Mountains, high-altitude valleys, winding roads and experiences worth travelling for.
From the streets of Gangtok to the high-altitude landscapes of North Sikkim, discover the places, routes and experiences that can shape your Sikkim trip.
Best time
March–May & October–November
Ideal duration
5–9 days
Gateway
Bagdogra / Siliguri
Best for
Mountains · Road Trips · Snow · Culture
Regions
East · North · South · West
Overview
The state is small on paper and enormous in practice. Gangtok is a working hill city with cafés, traffic and a ridge full of viewpoints. Four hours north the road narrows, the tree line drops away and North Sikkim turns into bare plateau, cold rivers and villages that shut down after dark.
West Sikkim is slower — Pelling looks straight at Kanchenjunga on a clear morning and rewards people who stay put for a few days. South Sikkim, around Namchi, Ravangla and the Temi tea slopes, is the greenest and easiest to reach. And Zuluk, on the Old Silk Route, exists mainly for the road itself.
Choosing between them matters more than trying to see all of them.
Where to go
Grouped by region, because that is how a Sikkim trip is actually built — one or two regions at a time.
Gangtok, the Nathula road and the Old Silk Route.
East Sikkim · 1,650 m approx.
The state capital and the natural starting point for almost every Sikkim trip. Gangtok is where paperwork, permits and vehicles get sorted, and where you acclimatise before heading higher.
Restricted area · permit required
A high-altitude pass on the India–China border and one of the old trading routes into Tibet. The drive up is bare, cold and dramatic, and the pass itself carries real historical weight.
East Sikkim · glacial lake
A glacial lake on the Nathula road that looks completely different across the year — frozen and white in deep winter, deep blue-green once the snow melts back.
Old Silk Route · road-trip country
A small settlement on the Old Silk Route, known for the stack of hairpin bends climbing out of the valley. This is the part of Sikkim that road-trippers come specifically for.
The high country
Where the road gets higher, the air gets thinner and the landscape gets wilder.
North Sikkim is not one trip. It is two separate valleys, reached on two separate drives, and mixing them up is the most common planning mistake people make.
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Lachen circuit
A high mountain village and the base for the drive to Gurudongmar. Nights here are cold and simple; departures are usually very early.
Lachen circuit · very high altitude
One of the highest lakes in the country, set on a stark, wind-scoured plateau. The landscape here is almost entirely rock, sky and water.
Lachung circuit
A river-valley village surrounded by pine and snow peaks, and the base for both Yumthang Valley and Zero Point.
Lachung circuit
An open alpine valley that changes character completely with the season — rhododendrons in spring, bare grass in autumn, snow in winter.
Lachung circuit · seasonal access
The point beyond Yumthang where the civilian road ends. Snow cover and access change through the year and are never guaranteed.
North Sikkim needs permits, the right vehicle and a realistic number of days. We handle all three.
See North Sikkim trips
West Sikkim
Pelling is built around one thing: the view. On a clear morning Kanchenjunga fills the skyline, and the rest of the day is monasteries, waterfalls and short drives through forest.
The greenest and most accessible corner of the state.
South Sikkim
Known for the Char Dham complex and Samdruptse, with wide views across the southern ridges. An easy stop between Siliguri and the rest of the state.
South Sikkim
Buddha Park sits on a ridge with mountain views on clear mornings. Quieter and slower than Gangtok, and a good base for short walks.
South Sikkim
Sikkim's only tea estate, laid out across a long slope with the Himalaya behind it. Best in the early morning before the cloud comes up the valley.
Find your fit
When to go
March – May
June – September
October – November
December – February
Snowfall, road access and permit rules vary year to year and cannot be guaranteed for any given date.
How long
4–5 days
A shorter first trip. Gangtok as a base, with Tsomgo, Nathula and nearby monasteries.
6–7 days
For travellers prioritising Lachung, Yumthang and Zero Point, with time to acclimatise.
8–10 days
Combine East and North with West or South depending on what you actually want from the trip.
Mountain travel takes longer than it looks on a map. Avoid trying to cover the entire state in a few days.
Trips by OhNortheast
Choose a route or build your own.
See every current Sikkim departure, or have a route built around your dates and pace.
* Prices are indicative and subject to demand, availability and the time of visit. Live details are on each trip page.
Don't want to follow a fixed itinerary? Tell us where you want to go, when you're travelling and what kind of experience you're looking for. We'll help build the route around you.
Practical information
Pakyong Airport in Sikkim and Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri. Bagdogra has the wider network.
New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the main railway gateway, connected to most major cities.
Bagdogra, Siliguri and NJP all connect onward to Gangtok by shared or private vehicle.
Parts of Sikkim are restricted areas and require permits, usually arranged in advance through a registered travel operator with valid photo identification. This commonly applies to:
Permit rules and access conditions can change. Confirm current requirements before travelling.
There is no single honest number. Two people on the same route in the same week can pay very differently. These are the factors that actually move the price:
Homestay, mid-range hotel or premium property — the single biggest swing.
Shared vehicle vs private cab, and how much distance the route covers.
Peak spring and autumn dates cost more than the shoulder months.
Restricted-area paperwork and the vehicles allowed on those routes.
Whether meals are included or paid as you go.
North Sikkim routes need specific vehicles and experienced drivers.
More regions means more driving days and more nights.
Costs per head fall as the group grows.
Distances on a map say very little about how long a Sikkim drive actually takes.
One spare day protects the rest of the itinerary if a route closes.
Clear mornings and clouded-over afternoons are normal at altitude.
Original photo ID and copies are needed for permits and check posts.
Confirm the status of the route on the day, not a week earlier.
Monasteries, villages and border zones all have their own etiquette.
On two wheels
Sikkim is made for travellers who enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Winding mountain roads, changing landscapes, remote villages and high-altitude routes make it a natural choice for a road trip.
Questions
March to May and October to November are the two strongest windows. Spring brings rhododendrons and pleasant weather; October–November usually gives the clearest mountain views. Winter is cold with the possibility of snow at altitude, and the monsoon months can bring road disruption.
Four to five days covers Gangtok and East Sikkim. Six to seven days is realistic if North Sikkim is the priority. Eight to ten days lets you combine East, North and West or South without rushing.
Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake, Nathula Pass and Zuluk in the east; Lachen, Gurudongmar, Lachung, Yumthang and Zero Point in the north; Pelling in the west; Namchi, Ravangla and Temi in the south.
They are two separate North Sikkim circuits. Lachen is the base for Gurudongmar Lake. Lachung is the base for Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. Many itineraries include one or both, but they are different valleys and different drives.
Yumthang is visited from Lachung, usually as an early-morning drive. The Lachung leg itself is reached from Gangtok and requires a permit arranged through a registered operator.
No. Access beyond Yumthang depends on snow, weather and current regulations, and it can be closed at short notice. It should never be treated as guaranteed on any itinerary.
Yes. Nathula is a restricted area and requires a permit arranged in advance through a registered travel operator. Requirements and eligibility can change.
Yes. Lachen, Lachung, Gurudongmar and Yumthang all fall under restricted-area rules and need permits, which are arranged through registered operators with valid photo ID.
Snow is most likely in winter and at high-altitude points such as Zero Point, Nathula and parts of North Sikkim. Snowfall cannot be guaranteed for any specific date or location.
Yes. The Old Silk Route around Zuluk and the North Sikkim roads are among the most rewarding riding routes in the region, provided you plan for altitude, weather and permits.
Pakyong Airport in Sikkim and Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal both serve the state. Bagdogra has the wider flight network.
It depends on season, accommodation, vehicle type, route and group size. Rather than a fixed number, look at the package pages for current indicative pricing, or tell us your dates and we will build a costed route.
They serve different trips. Gangtok is the urban base with cafés, logistics and access to East Sikkim. Pelling is quieter and oriented around Kanchenjunga views, monasteries and waterfalls. Many travellers include both.
Yes. Tell us where you want to go, your dates and the kind of experience you want, and we will build the route around you rather than fitting you into a fixed itinerary.