Gangtok is the most visited place in Sikkim. Being the capital city, Gangtok is more infrastructurally developed than any other place in Sikkim. Hence, it has more hotels, restaurants, and other tourist facilities. Most popular Sikkim tour packages include just Gangtok as a destination in Sikkim.
Gangtok can be fully explored in a day. But it also acts as a base for a day tour to Nathu La Pass. And all the multi-day tours to North Sikkim start and end in Gangtok. So, you may have to spend more than a couple of nights in Gangtok. If you are planning to visit Gangtok, here are the top places to visit in Gangtok.
Ranka Monastery
Ranka Monastery (or Lingdum Monastery) is located about 20 kilometres from Gangtok. It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing monasteries in Sikkim. Many Bollywood movies have been shot here.
The monastery has a huge courtyard surrounded by a 2-storey building comprising classrooms for the training of young lamas. The staircase from the courtyard leads to the inner sanctum at the upper-level housing a huge golden-coloured Buddha statue.
There is a restaurant and a souvenir shop in the car parking area. The souvenir collection is good and is available for every budget.
Note – Ranka monastery is not included in any fixed Gangtok cab sightseeing package. Cab drivers will charge you extra money for it.
Opening Hours – Sunrise to sunset
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free
Rumtek Monastery
About 23 kilometres from Gangtok, Rumtek Monastery is at an altitude of 5500 feet and offers incredible views of Gangtok. One has to trek about half a kilometre from the entry gate to reach the main monastery building.
The monastery is a 3-storeyed building and houses some of the rarest Buddhist artwork such as murals, thankas, and 1001 miniature gold models of Buddha.
Opening Hours – 9 AM to 6 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes to 1 hour
Ticket Cost – 10 INR
MG Marg
MG Marg is a mall road in Gangtok and is a must-visit. It is a vehicle-free zone and is free of any smoke and garbage.
Take a stroll along the road, explore different shops, and have culinary delight by cafe-hopping. It is the main market area and has all kinds of shops including souvenir and clothing shops. There are many restaurants but Baker’s Cafe and Roll House are must-try.
Himalayan Zoological Park
Himalayan Zoological Park is the only zoo in Sikkim. It is a huge zoo with many animals living in big open enclosures simulating their natural habitat. The zoo includes rare animals like Red Panda, Yaks, Himalayan Palm Civets, and Barking Deer.
Better to take the car inside the park as it will be a long and tiring walk from the entrance gate to the car drop point. It still takes about a kilometre of walking to explore the rest of the area from the car drop point but can be done within an hour at a leisurely pace.
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 3 PM (closed on Thursday)
Suggested Duration – 1.5 hours
Ticket Cost – 25 INR, 50 INR (car entry fee)
Ganesh Tok
Ganesh Tok is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha and located opposite to Himalayan Zoological Park. It is a very small temple but offers magnificent views of Gangtok town and snow-capped mountains from the viewing area.
Outside the Ganesh Tok, Sikkim traditional dress (Bakhu) is available for rent for INR 50. The vendor lady will also help you in clicking your photos wearing the dress.
Opening Hours – 6 AM to 7 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free
Tashi View Point
Tashi View Point is another place in Gangtok to get amazing views of the Kanchenjunga peaks. One needs to climb steep stairs to reach the viewing area. A telescope is mounted there to get a closer view of the peaks for INR 60. It can be skipped if it is raining or the sky is not clear.
Opening Hours – 5 AM to 6 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free
Hanuman Tok
(PC: Wikimedia Commons)
Hanuman Tok is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Like Ganesh Tok, Hanuman Tok also has a viewing area to soak the great view of the Kanchenjunga peaks.
Opening Hours – 6 AM to 7 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free
Bakthang Waterfall
It is a small waterfall and is good for a quick stop to click a few pictures. If you have seen waterfalls in Pelling or North Sikkim, you may find Bakthang waterfall unimpressive. Like Ganesh Tok, traditional dresses are also available here for rent. There are clothing and small eatery shops opposite to waterfall.
Opening Hours – 24 hours
Suggested Duration – 15 minutes
Ticket Cost – Free
Gangtok Ropeway
PC: Flickr
Riding in a Gangtok cable car is another way to get views of Gangtok town, Teesta river, and mountain peaks. There are no seats in the cable car. There are 3 stations (Deorali, Namnang, and Tashiling) in 1 kilometre-long ride. The ticket price includes a two-way ride and you can board and deboard at any station.
Opening Hours – 9:30 AM to 6 PM
Official Website – https://ropeways.com/project/gangtok-sightseeing-ropeway/
Ticket Cost – 146 INR (5+ years), 77 INR (3 to 5 years)
ALSO READ: OUR SIKKIM 11 DAY ITINERARY
Nathu La Pass Day Tour
Nathu La Pass is located about 53 kilometres from Gangtok and at an altitude of 14,140 feet. The main attraction there is the Indo-China international border. The tourists can go close to the fence and be just metres away from Chinese land. Nathu La is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The other attractions included in this tour are Tsomgo Lake (also known as Changu Lake) and Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir. Tsomgo Lake is a one-kilometre-long oval-shaped lake. Spend some time just looking at the serene beauty of the lake.
Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir is a temple where instead of a God, border patrol force Jawaan Harbhajan Singh is worshipped who disappeared in 1968. It is believed that Harbhajan’s spirit comes every night to do his rounds.
A permit is required to visit all three places. Foreign tourists are only given a permit for Tsomgo lake. The sharing tour costs 800 – 1000 INR per person whereas the full private tour costs around 9000 – 10000 INR per vehicle.
Namchi and Ravangla Day Tour
Few tourists also visit South Sikkim as a day trip from Gangtok. The main attractions include Buddha Park in Ravangla (66 kilometres from Gangtok), Char Dham and Samdruptse Hill in Namchi (77 kilometres from Gangtok).
The Buddha Park features a massive 130-feet high Buddha statue and has a serene atmosphere.
Char Dham is a religious site housing replicas of Char Dham and 12 jyotirlingas.
Samdruptse Hill features the golden-coloured 135 feet high statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Sikkim.
A cab can be booked for a full day from Gangtok for 3000 – 4000 INR.
North Sikkim Tour (Multi-Day Tour)
Any Sikkim tour is incomplete without a visit to North Sikkim. The North Sikkim region encompasses unparalleled beauty. The main attractions include Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley.
Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest-altitude lakes in the world. The lake remains frozen in winter. The sight of a frozen lake with snow-capped mountain peaks in the background is aesthetically pleasing.
Yumthang Valley is also known as the valley of flowers. It is home to rhododendron flowers from mid-April to mid-June. In winter, it is covered in snow. Roam around the valley in awe of the incredible landscape beauty.
A permit is required to visit North Sikkim. While 1N/2D tour package includes either Gurudongmar Lake or Yumthang Valley, the 2N/3D tour includes both. The shared 2N/3D tour cost 4000 INR per person including hotel accommodation and all meals. The private cab for 3 days costs 18000 INR
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