Sikkim in March

Gangtok 9 to 19 °C; Tsomgo −4 to 7 °C

Spring begins. Rhododendrons start to flower lower down in Fambong Lho and the Kyongnosla forests, Tsomgo begins to thaw, and Nathu La usually reopens after winter closures. Haze from the plains increases later in the month, so mountain views are best early. Losar celebrations fill Rumtek in some years.

Go to: Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary · Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary · Nathu La

Lachung 0 to 12 °C; Yumthang often snowbound early in the month

The thaw begins. Early-season visitors may see snow at Yumthang with the first rhododendrons flowering lower down, though road closures after late snowfall are still possible. Lachen and Gurudongmar access depends on that year's road status and snow. Crowds are thin and prices are lower than in April and May.

Go to: Lachung · Yumthang Valley · Mangan

Pelling 5 to 17 °C, haze builds late in the month

Spring starts. Rhododendrons begin flowering in the forests above Uttarey and on the Goecha La trail, magnolias appear on the Pelling ridges, and the first trekking groups leave Yuksom late in the month. Bumchu at Tashiding can fall in early March. Mornings are usually clear, afternoons hazier.

Go to: Yuksom · Uttarey · Tashiding

Namchi 10–21 °C, Ravangla 5–15 °C, mild, some haze

Spring arrives. Tree rhododendrons flower red and pink on Tendong and Maenam, Temi begins its first flush from late March, and birdsong fills the forests. Days are comfortable for walking and village stays, though mountain views are less reliable than in autumn. In years when Maha Shivaratri falls in early …

Go to: Temi Tea Garden · Tendong Hill · Kewzing

Zuluk 0 to 12 °C; Aritar 9 to 21 °C

Spring arrives. Rhododendrons flower from the Padamchen forests upwards as the month goes on, the snow line retreats, and the high road usually becomes reliable again. Mornings can still be clear enough for Kangchenjunga from Thambi. Lampokhari and the Aritar fields turn green, and the lower villages are warm by …

Go to: Padamchen · Zuluk · Thambi View Point · Aritar

Rinchenpong 9 to 20 °C; Okhrey 4 to 15 °C, occasional showers

Spring arrives. Rhododendrons start to bloom at Barsey from mid-March, beginning with the lower trees around Hilley, and magnolias flower across the district. Days are warm, with some haze in the afternoons and occasional showers, but mornings are often clear enough for Kangchenjunga. Okhrey's homestays fill from the second half …

Go to: Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary · Okhrey · Hilley