Ours was the only car on that road in Sikkim. It was sunset time and we were off to one of the remotest villages in Sikkim, not sure of the way. Even Google Map was not showing the exact path. Still we kept on moving and finally we reached our destination called Yuksom, the oldest city of Sikkim. It was raw and beautiful. And talking to a bunch of natives over their local millet beer is something that I am going to cherish the rest of my life!!!
Not only this but every day of ours in this Northeastern State of India was an adventure and an experience of its own kind.
Itinerary of Sikkim, budget details and tips, where to stay, from where to book a taxi, top experiences, how to reach, contact numbers of local drivers is what you can expect from this article.
We are sharing this guide to make your trip to Sikkim a bit easier.
Table of Contents
How to Travel to Sikkim during Pandemic
This is what required to travel to Sikkim after the lockdown.
How to reach Sikkim
Flight – We booked a flight from Delhi to Bagdogra. It takes around 2 hours to reach Bagdogra from Delhi. Book the flight at least 2 months in advance for the best prices.
Train – The nearest railway stations are New Jalpaiguri in Bagdogra and Siliguri Railway Station. And both of these are well connected to major Indian cities.
How to travel from Airport/ Railway Station up to Sikkim
You can hire a taxi from outside the Airport/ Railway Station to Gangtok.
If you are a budget traveler, book an auto up to Siliguri bus stand and from there book a shared taxi up to Gangtok. It takes around 4-5 hours to reach Gangtok from Bagdogra depending on the traffic on the way.
Private Taxis charge around INR 2500 – INR 3000 per taxi and sharing taxis charge around INR 500 – INR 600 per person.
However, if you want to free from the hassle of finding and hiring a taxi from the Airport/ Railway Station, pre-book it from various travel agencies in Gangtok.
Also, the local driver that we hired for most of our trip in Sikkim provides Airport pick up and drop. Contact Ramesh Bhaiya @ +91-9800018516.
Traveling within Sikkim
Taxis are a major way of traveling in Sikkim. You can hire a private or a sharing taxi.
There are many local tour & travel agencies in Gangtok that provide both private and sharing taxis along with optional boarding and lodging facilities for locations like North Sikkim. Also, you can ask your place of stay for their contacts.
We spotted some of travel agencies offices on the mall road, Gangtok.
If you want to book the taxis from where we booked, here are the details –
- For North Sikkim Tour, contact Raj Tour and travels @+91-7679826661 for both private and shared taxis. They will also get your budget accommodations arranged in North Sikkim.
- For sightseeing in and around Gangtok and for visiting Zuluk, Namchi, Ravangla, Pelling, and other places in East, West, and South Sikkim, you can contact Ramesh Bhaiya @ +91-9800018516.
Long and difficult road travel has always been a concern for whoever craves to travel to this mountainous state of North East India. However, we found most of the roads smooth and carpeted.
It takes time to reach a destination in Sikkim, but when views are such beautiful, who cares about some trouble. Right?
Best time to visit Sikkim
March to May and October to December is considered the best time to visit Sikkim. Every season has its own charm. If you are a winter person or want to see snow, consider visiting between October to early December. For seeing colorful flowers in full bloom in Sikkim, plan your trip during Springtime i.e. from March to May.
We visited in the last week of November. East Sikkim (Gangtok & Zuluk) was pretty cold during this time. It was snowing in a few areas of North Sikkim. And weather was comparatively hotter and pleasant in the South and West of Sikkim.
Our Suggested Itinerary for a trip to Sikkim
This itinerary is for 10 days. If you have fewer days in hand, choose only the places you want to visit and skip rest.
- Day 1 – 2 :
Reach Gangtok and explore places in Gangtok.
- Day 3 – 5 :
North Sikkim Tour
- Day 6 :
Visit offbeat places around Gangtok, drive on old silk route, and night stay in Zuluk/ Padamchen.
- Day 7 :
Visit Namchi, Ravangla and night stay in Ravangla.
- Day 8 :
Reaching Pelling, Explore the oldest city of Sikkim – Yuksom and night stay in Pelling/ Yuksom.
- Day 9 :
Visit offbeat places around Pelling, explore Uttarey, Wine tasting at Azing’s Farm and night halt in Jorethang.
- Day 10 :
Catch morning flight from Bagdogra Airport.
Tips for exploring Sikkim
- Stay in Homestays wherever possible. Definitely, it is the best way to interact with locals and also have homemade local delicacies.
- Visit the shoulder season for the best prices of hotels and taxis. Certainly, avoid Peak season.
- Check the weather forecast before visiting. Roads to places like Gurudongmar lake and Zero point close whenever there is snowfall.
- Travel with a group of friends to save money on transport or opt for sharing taxis. Also for locations like Zuluk, Ravangla, Yuksom (being offbeat) sharing taxis might not be available.
- Check with a few drivers and local travel companies before booking your taxi. Bargaining might save you a few bucks.
- Take some fruits, snacks and water along whenever you travel from one place to another in Sikkim. Reaching a place in Sikkim takes time and in remote areas food options are limited.
Local Sikkimese foods and drinks we had during our trip to Sikkim
Rice is the staple food in Sikkim and fermented foods are a significant part of Sikkimese food.
During our 10 days stay in Sikkim, we got to taste many local vegetarian Sikkimese dishes.
Budget for a trip to Sikkim
Accommodation
A good budget hotel can be booked in INR 1500 – 2000 per night per room.
Homestays charge around INR 1000 – INR 1500 per person per night (including breakfast and dinner). Also, they make delicious vegetarian food made by their homegrown vegetables. Just let them know in advance.
Food
Eat where locals eat and it will cost around INR 200 – 300 per meal. If you are a food lover and like exploring different options as we do, there are a variety of cafes in MG Marg, Gangtok. There, a sumptuous meal will cost you less than INR 500 per person.
Transport
That’s the most expensive part of the Sikkim trip as the only means of transport are taxis there. Consider taking a sharing taxi, wherever possible. Alternatively, travel in a group of 4 or 6 to divide the expenses.
| Private (Price per taxi in INR) | Sharing (Price per person in INR) | |
| Airport to Gangtok | 2500-3500 | 500-800 |
| Sightseeing in Gangtok | 2500-3500 | – |
| North Sikkim Tour | 15500-18000 | 2500 |
| Gangtok to Zuluk and exploring places along the way | 3500-4500 | – |
| Zuluk to Ravangla and exploring Ravangla | 3500-4500 | – |
| Ravangla to Pelling and exploring Pelling | 3500-4500 | – |
| Pelling to Yuksom | 1000-1500 | – |
| Pelling to Uttarey and exploring Uttarey | 3500-4500 | – |
| Uttarey to Bagdogra Airport | 3500-4500 | – |
For the latest rates you can our local driver there in Gangtok Ramesh Bhaiya @+91-9800018516.
Day by Day Breakdown of our trip to Sikkim
Day 1 : Reaching Gangtok
- We took an early morning flight from Delhi and reach Bagdogra Airport. From there we took a taxi and reached Gangtok in the evening.
- Check in your hotel. We stayed in hotel Pearl Retreat in Gangtok. It is a 3 star luxury property with backdrop of Himalayas, away from the hustle bustle of the town but still within walking distance from MG Marg, the most vibrant place of Gangtok. It is well equipped with all the modern amenities.
- You can have dinner at Nimtho at MG Marg. It is a famous local cuisine restaurant with beautiful ambiance.
Day 2 : Explore Places in Gangtok
Check our article on Gangtok : Guide to Gangtok
Day 3 to 5 : Visit Gurudongmar Lake and other places in North Sikkim
Check our article : North Sikkim Tour
Day 6 : Visit Places around Gangtok and Stay in Zuluk/ Padamchen
- Checkout our article : Visit places around Gangtok.
- Visit iconic hairpin bends of Zuluk. This is something if have never seen before.
- Nightstay in either Zuluk/ Padamchen. We stayed in Lamakhang Homestay in Padamchen. It is a nice homestay with all modern amenities. The rooms are clean and comfortable. There is an attached washroom with every room and there is supply of hot water. The local organic food they serve at their restaurant is delicious. If you want to book Lamakhang Homestay in Padamchen, contact Mr. Sumba Sherpa @ +91-9775497707. It costed us around INR 1000-1200 per person with breakfast and Dinner when we visited in November, 2020.
Day 7 : Explore South Sikkim
- Leave for Namchi early in the morning from Padamchen.
- Visit Char Dham, Samdruptse Monastery and Temi Tea Garden.
- Visit Buddha Park and stay in Ravangla. We stayed in Buddha Park Residency inside the premises of Buddha Park. It is an amazing property with rooms overlooking the Buddha Statue. Book the rooms online well in advance.
- You can have dinner at Taste of Sikkim in local market of Ravangla. They serve delicious Thalis but be ready for some delay in service as they make everything fresh.
Day 8 : Explore Pelling and other places in West Sikkim
- Leave from Ravangla after breakfast.
- Visit Tree House Cafe on the way from Ravangla to pelling.
- Visited Rabdentse ruins (A palace), Pelling Skywalk (India’s first glass skywalk) and Khecheopalri Lake.
- Stay in Pelling. We stayed in Sonamchen Hotel in Pelling. The rooms are decent and clean. Our balcony their has a breathtaking view of Mount Kanchenjunga.
- After Lunch, visit Kanchenjunga waterfall and Yuksom. Yuksom is the oldest capital of Sikkim. This place still has that old world charm and beauty. We found it to be one of the least commercialized places in Sikkim. We had Dinner at Bamboo Restaurant in Yuksom with some fresh millet beer. Yuksom is also known as a base camp for many treks in Sikkim.
- If you have extra days in hand, consider staying in a homestay in Yuksom. There are a few options we found out – pemalingpa homestay yuksom @ +91-7076773275 and Yaksum homestay @ 9733160953.
Day 9 : Explore places around Pelling and night stay in Jorethang
- Leave from Pelling after breakfast and visit Changay Waterfall and Singhshore bridge. You can also visit Uttarey, the last village of West Sikkim. This place is home to many treks in Sikkim.
- We then left from West Sikkim. Visited Azing’s model farm and tasted varieties of locally produce wine. Azing Model Farm has variety of fruits grown on a mountain. This place totally left us mesmerized.
- We had a flight to catch next morning from Bagdogra Airport, so we stayed in Hotel Namgyal in Jorthang. It is a nice hotel and serves delicious food. We loved their North Indian Food the most.
Our top 5 experiences in Sikkim
Sikkim is so beautiful that the list of amazing places and experiences is endless.
If we have to choose, these 5 are our top experiences in Sikkim.
1. Gurudongmar Lake
2. Drive from Gangtok to Zuluk
3. Buddha Park
4. Visiting Yuksom and interacting with locals over a rice beer
5. MG Marg, Gangtok – For its lively vibes
How to be sure of travelling during the Pandemic
Talking to a local is the best way to know the ground realities. We talked to the hotels we stayed in before visiting.
What to pack for a trip to Sikkim
If you plan to go in November as we did, a pullover and a warm jacket would be sufficient. During day time, if the sun is really harsh, even a half sleeve tee would do.
But for places that are at high altitude (North Sikkim), don’t forget to pack your woolen cap, gloves, muffler, shawl, socks, etc. And for an overnight stay there in North Sikkim, at least two layers of clothes are needed. (Warm inner, a fleece, and a jacket).
Surely, pack comfortable shoes and slippers.
We hope this guide help you in planning your trip to Sikkim. Do let us know in the comments.