6 Night - 7 Days Sikkim Tour with Yumthang & Darjeeling

Sikkim is a state in northeast India, bordered by Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Part of the Himalayas, the area has a dramatic landscape that includes India’s highest mountain, 8,586m Kangchenjunga. Sikkim is also home to glaciers, alpine meadows and thousands of varieties of wildflowers.

This 6 nights and 7 days Sikkim tour starts with one of the most beautiful capital cities of India, Gangtok. The city is quite beautiful with modern amenities along with the feel of an old himalayan town in the lap of natural beauty and grandeur. Gangtok lies in the eastern Himalayan Range at an elevation of 5,410 fts. You can go for a stroll at M.G. Road which is a clean open air-mall where there are good hangout spots, places to shop and eat your heart out with many shops, cafes and restaurants located there.

Changu/Tsomgo Lake is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim district around 40kms from the capital Gangtok. It is one of the highest glacial lakes in the world with a height of almost 3,753 mts. This lake remains frozen for almost throughout the year. You can enjoy a Yak ride while here and there is also a Shiva Temple which is located here which is considered sacred by the locals. You can also try out a local cable car ride here which will offer you a panoramic view of the lake and surroundings from a vantage point.

“Nathula pass” is a mountain pass which lies in the Eastern side of Sikkim surrounded by the mighty Himalayas. In Tibetan language, Nathu means “listening ears” and la means “pass”. It is located at an altitude of 14,140 feet above sea level which makes it one of the highest mountain passes in the world which is accessible to humans. The view is quite majestic as you would expect from a high mountain pass and the place is away from the hustle and bustle of the touristic places which makes it one of a kind experience. 

Lachung is a sleepy town and hill station located at an altitude of 9,600fts. Unlike Lachen, the word Lachung means, “small pass”. Joseph Dalton Hooker in his book, the “Himalayan Journal” described it as the “most picturesque village of Sikkim”. Lachung is less colder than Lachen and it is famous for some of the best Tibetan food in Sikkim. While in Lachung, you can visit Lachung Monastery which has ancient sculptures, wall murals and much more. You can also buy rugs, shawls and carpets made by the locals.

Yumthang Valley or Sikkim Valley of flowers sanctuary is surrounded by Himalayas located in the North Sikkim district located at an altitude of 11,693 fts. The river Teesta flows here and the valley has many hot springs and yaks. The best time to visit Yumthang valley is from Feb to June when there is flowering season and you can expect full bloom of flowers everywhere. In winters September to December is an ideal time to experience frozen lakes and snow capped peaks.

On towards Darjeeling, which is famous for its tea gardens, tea factories and toy trains. Some of the famous and memorable places to visit in Darjeeling are the M.G. Road or Mall Road where there are many places to eat and shop. You can enjoy local delicacies of the Darjeeling such as Momos, Thukpa and Dalle. 

Tiger View point is just breathtaking and this place offers the best sunrise view that you can get in India. Ghoom Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Darjeeling. It has a 15ft high statue of Maitreya Buddha and also houses several Buddhist manuscripts and texts.

One of the most historic places in Darjeeling is HMI (Hindustan Mountaineering Institute) which is a full-fledged mountaineering institution founded by Tenzing Norgay, one of the first persons to summit Mt. Everest. The campus also has a museum where you can see personal artifacts of Tenzing. You can indulge in some adventurous activities while you are here such as rock-climbing which is sure to pump up your adrenaline.