Best month · Pakyong and the Silk Route
Pakyong and the Silk Route in December
Zuluk −4 to 8 °C, first snow likely; Aritar 6 to 17 °C
Photo: Atimit Kundu · CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Early winter. The first snow usually reaches Zuluk and Nathang in late December, and clear days give long views. Roads can close after a heavy fall, so build in a spare day. The Christmas–New Year week fills Aritar and Zuluk with families from Kolkata and Siliguri. The lower villages stay mild and sunny, ideal for walks around Lampokhari and the Rhenock bazaar.
- Weather
- Zuluk −4 to 8 °C, first snow likely; Aritar 6 to 17 °C
- Rating
- Best
- Best months
- Mar – May · Oct – Dec
Book the Christmas week by October, and keep the high night flexible in case of snow.
Where to go
Our picks for December
village
Zuluk2,800M
Zuluk
The old caravan halt below the zigzag road
village
Aritar1,400M
Aritar
Lake village on the old Kalimpong trade road
pilgrimage site
Mankhim1,980M
Mankhim
Kirat Rai temple on a ridge above Aritar
town
Rhenock1,040M
Rhenock
Old crossroads town between Kalimpong and the Silk Route
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. StartFestivals
On the calendar in December
Kirat Khambu Rai
Sakewa at Mankhim
Sakewa is the great earth-worship festival of the Kirat Khambu Rai. On Mankhim hill above Aritar, the Rai community gathers at its …
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. StartMost festival dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year. Ask us for the date in the year you travel.
Packages
Trips at their best in December
Questions travellers ask
Pakyong and the Silk Route in December
Is December a good time to visit Pakyong and the Silk Route?
Early winter. The first snow usually reaches Zuluk and Nathang in late December, and clear days give long views. Roads can close after a heavy fall, so build in a spare day. The Christmas–New Year week fills Aritar and Zuluk with families from Kolkata and Siliguri. The lower villages stay mild and sunny, ideal for walks around Lampokhari and the Rhenock bazaar.
What is the weather like in Pakyong and the Silk Route in December?
Zuluk −4 to 8 °C, first snow likely; Aritar 6 to 17 °C. Conditions differ by altitude and coast, so check the forecast for each stop a week before you travel.
Where should we go in Pakyong and the Silk Route in December?
We suggest Zuluk, Aritar, Mankhim, Rhenock. Book the Christmas week by October, and keep the high night flexible in case of snow.
Get my price
Travelling in December?
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
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- Every hotel, car and fee listed