I, for long have been searching for a mountain place that could let me explore the best of both worlds: Ladakh and Himachal. You know- a cold desert with high altitude snow capped lakes, like in Ladakh or the lush green untouched villages with blue waters, huge waterfalls and countless rainbows? Yep..I pretty much dreamt of such a place. Seems impossible? Well..I found it!
We are talking about one of the most unexplored, hidden, greenest and breathtaking places in India- North Sikkim.
How to reach Sikkim:
The shortest possible way to reach Sikkim is by taking a flight to the nearest airport which is: Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal. Flight fare starts from: INR 3000/-
How to travel across North Sikkim: Hire a sharing/private taxi in advance from Gangtok (You can contact Chema at 9647885715). The taxi services can provide full package to North Sikkim (travel+food+stay) or can provide just the travel fare as per your budget and vehicle preferences.
Day 1: Bagdogra to Gangtok
From Bagdogra, reach to the capital of Sikkim- Gangtok. Here's how:
1. Taxi (time: 4-5hrs | cost: INR 500-1000 in sharing, INR 3500-4000 in private)
2. Bus (time:7-8hrs) | cost: INR 400-600)
3. Book an advance Helicopter ride (Time: 35mins | cost: INR 3500/person) Link to book helicopter ride: http://www.sikkimstdc.com/HeliServiceGeneral/HeliGeneralReservation.aspx
Rest for the day at Gangtok and enjoy delicious food or shop at MG marg. There are many stay options near MG Marg like The Cosmos Hotel, Amba Regency and more.
Day 2: Gangtok to Lachen (Time: 5hrs)
This is the day to start your dreamy journey. Leave in the morning from Gangtok to reach your first destination- Lachen and rest for the day. In the journey from Gangtok to Lachen, you will come across dreamy villages like Mangan and Tintek and a many waterfalls.
Day 3: Lachen- Gurudongmar Lake- Lachen- Lachung (Total Time: 7-8hrs)
Talk about a cold desert with lakes, like in Ladakh or the lush green villages with blue waters, countless waterfalls and rainbows- you wouldn't want to blink your eyes, today!
Leave from Lachen early morning and move further towards the cold desert area to the highest lake in India- Gurudongmar Lake. Soak in the beauty of this holy lake and move back towards Lachen for a lunch halt.
Post lunch, you shall move back down towards the most beautiful village- Lachung and rest for the day at lachung.
Day 4: Lachung to Yumthang Valley- back to Gangtok (Time: 9hrs)
Yumthang valley is the valley of flowers in the North East. The 2 hrs magical journey from Lachung to Yumthang valley will be the one you would have never seen before with clouds walking along you, rhodendrons laid all over and streams flowing across the roads.
From Yumthang, you can further head to zero point (the closest point to the Indo-china border), if you wish to. Head all the way back to Gangtok by evening. Rest at Gangtok hotel for the day as it will be a pretty tiring one for you.
Please note: This is a budget friendly itinerary but also could be a tiring one, so if you wish to extend your trip/halt anywhere in between the days, inform your taxi service provider in advance due to permit reasons.
Day 5: Gangtok to Bagdogra
Head back to Bagdogra to board your flight and back home with the memories of breathtaking views from North Sikkim. :)
Advice: You can book your return flight tickets in between your trip just 2-3 days before you plan to board it- for one, that'll allow a flexible travel, two, you can actually find low priced flights. Just keep an eye on the fare trends well in advance.
Also, keep a photocopy of your Covid vaccination to save time at the entry in Sikkim.
Images clicked by- Shreya
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