Where the money goes
When we price a trip, three things make up about 85 percent of the cost: the vehicle, the rooms and the North Sikkim permit package if there is one. Meals, entry fees, permits for Tsomgo and Nathu La and our planning fee make up the rest. Flights or trains to Bagdogra or NJP sit outside all of this.
That split explains why two Sikkim packages with the same places can differ by ₹15,000 a person. A small car instead of an Innova, a ₹2,000 room instead of a ₹6,000 one, and a shared North Sikkim seat instead of a reserved SUV each change the total far more than any sight on the itinerary. Below we explain each part as plainly as we can, with indicative 2026 prices. Check current rates before you travel.
| Part of the trip | Budget | Value | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle per day | Shared jeeps, or small car ₹3,000–4,000 | Small car or Bolero ₹3,500–4,500 | Innova-class SUV ₹5,000–6,500 |
| Room per night | ₹1,500–3,000 | ₹3,500–6,000 | ₹6,500–12,000 |
| North Sikkim 2N per person | ₹6,500–9,000 shared | ₹10,000–14,000 | ₹16,000–24,000 |
| 6-night trip per person | ₹13,000–20,000 | ₹22,000–32,000 | ₹38,000–60,000 |
How Sikkim's taxi syndicates work
Sikkim's taxis are not metered. Owners belong to taxi syndicates, which fix fares by route and by vehicle type, and drivers take turns from the stands. You book through a stand, your hotel or a registered travel agent, and the fare is the fare. Haggling rarely works, but comparing two agents does, because agents add their own margin.
Two rules matter for planning. First, permit areas, which include Tsomgo Lake, Nathu La, the Old Silk Route and all of North Sikkim, can only be visited in a Sikkim-registered tourist vehicle whose driver is cleared for that route, with a permit applied for by a Sikkim Tourism-registered agent. Second, taxis from West Bengal usually drop you in Gangtok and do not do local sightseeing; you switch to a Sikkim vehicle there. If you hire one car from Bagdogra for the whole trip, it must be a Sikkim vehicle if it is going anywhere that needs a permit.
The government sometimes fixes fares to stop overcharging. In May 2024, for example, the tourism department fixed the round-trip Gangtok–Nathu La fare at ₹6,500 for a normal and ₹7,000 for a luxury vehicle, including the permit charge, as reported by PTI. Such orders are updated, so ask for the current rate in writing.
- Small car (Alto, WagonR class): up to 4 passengers, about ₹3,000–4,000 a day
- Sumo, Bolero or Max: 8–10 seats, about ₹3,500–5,000 a day
- Innova, Xylo or Scorpio: 6–7 passengers, about ₹4,500–6,500 a day
- Innova Crysta and premium SUVs: about ₹6,000–8,000 a day
North Sikkim packages
North Sikkim is the one part of the state you cannot price day by day. Permits for Lachung, Yumthang, Zero Point, Lachen and Gurudongmar are issued only through Sikkim Tourism-registered agents with registered vehicles, operators require a minimum 2-night stay, tourist vehicles must cross the Toong check post by 4 pm, and children under 5 are not permitted. So the trip is sold as a package of vehicle, permit, lodge and meals.
In 2026 a shared-seat package to Lachung and Yumthang for 2 nights costs about ₹6,500–9,000 per person with a simple lodge and all meals. A reserved vehicle with permit for the same trip costs about ₹15,000–18,000 for the car, and for 3 nights covering Lachen, Gurudongmar and Lachung about ₹20,000–26,000, with hotels extra. Zero Point beyond Yumthang is usually a separate add-on of about ₹2,000–3,500 per vehicle, paid in Lachung, and foreigners cannot go to Gurudongmar. Roads have been repeatedly disrupted since the October 2023 Teesta flood; check current road and permit status before you travel.
Shared jeep fares are posted at most counters, and the ticket clerk will write your seat number on the slip; keep it until you arrive.
Rooms, meals and the small costs
Room costs follow our four tiers. Budget rooms and homestays cost about ₹1,500–3,000 a night in towns, and homestays about ₹1,200–2,500 per person with meals. Value-tier 3-star hotels cost about ₹3,500–6,000, comfort-tier hotels and resorts about ₹6,500–12,000, and premium hotels such as Mayfair, Taj Guras Kutir and The Elgin Nor-Khill about ₹9,000–35,000. North Sikkim lodges in Lachung and Lachen are simpler at every level and usually include dinner and breakfast.
Then there are the small costs that packages often hide. We list them openly.
- Sikkim tourist fee: ₹50 per person, collected by your first hotel, valid 30 days, under-5s exempt
- Nathu La permit: about ₹200 per person plus agent handling; Indians only
- Tsomgo permit handling: usually bundled in the vehicle or seat price
- Zero Point add-on: about ₹2,000–3,500 per vehicle
- Monastery and park entries: usually small, from free to about ₹100
- Meals outside packages: ₹400–900 a day per person
- GST: tour packages carry 5 percent GST in India; ask whether a quote includes it
- Driver night halt and parking: included in our prices, but check other quotes
Reading a package quote
When you compare quotes, put them side by side on five points: the vehicle type and whether it is reserved or shared, the hotel names and room category, which meals are included, which permits and add-ons are included, and whether GST is in the price. A quote that says 'Innova or similar, 3-star hotels, Nathu La subject to availability' tells you almost nothing. Ask for hotel names.
At Sikkim Escapes each journey page shows a price breakdown that adds up to the 'from' price, with our planning fee as its own line. Budget journeys use shared jeeps or a small shared car and clean budget rooms; value journeys use a private small car and good 3-star hotels; comfort journeys use a private SUV and the best mid-range hotels; premium journeys use top hotels and private everything. Prices are per person, twin sharing, and indicative; check current rates before you travel.
One last tip: the cheapest quote is not always the cheapest trip. A package that saves ₹2,000 by putting you in a hotel 40 minutes from MG Marg can cost that back in evening taxis, and a North Sikkim deal that leaves Gangtok late can miss the 4 pm Toong deadline and lose you a day.
Rules, fees, fares and road status change often. Check current status before you travel.
