With some of the best places to visit, Sikkim is a perfect melange of mind-boggling natural beauty and adventurous activities on offer. Every bit of this North-Eastern state is decked with verdant landscapes, serenity, majestic hills, snow-capped mountains, challenging trails, and a lot more. Moreover, the number of places to see in Sikkim for a fun vacation are truly endless. Even the small villages in this northeastern state of India have ample amounts of natural beauty to offer. If you are planning a trip to India with Sikkim then here is a well-designed list of places where you can visit during your trip to Sikkim. Rest assured, each one of them is a complete package in its way. Best places to visit Sikkim for a vacation 1. GangtokThe capital city is one of the best East-Sikkim tourist spots and a hub of adventure activities and amazing attractions. From jaw-dropping beauty to adrenaline-rushing activities, keep striking off things from your bucket list while you visit here.
Though Gangtok is a place that draws a lot of adventure junkies, it still perfectly fits in the list of the “go-to” destinations for families. A single day is required to explore the entire city and nearby places too.
Top attractions in Gangtok
🌷Hanuman Tok Temple
🌷Sa Ngor Chotshog Centre
🌷Seven Sister Waterfalls
🌷Tashi View Point
Things to do in Gangtok
🌷River Rafting in Teesta
🌷Cycling trip
🌷Paragliding
🌷Cable car ride
🌷Yak Safari
Ideal duration: 3-4 days
Important Information
🌷Due to the higher altitude, you should adjust to the altitude.
🌷Every foreign traveler must have a Restricted Area Permit.
2. YuksomYuksom is one of those places to visit in Sikkim where you also give yourself some time away from the bustling city life. During your visit to India’s diverse land- Yuksom can be your vacation place in West Sikkim. It offers a virgin and beautiful historic charm. Nature lovers find peace amidst the gorgeous landscapes, enthralling trials, pleasant weather, and multiple sightseeing spots. Irrespective of the fact that you are traveling alone or on a family vacation; visiting Yuksom won’t be regrettable. A single-day trip to Yuksom would be enough! Top attractions in Yuksom 🌷Khangchendzonga National Park 🌷Kartok Monastery Things to do in Yuksom 🌷Trekking 🌷Bird Watching 🌷Safari at the National Park 🌷Exploring the old town 🌷Nature Walk Ideal duration: 3 days Important Information 🌷Try to explore the historic town as much as possible. 🌷Visit the Tholung Monastery in the buffer zone of Khangchendzonga National Park. 3. Ravangla Are you a tea lover? If yes, then do not miss out on visiting one of the finest destinations of Sikkim- Ravangla. This place offers so much more than verdant landscapes; it is the place where you get the handmade paper, world-class tea, peaceful locations, and a lot more things. While you iterate on your plan of visiting Sikkim for a vacation do include Ravangla in your list of places to visit. Undoubtedly, you will be enjoying this destination a lot for more than one reason. Top attractions in Ravangla 🌷Buddha Park 🌷Rayong Sunrise View Point 🌷Ralang Monastery 🌷Bon Monastery 🌷Temi Tea Estate Things to do in Ravangla 🌷Take a dip in the hot spring 🌷Trek on the Buddhist trail 🌷Buy handmade paper 🌷Enjoy meditating in a cave 🌷Go for a tea tasting session Ideal duration: 2 days Important Information 🌷Buy a tea pack from the award-winning destination. 🌷Do visit the Borong Village. 4. Pelling Perched at an altitude of 7200 ft. Pelling is a town that offers a wonderful and rejuvenating environment to the tourists. It is also known as the second most visited attraction of Sikkim after Gangtok. This town amazes people upon their arrival because it welcomes people with eye-captivating natural beauty and a lot of enthralling activities to perform. While you visit here, make sure you have at least 3 days to spare because you get some amazing things to do here then be it visit the base camp of Kanchenjunga trek or the Pelling Skywalk. And this is just the starter. Top attractions in Pelling 🌷Darap Cherny Village. 🌷Kanchenjunga Waterfalls. Things to do in Pelling 🌷Tasting authentic Sikkimese cuisines. 🌷Trekking to Kanchenjunga National Park. 🌷Shop at the local craft shops. 🌷Enjoy a picnic at Sewaro Rock Garden. 🌷Enjoy the Pelling Skywalk. Ideal duration: 3-4 days Important Information 🌷You will have to pay INR 350/ person as an entry fee at Kanchenjunga National Park. 🌷The entry fee at Khecheopalri Lake is 30 INR per person 5. Lachung Located approximately 120 km from Gangtok, Lachung is located at an altitude of 8610 m above sea level. It is a graceful and amazing hamlet to visit in Sikkim during the summer season. This place is a quaint hamlet where serenity envelops the entire region. Lachung is one of those places where adventure junkies and trekkers are found in clusters. There are a lot of things to do in Lachung that will make you hear your heart throbbing. While visiting here, stunning vistas and fascinating landscapes are just going to be the new normal for you. Top attractions in Lachung 🌷Yumthang Valley. 🌷Gurudongmar Lake. 🌷Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary. 🌷Chopta Valley. 🌷Mount Katao. Things to do in Lachung 🌷Trekking to Yumthang Valley. 🌷Have fun at Zero Point. 🌷Witness the eye captivating waterfalls. 🌷Take a trip to the Fruit Orchards. 🌷Trek to Chopta Valley. Ideal duration: 2 days Important Information 🌷If possible, become a part of the cultural festival of Lachung. 6. Namchi Another destination that seeks more attention than others in Sikkim is the wonderful Namchi. It is one of those destinations in Sikkim where you can enjoy the beautiful lush green forests and tea plantations while getting a clear view of the mighty Himalayas. Namchi is dotted with not only natural beauty but multiple monasteries and serene spots. A trip to this amazing destination gives you a rejuvenating time and peace. Throughout the town, there are several monasteries that would offer a positive aura, serenity, and a lot of other things. So while visiting Sikkim with family, friends, or even alone make sure that you do not miss out on Namchi at any cost. Top attractions in Namchi 🌷Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary. 🌷Serdup Choling Monastery. 🌷Tendong State Biodiversity Park. 🌷Doling Gompa. 🌷Rock Garden. Things to do in Namchi 🌷Enjoy the peace at Samdruptse. 🌷Trek or hike up the Tendong Hill. 🌷Explore Doling Gompa. 🌷Savor at the Hotel Sangay. 🌷Don’t miss the cable car ride at Rock Garden. Ideal duration: 2 days Important Information 🌷The cable car ride is 500m from one side and it takes 20 minutes. 🌷Take a safari at Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary. 7. Do-Drul Chorten Do-Drul Chorten is a huge Shanti Stupa that is situated within walking distance of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. It is also one of the finest attractions in Sikkim where you will always find a flock of visitors between the visiting hours. The Do-Drul Chorten is so huge that it can house approximately 400 monks in the residing complexes. On the top of the stupa, there is a golden cover that makes the top golden and on top of it, you can see a deity enshrined. The location and height of the stupa are so huge that its golden top can be seen from as far as Gangtok. There is a tale behind the popular Do-Drul Chorten where people believe that the place was previously haunted by ghosts and spirits. But after the creation of this stupa, the place became holy and everything became normal ever since. Highlights of Do-Drul Chorten 🌷The stupa is enclosed by 108 prayer wheels. 🌷There are sacred mantras carved on the wheels. 🌷Kangyur manuscripts and relics that are associated with Dorje Phurba can be seen inside. Ideal duration: 1 day Important Information 🌷Was built in 1946 by the 14th Dalai Lama who was named Trulshik Rinpoche. 🌷There are Guru Padmasambhava’s two huge statues in the Chorten Lhakhang area. Timings & Fee (if any): 6 am to 6 pm (all days in the week) 8. Rumtek Monastery Rumtek Monastery is not only one of the largest in Sikkim but also the finest piece of architecture when it comes to monasteries. One of the best places to visit in Sikkim, Rumtek Monastery should not be skipped while you visit here. It is a 3-storeyed building that houses some rare artifacts, relics, and manuscripts related to Buddhism. These important items are stored in the form of thangkas and murals. All these artifacts and relics make this monastery an important one as well. Highlights of Rumtek Monastery 🌷Rumtek Monastery is the venue of the Losar Festival celebrated in Sikkim. 🌷Another very important festival that is celebrated in this monastery is Dungdrub Puja. 🌷There is a 45-days Summer Retreat which is celebrated in the 6th Lunar month which is in either July or August. 🌷Gutor Cham Dance is another highlight of Rumtek Monastery that’s celebrated in February. Ideal duration: 1 day Important Information 🌷It is one of the largest monasteries in Sikkim 🌷It was built in the mid-1700s under the guidance of the 12th Karmapa named Changchub Dorje. 🌷Do not click pictures in the restricting areas, speak loudly in the monastery, smoke, or drink alcohol in the vicinity. It is better to take a guided tour for a better understanding of the history and its significance. Timings & Fee (if any): 6 a.m to 6 p.m & INR 10 per person 9. Goecha La Up for some Grade 4 and 5 level trekking in Sikkim? Head straight for Goecha La pass which happens to be one of the best places to visit in Sikkim for your vacation. It has been luring adventure junkies time and again. Not only Indians but a lot of people from around the globe come here to satiate their hunger of getting adrenaline rush in their veins. If you take the complete trek expedition, it is going to take anywhere between 9-11 days. The trek also reaches an astonishing height of 15,000 ft. above sea level. Make sure that you have all the permits, health documents, and other important IDs so that you can get going with this trek. Here are a few important things to note: 🌷Highlights of Goecha La 🌷The dense jungle at an astonishing 12,000 ft. 🌷The popular 3 suspension bridges 🌷The Tsokha monastery at 9,500 ft. 🌷Sudden altitude change and also in weather 🌷Kanchendzonga sunrise from Dzongri Top 🌷Enjoying camp at Pandim Ideal duration: 9-11 days for those who want to trek the pass Important Information 🌷The difficulty level of Goecha La is from difficult to professional. (Grade 4 & 5) throughout. 🌷It will take approximately 11 days to complete the trek. 🌷The base camp is at Yuksom. 🌷The minimum age of the trekker should be 12 years and health conditions should be good. 🌷The foreign enthusiasts will have to report 1 day before the reporting time. 🌷There should be 2 or more groups of foreigners who register for this trek. 🌷One has to obtain the inner line permit as well as trek permit Citizens of China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh are not allowed to trek here. Timings & Fee (if any): INR 2000 for foreigners per head For Indians, the charges differ for students and regular trekkers. 10. Tsomgo Lakes Did you know that there is another lake in India other than Pangong Tso that changes its colors? Yes, Tsomgo Lake is another fine place where you can see this magic of nature. But the only difference is Tsomgo Lake changes color over seasons and not throughout the days. Nevertheless, the location and beauty of this lake makes it a wonderful place to visit in Sikkim.Check out the important information given below to make your visit comfortable and enthralling. Highlights of Tsomgo Lake 🌷Take the Mules and Yak rides 🌷You can click pictures of some rare flowers like blue poppies, yellow poppies, Irish, and Primulas/li> 🌷While bird spotting, make sure you catch an eye of the Brahamini which is a migratory duck 🌷Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary 🌷Jelep La Pass 🌷Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial Temple Ideal duration: 1 day Important Information 🌷Tsomgo Lake is located 40 km from Gangtok 🌷This glacier lake is situated at 12,313 ft. 🌷The lake holds special significance in the lives of the locals 🌷It is better to visit here during the summer season because the lake freezes during winters. 🌷One needs to obtain the Protected Area Permit to visit here. Timings & Fee (if any)One can visit here 7 days a week 10. Yumthang Valley Yumthang is also known as the “Valley of Flowers” of Sikkim and is situated at an astonishing 3564 m above sea level. The best time to visit here is between March and June when the flowers bloom and the entire place looks simply stunning. Source: Tourism of India