The Hidden Routes of Sikkim 7.0 — Experiential Scheduled Departures to North Sikkim & Beyond | Explore the Trade Routes of Sikkim

kanupriya raniwala

Nov 30, 2023

7 min read

Updated: 13 hours ago

The 3rd highest mountain in the world, Mt. Kanchenjunga bathing in the first rays of the sun — Mt. Kanchendzonga as seen from Gangtok

“Where the Mountains Still Remember the Silk Route”

7N8D | Ex Bagdogra | THE HIDDEN ROUTES OF SIKKIM 7.0

Gangtok – Lachen – Gurudongmar – Lachung – Yumthang – Temi – Ravangla

10 – 17 APRIL 30 OCT – 6 NOV

Trip Leader — your very own founder & curator, Kanupriya. More about me →

Achullay! I've curated this 7N8D immersive itinerary off the usual Gangtok–Pelling loop — a heritage walk in Lachen, the sacred lake at Gurudongmar, and an afternoon folding momos with a tea-estate family in Temi. I lived in Sikkim for 8 years; this route is basically my second home, mapped out for you. I also sort all your permits for the restricted zones.

Highlights

✨ Guided Heritage walk through Dzumsa-governed Lachen with a local host

✨ Gurudongmar Lake — one of the world's highest lakes

✨ Wild hot-spring dip at Yumesamdong (Zero Point)

✨ Momo-folding with a tea-growing family at Temi

✨ Old Silk Route history at Nathu La

✨ Witness Blooming — April rhododendrons or Temi's rare autumn cherry blossom

✨ Historical accounts & unknown facts

✨ Unhurried day at Ravangla Buddha Park with an evening bonfire

✨ Unobstructed Kanchendzonga views from handpicked spots

About Sikkim :-

Before I start with my silk route obsession — these two dates are handpicked so you catch two of Sikkim's best blooms: the Rhododendrons in April, and the rare, wild Himalayan Cherry Blossom in Oct–Nov. So choose your flower obsession, and then let's drive straight into the part of Sikkim almost no one asks about.

Did you know? — Sikkim was also part of the Old Silk Route.

I bet you didn't know that — let me quickly take you through it. East Sikkim once carried one of the Old Silk Route's threads into India, the eastern stretch through Zuluk still remembered locally as the Tea–Horse Route, trading tea, wool and salt until the 1962 war sealed it shut — reopening only in 2006, for limited border trade at Nathu La. Further north, Lachen — literally “the big pass” — was a Sikkim–Tibet crossing in its own right, carrying monks and scripture alongside wool and salt back when both were independent kingdoms, and even today it stays open only in the same dry months we're driving through.

Read more about it here → Snow, Silk & the Land That Wouldn't Let Me Leave

TRIVIA — Sikkim was its own kingdom until 1975, when it became India's 22nd state. Ask me how, properly, on the road.

Itinerary :-

Day 1 — From the Plains to the Mountains

{ Bagdogra → Gangtok | ~145 km | ~4–5 hrs | Gangtok ~1,650 m }

Welcome to Sikkim! Gangtok — the state's fourth and youngest capital — was a working traders' market right up until 2008, now a walkable, café-lined promenade under the watch of Kanchendzonga. Today we walk around this glittering town and know it a little more than just another ' Mall Road' at a hill station.

Meet your host & guide in Gangtok
Check in near M.G. Marg, freshen up
Evening guided walk down M.G. Marg, past the Secretariat & Lal Bazaar and knows it making and history
Trivia: of Sikkim's four capitals, three fell to invasion or were abandoned — Gangtok's the only one that just kept growing
o/n Gangtok

Person photographs the foggy Nathula Border Gate with red walls, a green sign, and snowy mountain buildings in the background. — Loc Gate at Nathula with Chinese and Indian Buildings at either sides

Day 2 — The Gateway to the Old Silk Route

{ Gangtok ↔ Changu Lake ↔ Nathu La | ~140 km round trip | ~6–7 hrs | Nathu La ~4,310 m }

East Sikkim sat on one of the Old Silk Route's threads into India — the stretch through Zuluk carried tea and trade for centuries on what's remembered as the Tea–Horse Route, sealed after the 1962 war and reopened only in 2006. Nathu-la isnt just a snow point to take selfies with a Chinese Soldier but an ancietn pass which is still doing its duties.

Drive up to Changu (Tsomgo) Lake & New Baba Mandir
Continue to Nathu La, subject to permits on the day
Trivia: Nathu La means “listening ears pass” — one of only 3 open trading border posts between India & China
Evening at leisure on M.G. Marg
o/n Gangtok

Smiling man holds up a colorful striped rug in a cozy kitchen, with shelves of metal pots and a snowy window. — Dathup our host showing his Mom' weaves in Lachen

Day 3 — Into the Lachenpa Heartland

{ Gangtok → Lachen via Chungthang & Mangan | ~120 km | ~6–7 hrs | Lachen ~2,750 m }

Lachen means “big pass” — a centuries-old Sikkim–Tibet trade crossing, and one of only two villages in India still self-governed by the Dzumsa, a council older than the Indian state itself.

Arrive Lachen by evening, check in & settle
Evening heritage walk through the village with your host
Trivia: Dzumsa elections are by headcount — candidates stand at fixed spots, people gather around who they back
o/n Lachen

Two people in winter jackets embrace by a turquoise lake, facing snowy mountains under a clear blue sky; one flashes a peace sign. — How about a nap at top of the world? - Lake Gurudongmar, North Sikkim

Day 4 — To the Sacred Lake

{ Lachen → Gurudongmar via Thanggu & back | ~67 km one-way | ~6–7 hrs round trip | Gurudongmar ~5,180 m }

An early start for one of the highest-altitude lakes most travellers will ever stand beside — sacred across Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh traditions alike.

Drive up through Thanggu, the last inhabited settlement before the high pastures
Arrive Gurudongmar Lake
Return to Lachen by evening
Warm up at the fore place and dive into casual interactions
o/n Lachen

Two people soaking in a rocky geothermal pool in snowy mountains, with stone walls and gray water. — Hangmassive at Yumesungdong Hot Water Springs

Day 5 — Zero Point, and the Valley Between

{ Lachen → Lachung → Yumthang → Yumesamdong | ~105 km one-way | ~8–9 hrs round trip | Zero Point ~4,660 m }

Lachung — “small pass” — was historically the other half of this old Tibet trade settlement. Yumthang is the Valley of Flowers (33 varieties of rhododendron, blooming from early May); Yumesamdong (Zero Point) is the road's northernmost point.

Drive to Yumthang Valley
Continue to Yumesamdong / Zero Point, at the base of Donkia La
Dip in the wild hot springs — a wooden hut over two ~50°C pools
Return to Lachung for the night
o/n Lachung

Day 6 — Tea, Leaves & Momos

{ Lachung → Temi Tea Estate | ~155 km | ~7–8 hrs | Temi ~1,600 m }

Temi is Sikkim's only government-run organic tea estate. You'll stay with the Pradhan family at Temi Kothi, who've farmed this hillside for generations.

Check in and settle into the farmstay
Momo-folding & cooking session with your hosts, local drinks on the side
Trivia: Oct/Nov departures catch Temi's rare autumn-flowering Himalayan cherry trees in bloom
o/n Temi

Overhead view of a rustic table with rice, curries, vegetables, chili peppers, and metal plates with spoons, ready to serve — An organic home cooked meal at Temi

Day 7 — Slow Down

{ Temi → Ravangla Buddha Park → Temi | ~28 km one-way | ~1–1.5 hrs each way }

A deliberately unhurried day — no early alarms.

Late breakfast, then Ravangla's Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal)
Wander, coffee, pick up a souvenir if something catches your eye
Evening bonfire back at Temi
o/n Temi

Inverted bow for Lord Buddha, Ravangla Buddha Park

Day 8 — Soak It In

{ Temi → Bagdogra | ~150 km | ~5–6 hrs }

Drop to Bagdogra after breakfast
Trip Ends

A note on all the distance/altitude/time figures above: best approximations for a first draft — please correct in the editor before this goes live.

Details

Package	Price Per Person
Double Occupancy	44,000/- +5% GST
Single Occupancy	56,000/- +5% GST

Same costing applies to both departure windows (10–17 April & 30 Oct–6 Nov). Please see Inclusions & Exclusions below.

Inclusions

All stays — authentic, experiential homes / bungalows/ villas/ cottages. Double/triple sharing.
All transport — Xylo/Innova from pickup to drop
Meals — breakfast & dinner/lunch (any 2 meals depending on location)
All permits for Changu Lake, Lachen, Gurudongmar, Lachung, Yumthang Valley & Yumesamdong hot springs :)
Activities as mentioned in the itinerary
An experienced guide and his/her allowances
Driver with his allowances, fuel costs
Travel card to enter Sikkim
An unforgettable trip in the North Eastern Himalayas!

Exclusions

Any meals not mentioned above
Tea, snacks etc. on route
Any adventure/sightseeing fare not mentioned in the itinerary
Personal shopping
Any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages
Any personal medication

Terms & Conditions

1. To book your trip with us please have 50% of the trip cost ready.

Kanupriya Raniwala | S.B.I. Bank | Current Acc. 32844391790 | Chavni Branch, Kota | IFSC – SBIN0001534

Gpay no. – 8172047843 | UPI – travel.a.i.p@oksbi

2. Balance payment of 50% + 5% GST to be done 10 days before the trip starts.

3. In case of covid state isolation (only), we will have your back.

4. In case you choose to cancel from your side for any reason:

Any date change to be intimated at least 15 days before the trip
50% refund 30 days before the trip
25% refund 20 days before the trip
No refund 7 days before the trip date

FAQ About the Trip

Closest airports/stations from Gangtok: Bagdogra (150 km), Pakyong (25 km), NJP Railway (150 km), Siliguri (150 km). Best year-round connectivity is via Bagdogra.
Scheduled pick up & drop is from and to Bagdogra only.
In Lachen, only Airtel & Vodafone work.
Permits & travel card (submit 3 days before trip): soft copy of a passport-size picture & a government ID.
Packaged drinking water bottles are banned in North Sikkim — carry a reusable bottle.
More on guidelines, do's & don'ts and what to carry will be shared closer to the trip.
Call or WhatsApp 8172047843 for any queries.

Thank you. Looking forward to taking you for an epic adventure in the Eastern Himalayas!

Kid Monks at Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling, West Sikkim — A frame from a previous Travel AIP departure — Pemayangtse Monastery, West Sikkim

Contact Details

Team Travel AIP — Google Link

8172047843 – WhatsApp / Call