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Rhododendrons, orchids and silver fir

Flowers and forests in Sikkim

Sikkim's state tree is the rhododendron and its state flower the noble orchid. Barsey, Yumthang's Shingba sanctuary and the Goecha La trail turn red, pink and white from March to May. We plan around bloom, not calendars.

Photo: Dibyendu Ash · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Sikkim's state tree is the rhododendron and its state flower the noble orchid. Barsey, Yumthang's Shingba sanctuary and the Goecha La trail turn red, pink and white from March to May. We plan around bloom, not calendars.

Rhododendrons flower from about 1,800 m in March up to the alpine zone in late May, so one trip can follow the bloom uphill. Orchids are best in the lower valleys and at the orchid sanctuaries around Gangtok.

Bloom moves with the weather each year. We watch reports from the sanctuaries and tell you honestly if a week looks early or late.

Packages

Trips built around it

Sorted by price. Indicative per person, twin sharing.

Every package
Lachung and Yumthang on a budget Budget Top3,564M

Lachung and Yumthang on a budget

3 nights, 4 daysBalanced

Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹8,500
Okhrey, Hilley and Barsey rhododendron walk Budget Top3,000M

Okhrey, Hilley and Barsey rhododendron walk

3 nights, 4 daysBalanced

Okhrey · Hilley · Okhrey

From, per person₹9,000
Lachen, Gurudongmar and Lachung loop Budget Top5,183M

Lachen, Gurudongmar and Lachung loop

3 nights, 4 daysActive

Lachen · Lachung

From, per person₹10,500
Gangtok and Lachung budget trip Budget Top3,564M

Gangtok and Lachung budget trip

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹13,500
Gangtok and Lachung on a budget Budget Top4,000M

Gangtok and Lachung on a budget

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹15,500
Uttarey and Hee Bermiok village escape Budget Top2,300M

Uttarey and Hee Bermiok village escape

5 nights, 6 daysEasy

Hee Bermiok · Uttarey

From, per person₹15,500
Gangtok, Lachung and Pelling on a budget Budget Top3,564M

Gangtok, Lachung and Pelling on a budget

6 nights, 7 daysActive

Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok · Pelling

From, per person₹17,500
Dzongri short trek from Yuksom Budget Top4,200M

Dzongri short trek from Yuksom

6 nights, 7 daysActive

Yuksom · Dzongri and Goecha La · Yuksom

From, per person₹18,500
South Sikkim birding trip, 5 nights Value Top2,600M

South Sikkim birding trip, 5 nights

5 nights, 6 daysBalanced

Namchi · Ravangla

From, per person₹25,000
North Sikkim family trip, slower ascent Value Top3,564M

North Sikkim family trip, slower ascent

5 nights, 6 daysEasy

Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹27,000
Yumthang rhododendron season Value Top4,700M

Yumthang rhododendron season

5 nights, 6 daysEasy

Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹27,500
Gangtok and North Sikkim in a private car Value Top5,183M

Gangtok and North Sikkim in a private car

5 nights, 6 daysActive

Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok

From, per person₹28,000
Goecha La trek, group departure Budget Top4,570M

Goecha La trek, group departure

10 nights, 11 daysActive

Yuksom · Dzongri and Goecha La · Yuksom

From, per person₹28,500

Where to go

Places for flowers and forests

Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary sanctuary Fambong L…2,100M

Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary

Oak, magnolia and red panda forest west of Gangtok

Best Mar – May · Oct – Dec0 nightsEast Sikkim
sanctuary Kyongnosl…3,300M

Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary

Rhododendron and fir forest on the Tsomgo road

Best Apr – May · Oct – Nov0 nightsEast Sikkim
Ranipool and Saramsa Garden garden Ranipool …900M

Ranipool and Saramsa Garden

A river junction town and a 1922 orchid garden

Best Feb – May · Oct – Nov0 nightsEast Sikkim
Chopta Valley valley Chopta Va…4,000M

Chopta Valley

A high meadow beside the Lachen river, just beyond Thangu

Best May · Oct – Nov0 (stay in Lachen) nightsNorth Sikkim
Lachung village Lachung2,700M

Lachung

A Dzumsa-run village at 2,700 m on the road to Yumthang

Best Apr – May · Oct – Nov1–2 nightsNorth Sikkim
Seven Sisters Waterfall waterfall Seven Sis…1,300M

Seven Sisters Waterfall

A roadside cascade in the Kabi forest on the way to Phodong

Best Mar – May · Sep – Nov0 nightsNorth Sikkim
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary sanctuary Shingba R…3,200M

Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary

Sikkim's rhododendron forest on the road to Yumthang

Best Apr – May · Oct0 (stay in Lachung) nightsNorth Sikkim
Thangu valley Thangu3,900M

Thangu

The last village before Gurudongmar, at about 3,900 m

Best May · Oct – Nov0 (stay in Lachen) nightsNorth Sikkim
Yumthang Valley valley Yumthang …3,564M

Yumthang Valley

Sikkim's valley of flowers at 3,564 m, 24 km above Lachung

Best Apr – May · Oct – Nov0 (stay in Lachung) nightsNorth Sikkim
Dzongri and Goecha La trek Dzongri a…4,020M

Dzongri and Goecha La

Sikkim's classic trek from Yuksom to the face of Kangchenjunga

Best Apr – May · Oct – Nov6–10 nightsWest Sikkim
Kanchenjunga Falls waterfall Kanchenju…1,400M

Kanchenjunga Falls

A tall, two-pronged waterfall on the Pelling–Yuksom road

Best Apr – May · Sep – Nov0 nightsWest Sikkim
Khangchendzonga National Park sanctuary Khangchen…1,780M

Khangchendzonga National Park

India's first mixed World Heritage Site, entered on foot from Yuksom

Best Apr – May · Oct – Nov2–10 nightsWest Sikkim
Khecheopalri Lake lake Khecheopa…1,700M

Khecheopalri Lake

The sacred lake where birds are said to clear the fallen leaves

Best Oct – May0–1 nightsWest Sikkim
Uttarey village Uttarey2,000M

Uttarey

A forest village on the Singalila Ridge by the Nepal border

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1–3 nightsWest Sikkim
sanctuary Kitam Bir…650M

Kitam Bird Sanctuary

Sikkim's low, warm sal forest, best known for wild peafowl

Best Nov – Apr0–1 nightsSouth Sikkim
sanctuary Maenam Wi…3,263M

Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary

Red panda forest and a summit of medicine plants above Ravangla

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov0 (full-day trek from Ravangla) nightsSouth Sikkim
garden Namchi Ro…1,740M

Namchi Rock Garden

Terraced paths, ponds and Precambrian rock on the Samdruptse road

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov0 (short stop from Namchi) nightsSouth Sikkim
trek Tendong H…2,600M

Tendong Hill

The Lepcha ark mountain, a half-day forest walk from Damthang

Best Mar – Apr · Oct – Dec0 (half-day walk from Namchi or Ravangla) nightsSouth Sikkim
Padamchen village Padamchen2,200M

Padamchen

Forest village halfway up the Old Silk Route

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1 nightsPakyong and the Silk Route
Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary sanctuary Barsey Rh…3,000M

Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary

A 104 km² rhododendron forest reached by a 4–5 km walk from Hilley

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1–2 nightsSoreng
Hilley viewpoint Hilley2,750M

Hilley

The road-end checkpost where the Barsey forest walk begins

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov0–1 nightsSoreng
Okhrey village Okhrey2,300M

Okhrey

A Sherpa village of homestays below the Barsey rhododendron forest

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1–2 nightsSoreng

Things to do

Experiences on the way

Every experience
Day hike through Fambong Lho forest 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 …

5–6 hoursFambong Lho Wildlife SanctuaryGuide ≈ ₹2,000–3,500; car ≈ ₹2,500–3,500
Birding morning in Fambong Lho 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, …

4–5 hoursFambong Lho Wildlife SanctuaryBird guide ≈ ₹2,500–3,500; car ≈ ₹2,500–3,500
Climb towards Tinjure ridge 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 …

Full dayFambong Lho Wildlife SanctuaryGuide ≈ ₹2,500–3,500; car ≈ ₹3,000–3,500
Rhododendrons and magnolias in spring 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 …

4–5 hoursFambong Lho Wildlife SanctuaryGuide ≈ ₹2,000–3,000; car ≈ ₹2,500–3,500
Rhododendron drive through Kyongnosla Nature

Rhododendron drive through Kyongnosla

In spring, the Tsomgo road through Kyongnosla becomes one of the easiest rhododendron drives in Sikkim, with red, pink and cream blooms …

Built into the Tsomgo dayKyongnosla Alpine SanctuaryIncluded in the Tsomgo car hire
Early birding for the blood pheasant Wildlife and birds

Early birding for the blood pheasant

An early-morning birding trip into Kyongnosla with a local guide, looking for Sikkim's state bird, the blood pheasant, as well as monals …

Half dayKyongnosla Alpine SanctuaryGuide ≈ ₹2,000–3,500; car ≈ ₹4,500–6,500
Nature

Alpine flowers of Kyongnosla in summer

From May to August, Kyongnosla's ground flora flowers: primulas, irises, aconites, potentillas, asters and ground orchids. A trip for plant lovers who …

Half day with stopsKyongnosla Alpine SanctuaryCar ≈ ₹4,500–6,500; guide ≈ ₹2,000–3,000
Red panda habitat: what to expect Wildlife and birds

Red panda habitat: what to expect

Kyongnosla's lower bamboo thickets are red panda habitat, but the animal is shy and rarely seen. An honest guide to your chances, …

Built into a birding or nature morningKyongnosla Alpine SanctuaryGuide ≈ ₹2,000–3,500

Where to sleep

Stays that fit

Every stay
Yarlam Resort Premium

Yarlam Resort

ResortLachung

The most polished hotel in Lachung, set on the slope above the village near the army camp, with valley-facing rooms, room heating, a restaurant …

≈ ₹9,000–15,000 a room a night (indicative)
Le Coxy Resort Comfort

Le Coxy Resort

ResortLachung

A larger, modern resort at Fakha on the Lachung side of the valley, popular with families for spacious rooms, heated mattresses and a buffet …

≈ ₹5,000–8,000 a room a night (indicative)
Fortuna Lachung Value

Fortuna Lachung

HotelLachung

A well-reviewed mid-range hotel near the police check post on the Yumthang road, with valley views and staff who understand cold-weather guests. Good value …

≈ ₹3,000–5,000 a room a night (indicative)
Snow Lion Mountain Resort Value

Snow Lion Mountain Resort

HotelLachung

A friendly, modestly priced hotel near the State Bank ATM in Lachung, close to the river, often praised for its hosts and home-style food. …

≈ ₹2,500–4,000 a room a night (indicative)
Lachung family homestays Budget

Lachung family homestays

Homestay villageLachung

Several Lachungpa families take guests in their homes, with dinner and breakfast cooked in the family kitchen. It is the cheapest way to sleep …

≈ ₹1,200–2,000 per person a night with meals (indicative)
Uttarey village homestays Budget

Uttarey village homestays

Homestay villageUttarey

Family homestays in Uttarey, the cool village at about 2,000 m on the Singalila Ridge near the Nepal border, beyond the Singshore Bridge. Simple …

≈ ₹1,200–2,200 per person a night with meals (indicative)

Other themes

MonasteriesLakes and passesSnow and winterVillage homestaysHoneymoonsFamily holidaysTreks and walksFood and teaFestivalsBirds and wildlifePhotographyCrafts and cultureOffbeat Sikkim

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