Short drives, warm rooms, no surprises
Family holidays in Sikkim
Routes with drives under five hours, warm rooms, and altitude added slowly. North Sikkim does not allow children under 5 in its protected areas, so we plan around that and tell you before you book.
Photo: Myself (Ambuj Saxena) · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Routes with drives under five hours, warm rooms, and altitude added slowly. North Sikkim does not allow children under 5 in its protected areas, so we plan around that and tell you before you book.
Families travel better with fewer hotel changes and a rest day built in. We cap most drives at four or five hours and plan high sights as morning trips from a lower base.
Age rules matter here: children under 5 are not permitted in North Sikkim protected areas, and very high sights are hard on small children and older parents. Check current status before you travel.
Packages
Trips built around it
Sorted by price. Indicative per person, twin sharing.
Budget
Top1,980M
Aritar weekend: lake, Mankhim and villages
Aritar
Budget
Top1,800M
Namchi weekend from NJP, 2 nights
Namchi
Budget
Top2,200M
Pelling budget escape from NJP
Pelling
Budget
Top2,100M
South Sikkim pilgrim circuit, 3 nights
Namchi · Ravangla
Budget
Top3,564M
Lachung snow trip, December to February
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top2,100M
Namchi and Ravangla on a budget, 4 nights
Namchi · Ravangla
Budget
Top3,564M
Gangtok and Lachung budget trip
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route family trip, 4 nights
Aritar · Padamchen · Zuluk
Budget
Top2,150M
Namchi, Ravangla and Pelling, 6 nights
Namchi · Ravangla · Pelling
Value
Top2,100M
Easy South Sikkim family trip, 5 nights
Namchi · Ravangla
Value
Top2,100M
Pilgrim circuit for seniors, 5 nights
Namchi · Ravangla · Gangtok
Value
Top3,564M
North Sikkim family trip, slower ascent
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top2,200M
Gangtok, Namchi, Ravangla and Pelling, 7N
Gangtok · Namchi · Ravangla · Pelling
Value
Top4,100M
Pelling, Gangtok and the Silk Route, 8 nights
Pelling · Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartWhere to go
Places for family holidays
pilgrimage site
Baba Harb…4,000M
Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir
The Army shrine to a soldier who died in 1968
viewpoint
Ganesh Tok1,980M
Ganesh Tok
A tiny Ganesh shrine at 1,980 m, opposite Gangtok's red pandas
town
Gangtok1,650M
Gangtok
Sikkim's capital on a ridge at 1,650 m
pilgrimage site
Hanuman T…2,200M
Hanuman Tok
An Army-kept Hanuman temple at about 2,200 m above Gangtok
garden
Ranipool …900M
Ranipool and Saramsa Garden
A river junction town and a 1922 orchid garden
monastery
Ranka and…1,420M
Ranka and Lingdum
A Zurmang Kagyu monastery in the Ranka forest, 20 km from Gangtok
lake
Tsomgo La…3,753M
Tsomgo Lake
A glacial lake at 3,753 m, 40 km from Gangtok
heritage site
Kabi Lung…1,300M
Kabi Lungchok
The stones where Sikkim's blood-brotherhood oath is remembered
village
Lachung2,700M
Lachung
A Dzumsa-run village at 2,700 m on the road to Yumthang
valley
Yumthang …3,564M
Yumthang Valley
Sikkim's valley of flowers at 3,564 m, 24 km above Lachung
Darap
A Limbu farming village 8 km from Pelling, with homestays
waterfall
Kanchenju…1,400M
Kanchenjunga Falls
A tall, two-pronged waterfall on the Pelling–Yuksom road
heritage site
Norbugang1,800M
Norbugang
The stone throne where Sikkim's first king was consecrated in 1642
town
Pelling2,150M
Pelling
West Sikkim's base, facing Kangchenjunga across the Rangeet
heritage site
Rabdentse…2,000M
Rabdentse Ruins
Forest ruins of the royal capital of Sikkim from 1670
viewpoint
Singshore…1,600M
Singshore Bridge
Sikkim's highest bridge, 240 m across a gorge near Uttarey
pilgrimage site
Buddha Pa…2,115M
Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal)
A 130 ft copper Buddha with Mount Narsing behind it
pilgrimage site
Char Dham…1,710M
Char Dham, Solophok
A 108 ft Shiva and India's four dhams on one Sikkim hilltop
town
Jorethang300M
Jorethang
Warm river town on the Rangeet, gateway to West Sikkim
Melli
A two-state river town where South Sikkim begins
Namchi Rock Garden
Terraced paths, ponds and Precambrian rock on the Samdruptse road
town
Namchi1,500M
Namchi
Two giant statues, one tidy hill town, mild weather all year
town
Ravangla2,050M
Ravangla
A cool ridge town between Buddha Park, Ralang and Maenam
pilgrimage site
Samdruptse2,200M
Samdruptse
Guru Rinpoche, 135 ft tall, on the wish-fulfilling hill
tea garden
Temi Tea …1,500M
Temi Tea Garden
The Chogyal's tea estate, organic since the 2000s, above the Teesta
village
Aritar1,400M
Aritar
Lake village on the old Kalimpong trade road
village
Lingtam1,500M
Lingtam
Warm river village just above Rongli
Pakyong
District town below Sikkim's airport on a ridge
village
Kaluk1,550M
Kaluk
A breezy bazaar village and the comfortable base below Rinchenpong
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartThings to do
Experiences on the way
Monasteries and shrines
Visit the shrine of Baba Harbhajan Singh
Pay respects at the Army-run shrine to Sepoy Harbhajan Singh, who died near Nathu La in 1968 at 22. See his quarters …
Culture
The old Baba Mandir bunker on the Silk Route
On the Old Silk Route side, beyond the new shrine, stands the original Baba Mandir, built at Harbhajan Singh's bunker. It is …
Nature
Photographing the high road to Baba Mandir
The 18 km from Tsomgo to Baba Mandir climbs through some of the most open country on the Gangtok road: switchbacks, snowfields, …
Wellness
A gentle high-road day for seniors
How we plan Tsomgo and Baba Mandir for older travellers and anyone worried about altitude: a later start, more stops, short visits …
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 …
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartWhere to sleep
Stays that fit
Budget
Mintokling Guest House
A long-running, family-feel guest house on Bhanu Path, just below the Secretariat road and about 10 minutes on foot from MG Marg. Quiet garden, …
Budget
Hotel Sonam Delek
A small Tibet Road hotel that has been running since the early 1990s, a 10-minute walk from MG Marg. Rooms have balconies facing the …
Value
Netuk House
A family-run heritage house on Tibet Road built in the late 1950s for Gellong Netuk Lama, a counsellor to the Chogyal. Traditional Sikkimese rooms, …
Value
The Hidden Forest Retreat
A family-run guest house in Middle Sichey, about 2 km from central Gangtok, set in roughly three acres of garden built around an orchid …
Value
Hotel Tibet
An established mid-range hotel on Paljor Stadium Road, a few minutes' walk from MG Marg, decorated in a traditional Tibetan style. Suites and deluxe …
Comfort
The Chumbi Residency
One of Gangtok's best-known mid-range hotels, open since 1997 on Tibet Road, five minutes' walk above MG Marg. Consistent service, valley and Kangchenjunga views …
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartGet my price
Plan a family holidays trip with us
Who is travelling, when, and roughly what you want to spend. The Gangtok desk replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and an itemised price.
- No payment to start
- Permits handled through registered partners
- Every hotel, car and fee listed