North Sikkim: Himalayas, Nature and Culture

In North Sikkim, landscapes, religious sites and regional history exist side by side. In the Yumthang Valley, a river, hot springs, yaks and grazing land lie among gently rolling meadows within a nature reserve; the Himalayan mountains rise all around. The area also includes the high-altitude Gurudongmar Lake, the Seven Sister Falls and places with cultural significance. If you are looking for hotels for your trip, you can first consider whether nature, trekking or culture should be the main focus.

Landscapes Between Valley, Lake and Himalayas

Yumthang is considered the most important visitor destination in North Sikkim. The valley brings together water, grazing land and hot springs against a mountain backdrop. Gurudongmar Lake reveals another dimension of the landscape: it lies at an altitude of 17,800 feet, or 5,430 metres. This elevation makes it a notable reference point in descriptions of the region’s landscape.

The viewpoints also offer varied impressions. From Singhik, you can enjoy a close-up view of Mt. Kanchenjunga. At the Seven Sister Falls, visitors can view the waterfall from a viewing platform. The landscape in Mangan District is mountainous and densely vegetated up to alpine elevations; toward the northern tundra, the vegetation thins out into desert scrubland. The landscape described therefore ranges from vegetated mountain slopes to more barren terrain.

Sikkim: Natural and Cultural Context

In the state of Sikkim, Khangchendzonga National Park covers 25 percent of the area. Its landscape includes plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers, snow-covered mountains and ancient forests. The park contains 18 glaciers, including the Zemu Glacier, as well as 17 alpine lakes. Red pandas, snow leopards, Tibetan sheep, bharals and musk deer live there.

Cultural traditions can also be understood in the broader context of Sikkim: thangka painting is traditionally used there for meditation and teaching. Cham dances are elaborate masked performances at religious festivals. They therefore differ both in form and context from the locally named monasteries and historical sites in North Sikkim.

Monasteries, Lepcha Heritage and History

Several places offer different ways to explore religious and cultural history. Phensang Monastery was built in 1721 and belongs to the Nyingma-pa school. Phodong Monastery is one of the six significant Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim. In Lachung village, the local monastery is the main centre for religious and cultural activities. These monastic connections differ according to their respective traditions and local contexts.

Rong-Lungten-Lee is a replica of a traditional Lepcha house. At Kabi Lungchok, the Treaty of Brotherhood between the Lepcha chief Tekung Tek and the Bhutia chief Khey Bhumsa was affirmed. Lachung also has a local self-governing body called the Dzumsa. The replica house, historical event and self-government each offer a different cultural point of reference; they are not the same kind of place or history.

Trekking from Different Starting Points

For planning excursions, the starting point is a useful first distinction. Thangu is the starting point for trekking trips to Gurudongmar Lake and Cho Lhamu, the source of the Teesta River. The routes from Thangu to Chopta Valley and Muguthang are intended for some visitors who want to trek and explore the area. Trekking trips to Green Lake are available from Yumthang. These destinations and starting points can thus be distinguished by their respective trekking connections.

Discover more destinations: Mangan, West Sikkim, East Sikkim, East Sikkim, South Sikkim.

Go to the main travel overview: Sikkim.