Gangtok Tour

Best Gangtok itinerary

Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, is by far the most sought after holiday destinations in India. It is one of the hottest selling North East India Tours. A lot of Indians as well as foreigners seek holiday in this beautiful valley of Gangtok. Keeping this in mind, we, at Ashoka Holidays, have come up with lot of variations and addition of Sikkim Tours. My article will give a quick glimpse of the best of Gangtok attractions, Gangtok local sight seeing, places to see in Gangtok, best time to go Sikkim and Gangtok. In short everything related to Gangtok Tourism.

Minimum no. of Nights required : 3 Nights

1st day (the day you reach) take the rest of the day at rest on your leisure. You can wander around the very famous, lively and beautiful pedestrian only - no car zone in MG Road. At Night, you can visit the Casinos at Mayfair(around 3000 INR entry fee for outsiders and 1000 INR for in-house guests of May fair Hotel) or the Royal Plaza hotel or hit one of the discotheques in Gangtok.

2nd day Gangtok local city tour

3rd day Excursion to Tsomgo Lake and Nathula Pass. At Tsomgo Lake, you can ride on a docile yak or pose for photographs next to one. From there, head on to Nathu La pass, on the Indo-Chinese border to play in snow and wave at Chinese soldiers on the other side.

Detailed itinerary of Sikkim – Gangtok Tour

Day 1:Reach hotel and take some rest. After that walk up and down the pedestrian-only MG Road, stopping for hot momos and rolls at the famous Roll house, or sit at one the various cafés(My favourite Bakers’ Café) to get the best views of Gangtok valley. If you are a vegetarian then Rasoi, a pure vegetarian restaurant offers delicious food. MG is also good place to do your souvenir and general shopping.

Day 2: Gangtok Sight Seeing

Gangtok Local Sightseeing comprises of 10 local view points within Gangtok that can be covered in a single day. One has to start early in the day. Some of them can also be skipped depending on one’s interest and time.

Gangtok local sightseeing packages -

3 point package 7 point package 10 point package

Below is the list of Gangtok local sightseeing view points

Tashi View Point Hanuman Tok Ganesh Tok Enchey Monastery Bakthang Waterfalls Cottage Industry Flower exhibition center Chorten Stupa Tibetology Museum Rope Way

In ten point natural scenery package all the above are included, in 7 points natural scenery first 7 local view points are included and in 3 points natural scenery package first 3 local view points are included.

Pay a visit to the monasteries in and around Gangtok, in particular, the stunning Enchey and Rumtek. Take a ropeway ride (8.00 am – 4.30 pm) up to the highest point in Gangtok for fabulous views of the town and the surrounding valley.

Day 3:

Make a day trip to Tsomgo lake (while some prefer calling it Changu lake), located in the middle of snow-cladded mountains. Beautiful calm and serene, Tsongmo Lake is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim, India, some 40 kilometres (25 mi) away from Gangtok at altitude of 3,780 m (12,400 ft).The road to the lake is bumpy but when you reach there all woes are forgotten :) The lake against the pictureque snow cladded mountain offers spectacular views. A photographer’s delight. A yak ride around the lake is must do. The lale remains frozen during winters.

Tip:

A hot bowl of maggi or wai-wai is what you will want here. Available almost in every little shop.

You need a permit to visit this lake, since it is en route to Nathula pass near India-China border, which can be arranged the same day by your taxi driver/travel agent. As a general note, carry your valid ID proof (all members) and 4-6 passport size photos as these are needed for permits.

Nathula PassProbably the best experience in your Gangtok trip. The entire stretch of road is a gorge with snow cladded mountain on one side and around 10000 ft deep the other side. Only few lucky ones can reach till the pass at 14140 ft above sea level. The road remains closed in some days of the week and sometimes closed because of road blocked with snow, landslides etc. Kindly check with the tour operator/ taxi drivers in Gangtok before you proceed. Mind you, only citizens of India can visit the pass on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, that too after obtaining a permit one day in advance from Gangtok. Baba Mandir, a shrine dedicated to an Indian army soldier "Baba" Harbhajan Singh, who died near the Nathula Pass in eastern Sikkim, India is an experience in itself.

Things to be noted while travelling to Nathula Pass

Start early morning before 8.30 am so that you will reach the mountain peak before 11.30 am. This will help in see the place in sun shine. There is a restriction of no. of people allowed in the peak. So the earlier, the better. And also after 1 pm expect sudden change in the climate, it could rain or snow.

Where to stay?The Mayfair Gangtok is the only five star and by far the best hotel in Gangtok - comes with a spa and a casino and is set amidst lush grenery away from the bustle of the town. Property is great with huge rooms, courteous staff and certain activities to keep kids engaged. However, ordering Ala-carte might take some time. Chances are check in and check out process take some time. Their rainforest cafe offers good view and mouth watering local delicacies.

There are many hotels in MG road which is the heart of Gangtok.

When to go?The best time to visit Gangtok is all around the year except the Rainy period (July to September).So you should plan your visit accordingly.

How to reach Gangtok ?Gangtok is capital of Sikkim state. So it is well connected with other parts of country by flight,trains and road. The nearest airport is Bagdogra in West Bengal. It is at a distance of

120 km. Fly to Bagdogra from Kolkata or New Delhi or Guwahati. Or take a train from any of the major cities to New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and a bus or cab further on to Gangtok (5 – 6 hrs by road). Taxi is by far the most convenient option to reach Gangtok from Bagdogra.

From NJP, just move out of the platform and you will see lot of people approaching you. They are drivers or agents. You should not directly book your vehicle through them as it will cost more. You can just move outside the railway station and reach Taxi stand. You can take either shared taxi or reserve taxi from the stand just outside the railway station. But it is advisable to book your taxi well in advance with your tour operator or any car rental company online to avoid chaos and save time.

However, if you want to indulge in a unique experience, try a chopper ride from Bagdogra airport to Gangtok (Rs. 3700 per head).