Places to Visit in Sikkim: Peaks, Monasteries and Old Capitals

One national park in this state is listed by UNESCO for both its nature and its culture, which is the thing to know first about the places to visit in Sikkim. Khangchendzonga National Park is India's first and only mixed World Heritage Site, inscribed in July 2016 under four criteria at once. Pick between the high north, the monastery towns, and the two capitals the state had before Gangtok.

That last point is the one most itineraries miss. Sikkim has had three capitals, and the first two are in the west, within a short drive of each other. The guide to preparing for travelling in India takes the practical questions, and this takes the places.

Places to visit in Sikkim

Khangchendzonga National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site across Mangan and Gyalshing districts.
Gangtok. The capital, in the east, and the base for Tsomgo and Nathu La.
North Sikkim. Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang and Gurudongmar, all behind permits.
Pelling and Rabdentse. The second capital, in ruins on a ridge in the west.
Yuksom. The first capital, and the trailhead for the state's best-known trek.
Pemayangtse. One of the oldest monasteries in the state, near the Rabdentse ruins.
Rumtek. The largest monastery near Gangtok, and the most visited.

Khangchendzonga, and the only site of its kind in India

Inscribed by UNESCO in July 2016, at its 40th session, under criteria three, six, seven and ten. Those four span cultural and natural value, which is what makes it a mixed site.

India's first mixed World Heritage Site, and still its only one. Everything else on the Indian list is cultural or natural, not both.
The area. 1,784 square kilometres, across Mangan and Gyalshing districts.
The range. From 1,829 metres to over 8,550 metres, inside a single park.
Kangchenjunga. 8,586 metres, the third highest peak on Earth, on the border with Nepal.
Why it was listed for culture too. The mountain is sacred in Sikkimese belief and the park holds the sites that go with that.
How most writing describes it. As a national park, and nothing more. The listing is the more interesting fact and almost nobody states it.

Gangtok, Tsomgo and East Sikkim

The capital and the most visited corner of the state, and the base for the two day trips everyone takes.

Gangtok. The capital, in Gangtok district, with Pakyong district alongside it.
Tsomgo Lake. A day trip from the capital, and Indian citizens need a Protected Area Permit for it.
Nathu La. The border pass. Open to Indian tourists only, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and permission is needed a day in advance.
When Nathu La opens. It closes in winter and reopens in May.
Rumtek. The large monastery outside Gangtok, and the most visited in the state.
For foreign nationals. Tsomgo needs a permit and a registered operator. Nathu La is closed to them entirely.

North Sikkim, Yumthang and Gurudongmar

The high country, in Mangan district, reached from the capital through Lachen and Lachung.

Gurudongmar Lake. 5,150 metres, higher than any of the four Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand.
Yumthang Valley. The valley of flowers of this region, reached from Lachung.
Lachen and Lachung. The two villages the north is organised around, and where you stay before the lake runs.
Permits. Both Indian citizens and foreign nationals need an additional permit for North Sikkim, and Gurudongmar is closed to foreign nationals.
The altitude problem. The capital to Gurudongmar is roughly three and a half kilometres of vertical gain, usually done across two days.
The season. The high valleys shut first and open last, so check before committing to dates.

Yuksom, Rabdentse and the old capitals

West Sikkim holds the two capitals that came before Gangtok, and both are reachable from Pelling.

Yuksom. The first capital, established in 1642, where Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned by three lamas at Norbugang. At 1,780 metres, in Gyalshing district.
The Throne of Norbugang. The stone throne from that coronation still stands at the site.
Rabdentse. The second capital, from 1670 to 1814, on a ridge about three kilometres from upper Pelling, reached on a walk of roughly fifteen minutes.
What remains at Rabdentse. Ruins. Wall stubs of the palace, three chortens, the Namphogang stone throne where judgments were pronounced, and the Taphap Chorten. The Archaeological Survey of India has declared it a monument of national importance.
Pemayangtse. One of the oldest monasteries in the state, close to the ruins and on the same circuit.
Yuksom as a trailhead. The Dzongri and Goecha La trek starts here, and needs a separate permit.
Why it is worth the drive. Three capitals in one small state, and two of them are in the same valley.

When to see Kangchenjunga, and from where

The mountain is the point of most viewpoints in the state and it is hidden for a good part of the year.

October to early December. The clearest window, after the monsoon has washed the air.
March to May. Good, and it coincides with the orchid bloom across the state.
June to September. The monsoon. Expect cloud, and expect roads to close.
From Pelling. The west faces the massif directly and is the better side for an unobstructed view.
From the park. The Dzongri and Goecha La treks from Yuksom, which need a permit and a registered operator.
From the east. Visible from some ridges around the capital on a clear morning, though not as reliably as from the west.

The state rewards picking one corner and going properly into it rather than a route that touches all four and arrives at none of them. Our six day cultural journey through Darjeeling and Sikkim runs the monasteries, which is the version of this state that needs the fewest permits. Customised tours is where the north, the viewpoints and the passports in the group get arranged around one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Khangchendzonga National Park a UNESCO site?

It was inscribed in July 2016 under four criteria covering both cultural and natural value, which makes it India's first and only mixed World Heritage Site. It covers 1,784 square kilometres across Mangan and Gyalshing districts and ranges from 1,829 metres to over 8,550.

What was the first capital of Sikkim?

Yuksom, established in 1642, where Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned by three lamas at Norbugang. The capital then moved to Rabdentse, which served from 1670 to 1814, before Gangtok. Both of the earlier capitals are in the west, within a short drive of Pelling.

How high is Kangchenjunga?

8,586 metres, which makes it the third highest peak on Earth, after Everest and K2. It sits on the border between Sikkim and Nepal and gives Khangchendzonga National Park its name. The clearest views are from Pelling and from inside the park.

Can foreigners visit North Sikkim?

Partly. Both Indian citizens and foreign nationals need an additional permit for North Sikkim, and foreign nationals must travel in groups of at least two with a registered operator. Gurudongmar Lake is closed to foreign nationals entirely, as is Nathu La in the east.

Table of contents