Red panda country and a long bird list
Birds and wildlife in Sikkim
The red panda is Sikkim's state animal and the blood pheasant its state bird. Kitam, Maenam, Fambong Lho, Kyongnosla and Khangchendzonga National Park hold most of what birders come for. Sightings are never promised.
Photo: Dibyendu Ash · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The red panda is Sikkim's state animal and the blood pheasant its state bird. Kitam, Maenam, Fambong Lho, Kyongnosla and Khangchendzonga National Park hold most of what birders come for. Sightings are never promised.
Sikkim packs subtropical forest, temperate oak and fir, and alpine meadow into one small state, which is why the bird list is so long. Early mornings and local guides matter more than any gear.
Red pandas are shy and rarely seen in the wild. We never promise wildlife, and we never use guides who bait or chase animals.
Packages
Trips built around it
Sorted by price. Indicative per person, twin sharing.
Rolep riverside village stay, 3 nights
Rolep
Budget
Top2,300M
Uttarey and Hee Bermiok village escape
Hee Bermiok · Uttarey
Value
Top1,980M
Pakyong villages: Aritar, Mankhim and Rolep, 4N
Aritar · Mankhim · Rolep
Value
Top2,600M
South Sikkim birding trip, 5 nights
Namchi · Ravangla
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Places for birds and wildlife
sanctuary
Fambong L…2,100M
Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary
Oak, magnolia and red panda forest west of Gangtok
viewpoint
Ganesh Tok1,980M
Ganesh Tok
A tiny Ganesh shrine at 1,980 m, opposite Gangtok's red pandas
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
Rhododendron and fir forest on the Tsomgo road
valley
Dzongu1,200M
Dzongu
The Lepcha reserve across the Teesta from Mangan
sanctuary
Shingba R…3,200M
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
Sikkim's rhododendron forest on the road to Yumthang
Dentam
A farming valley on the road to Singshore Bridge and Uttarey
monastery
Dubdi Mon…2,100M
Dubdi Monastery
The hermit's cell above Yuksom, often called Sikkim's oldest monastery
sanctuary
Khangchen…1,780M
Khangchendzonga National Park
India's first mixed World Heritage Site, entered on foot from Yuksom
Kitam Bird Sanctuary
Sikkim's low, warm sal forest, best known for wild peafowl
Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary
Red panda forest and a summit of medicine plants above Ravangla
Tendong Hill
The Lepcha ark mountain, a half-day forest walk from Damthang
village
Aritar1,400M
Aritar
Lake village on the old Kalimpong trade road
village
Padamchen2,200M
Padamchen
Forest village halfway up the Old Silk Route
Rolep
Riverside farming hamlet for slow days
sanctuary
Barsey Rh…3,000M
Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
A 104 km² rhododendron forest reached by a 4–5 km walk from Hilley
viewpoint
Hilley2,750M
Hilley
The road-end checkpost where the Barsey forest walk begins
Mangalbarey
A subdivision bazaar and the way to Rahuney Cave
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Experiences on the way
Nature
Day hike through Fambong Lho forest
A guided day walk through Fambong Lho's layers of forest, from broadleaf trees and ferns into oak, magnolia, rhododendron and bamboo. Steady …
Wildlife and birds
Birding morning in Fambong Lho
An early start with a local bird guide in one of the best forest birding sites near Gangtok. Mixed flocks of minlas, …
Adventure
Climb towards Tinjure ridge
A longer, harder walk up through Fambong Lho to the area of Tinjure, at about 2,749 m the sanctuary's highest point. For …
Nature
Rhododendrons and magnolias in spring
A gentle spring walk in the middle forest of Fambong Lho, when magnolias and rhododendrons flower and orchids open on the tree …
Monasteries and shrines
Ganesh Tok shrine and the view over Gangtok
Climb the short steps to the tiny Ganesh shrine, stoop through its doorway to offer a prayer, then stand on the terrace …
Wildlife and birds
Red pandas at the Himalayan Zoological Park
Cross the road from Ganesh Tok into a hillside zoo of natural forest, where red pandas, Sikkim's state animal, live in large …
Nature
Evening lights of Gangtok from Ganesh Tok
Watch the sun set behind the western hills and the lights of Gangtok come on along the ridge below. A gentle hour …
Adventure
Walking down from Ganesh Tok to MG Marg
After the zoo, skip the taxi and walk back down the ridge to town, passing Enchey Monastery on the way. About 5 …
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Stays that fit
Budget
Mayal Lyang Homestay
A Lepcha family homestay at Passingdang in Upper Dzongu, run by Gyatso Lepcha and his family, one of the first in Dzongu. Wooden rooms, …
Budget
Dzongu Lepcha homestays
Lepcha families across Dzongu villages such as Lingthem, Lingdong, Passingdang and Hee Gyathang host guests in traditional homes. Homestays began here around 2006–08 as …
Budget
Padamchen village homestays
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 …
Budget
Rolep riverside homestays
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 …
Value
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 …
Value
Lampokhari Village Resort
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, …
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Plan a birds and wildlife trip with us
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