The best places to visit in Sikkim cluster across four districts — East, North, West and South — and the right answer to "where should I go" depends entirely on how many days you have and what you have come for. Gangtok and Tsomgo dominate East Sikkim, Yumthang and Gurudongmar own the North, Pelling and Khecheopalri define the West, and Ravangla and Namchi anchor the South. Below is the cut-down list of 20 places we send guests to, with altitude, permit requirements, best months, and the honest "skip if" notes most travel sites avoid. We have run this state since 2012 and these are the destinations that consistently earn the time spent on them.
East Sikkim — the gateway and the lakes
1. Gangtok
Altitude 1,650 m. The capital, your base for almost any Sikkim trip. MG Marg evening walk, Tashi Viewpoint at dawn for Kanchenjunga, ropeway from Deorali, Do Drul Chorten, Enchey Monastery. Allow 2 to 3 days. Best time: October to April (clear views), avoid May (crowds). The single most-visited place in the state — you will not skip it, and the question is whether to use it as a base or a transit point.
2. Tsomgo (Changu) Lake
Altitude 3,780 m. The most-touristed day trip from Gangtok — 38 km east, around 90 minutes drive each way. Glacial lake that freezes November to March, in flower bloom May, full of yak-ride vendors and Maggi stalls at 11 a.m. Permit required (East Sikkim Tourism). Worth a half-day, no more. Best time: October-November for clear views and surrounding snow, May for the blooms. Skip if you have already seen mountain lakes elsewhere — Gurudongmar is dramatically better if you have the time and permit.
3. Nathu La Pass
Altitude 4,310 m. The Indo-China border pass on the old Lhasa road. Open to Indian nationals only — foreigners cannot visit at all, no exceptions. Open Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday — closed Monday without exception, and weather-dependent on other days. The drive from Gangtok takes 4 hours; the actual visit at the border post is 30 to 45 minutes. The summit ridge has limited oxygen and altitude can affect even fit travellers. Best time: October to mid-December and April-May. Combine with Tsomgo and Baba Mandir as a single day-trip loop.
4. Rumtek Monastery
Altitude 1,547 m, 24 km south of Gangtok. The seat-in-exile of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism — the most important monastery in the state. Most tour buses arrive at 10 a.m., by which point the morning prayer is over. Our standing advice: visit at 5:30 a.m. for the 6 a.m. prayer in near-solitude. Best time: year-round but particularly atmospheric in monsoon (empty) and December (cold dawn light). See our separate post on the morning prayer for the full ritual.
5. Zuluk and the Old Silk Route
Altitude 2,900 m. A working army village on the old trade road to Lhasa. The 32-hairpin section below Zuluk and Thambi View Point above it produce the most-photographed mountain road in East Sikkim. ILP required, route currently restricted to Indian passports only. Best time: October to mid-November for clear Thambi sunrises, March to May for rhododendron bloom. Stay one night in Zuluk, one in Nathang Valley — the full circuit deserves five days including buffer.
6. Aritar and Lampokhri Lake
Altitude 1,500 m. The acclimatisation stop on the Old Silk Route, with a small natural lake and a flat 45-minute lake circuit walk. Quiet, family-friendly, often used as a one-night stop on the way up to Zuluk. Snowfall in late December to early January is genuinely magical here. Best time: late October to February for clear winter days, March-April for warming weather.
North Sikkim — high altitude, big drama
7. Lachung
Altitude 2,750 m. A Bhutia village of about 1,200 people on the right bank of the Lachung Chhu river. Your base for Yumthang Valley and Zero Point — most North Sikkim itineraries include at least one night here. PAP required. The village is small enough to walk end-to-end in 30 minutes; the apple orchards and the gompa above the river are quiet pleasures. Best time: October-November for clear post-monsoon air, April-May for rhododendron bloom.
8. Yumthang Valley of Flowers
Altitude 3,564 m. The "Valley of Flowers" of Sikkim — open meadow surrounded by rhododendron forest, river through the middle, snow on the surrounding ridges. The famous April-June bloom features 24+ rhododendron species. Less talked about: the late-September to mid-October bloom of Sikkim primula (Primula sikkimensis) which turns the meadow yellow for ten days. Hot sulphur springs at the southern end of the valley. PAP required, drive from Lachung is 1.5 hours. Best time: late April to mid-May for full rhododendron bloom, October for primula and golden grass.
9. Zero Point (Yume Samdong)
Altitude 4,720 m. The road-end before the Tibet plateau, 27 km above Yumthang. The drive from Lachung is 2.5 hours one-way. No vegetation, just snow ridges and the cold high desert. First dusting of snow appears in mid-October, deep snow December to April. Spend 30 minutes at the road-end; bring oxygen if you are sensitive to altitude. Closed in heavy snow, late December through February for some weeks. Best time: late September to mid-November and April-May.
10. Lachen
Altitude 2,750 m. The acclimatisation village for Gurudongmar Lake. Quieter than Lachung, smaller, north-facing slope. Most Gurudongmar trips include one or two nights here. PAP required. The walk to the gompa above the village and the river path below it are the local pleasures. Best time: October-November (lowest altitude-symptom rate at Gurudongmar the next day) and April-May.
11. Gurudongmar Lake
Altitude 5,430 m. One of the highest navigable lakes in India and a sacred site for both Buddhists and Sikhs. The colour of the water in October at first light is something most guests photograph and then realise the photograph does not capture. PAP required, Indians only — foreigners currently cannot visit. Dawn departure from Lachen, army gate at Thangu opens 7 a.m., final barrier closes 10 a.m. Altitude is genuine: 12-15 per cent of our guests feel symptoms, 4-6 per cent need to turn back. See our separate altitude post. Best time: late September to early December and April-May. Closed late December through February.
12. Dzongu — Lepcha reserve
Altitude 1,200 m. A protected Lepcha tribal reserve in lower North Sikkim — restricted access by design. Slow-pace homestays, large cardamom plantations, river trails, traditional Lepcha architecture. Currently restricted to Indian passports only. Best time: November to March for clear weather, avoid monsoon (leeches and heavy rain). Two to three nights minimum — Dzongu is not a stopover, it is a destination.
West Sikkim — monasteries, mountains and the trekking heartland
13. Pelling
Altitude 2,150 m. The clearest view of Kanchenjunga in the state, especially from the upper-Pelling viewpoints at dawn. Pemayangtse Monastery (200-year-old Nyingmapa monastery, the second-oldest in Sikkim) is 2 km south. The Pelling Skywalk and Chenrezig statue complex were finished in 2018 and are now the most-visited paid attraction in West Sikkim. Two to three nights. Best time: October to December for clear Kanchenjunga, late March to mid-May for warmer weather and rhododendron bloom on Singalila.
14. Khecheopalri Lake
Altitude 1,700 m. The sacred wish-fulfilling lake — believed to grant boons to genuine seekers — in a forested basin 30 km from Pelling. Local legend says a single fallen leaf is removed from the lake surface by birds within minutes. Walk down to the lake-side prayer hall, light a butter lamp, walk the perimeter (about 90 minutes), return. Best time: November to April for dry trails, avoid monsoon. Half-day from Pelling.
15. Yuksom
Altitude 1,780 m. The first capital of Sikkim (1642), where the first Chogyal was crowned. The starting point for the Goecha La trek that approaches the Kanchenjunga south face. The town itself is small and walkable — Dubdi Monastery (the oldest in Sikkim, 1701), Norbugang chorten, Khangchendzonga National Park entry gate. Best time: April to mid-June and October to November for trekking; year-round for the village itself. Two nights for non-trekkers, ten days if you are walking to Goecha La.
16. Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
Altitude 3,000 m. Forty-plus rhododendron species across about 100 square kilometres on the Singalila ridge. The trek from Hilley to Versey to Barsey takes a long day and produces the densest rhododendron experience in the state. Best time: late March to early May for full bloom, with second bloom in October. Trekking permits available at Hilley gate. Day hike or overnight at the Forest Department Trekkers' Hut.
South Sikkim — gentler altitude, the Buddhist heartland
17. Ravangla
Altitude 2,100 m. A small hill town with the spectacular 130-foot Buddha Statue at Tathagata Tsal (Buddha Park), inaugurated in 2013 and visible from much of South Sikkim. Maenam Hill (3,260 m, two-hour walk up) for Kanchenjunga views. Combines well with Pelling for a four-day West-South loop. Best time: October to April for clear weather and views. Two nights.
18. Namchi
Altitude 1,675 m. The Sikkimese pilgrimage town with two famous statue complexes: Samdruptse (the 135-foot Guru Padmasambhava statue) and Char Dham (replicas of India's four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites on a single hill). Both are 6 km south of the town centre. The Solophok temple complex and the Sherathang viewpoint complete a half-day. Best time: November to March for dry weather, avoid June-September monsoon. One to two nights.
19. Temi Tea Garden
Altitude 1,600 m, 25 km from Ravangla. The only tea estate in Sikkim and the highest-altitude tea garden in India. Tours of the factory, walks through the rolling tea fields, and overnight stay at the Cherry Resort within the estate boundary. Best time: late February to April for the first flush, October-November for clear weather and views. Half-day visit; overnight is the better experience.
20. Borong and Polok hot springs
Altitude 2,000 m. A quiet South Sikkim village known for the Polok and Reshi hot springs — natural sulphur springs that flow from rocks at the river bank. December and January are when locals come to soak after the rice harvest. Off the standard tourist circuit, basic homestays, no hotels. Best time: November to early March. One night.
How many of these can you actually do?
- 5 days — Gangtok, Tsomgo, Rumtek, Pelling. 4 places, no North Sikkim, no high altitude.
- 7 days — Add Yumthang and Zero Point (North Sikkim from Lachung). 6 places, taste of high altitude.
- 10 days — Add Lachen and Gurudongmar, plus Yuksom or Khecheopalri. 9 to 10 places, the standard "complete Sikkim" itinerary.
- 14 days — Add the Old Silk Route (Zuluk, Aritar, Nathang) and Ravangla / Namchi. 14 to 16 places, a serious Sikkim trip.
- 21 days — Add Dzongu, Borong, Barsey, Temi tea, and a real Goecha La trek. The full state, at a real pace.
Places we politely tell guests to skip
Banjhakri Falls (commercialised, weekend crowds, the falls themselves are average), Hanuman Tok (the view is the same as Tashi Viewpoint 4 km away, and Tashi is free), Ganesh Tok (small temple, often included only because tour buses can stop nearby), the Saramsa Garden (badly maintained, skip), Bakthang Falls (roadside, not worth a detour), Don Bosco Museum at Rinchenpong (interesting only for ethnography buffs, otherwise basic), Sirijunga Bridge (instagram spot, 30-second stop). Almost every standard tour package adds these to fill days. We do not.
