Sikkim in November

Gangtok 8 to 17 °C, dry; Tsomgo −4 to 7 °C

Cold, clear and quieter after Diwali. Dawn views from the hill-top viewpoints are excellent, and the Tsomgo road is usually open, though nights at the lake drop below freezing. Paddy harvest continues in Martam and Sang. Good for monasteries, photography and village stays.

Go to: Hanuman Tok · Tsomgo Lake · Sang

Lachung −1 to 12 °C; Gurudongmar starting to freeze

Cold, dry and clear, with fewer crowds after Diwali. Gurudongmar begins to freeze from the edges, and Zero Point often has fresh snow. Dzongu is pleasant for walking, and the 2021 Tholung Kamsel was held in late November. Nights in Lachen and Lachung drop to around freezing.

Go to: Gurudongmar Lake · Lachung · Dzongu

Pelling 6 to 16 °C, clear, cold nights

Excellent visibility, fewer crowds than October and colder nights. Treks run until early to mid November before snow closes the high passes. A fine month for photography, monasteries and village homestays, with sharp views of Kangchenjunga from Pelling, Uttarey and Hee Bermiok.

Go to: Uttarey · Hee Bermiok · Dzongri and Goecha La

Namchi 10–21 °C, Ravangla 5–15 °C, clearest skies

Our pick of the year. The clearest skies of all, comfortable days, the end of the cardamom harvest and wild Himalayan cherry blossom along the Temi road. Tihar, the festival of lights, falls in late October or November. Ideal for village homestays, Tendong walks and photography, with cold but manageable …

Go to: Temi Tea Garden · Borong · Tendong Hill

Zuluk −1 to 11 °C; Aritar 9 to 20 °C

Clear, dry and cold, with the most reliable mountain views of the year and fewer crowds than October. Nathang is golden and frosty, the paddy at Aritar is harvested, and night temperatures at Zuluk fall below freezing. In late autumn the Rai community holds the Udhauli gathering of Sakewa at …

Go to: Nathang Valley · Kupup · Zuluk · Aritar

Rinchenpong 8 to 19 °C; dry and clear

Clear, dry and cool, with the most reliable mountain views of the year. Oranges ripen across the district, paddy harvest finishes in the lower valleys, and the Barsey walk gives clear views of the range. Chasok Tangnam, the Limbu harvest festival, may fall in late November on the full moon …

Go to: Rinchenpong · Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary · Soreng