Lachung or Lachen: choosing your North Sikkim trip

The table below sums up the main differences. Prices are indicative for 2025–26 and rise in April, May and October. Altitudes are approximate, as sources differ by a few dozen metres.

Lachung is the easier and more varied trip. The main outing, to Yumthang, involves a reasonable start at 6 am, a drive of 1–1.5 hours, and a valley floor at 3,564 m where most healthy people feel fine. You can walk on the meadows, see yaks and, in season, the rhododendrons of the Shingba sanctuary. The hot spring and the drive itself add to the morning.

If you want snow, Zero Point is the place, about 23 km beyond Yumthang at around 4,700 m. It usually has snow from November to April, which is why winter visitors and honeymooners favour this valley. Indian travellers can add it on the day for an extra vehicle charge, and decide on the spot whether they feel well enough to go.

Lachung also has the wider range of rooms, from village homestays across the river to resorts with heaters and valley views. That matters in winter, when nights fall well below zero. And it is the only option for foreign travellers who want more than a village stay, since they can go as far as Yumthang.

• Pick Lachung if you are travelling with young children or older parents.
• Pick Lachung if you are visiting in rhododendron season, from mid-April to May.
• Pick Lachung if snow is your priority between November and March.
• Pick Lachung if anyone in your group is a foreign national.

Lachen is about one thing for most visitors: Gurudongmar Lake. At about 5,430 m, close to the Tibetan border, it is one of the highest lakes in the world that you can reach by road, and the landscape on the way, past Thangu and across the plateau, is unlike anything else in Sikkim. The lake is sacred, linked to Guru Padmasambhava, and visited by Buddhist and Sikh pilgrims.

The cost is a hard morning. Vehicles leave Lachen around 4 am, the drive takes 3–3.5 hours each way, and you go from about 2,750 m to 5,430 m in one push. Most healthy adults manage a short visit, but some feel unwell, and babies, young children and people with heart or lung disease are generally advised not to go.

Lachen village itself is quieter than Lachung, with fewer hotels and a monastery above the village that few tourists see. The rooms are simpler and power cuts more frequent. If you can spare it, a second night in Lachen before the lake lowers the risk of altitude sickness and gives you time for the village.

• Pick Lachen if you are Indian, healthy and want the highest, wildest landscape.
• Pick Lachen if Gurudongmar has spiritual meaning for you.
• Pick Lachen in October and November for the clearest lake views.
• Avoid Lachen in deep winter, when snow often closes the Gurudongmar road.

The standard three-night circuit goes Gangtok to Lachen on day one, Gurudongmar at dawn on day two and then across to Lachung via Chungthang, Yumthang and Zero Point on day three, and back to Gangtok on day four. It is the most complete way to see North Sikkim, but it is also tiring: four long driving days in a row and two climbs above 4,500 m on consecutive days.

The circuit depends on the road between the two valleys at Chungthang. The October 2023 flood badly damaged this area, and for long periods afterwards operators could not run the combined route. When the link is closed, they offer each valley as a separate trip from Gangtok, which costs more time. Ask your operator which version is possible for your dates. Check current status before you travel.

If you have four nights, add a second night in Lachen before Gurudongmar. If you have five or more, consider starting with two nights in Dzongu, the Lepcha reserve near Mangan. It sits low, shortens the drive to Lachen and gives a calm start before the high valleys.

Every group is different, but a few patterns hold. The notes below reflect what tends to work for different kinds of travellers on a short budget of time and money.

• Families with children under about eight: Lachung and Yumthang, two nights, skip Zero Point if anyone is unwell.
• Couples and honeymooners: Lachung with a Comfort-tier room, or the three-night circuit if both are fit.
• Older travellers: Lachung and Yumthang; consult a doctor before any visit above 4,000 m.
• Foreign nationals: Lachung and Yumthang with a Protected Area Permit, perhaps adding Dzongu.
• Pilgrims: Lachen and Gurudongmar, ideally with two nights in Lachen.
• Photographers: the three-night circuit in late October or November for the clearest light.
• Budget travellers: a shared group tour to Lachung, which is the cheapest North Sikkim trip.
• Monsoon travellers: neither if you can avoid it; Dzongu is the safer choice from June to September.

North Sikkim is priced as packages from Gangtok, covering permit, vehicle, rooms and usually meals. Shared group tours are the cheapest: you buy a seat in a jeep with other travellers and stay in simple rooms. Reserved cars cost more but give you your own schedule and better hotels. Zero Point and Chopta valley, where allowed, are usually extra.

Compare at least two registered operators in Gangtok, and ask exactly what is included: which hotel, which meals, whether heaters are extra, and what happens if roads close. Book two to four weeks ahead for April, May, October and the Christmas week. In March and November you can often book a few days ahead and get better rates.

Carry enough cash from Gangtok, as card payments and ATMs are scarce above Mangan. Give your operator original ID and photos a day before departure, and keep a spare day before your flight or train. Prices and rules in this guide are indicative. Check current status before you travel.