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Pakyong district · Theme

Village homestays in Pakyong and the Silk Route

Sleep in the house, eat in the kitchen

Photo: Amitabha Gupta · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

In Pakyong and the Silk Route, village homestays works best in Aritar, Lingtam, Mankhim and Padamchen. We have 12 packages built around it. Registered homestays in Dzongu, Kewzing, Okhrey, Uttarey, Zuluk and dozens of other villages, paid fairly and booked directly with families. The cheapest way to see Sikkim, and the way you learn the most.

Sikkim has a wide network of registered rural homestays, many run by families and village committees. Rooms are simple and clean, meals are what the family cooks, and the money stays in the village.

Expect shared bathrooms in some houses, early dinners and quiet nights. Bring a torch, cash and patience with the hot water.

Places

Where to go

Aritar village Aritar1,400M

Aritar

Lake village on the old Kalimpong trade road

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1–2 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Lingtam village Lingtam1,500M

Lingtam

Warm river village just above Rongli

Best Oct – Apr1 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Mankhim pilgrimage site Mankhim1,980M

Mankhim

Kirat Rai temple on a ridge above Aritar

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov0–1 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Padamchen village Padamchen2,200M

Padamchen

Forest village halfway up the Old Silk Route

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
village Rolep1,200M

Rolep

Riverside farming hamlet for slow days

Best Oct – Apr1–3 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Rongli town Rongli1,585M

Rongli

Permit town and old market at the foot of the Silk Route

Best Oct – Apr0–1 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Zuluk village Zuluk2,800M

Zuluk

The old caravan halt below the zigzag road

Best Mar – May · Oct – Dec1–2 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route

Packages

Trips to start from

Indicative prices per person, twin sharing. Each one can be changed.

Aritar weekend: lake, Mankhim and villages Budget Top1,980M

Aritar weekend: lake, Mankhim and villages

2 nights, 3 daysEasy

Aritar

From, per person₹6,500
Pakyong villages: Aritar, Mankhim and Rolep, 4N Value Top1,980M

Pakyong villages: Aritar, Mankhim and Rolep, 4N

4 nights, 5 daysEasy

Aritar · Mankhim · Rolep

From, per person₹19,500
Budget Top1,980M

Rolep riverside village stay, 3 nights

3 nights, 4 daysEasy

Rolep

From, per person₹9,000
Silk Route from Gangtok on a budget, 3 nights Budget Top4,100M

Silk Route from Gangtok on a budget, 3 nights

3 nights, 4 daysBalanced

Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar

From, per person₹10,000
Old Silk Route on a budget, 3 nights from NJP Budget Top4,100M

Old Silk Route on a budget, 3 nights from NJP

3 nights, 4 daysBalanced

Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley

From, per person₹10,500
Silk Route family trip, 4 nights Value Top4,100M

Silk Route family trip, 4 nights

4 nights, 5 daysEasy

Aritar · Padamchen · Zuluk

From, per person₹16,000
Gangtok and the Silk Route, 5 nights Value Top4,100M

Gangtok and the Silk Route, 5 nights

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar

From, per person₹26,500
Gangtok and the Silk Route on a budget, 5N Budget Top4,100M

Gangtok and the Silk Route on a budget, 5N

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar

From, per person₹15,500
Pelling, Gangtok and the Silk Route, 8 nights Value Top4,100M

Pelling, Gangtok and the Silk Route, 8 nights

8 nights, 9 daysBalanced

Pelling · Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar

From, per person₹37,500
Full Silk Route loop on a budget, 6 nights Budget Top4,100M

Full Silk Route loop on a budget, 6 nights

6 nights, 7 daysBalanced

Aritar · Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Gangtok

From, per person₹18,000
Silk Route to Gangtok via Kupup and Tsomgo, 5N Value Top4,100M

Silk Route to Gangtok via Kupup and Tsomgo, 5N

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Aritar · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Gangtok

From, per person₹27,000
Silk Route winter snow trip, 4 nights Budget Top4,100M

Silk Route winter snow trip, 4 nights

4 nights, 5 daysBalanced

Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley

From, per person₹14,000

Experiences

Hours that fit the theme

Lampokhari Lake dawn walk and boat Nature

Lampokhari Lake dawn walk and boat

A 45 minute loop of Lampokhari Lake at first light, followed by a paddle boat if the counter is open. Mist, forest-edge …

2 hoursAritarFree walk; boat ≈ ₹100–300
Aritar Gumpa and Ari Bangla heritage walk Culture

Aritar Gumpa and Ari Bangla heritage walk

A slow walk to Aritar Gumpa, a Kagyu monastery, and the 1895 Ari Bangla dak bungalow nearby, with the trade-road history explained …

2–3 hoursAritarFree; small donation welcome
Cardamom and farm lane walk Village life

Cardamom and farm lane walk

A guided stroll through Aritar's farm lanes, where large cardamom grows under alder shade beside maize, ginger and vegetable plots. You learn …

2–3 hoursAritar≈ ₹300–600 for a local guide
Rorathang road falls and Rhenock market drive Nature

Rorathang road falls and Rhenock market drive

A half-day drive on the hill road to Rhenock, stopping at roadside waterfalls named in Wikipedia and wandering the Rhenock bazaar. It …

half dayAritar≈ ₹1,500–2,500 per car (shared)
Cardamom and kitchen garden walk Village life

Cardamom and kitchen garden walk

A slow walk through Lingtam's terraces where cardamom grows under shade beside maize, ginger and vegetables, with a host who explains each …

2 hoursLingtam≈ ₹300–500 for a local guide
Rongli river edge walk Nature

Rongli river edge walk

A short, careful walk to the river near Lingtam to listen, watch birds and see the water that later joins the Rangpo …

1.5 hoursLingtamFree
Farmhouse supper and evening chat Food

Farmhouse supper and evening chat

Dinner in a Lingtam farmhouse, with produce from the garden, tea afterwards and unhurried conversation about the road and the seasons.

eveningLingtamIncluded in homestay ≈ ₹1,200–1,700
Permit morning and Rongli bazaar stop Culture

Permit morning and Rongli bazaar stop

A relaxed start at Rongli: finish your Silk Route permit with a host or agent, then walk the bazaar, the oldest market …

2 hoursLingtam≈ ₹200–500 permit; free bazaar

Stays

Where we would book

Zuluk village homestays Budget

Zuluk village homestays

Homestay villageZuluk

Family-run homestays in Zuluk, the old overnight stop for Silk Route mule caravans at about 2,800 m. Simple rooms, thick quilts, home-cooked dal-bhat and …

≈ ₹1,200–1,800 per person a night with all meals (indicative)
Padamchen village homestays Budget

Padamchen village homestays

Homestay villagePadamchen

Quiet forest-edge homestays at Padamchen, about 2,200 m, between Lingtam and Zuluk. A good first night on the Silk Route for families who want …

≈ ₹1,200–1,800 per person a night with all meals (indicative)
Lingtam village homestays Budget

Lingtam village homestays

Homestay villageLingtam

Farmhouse homestays in Lingtam, a warm village at about 1,400 m just above Rongli, where cardamom, maize and vegetables grow around the houses. The …

≈ ₹1,200–1,700 per person a night with all meals (indicative)
Rolep riverside homestays Budget

Rolep riverside homestays

Homestay villageRolep

Village homestays at Rolep, a farming hamlet at about 1,200 m on the upper Rangpo river, around 20 km beyond Rongli. River sounds, terraced …

≈ ₹1,300–2,000 per person a night with all meals (indicative)
Aritar lakeside homestays Value

Aritar lakeside homestays

Homestay villageAritar

The better family homestays around Lampokhari lake and Aritar bazaar, at about 1,450 m. Rooms with attached baths, good home food and walks to …

≈ ₹1,500–2,500 per person a night with meals (indicative)
Mankhim hill homestays Value

Mankhim hill homestays

Homestay villageMankhim

Homestays on Mankhim hill above Aritar, near the Kirat Rai temple, at around 1,900–2,000 m. Wide views over the hills to the Kangchenjunga range …

≈ ₹1,500–2,500 per person a night with meals (indicative)
Lampokhari Village Resort Value

Lampokhari Village Resort

ResortAritar

A small village-style resort at Dalapchand, Aritar, close to Lampokhari lake. A step up from homestays, with private rooms, meals on site and parking, …

≈ ₹4,000–6,000 a room a night (indicative)
All of Pakyong and the Silk RouteVillage homestays across SikkimPakyong and the Silk Route on a budget

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