Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Comfort Sikkim · Active
Six nights up the Teesta: two in Gangtok, two in Lachen for Gurudongmar Lake at about 5,100 m, and two in Lachung for Yumthang Valley. Permits are arranged by a registered agent, and Lachen's night before the lake gives your body a gentler step up.
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsThe high north is a short map distance and a long day on the ground. Lachen sits at about 2,750 m and Gurudongmar Lake at over 5,100 m, so the sensible route is a night in Lachen first, then an early start. We schedule it that way and add a rest evening before Lachung.
Permit rules for North Sikkim change and differ for Indian and foreign nationals, and Gurudongmar has been open to Indian nationals only. We tell you plainly at booking whether the lake is open to your passport. If it is not, we replace it with a second Yumthang day and Zero Point. Check current status before you travel.
Sleeping altitude, night by night
Red points are nights above 3,000 m. We pace those climbs by the usual advice of no more than 300–500 m of sleeping height a day. This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor before a high trip. Try the altitude planner.
Day by day
Your driver collects you at Bagdogra and drives up the Teesta valley to Gangtok. Your agent collects ID copies, photos and permit forms the same evening. Walk MG Marg for dinner, and sleep early; Lachen is a long day tomorrow.
About GangtokDrive via Mangan, Chungthang and the hairpins above, stopping at a waterfall and the army check posts where permits are checked. Reach Lachen by mid-afternoon and rest. Tea and soup in the evening; keep warm, because nights drop below 5 °C even in May. Drink water, avoid alcohol and tell your driver about any headache.
About LachenLeave at 4–5 am to reach Gurudongmar in morning light. The road crosses Thangu and a plateau of grazing yaks. At about 5,100 m you stay at the lake for 30–45 minutes only, as lack of oxygen tires most visitors. Return to Lachen by afternoon. If the lake is closed to you or weather turns, we stay put and avoid risks.
About Gurudongmar LakeAfter breakfast, drive down to Chungthang, then up the Lachung Chu valley to Lachung at about 2,700 m. Visit the small village monastery in the evening. The Dzumsa, the village council, sets local rules on grazing and conduct; follow them on noise and litter.
About LachungLeave early for Yumthang at about 3,560 m, walk by the river, and bathe feet in a hot-spring pool if the baths are open. Zero Point, higher, is reached only in clear weather and if the road is open; check current status before you travel. Return to Lachung for a late lunch. Altitude headaches are possible; walk slowly.
About Yumthang ValleyDrive back to Gangtok with a lunch stop at Mangan. Check in at Hotel Tibet and unpack. If your flight is soon, we advise an extra night, as landslides can slow the road.
About GangtokDrive down the Teesta valley to Bagdogra. Schedule flights or trains after 6 pm, and give an extra day in the monsoon.
Where you sleep
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
A long-established mid-range hotel near Paljor Stadium, a few minutes' walk from MG Marg, decorated in Tibetan sty…
Photo: Indrajit Das · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Family homes across Lachung's hamlets take guests in a few rooms each, with home-cooked dinners and breakfasts. Th…
Questions
It has been open only to Indian nationals on past rules, and rules change. Foreign nationals may need a different route. Check current status before you travel.
The lake is at over 5,100 m, where oxygen is roughly half that at sea level. Some people feel headaches, nausea or breathlessness. Stay for a short time, drink water and descend if you feel worse. Talk to your doctor.
Best in March to May and October to November. The route is risky or closed in monsoon and often in deep winter. Avoid December to February for Gurudongmar; ask us for alternatives.
No. Permits are granted by authorities and depend on rules, weather and military checks. Your agent applies in advance with ID and photos. Check current status before you travel.
Expect simple to good rooms with attached bathrooms, thick quilts and a dining room. Hot water and power can be limited. Rooms are not like city hotels, but they are warm.
Yes. See our saver North Sikkim trip for a short Lachung and Yumthang stay. You will not reach Gurudongmar, which needs a night in Lachen.
We do not recommend Gurudongmar for young children or anyone with heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions. Yumthang is easier. Speak to your doctor before you plan.
Mostly not above Chungthang. BSNL and some post-paid connections may work in patches. Tell family your plan and carry cash.
One night in Gangtok to arrive, two in Lachen for acclimatisation and the lake, two in Lachung for Yumthang, and one back in Gangtok. Fewer nights add risk and strain.
More from Sikkim
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Seats on shared permit-tour vehicles
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Shared jeeps and local taxis
Photo: IamBumba · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Private car with driver
Plan with a local planner
We reply within one working day with a route, a sleeping-altitude profile and an itemised price in your tier. Change anything. Pay nothing until you are sure.