Tsomgo Lake
Lake · Half day12,300 ft, permit required. Frozen in winter.
Hill capital · Sikkim
Gangtok travel guide & tour packages
Clean, orderly and noticeably different in character from the West Bengal hills below it. The draw is what surrounds the town rather than the town itself: Tsomgo Lake and Nathula on the China border, both requiring permits arranged in advance, and monasteries at Rumtek and Enchey. Permits are the thing to plan around — Nathula in particular is restricted, closed to foreign nationals, and subject to closure at short notice.
What to see
Things to do in Gangtok
Rumtek Monastery
Monastery · 2 hours24 km out. Carry photo ID — there are security checks.
MG Marg
Promenade · 1 hourPedestrian, litter-free, smoking banned. Where the town gathers in the evening.
Durations
Realistic trip lengths
Gangtok works well as a 2–3 night stay. Tell us your dates and party and we'll price a tailored itinerary.
Good to know
Gangtok FAQs
Do I need a permit for Sikkim?
Indian nationals need permits for restricted areas like Tsomgo and Nathula; foreign nationals need an Inner Line Permit for the state and are barred from Nathula entirely. We arrange what is permitted for your nationality.
Is Nathula Pass always open?
No. It closes for weather and for diplomatic reasons at short notice, and it is closed to foreign passport holders at all times.
Nearby
Combine with
Hill station
Darjeeling
Tea, the toy train and Kanchenjunga when the cloud allows. The Tiger Hill sunrise is the set piece — a very early start for a view that is entirely we…
View guide →Hill stationMunnar
Tea country at around 1,600 metres, and the coolest place in Kerala by a distance. The appeal is the landscape rather than any single sight — hillside…
View guide →BackwatersAlleppey
The backwaters are the reason most people come to Kerala and a houseboat night is the way to see them properly. Boats leave around noon, cruise until …
View guide →Hill stationShimla
The old summer capital, and still the most accessible hill station from Delhi. The Mall and Ridge are pedestrian and pleasant; everything else involve…
View guide →Hill stationManali
Manali is two places: the crowded new town, and Old Manali and the Solang side, which is why you came. Three nights works because the drives are long …
View guide →Hill townDharamshala & McLeod Ganj
The seat of the Tibetan government in exile, and quite different in character from the rest of Himachal. McLeod Ganj above the main town is where visi…
View guide →Lake citySrinagar
Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens are the reason to come, and a houseboat night is the version of Srinagar people remember. The shikara ride at dawn — w…
View guide →Mountain resortGulmarg
A meadow at 2,650 metres that becomes India's main ski resort in winter. The gondola is the draw in either season and runs in two phases — the second,…
View guide →Plan it properly
Tell us the party and the dates.
We price the real configuration rather than an average — exact adults, children and rooms — and come back within one working day.