Value homestay village · Aritar
Aritar lakeside homestays
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 the lake, the gumpa and the 1895 dak bungalow. No special permit needed.
Photo: Amitabha Gupta · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
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 the lake, the gumpa and the 1895 dak bungalow. No special permit needed.
Aritar has more homestays than anywhere else on the lower Silk Route, from basic rooms to newer houses with glass-fronted sitting areas facing the hills. We use the better ones within walking distance of Lampokhari lake: attached bathrooms with geysers, clean bedding and families who cook proper Nepali home food, from sel roti at breakfast to gundruk soup at dinner.
Aritar is mild and open to everyone, foreign travellers included, so it is our usual first or last night on any Silk Route trip. Walk round the lake before breakfast, climb to the Aritar Gumpa, or drive up to Mankhim for the views. It is also a fine two-night stop on its own for families who do not want the altitude of Zuluk.
Why we book it
What it does well
- Walk to Lampokhari lake and the old dak bungalow
- Open to foreign travellers, unlike the upper Silk Route
- Attached baths and hot water in the better houses
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Aritar lakeside homestays
Do we need a permit for Aritar?
No special permit. Aritar lies below the restricted Silk Route area, so Indian travellers need only the normal Sikkim entry, and foreign travellers need their Sikkim Restricted Area Permit, applied online on the e-FRRO portal. The Silk Route permit via Rongli is only needed for Zuluk, Nathang and the villages above Rongli. Check current status before you travel.
How far is Aritar from Gangtok and Siliguri?
About 67 km from Gangtok, roughly 3 hours by car via Rangpo and Rhenock, and around 110–120 km from Siliguri or NJP, 4–5 hours via Rangpo and Rhenock. NH10 closes after slides in the monsoon, when drivers use the Kalimpong and Pedong road instead. Check current status before you travel.
Is Aritar good for a family with small children?
Yes. At about 1,450 m there is no altitude worry, the lake walk is flat and short, there is boating at Lampokhari, and the homestays are used to children. It is the Silk Route stop we suggest for families who do not want to take toddlers up to Zuluk or Nathang.
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