Splendours Of Sikkim- Exploring North And East Sikkim

If you’re arriving by flight, you’ll need 4-5 hours to reach from the Bagdogra Airport to Gangtok. Private taxis are available at the Bagdogra Airport which would cost between 2ooo to 3000 Rs. Otherwise you can hire shared taxis or public bus service from Siliguri which would cost around 150Rs per person.

The 4-5 hour journey is likely to be a treat, with the first views of the mountains, Teesta river, and small towns on the way. Mid-way, you may stop at Rangpo which is famous for its Momos.

Bonus Tip: To make the most of your road journeys in Sikkim, travel during the day. While heading to Gangtok, consider sitting on the left side of your vehicle to enjoy the views.

We arrived in Gangtok at 6 pm and checked-in hotel.

We then spent time at MG Marg and Lal Bazaar. I was keen on eating momos first as I had heard a lot about the Sikkim momos and they did not disappoint me. We then booked our North Sikkim tour through an agency for the next day.

In Gangtok, we stayed in Hotel Delite Serniya which was right there at the MG Marg. Good for budget travellers (1 double room with breakfast- 800Rs)

Had our breakfast in the hotel and left for Lachen (from Gangtok – 109km / 3 hours 30mins), by 11 AM from the Vajra Taxi Stand (where our shared cab was waiting for us). Lachen is a remote village in Sikkim which serves as a transit stay to visit Gurudongmar Lake. En route our journey to Lachen, the views were breathtaking and we stopped quite of few times to absorb the nature.In Lachen our accommodation was in a homestay and the food was basic but tasty.

Early morning at 4 am we left for the Gurudongmar Lake (17,200ft) because the weather was unpredictable and we did not want to miss going to the lake due to it. Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest situated lakes in North Sikkim. Only Indian Nationals are allowed here. The ride is not an easy one and I suggest you to take a diamox before so that you are fine on that high altitude. The lake was completely frozen and the view was one the best views I have ever witnessed. The ride to the lake was crazy with some amazing landscapes.

Bonus Tip : If you reach Lachung by evening, and are in mood for a lively evening, make sure you take a walk in Lachung and visit the Pema Shop(which is quite famous there.)

After an early breakfast, we head towards Yumthang valley, which is nearly 26 kilometers, an hour’s drive, from Lachung. It is situated at an elevation of 11800 feet. Yumthang Valley was another beautiful place and we spent almost an hour there taking pictures and hiking. We can further go up to the zero point but we could not because getting the permit for ity was not easy.

On our way from Lachung to Gangtok, we stopped at the Seven Sisters Fall for a while, as it falls about midway to Gangtok.

We reached Gangtok around 5pm and checked in to the hotel.

Hotel - The Sikkim Continental at the tenzing and tenzing road(Fare-1600 for double room with breakfast) 10 mins walk from the M.G Marg.

We spent the evening at the MG marg of Gangtok eating momos and booked our next day tour to Zuluk in east sikkim. For Dzuluk there were no shared cabs, thus we had to book a private cab for 2 people which costed us almost 6500 Rs for 2 days.

We booked this from: Norbula Tours and Travels

Address : Narbula Complex, M.G.Marg, Gangtok

Mobile No. : 9474055999, 7872983927

e-mail ID : norbula.toursntravels@gmail.com

One place on my list before I left for Sikkim was Zuluk and the Old Silk Route ride in East Sikkim.That was the reason I agreed to pay so much just for the two days trip to this village and trust me I did not regret spending so much, it was all worth. Ride to Zuluk was one of the best road trips I have ever taken in life.We were lucky that the weather got so beautiful and it was completely foggy with clouds on the road. Zuluk is just a 4hrs drive from Gangtok but at an altitude of 9000 ft. By the time we checked into a homestay in Zuluk the clouds had made the visibility zero due to which we could not go further for the Old Silk Route ride and decided to go for it next day early morning.

That evening in Zuluk was well spent I learnt how to cook momos from Neema who was the owner of the homestay and listening to Nepali music.

Ride On Old Silk Route (Thambi View Point) and back to Gangtok

We had acclimatised well as we stayed in Zuluk for a day, but if you are taking a day trip to Zuluk then you can opt to take a diamox so that you don't get the sick due to sudden height gain.

We got lucky by the time we reached the Thambi View Point (From where we can see the entire silk route and Kanchenjunga Peak) the weather cleared a bit and we could see the beautiful road.

The same day by evening we got back to Gangtok and next day we had a flight back to Delhi from Bagdogra.

I have given the details of tour operators with which I booked my tours in Sikkim. They were reliable, cheap and all the arrangements were worth paying the amount.

All I can say after this trip is that "The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you did not even think to ask" and here in Sikkim I did the the answers to those questions while I was travelling on my own.

Cost breakup-

Flight tickets - 6500 Rs return airfare to Delhi if you book it well in advance.

North Sikkim Tour- 2500 Rs per person

Zuluk-4500 Rs per person

Gangtok 2 nights- 1500 Rs person

Other transfers- 1000 Rs

Miscellaneous expenses- 1500 Rs

I hope you will enjoy this journey of mine through this article and the pictures and if you need any assistance for your Sikkim travel plans feel free to message me.

Frequent Searches Leading To This Page:-

darjeeling sikkim tour package cost, sikkim tour package from delhi with airfare, affordable north east family tour packages, sikkim tour packages from delhi, cheapest sikkim trip packages