Gangtok Lachen and Lachung Tour

Highlights & Route

North Sikkim is the high, empty quarter of the state, a land of glacial lakes, yak pasture and villages where the road ends. This six-day tour is built around its two great sights. Gurudongmar Lake, at about 17,100 ft, is one of the highest lakes in the world, sacred to Buddhists and Sikhs alike, and lies in a bare brown plateau below the Tibetan border where part of the water is said never to freeze. Yumthang Valley, at about 11,700 ft, is its opposite: a wide green river valley carpeted with rhododendron in April and May, with hot springs at its lower end.

The two valleys are reached from two villages. Lachen (about 2,750 m) is the base for Gurudongmar, which involves a very early start and a drive of about three hours to the lake and back before the wind rises. Lachung (about 2,700 m) is the base for Yumthang, a gentler morning’s outing, with the option of continuing to Zero Point near the snowline. Hotels in both villages are simple family-run guesthouses, and because there are no restaurants, all meals there are included.

The tour begins and ends in Gangtok, and uses the first day there for Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir on the old trade route to Tibet, which also helps the body get used to altitude before the far higher Gurudongmar. North Sikkim is a protected area, and permits for Indian citizens are arranged by us; please read the document requirements carefully, since Aadhaar is not accepted and foreign nationals cannot go beyond Chopta Valley on the Lachen side.

Route

Bagdogra or NJP → Gangtok (2 nights) → Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir day trip → Lachen (1 night) → Gurudongmar Lake → Lachung (1 night) → Yumthang Valley → Gangtok (1 night) → Bagdogra or NJP drop

Good to know before you book

• Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathula lie in a Protected Area. Indian citizens need a permit, which we arrange: carry an original voter ID, passport or driving licence and two passport photos. Aadhaar is not accepted for Sikkim protected-area permits, and children need a birth certificate or school ID.
• Gurudongmar Lake is open to Indian citizens only; foreign nationals on the Lachen side are allowed up to Chopta Valley and Thangu. Yumthang is open to all with the permit.
• Children under five and people with heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions should not go to Gurudongmar; checkpost staff can turn back anyone who looks unwell even with a valid permit.
• The North Sikkim road is cut by landslides in the monsoon (June to September) and by snow in deep winter; the usual season is October to mid-December and March to May.
• Hotels in Lachen and Lachung are basic, with limited hot water and electricity, and no mobile data for most networks; all meals there are vegetarian and served at the hotel.
• Only Sikkim-registered vehicles with local drivers may enter North Sikkim, so the vehicle changes at Gangtok.