Sikkim

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Northeast India

Monasteries, alpine lakes and Kanchenjunga sitting on the skyline.

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Nathu La

What Sikkim is known for

KanchenjungaMonasteriesLakesFlowersTrekking

Browse Sikkim by theme

The same places, sorted the way you might be thinking about the trip.

Hill Stations

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Lachung

Lachung is a mountain village in North Sikkim at around 2,700 metres, set where the Lachen and Lachung rivers meet amid apple orchards and waterfalls. Home to the Lepcha and Bhutia communities and …

Namchi

Namchi, the district headquarters of South Sikkim, is a hill town famed for its giant religious landmarks. It is home to the towering Samdruptse statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the Siddhesvara Dham (…

Pelling

Pelling is a hill town in western Sikkim known for its close-up views of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak. Set amid forested ridges, it is a base for the historic Pemayangtse and Sanga …

Adventure

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Gurudongmar Lake

Gurudongmar Lake, at around 5,430 metres in northern Sikkim near the Tibet border, is one of the highest lakes in the world and a sacred site for Buddhists and Sikhs alike. Set in a stark, wind-swe…

Yuksom

Yuksom is a historical village in West Sikkim, the first capital of the old Sikkimese kingdom and the trailhead for the famed Goecha La and Dzongri treks toward Kanchenjunga. An emerging eco-consci…

Discover Sikkim

Monasteries on ridge tops, alpine lakes that freeze in winter, and Kanchenjunga filling the northern sky on a clear morning.

Festivals Road trips

Festivals

Dates move each year with the Tibetan calendar — check before you book.

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Losar

Tibetan new year, usually February, with cham dances at Rumtek and the other big monasteries.

Saga Dawa

Marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing, usually May or June.

Road trips

Permits are needed for the north and for Nathu La — arrange them in Gangtok.

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Gangtok to Tsomgo and Nathu La

Up to a glacial lake and the old trade pass on the border.

Gangtok to Lachung and Yumthang

North to the valley of flowers, best late April into May.

Gangtok to Pelling

West for the Kanchenjunga view and the ruins at Rabdentse.

Lachen to Gurudongmar

One of the highest lakes you can drive to. Very cold, very thin air.

Food & cuisine

Signature dishes and local flavours to look for while exploring Sikkim.

4 dishes

Thukpa

A hearty noodle soup with vegetables or meat in a spiced broth — a warming everyday meal in Sikkim's hills.

Gundruk

Fermented, sun-dried mustard or radish greens with a tangy flavour, cooked into soups and stir-fries.

Sel Roti

A ring-shaped, deep-fried bread of fermented rice batter, crisp outside and spongy within — a festival food.

Phagshapa

A hearty stew of thinly sliced pork simmered with radish and dried red chillies, cooked without oil.

Top cities in Sikkim

Sikkim

Gangtok is where most Sikkim trips begin, and its real value is as a base rather than a destination. The town itself is a steep ridge of concrete with one pleasant pedestrian street, MG Marg, where no vehicles and no spitting are allowed and the whole town walks in the evening. Rumtek monastery, half an hour out, is the seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage and the more worthwhile hour. Enchey, closer in, is quieter still. Tsomgo lake and Nathu La are the standard day trip. Both need permits arranged through a registered operator in Gangtok, both are high — Tsomgo is at around 3,700 metres — and Nathu La is closed to foreign nationals entirely. If you have only been in the hills a day, that altitude gain in a single drive is a lot. For actual Sikkim, keep going. Pelling for the Kanchenjunga view, Yuksom for the walking, north Sikkim for Lachung and the Yumthang valley — all of which need their own permits. March to May and October to early December. The monsoon here brings serious landslides and roads close for days at a time.

Attractions in Sikkim

Places across themes — pick a vibe to dive in, or browse them all.