Okay, real talk. Sikkim is one of those places that people visit once and then spend the rest of their lives trying to get back to.
There’s something about it that’s hard to explain. The air feels different. The pace feels different. You slow down without even trying. And the mountains – god, the mountains – they just sit there looking impossibly beautiful while you try to take it all in.
If you’ve been going back and forth about booking Sikkim tour packages, stop overthinking it. This is the blog that’s going to make up your mind. Here are the 10 places in Sikkim that you absolutely have to see with your own eyes.
1. Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake)
Anyone who sees Tsomgo Lake for the first time can’t help but gasp in amazement.
It’s a glacial lake at more than 12,000 feet, and it looks like it’s out of a screensaver. Seasonal change in the water colour. It is this intense emerald green in summer. During the winter months, the entire surface is covered in ice. Regardless, it’s gorgeous.
It’s about 40 kilometres from Gangtok. This is almost a must-visit on every Sikkim tour package. Try to go early in the morning, if you can. Fewer crowds. Better light. Absolute magic.
2. Nathula Pass
At Nathula, it is as if one stands at the edge of the world.
It is one of the last checkpoints where you can go from India to China at 14,000 feet. It’s a view where you can really see soldiers from both nations standing a couple of feet away from each other. Here, the snow does not completely melt even in summertime. The wind bites. But you don’t want to go.
Access is only possible with special permits. However, do not make the mistake of disclosing that. Any good operator providing Sikkim tour packages will take care of it for you.
3. Rumtek Monastery
If you’re bringing any stress along with you, Rumtek will take it off you.
One of the biggest and most important monasteries in Sikkim. As soon as you step in, there’s a change. Smells of incense are in the air. The monks can walk around the courtyards quietly. Prayer flags are fluttering around all over the place. One of those places that makes you breathe slower without even realising it.
Don’t rush through this one. Sit for a bit. Just be there.
4. Gurudongmar Lake
This one will come with a twist and a turn. And it’s worth it all.
Gurudongmar is located at an altitude of almost 17,800 ft. It is one of the highest lakes in the world. The trip to the top is long, and the elevation really gets to you, but once you step out and realize that lake, surrounded by barren mountains and the impossibly blue sky, all of that can be forgotten.
It is a holy place for both the Buddhist and Sikh community. The atmosphere of this place is spiritual, whether you are religious or not.
This is one of those places which makes the entire vacation plan of Sikkim sound worthwhile.
5. Gangtok
Your starting point will most likely be from Gangtok. And when you depart you will wish you had spent more time there.
It’s a city that works. Clean streets. Good food. Everything is viewed from a mountain perspective! At the core of it all is MG Marg-a pedestrian street where you can enjoy a cup of coffee, a stroll around and just watch the people go about their daily lives, with silent Kangchenjunga watching from a distance.
One can visit tourist places of Gangtok like Enchey Monastery, Namgyal Institute and the city ropeway ride. But, actually, it is enjoyable to wander around Gangtok in the evening.
6. Pelling
When Gangtok has a quiet day, it’s Pelling.
It’s smaller. Slower. And it offers some of the most jaw-dropping Kangchenjunga views anywhere. Get up early, go out on the balcony of your hotel and those peaks are there – glowing in the morning sunlight.
The well-known places of Sikkim from Pelling are Pemayangtse Monastery, the ancient ruins of Rabdentse and the Khecheopalri Lake. The locals think that the lake grants wishes. Whether or not that’s the case, it is one of the most calming seats you will ever sit next to.
7. Yumthang Valley
It is a Valley of Flowers. In fact, they’re not lying.
From March to June, Yumthang Valley is filled with colour. The hillsides are strewn all around with rhododendrons, primulas, and poppies. The whole scene seems to have been lightened up to the max level of saturation.
Even when the flowers aren’t blooming, the valley is beautiful. Flowing streams in broad verdant fields. Mountains covered in snow, all around. Refreshing, cold, fresh air to wake you up.
This is really one of the finest parts to go to in Sikkim. Ignore all attempts to dissuade you.
8. Zero Point (Yumesamdong)
When Yumthang impresses you, Zero Point will steal it all away.
It’s located at approximately 15,000 feet. No trees. No buildings. No noise. Initially, there is a silence so uncomfortable, snow and mountains. Here comes the road to an end and the border to a beginning.
People who have visited this place repeatedly tend to say the same thing; they weren’t ready for how it made them feel. One of those locations that makes you feel empty somehow.
In case you are making a North Sikkim tour package, do spare a thought for this.
9. Ravangla
Ravangla doesn’t get talked about enough. Tathagata Tsal – Buddha Park is a quiet town in South Sikkim. Here is a beautifully maintained garden with a 130-foot-long statue of the Buddha. It’s visible from far away. Close-up, it’s moving as if in real life.
The Ravangla Sightseeing in Sikkim also features the Ralang Monastery and some of the least-known mountain views in Sikkim. Ideal for a lazy day when you feel like strolling, thinking, and not going anywhere.
10. Kangchenjunga Viewpoints
It is impossible not to spend some time in Sikkim without visiting Kangchenjunga.
The 3rd highest mountain in the world. Over 28,000 feet. It keeps an eye on this entire State as if it were its own – and it is!
This doesn’t have to be the lowest point in your journey, even though you’re required to make your way there. Pelling, Ravangla and parts of Gangtok offer clear views, on a fine day. However, if you catch the sunrise when those peaks become orange and gold, then no photo of it will do the scene justice. It really does not matter what you do, simply have to be there.
Kangchenjunga is not to be overlooked in any list of tourist places in Sikkim.
Why Go with a Sikkim Tour Package Instead of Doing It Alone?
Sikkim is beautiful, but it does come with some layers. Permits for restricted areas. Altitude considerations. Roads that change depending on the season. Timings that matter more than you’d think.
Going with a well-planned package means someone else handles all of that while you focus on actually enjoying the trip. Good Sikkim tour packages take care of permits, transport, accommodation, and sightseeing – so you’re not spending your holiday on logistics.
SCS Journeys builds trips that actually reflect what Sikkim is. Not just the highlights reel. The real thing.
Come See What Everyone Keeps Talking About
There’s a reason people come back to Sikkim. Again and again. It gets under your skin in the best possible way.
SCS Journeys offers Sikkim tour packages for solo travellers, couples, families, and groups. Short trips. Long trips. Custom itineraries. We’ll build the right one for you.
Stop saving it for someday. Book your Sikkim tour package now and go make some memories that actually stick.
Call us today. The mountains aren’t going anywhere – but the best travel dates fill up fast.
