NESisters: A complete tourist guide of entire North East States of India

Amazing Tourist Places You Must Visit In Sikkim

Sikkim, one of the states in the north eastern part of India shares its boundary with Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet and is home to glaciers, alpine meadows and thousands of varieties of wildflowers. Believe it or not, Sikkim is India’s first fully organic state and has implemented organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land.  It is one of the tourist destinations that invites thousands of Tourists in a year and their astonishing sites can take your breath away. Mind-blowing waterfalls, beautiful mountains, adventurous hill stations, snow falls and well designed temples are the key attractions to lure visitors but these are not the end. There are also a lot of stunning sights which can’t take your eyes off.

One of the most fascinating Indian states with complete green environment and adventurous hill stations is a perfect holiday destination for tourists who seek peace of mind in the lap of Mother Nature from their hectic routine life. The Second smallest state among Indian States is famous for its rich biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the World with an elevation of 8,586 meters (28,169 feet).

Sikkim is also a home to famous pilgrim destinations for the Buddhism and Hinduism followers. Sikkimese, English, Nepali and Lepcha are the official languages of the state.

In Sikkim, there are four districts – East Sikkim, North Sikkim, South Sikkim and West Sikkim. Each district has much to offer all her visitors.  There are many amazing tourist places you must visit in Sikkim. Kabi Longtsok, Singhik, Mangan, Phodong Monastery, Lachen and Chugthang Monastery are a few tourist Sites in North Sikkim. Key attractions of Eastern Sikkim include Deer Park, Government Institute of Cottage Industry, Hanuman Tok etc. Tendong Hill, Namchi, Temi Tea garden, Ravangla and many other sites in Southern Sikkim will leave the travellers spellbound. Tashiding Monastery, Gyalshing, Permayangtse Monastery and a huge variety of attractive flora and fauna wait visitors in West Sikkim.

Gangtok, capital city of Sikkim, is one of the amazing tourist destinations in the state. For the adventure lovers and nature lovers, they can enjoy cable car rides, river rafting, go for mountain biking and many other activities in Gangtok. Coming to Connectivity, even though there’s no airport in Gangtok, there’re many other options to reach Gangtok. Bagdogra Airport (in West Bengal) is the nearest airport which is around 135 km. from the city and it takes around 3 to 5 hours only to reach Gangtok from there.  Alternatively, you can take the train to New Mal Junction Railway station then take the taxi to Gangtok (costs between 800-1500 INR).

MG Marg in Sikkim is a ‘must visit’ because without it a visit to Gangtok is really incomplete. ‘Marg’ in Hindi means ‘Road’. So MG Marg means MG Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road). This entire area is a pedestrian only zone and vehicles are not allowed on approximately 1 km stretch of the road. This is India’s first spit and litter free zone.

Tsomgo Lake or the Changu Lake is another jaw-dropping site you should never miss the chance to visit in Gangtok. It is just 38km away from Sikkim’s capital and one of the highest lakes in India (lies at an altitude of 12,400ft). The lake remains frozen during the winter season. A special area permit is required to visit the lake which can be collected from the Sikkim tourism department at MG Marg Gangtok or you can ask your travel agent to arrange for the same. Your photo identity card and two passport size photos are necessary to get the permit.

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Nathula Pass, One of the highest motorable pass in the world, is located at an altitude of 4,310m above the sea level and it connects Sikkim with Tibet. This amazing pass is open to Indians (Sorry for foreign Nationals) but a permit is required from the tourism department in order to visit. It remains closed on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Yumthang Valley is a home to several exotic, rare and wild flowers. In monsoons, the entire valley blooms at its best and displays the most enchanting colours of the nature. Louseworts, Irises, Primrose, cobra-lilies and cinquefoils are some of the most commonly found species in Yumthang. This Valley is referred to as the ‘valley of flowers’. This is situated very close to the China border. A special area permit is mandatory to visit this Valley.

Gurudongmar Lake (also known as Tso Lhsmo Lake), One of the highest fresh-water lakes in the world is located at an altitude of 17,800ft, is considered as a Sacred Lake.

It is believed that one of its portion of the lake never freezes completely even when the temperature is as low as -20 degree Celsius. This certain portion blessed by Guru Padmasambhava never freezes and thus its water is considered holy by the devotees.

Drop your valuable comments and feedback if Sikkim is one of your travel Bucket Lists which can make a memorable and unique experience once in your lifetime.