Offbeat Dzongu
A protected Lepcha reserve of forests, rivers and homestays, still well off the usual trail.
All destinations
Into the High Himalayas
North Sikkim
A journey into dramatic mountain scenery, high-altitude landscapes and some of Sikkim’s most extraordinary landscapes.
North Sikkim is the Sikkim of the imagination: vast, high and elemental. The road climbs through changing forests and river valleys into a landscape of alpine meadows, glacial lakes and snow that lingers well into the year.
This is a region of permits and altitude, best travelled slowly and with local knowledge. We arrange the paperwork, time the drive to the weather, and bring you to places like the valleys near Lachen and Lachung and the still surface of high lakes, without the rush that spoils them.
Towards Lachen & the high north
Waterfalls
The road north is lined with cascading waterfalls that are well worth stopping for along the way.
Lachen
A high mountain village and the base for onward drives to Gurudongmar and the Thangu and Chopta valleys.
Kala Patthar
Dark rock slopes and dramatic high-altitude scenery on the way toward the upper valleys.
Thangu Valley
An alpine valley above Lachen, green in summer and snowbound in winter, ringed by peaks.
Chopta Valley
A quiet, high valley with a small river and open meadows, beautiful in the flowering season.
Gurudongmar Lake
One of the highest lakes in the world, sacred and startlingly blue, set against snow peaks.
Monastery at Lachen
The village monastery, a peaceful place to pause before the drive to higher ground.
Seven Sisters Waterfall
A seven-tiered cascade right beside the highway, a favourite place to pause on the drive north.
Singhik View Point
A ridge viewpoint with one of the finest panoramas of Kanchenjunga and the Teesta valley.
Phodong Monastery
One of North Sikkim’s most important monasteries, known for its old murals and quiet setting.
Mangan
The district town and self-styled cardamom capital, a friendly gateway into the far north.
Kabi Lungchok
The forest site where the Lepcha and Bhutia sealed their historic treaty of brotherhood, on the road north from Gangtok.
Towards Lachung
Lachung Monastery
A pretty 19th-century monastery set among apple orchards and mountain slopes.
Yumthang Valley
The Valley of Flowers, carpeted with rhododendrons in spring and framed by snow peaks.
Zero Point
The last stretch of civilian road, surrounded by snow and high-altitude wilderness.
Katao Hill
A quieter alternative to Zero Point, often called Sikkim’s Switzerland for its snow slopes.
Yumthang Hot Springs
Natural sulphur hot springs beside the river, a warm pause within the Valley of Flowers.
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
A protected valley where two dozen species of rhododendron colour the slopes in spring.
Permits & entry
All of North Sikkim, including Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang, Zero Point, Gurudongmar and Dzongu, is a protected area that can only be visited on a permit arranged through a registered local operator. We handle the paperwork before you arrive.
Read the permit guideSample itineraries
North Sikkim Trip
5 days- Day 1Bagdogra / NJP
- Day 2Gangtok to Lachen
- Day 3Lachen to Gurudongmar and Kala Patthar, proceed to Lachung
- Day 4Lachung to Yumthang, Zero Point and Katao, proceed to Gangtok
- Day 5Gangtok to Bagdogra / NJP
North Sikkim with Offbeat Dzongu
6 days- Day 1Bagdogra / NJP to Dzongu
- Day 2Dzongu: villages, waterfalls and a local homestay
- Day 3Dzongu to Lachen
- Day 4Lachen to Gurudongmar and Kala Patthar, proceed to Lachung
- Day 5Lachung to Yumthang and Zero Point, proceed to Gangtok
- Day 6Gangtok to Bagdogra / NJP
Ready when you are