Sikkim
State Of Sikkim; Khangchendzonga National Park, A UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site (2016) · Gangtok, Sikkim
A small Himalayan state wedged between Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan, and the part of India dominated by Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain on earth, which the Sikkimese regard as a guardian deity. It was an independent Buddhist kingdom until 1975. Gangtok, the capital, is a busy hillside town with a pedestrian main street and good views; the reasons to come are beyond it. Rumtek and Pemayangtse are among the most important monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet. Tsomgo Lake and the Nathu La pass lie high on the old road to Lhasa. North Sikkim, through Lachung and the Yumthang valley of rhododendrons, climbs to the sacred Gurudongmar Lake above 5,000 metres. Pelling, in the west, has the classic Kangchenjunga views. Khangchendzonga National Park, a World Heritage Site for both nature and culture, covers much of the state. Foreigners need a permit to enter at all, and additional permits, arranged through registered agents, for the north and the high lakes. Roads are long, slow and prone to landslides. Sikkim is officially organic and strict on plastic.
Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Gangtok, Gangtok, Sikkim, 737101, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm before planning. The usual pattern: Sikkim is open all year, but high passes and lakes close with snow, landslides or security orders, sometimes for days. Permit offices keep office hours and are closed on some public holidays, so permits for the north are best arranged a day ahead. Nathu La has opened only on certain days of the week. Monasteries open early, around dawn, and close by late afternoon. Shared jeeps mostly leave in the morning. The traps: arriving at Rangpo without passport photos, booking the north without a buffer day, and planning Kangchenjunga views for late morning.