Upper Pelling family guesthouses

Name: Upper Pelling family guesthouses
Address: Pelling

Small family-run guesthouses and lodges line the lanes of Upper Pelling, many with rooftop views of Kangchenjunga. They are the cheapest way to stay in Pelling without giving up the view.

Photo: Chaitali Biswas · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Upper Pelling has dozens of small lodges of three to ten rooms, usually run by the family that lives on the ground floor. Rooms are basic: a double bed, thick blankets, an attached bathroom with a geyser that may only run at set hours. Many have a flat roof where you can watch the sunrise on the range.

We pick these places on recent experience rather than by name, because standards change with each season. Ask for a room on the top floor, check that hot water works, and agree the price, including any heater charge, before you carry your bags up.

Why we book it

The same mountain view as hotels costing three times as much
Home-cooked dal-bhat, momos and thukpa from the family kitchen
Easy to change plans, as most take walk-in guests outside peak weeks
Money goes straight to local families

Questions travellers ask

Good to know

Do I need to book a Pelling guesthouse in advance

In October, during the Puja holidays and from Christmas to New Year, yes, book a few days ahead because rooms fill with groups from Kolkata. The rest of the year you can usually find a room by walking around Upper Pelling in the afternoon. Arrive before dark, compare two or three places, and look at the room before paying.

Is there heating in budget rooms

Most budget rooms have no built-in heating. Owners lend an electric heater for about ₹200–300 a night in winter, and give thick quilts. From December to February nights at 2,100 m fall to around 2–5°C, so bring warm sleepwear. Power cuts happen, so a head torch is useful.

Can these guesthouses arrange transport

Yes. Almost every owner can book a local car for the Pelling sightseeing loop, a seat on the morning shared jeep to Yuksom or Siliguri, or a reserved car to Gangtok. Their prices are close to the local taxi union rates. Ask the night before, because shared jeeps leave early and seats are limited.

Packages

Routes that stay here

West and South Sikkim · 7 nights Gangtok, Ravangla, Pelling and Darjeeling in seven nights Gangtok · Ravangla · Pelling · Darjeeling From₹19,500 pp

West and South Sikkim · 5 nights Namchi, Ravangla, Pelling and Rinchenpong in five nights Namchi · Ravangla · Pelling · Rinchenpong From₹14,500 pp

West and South Sikkim · 3 nights Pelling and Yuksom in three nights Pelling · Yuksom From₹9,500 pp

Also in West and South Sikkim

Other stays

Heritage hotel · Pelling Elgin Mount Pandim

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Resort · Pelling The Norbu Ghang Resort

A long-running resort in Upper Pelling with terraced cottages facing the Kangchenjunga range. It is our usual Value pick when families want space and a view …

Homestay · Yuksom Yuksom village homestays

Family homestays in Yuksom, run mainly by Bhutia, Limbu and Nepali households, are the natural base before or after the Goecha La and Dzongri treks. Meals …

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