December to March, above 3,000 m
Snow and winter in Sikkim
Snow usually reaches Tsomgo, Nathu La, Zero Point, Lachung and the Silk Route between December and March. Roads close after heavy falls and reopen when the Army and BRO clear them, so winter trips need a flexible day.
Photo: Myself (Ambuj Saxena) · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Snow usually reaches Tsomgo, Nathu La, Zero Point, Lachung and the Silk Route between December and March. Roads close after heavy falls and reopen when the Army and BRO clear them, so winter trips need a flexible day.
Gangtok rarely sees snow, but an hour above it the road to Tsomgo often turns white by late December. Lachung and Yumthang are snowbound for much of January and February, and Zero Point is snow from November to April most years.
We plan winter trips with a buffer day, a 4x4 where the road needs one, and rooms with heating. Road and pass status changes daily in winter: check current status before you travel.
Packages
Trips built around it
Sorted by price. Indicative per person, twin sharing.
Budget
Top3,564M
Lachung and Yumthang on a budget
Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top5,183M
Lachen, Gurudongmar and Lachung loop
Lachen · Lachung
Budget
Top4,310M
Gangtok, Tsomgo and Nathu La on a budget
Gangtok
Budget
Top3,564M
Lachung snow trip, December to February
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top3,564M
Gangtok and Lachung budget trip
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,100M
Silk Route winter snow trip, 4 nights
Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley
Budget
Top2,100M
Borong hot spring slow trip, 5 nights
Ravangla · Borong
Budget
Top4,000M
Gangtok and Lachung on a budget
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top3,564M
Gangtok, Lachung and Pelling on a budget
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok · Pelling
Budget
Top5,183M
Gangtok, Gurudongmar and Yumthang budget
Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,000M
Sikkim by shared jeep: 9-night budget circuit
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok · Pelling · Yuksom · Ravangla
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route photography trip, 5 nights
Padamchen · Zuluk · Thambi View Point · Nathang Valley
Value
Top3,564M
North Sikkim family trip, slower ascent
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route to Gangtok via Kupup and Tsomgo, 5N
Aritar · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Gangtok
Value
Top5,183M
Gangtok and North Sikkim in a private car
Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
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 snow and winter
pilgrimage site
Baba Harb…4,000M
Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir
The Army shrine to a soldier who died in 1968
Cho La
The royal road to Tibet, open to Indians since 2025
pilgrimage site
Hanuman T…2,200M
Hanuman Tok
An Army-kept Hanuman temple at about 2,200 m above Gangtok
pass
Nathu La4,310M
Nathu La
The India–China border pass at 4,310 m
viewpoint
Tashi Vie…1,890M
Tashi View Point
Gangtok's sunrise point for Kangchenjunga, 8 km up the north road
lake
Tsomgo La…3,753M
Tsomgo Lake
A glacial lake at 3,753 m, 40 km from Gangtok
valley
Chopta Va…4,000M
Chopta Valley
A high meadow beside the Lachen river, just beyond Thangu
lake
Gurudongm…5,150M
Gurudongmar Lake
A sacred lake near the Tibet border, above 5,000 m
village
Lachen2,750M
Lachen
Gurudongmar's base village, run by its own Dzumsa
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
viewpoint
Zero Poin…4,660M
Zero Point (Yumesamdong)
Where the civilian road ends, about 4,660 m above Lachung
lake
Kupup3,940M
Kupup
Elephant Lake and the Yak golf course below Jelep La
valley
Nathang V…3,750M
Nathang Valley
A high yak valley where the 1888 campaign was decided
viewpoint
Thambi Vi…3,413M
Thambi View Point
Sunrise above the Zuluk loops, beside the 1888 Lingtu ridge
village
Zuluk2,800M
Zuluk
The old caravan halt below the zigzag road
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 …
Culture
Escorted visit to the Cho La battlefield
Drive up from your Silk Route homestay with an escort from Kupup to Cho La at about 4,593 m, the site of …
A night in a Silk Route homestay
The Cho La permit requires a night in an approved homestay at Kupup, Gnathang, Zuluk or Padamchen. It is cold and simple, …
Adventure
Cho La and Doklam on one trip
Cho La and Doklam (Doka La) opened together in autumn 2025 on two-day vehicle permits. With a night on the Old Silk …
Photographing the Chola range
The Chola range above the Silk Route offers some of the widest high-altitude views in Sikkim: bare ridges, frozen lakes, snowfields and …
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
Premium
Yarlam Resort
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 …
Comfort
Le Coxy Resort
A larger, modern resort at Fakha on the Lachung side of the valley, popular with families for spacious rooms, heated mattresses and a buffet …
Value
Fortuna Lachung
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 …
Value
Snow Lion Mountain Resort
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. …
Budget
Lachung family homestays
Several Lachungpa families take guests in their homes, with dinner and breakfast cooked in the family kitchen. It is the cheapest way to sleep …
Comfort
Summit Gangchen
Run by the Sikkim-based Summit Hotels group, Summit Gangchen is the largest and best-equipped hotel in Lachen, with electrically heated beds and a multi-cuisine …
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 snow and winter 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