex at Namchi, the …
food
Temi tea: the estate, the flushes, visiting
Temi Tea Garden, set up in 1969 on the slopes below Tendong Hill, is Sikkim's only tea estate: about 177 hectares of organic orthodox …
stories
Tendong Hill and the Lepcha flood story
Tendong Hill, a 2,600 m forested summit between Namchi and Ravangla, is sacred to the Lepcha. Their oral tradition holds that it rose above …
planning
Aritar and Lampokhari: a slow first stop in Pakyong
Aritar is a farming village at about 1,400 m in Pakyong district, built around Lampokhari Lake, one of the few lakes in Sikkim where …
practical
Getting to the Silk Route from NJP, Bagdogra or Gangtok
From NJP or Bagdogra, drive about 110–120 km and 4–4.5 hours via Sevoke and Rangpo to Rongli, where the permit is processed, then climb …
planning
Pakyong villages: Rolep, Rhenock, Lingtam and Padamchen
Below Zuluk, Pakyong district is a country of river valleys, cardamom slopes and small villages. Rolep is a riverside hamlet for slow days, Rhenock …
stays
Silk Route homestays: what to expect at each stop
Almost every bed on the Old Silk Route is in a family homestay. Expect a clean, simple room, thick quilts, home-cooked dinner and breakfast, …
seasons
Silk Route month by month: weather, views and crowds
The best months for the Old Silk Route are mid-October to early December for clear views, January to March for snow, and April to …
planning
Silk Route permits and rules: who, where and how
The Old Silk Route beyond Rongli is a protected area open to Indian nationals only. Your driver, agent or homestay processes the permit at …
stories
Jelep La, mules and wool: the Silk Route story
The Old Silk Route through Pakyong district was a mule track from Kalimpong over Jelep La (4,390 m) into Tibet's Chumbi Valley. Wool, furs …
money
Old Silk Route trip cost: real numbers for 2026
A 3-night Old Silk Route trip from NJP costs about ₹9,000–11,000 per person on a budget when four people share one car and stay …
seasons
Silk Route in winter: snow, chains and closures
Snow usually covers Nathang and Kupup from December and reaches Zuluk and Thambi in January and February. The road can close for a day …
seasons
Zuluk zig-zag road: when to go for snow, fog or clear views
The famous Zuluk zig-zag is the stretch of road climbing from Zuluk at about 2,900 m to Thambi View Point at about 3,400 m, …
planning
Hilley to Barsey: the rhododendron walk
The walk from Hilley (about 2,730 m) to Barsey (about 3,000 m) is 4 km each way on a broad forest trail, 1.5–2 hours …
stories
The Limbu of western Sikkim: a short history
The Limbu, who call themselves Yakthung, are one of Sikkim's oldest communities, and in Soreng district Limbu is the most spoken mother tongue after …
culture
Okhrey: a Sherpa village below Barsey
Okhrey is a Sherpa farming village at about 2,200 m in Soreng district, 10 km below Hilley and the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary. Most visitors …
seasons
Rhododendrons of Sikkim: species, places, months
Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills hold 45 rhododendron taxa, including 36 species, according to the Botanical Survey of India's 2022 account. They flower from …
stays
Rinchenpong and Kaluk: where to stay, what to see
Rinchenpong and Kaluk are twin villages about 3 km apart on a ridge at roughly 1,700 m, facing Kangchenjunga. Stay in Rinchenpong to walk …
journeys
Combining Soreng with Pelling: routes and costs
Pelling and Soreng's Rinchenpong–Kaluk ridge are only about 35–40 km apart, 1.5–2 hours by road, which makes them easy to combine. Pelling gives you …
planning
Soreng district explained: Sikkim's newest district
Soreng became Sikkim's sixth district in December 2021, carved from West Sikkim. It covers the south-western hills between Jorethang and the Nepal border, including …
seasons
Soreng month by month: when to go
The best months for Soreng are March and April for rhododendrons at Barsey and October to December for clear Kangchenjunga views from Rinchenpong and …
money
Soreng on a budget: real costs for 2026
Soreng is one of the cheapest parts of Sikkim to travel in. Two people sharing can do three nights in Rinchenpong or Okhrey for …
stays
Slow travel and village homestays in Soreng
Soreng suits slow travel: short distances, cheap family homestays and days built around walks, farms and mountain views rather than sights. Base yourself in …
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