First, 4 nights in Gangtok
The Elgin Nor-Khill, Gangtok
A 1930s former royal guest house above Gangtok — wood-panelled rooms, Tibetan rugs, garden valley views, minutes from MG Marg and the Tibetology institute.
Gangtok · Hotel · Premium★★★★
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Sikkim in Depth — Premium
Route
Enquire About This JourneyGangtok → Lachen → Lachung → Ravangla → Pelling
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About This Journey
Sikkim in Depth — Premium
The most complete Sikkim itinerary on offer, ten days that add the Tsomgo Lake excursion onto the full north-and-south circuit. From Gangtok, the route runs out to Tsomgo Lake, then north to Lachen, Gurudongmar Lake, Lachung and Yumthang Valley, back through Gangtok, and south via Ravangla — with its Buddha Park, Ralang monastery and Temi Tea Garden — to Pelling's monasteries, ruins and Khecheopalri Lake.
Nine nights across five bases leaves nothing out: the high-altitude lake day, the north valleys, and the deeper version of the Gangtok–Ravangla–Pelling circuit all appear on the same trip, for travelers with the time to see Sikkim in full.
- 01
Every signature excursion, on one itinerary
Tsomgo Lake, Gurudongmar Lake, Yumthang Valley and the Kanchenjunga-facing Pelling stops all appear here — the only route that includes all of them.
- 02
A genuinely full day in Ravangla and in Pelling
Ravangla's Buddha Park, Ralang monastery and Temi Tea Garden, and Pelling's Pemayangtse monastery, Rabdentse ruins and Khecheopalri Lake, each get real time rather than a token stop.
- 03
Five bases across nine nights
Gangtok, Lachen, Lachung, Ravangla and Pelling — the trip moves through all of Sikkim's key regions without compressing any of them into a single overnight.
Chapter Two — Where You'll Stay
4 Real Stays, In Order
Handpicked along your own route — not a hotel chain repeated city to city.
Next, one night in Lachen
The Apple Orchard Resort, Lachen
The one proper hotel in Lachen, North Sikkim — warm timber rooms with heaters beside an old monastery, and the pre-dawn Gurudongmar Lake trip arranged.
Lachen · Resort · Premium★★★
Next, 2 nights in Lachung
Yarlam Resort, Lachung
The most comfortable resort in Lachung, North Sikkim — warm timber rooms with heaters and mountain views, and the Yumthang Valley trip arranged.
Lachung · Resort · Premium★★★
Finally, 2 nights in Ravangla
Buddha Retreat, Ravangla
A small Yangthang Heritage hotel below Ravangla with Kanchenjunga-view rooms — minutes from Buddha Park, short drives to Ralang and the Temi tea garden.
Ravangla · Resort · Premium★★★
Chapter Three — Day by Day
Real Sikkim Attractions in This Itinerary
8 of your 10days — the full itinerary follows below. Scroll to travel the route.
Day 2 · Gangtok
Gangtok — the Monasteries, the Ropeway and MG Marg
A full day around the capital. Rumtek first, the largest monastery in Sikkim and the Karmapa's seat, on a hill facing the town. Then the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, with one of the best collections of Tibetan texts and art outside Tibet, and the nearby Do-drul chorten. The afternoon takes in the Enchey monastery above the town, the ropeway across the ridge, and time on MG Marg and in the Lal Bazar market.
Day 3 · Gangtok
Day Trip to Tsomgo Lake and the Border Road
An early start east on the old Silk Road, with the permit arranged the day before. Tsomgo Lake sits at three thousand seven hundred and eighty metres, a glacial lake ringed by bare mountains, with decorated yaks on the shore. Nearby is the Baba Mandir, a shrine the army keeps for a soldier said to still watch the border. Indian nationals can continue to the Nathu La pass itself. The day is at altitude and the weather turns fast, so it goes early and stays flexible.
Day 4 · Gangtok → Lachen
Gangtok to Lachen — Into North Sikkim
A long drive north, about six or seven hours, following the Teesta up a narrowing green gorge past waterfalls and the town of Mangan. The road is rough in places and the region is restricted, so a permit and a North Sikkim operator are required, and the vehicle changes to a shared arrangement here. You reach Lachen, a high village of wood-and-tin houses at two thousand seven hundred metres, by late afternoon, with an early night before the Gurudongmar start.
Day 5 · Lachen → Lachung
Gurudongmar Lake at Dawn, then Transfer to Lachung
The vehicle leaves Lachen around four in the morning, while the wind is still down, and climbs a rough road onto the plateau. Gurudongmar Lake sits at five thousand four hundred and thirty metres, one of the highest lakes in the world, held blue against snow mountains, with a part that is said never to freeze. The stop is short because of the altitude. Back to Lachen for breakfast, then a two-hour drive south to Lachung for the night.
Day 6 · Lachung
Yumthang Valley and Zero Point
An early drive up the valley from Lachung to Yumthang, the Valley of Flowers, at three thousand five hundred metres. In spring the rhododendron sanctuary on the slopes is in bloom; in other seasons it is a wide river meadow ringed by snow. A footbridge crosses to a hot spring. If the road and the weather allow, the trip continues to Zero Point at four thousand seven hundred metres, the snowbound end of the road. Back in Lachung by early afternoon.
Day 7 · Lachung → Gangtok
Lachung Back to Gangtok
The return south is a long day, six to seven hours, back down the Teesta gorge through Chungthang and Mangan. There are stops for the Naga and Bhim Nala waterfalls and for lunch. The green deepens as the road drops. You reach Gangtok in the late afternoon, with the evening free on MG Marg after two nights in the far north.
Day 8 · Gangtok → Ravangla
Gangtok to Ravangla, via the Namchi Statues
A drive south and west of about four hours, crossing the Teesta and climbing into South Sikkim. The stop on the way is Namchi: the forty-five-metre statue of Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse hill, and the Char Dham complex at Solophok, where the four corner temples of India are rebuilt at full size around a statue of Shiva. Both sit on hilltops with wide views. You reach Ravangla, on its ridge facing Kanchenjunga, by evening.
Day 9 · Ravangla
Ravangla — Buddha Park, Ralang and the Temi Tea Garden
A relaxed South Sikkim day. Buddha Park, above the town, is built around a forty-metre seated Buddha unveiled by the Dalai Lama in 2013, with gardens and a lawn facing the mountains. The old Ralang monastery is a short drive on. The afternoon is the Temi tea garden, the only one in Sikkim, on a hillside below Tendong: a walk through the rows and the small factory, then a tasting in the estate bungalow.
Chapter Four — The Full Itinerary
10 Days, In Full
Every day, start to finish — including the transfers the day-by-day chapter above skipped.
Gangtok
Arrive in Gangtok
The drive up from Bagdogra airport or the New Jalpaiguri railhead takes about four to five hours, climbing out of the Bengal tea plains and up the Teesta gorge into Sikkim. Foreign visitors have their Sikkim permit checked at Rangpo on the way in. You reach Gangtok in the afternoon. The evening is for MG Marg, the traffic-free central avenue, where the town comes out to walk and the cafes fill up.
Gangtok
Gangtok — the Monasteries, the Ropeway and MG Marg
A full day around the capital. Rumtek first, the largest monastery in Sikkim and the Karmapa's seat, on a hill facing the town. Then the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, with one of the best collections of Tibetan texts and art outside Tibet, and the nearby Do-drul chorten. The afternoon takes in the Enchey monastery above the town, the ropeway across the ridge, and time on MG Marg and in the Lal Bazar market.
Gangtok
Day Trip to Tsomgo Lake and the Border Road
An early start east on the old Silk Road, with the permit arranged the day before. Tsomgo Lake sits at three thousand seven hundred and eighty metres, a glacial lake ringed by bare mountains, with decorated yaks on the shore. Nearby is the Baba Mandir, a shrine the army keeps for a soldier said to still watch the border. Indian nationals can continue to the Nathu La pass itself. The day is at altitude and the weather turns fast, so it goes early and stays flexible.
Gangtok → Lachen
Gangtok to Lachen — Into North Sikkim
A long drive north, about six or seven hours, following the Teesta up a narrowing green gorge past waterfalls and the town of Mangan. The road is rough in places and the region is restricted, so a permit and a North Sikkim operator are required, and the vehicle changes to a shared arrangement here. You reach Lachen, a high village of wood-and-tin houses at two thousand seven hundred metres, by late afternoon, with an early night before the Gurudongmar start.
Lachen → Lachung
Gurudongmar Lake at Dawn, then Transfer to Lachung
The vehicle leaves Lachen around four in the morning, while the wind is still down, and climbs a rough road onto the plateau. Gurudongmar Lake sits at five thousand four hundred and thirty metres, one of the highest lakes in the world, held blue against snow mountains, with a part that is said never to freeze. The stop is short because of the altitude. Back to Lachen for breakfast, then a two-hour drive south to Lachung for the night.
Lachung
Yumthang Valley and Zero Point
An early drive up the valley from Lachung to Yumthang, the Valley of Flowers, at three thousand five hundred metres. In spring the rhododendron sanctuary on the slopes is in bloom; in other seasons it is a wide river meadow ringed by snow. A footbridge crosses to a hot spring. If the road and the weather allow, the trip continues to Zero Point at four thousand seven hundred metres, the snowbound end of the road. Back in Lachung by early afternoon.
Lachung → Gangtok
Lachung Back to Gangtok
The return south is a long day, six to seven hours, back down the Teesta gorge through Chungthang and Mangan. There are stops for the Naga and Bhim Nala waterfalls and for lunch. The green deepens as the road drops. You reach Gangtok in the late afternoon, with the evening free on MG Marg after two nights in the far north.
Gangtok → Ravangla
Gangtok to Ravangla, via the Namchi Statues
A drive south and west of about four hours, crossing the Teesta and climbing into South Sikkim. The stop on the way is Namchi: the forty-five-metre statue of Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse hill, and the Char Dham complex at Solophok, where the four corner temples of India are rebuilt at full size around a statue of Shiva. Both sit on hilltops with wide views. You reach Ravangla, on its ridge facing Kanchenjunga, by evening.
Ravangla
Ravangla — Buddha Park, Ralang and the Temi Tea Garden
A relaxed South Sikkim day. Buddha Park, above the town, is built around a forty-metre seated Buddha unveiled by the Dalai Lama in 2013, with gardens and a lawn facing the mountains. The old Ralang monastery is a short drive on. The afternoon is the Temi tea garden, the only one in Sikkim, on a hillside below Tendong: a walk through the rows and the small factory, then a tasting in the estate bungalow.
Pelling
Pelling — Pemayangtse, Rabdentse, Khecheopalri and the Skywalk
A full day in west Sikkim. Pemayangtse first, one of the oldest monasteries in the state, with a seven-tiered wooden model of a celestial palace on its top floor. A short walk downhill reaches the forest ruins of Rabdentse, the old royal capital. The afternoon is the sacred Khecheopalri Lake, still and leaf-free in its ring of trees, and the glass skywalk on the ridge, which runs out over the valley to a large statue of Chenrezig.
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What Our Travelers Say
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Nothing short of magical. Brijesh crafted a seamless itinerary that balanced sightseeing, culture, and relaxation, making our journey truly special.
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Chapter Five — Terms & Conditions
Straightforward, In Writing
Cancellation windows, refund timing, and rescheduling terms for this journey follow our one sitewide policy — nothing package-specific to dig through.
Read the Return & Refund PolicyFrequently Asked
Before You Book
How is this different from the Grand Journey itinerary?
The Grand Journey covers the same north-and-south ground over nine days; this In Depth route runs a night longer and adds the Tsomgo Lake day trip from Gangtok, which the Grand Journey doesn't include.
Is ten days necessary to see Sikkim properly?
For every major region — the high north valleys and the full Ravangla–Pelling circuit together — yes. Shorter itineraries cover one half of the state well; this is the version that covers both without rushing either.
Chapter Six — Similar Journeys
More of Sikkim, Privately
Before you go
Planning Sikkim
Travel Tips
Private Tour or Group Tour in India? An Honest Comparison
First-Time IndiaPlanning GuideTravel Tips
Travel Tips
Getting Around India: Trains, Flights or a Private Car?
First-Time IndiaPlanning GuideTravel Tips
Travel Tips
Eating Well in India Without Getting Ill: A Practical Guide
First-Time IndiaFood & CulturePlanning Guide
Why Choose Us
The Same Trust, Sized to This Trip
01
Planning, Built Around You
This route was shaped around Sikkim's real places, not lifted from a fixed template.
13 years — Brijesh Sharma, Bespoke Itinerary Specialist
02
Handpicked Hotels
Every stay on this trip was chosen in person, not off a ratings page.
4 real stays, 3–4★
03
A Private Fleet, Always Yours
One driver, air-conditioned, for the whole route — no shared shuttle.
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