Young Pioneer Tours

Best Sikkim Tours and Travel Packages 2025 – 2026

YPT Tours to Sikkim

Young Pioneer Tours are pleased to announce our fully expanded Sikkim tour program for 2025 and 2026 alongside our full range of independent and bespoke Sikkim travel packages.

With our years of experience throughout the region, YPT now offer you the best guides, variety of tours, as well as the best value Sikkim travel packages currently available. Enjoy the Himalayan mystery that is Sikkim, with the experts that are Young Pioneer Tours.

Group tours to Sikkim

We are currently offering the following group tours and regional combo tours to Sikkim. We are currently working on adding new Sikkim tours, so watch this space.

All of our group tours are capped at 16 people. What makes our tours stand out from other travel companies is that you’ll be accompanied by an expert YPT guide and the best local guides.

Sikkim Forgotten Kingdom Tour – July 7th – July 15th – $1595

Sikkim Forgotten Kingdom Tour

This Sikkim group tour also combines with our Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal: Unexplored South Asia Tour, Kingdom of Bhutan Tour, and Nepal Hidden Stories Tour.

Independent Tours to Sikkim

YPT can offer independent packages to the state throughout the year. These can be done to fit your exact theme and budget, as well as combined with trips to Nepal, Bhutan, Darjeeling, as well as other parts of India and beyond.

Example Sikkim Itinerary

Our standard one week Sikkim Tour itinerary has us taking in all the major sites of Sikkim, as well as taking the Toy Train and visiting Darjeeling as standard.

While this is our summer tour to Sikkim we are able to offer amended itineraries to fit all seasons within the state.

Day 1 – Kathmandu – Bagdogra – Gangtok

Morning

  • Arrive at your convenience into Kathmandu, Nepal’s chaotic, spiritual, and addictive capital. Home to medieval temples, roaring motorbikes, and rooftop bars, the city is well connected to much of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
  • Pre-tour meeting at the lobby of our hotel to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide, who’ll run through the itinerary, answer questions, and give you your first taste of what to expect from the trip.
  • Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport and board the 10:00am flight to Bagdogra on the border of India and Sikkim.

Afternoon

  • Land in Bagdogra at 4:00pm the gateway to Sikkim and the closed airport there is to this Himalayan state.
  • Begin a scenic 4-hour drive up winding roads through tea estates, forested hills, and Sikkimese villages. Watch roadside monkeys, women drying chillies on rooftops, and prayer flags fluttering across valleys. This stunning drive is considered one of the most scenic routes in India.
  • Stop for roadside snacks like pakoras, sweet milk tea, and fruit hacked apart with machetes.
  • Check into our hotel in Gangtok, capital of Sikkim, and unwind with views across the hills.
  • Dinner at Valley View Café with gundruk soup, sha phaley (Tibetan meat pastries), and a jug or two of tongba, the local millet beer served warm and drunk with a bamboo straw.
  • Overnight in Gangtok

Day 2 – Gangtok

Morning

  • Visit the majestic Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, spiritual seat of the Karmapa Lama and home to some of the most vivid Buddhist murals in the region.
  • Explore Lingdum Monastery, a peaceful gompa set against thickly forested hillsides and surprisingly free of tourists.
  • Tour the Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts Centre, where you can watch artisans weave traditional patterns and perhaps pick up a yak wool scarf or two.

Afternoon

  • Lunch at a local eatery famous for its vegetarian momos and spicy tomato chutney. The kind of place that’s been feeding locals for decades and doesn’t need a signboard.
  • Wander down MG Marg, Gangtok’s pedestrianised heart. Sample sel roti, chew on chhurpi (hard fermented cheese), and browse everything from Buddhist prayer wheels to knockoff watches.
  • Optional rest with a cup of Chai, or a short hike up to a viewpoint overlooking the valley. Good chance to catch the golden light hitting the hills and to get that perfect photo.
  • Dinner of Himalayan trout, steaming thukpa soup, and handmade yak cheese dumplings served in a cosy local restaurant.
  • Overnight in Gangtok

Day 3 – Changu Lake – Enchey Monastery

Morning

  • Early morning drive up winding mountain roads to Changu (Tsomgo) Lake, a glacial lake at 3750 metres. The air is thin, the views are vast, and the yaks wear bells and colourful woollen tassels.
  • Walk along lakeside trails, greet the local yak herders, and sip on salty butter tea to warm your hands.
  • Entry arranged via special permits, which your YPT guide will handle behind the scenes.

Afternoon

  • Return to Gangtok for a hearty lunch of buckwheat pancakes and spiced vegetable stew, a local staple perfect after high-altitude wandering.
  • Visit Enchey Monastery, a 200-year-old site perched on a ridge, known for its tantric rituals and brilliant murals.
  • Take in panoramic views over Gangtok and the distant Kanchenjunga range, weather permitting.
  • Dinner featuring gyurma (blood sausage), seasonal vegetables, and a local brew or two.
  • Overnight in Gangtok

Day 4 – Gangtok – Pelling via Buddha Park – Legship Hot Springs

Morning

  • Breakfast of fresh breads, local butter, and mountain jams in Gangtok before setting off for the days adventure.
  • Begin a long but rewarding 6–7 hour drive through winding Himalayan roads and terraced farmland to Pelling.
  • Stop at Buddha Park in Ravangla, where a towering 130 ft golden statue of the seated Buddha rises above manicured gardens and misty hillsides.

Afternoon

  • Continue to the natural thermal springs at Legship, nestled by the Rangit River. Enjoy a soak like the locals do, with sulphur-scented steam rising between the boulders.
  • Picnic lunch by the river with aloo dum, crispy pakoras, and fresh fruit bought en route.
  • Arrive in Pelling and check into a simple but scenic guesthouse with views of snow-capped peaks.
  • Dinner of momos, thukpa, and whatever fresh catch the locals have smoked or fried that evening. As well as a few drinks!
  • Overnight in Pelling

Day 5 – Pelling 

Morning

  • Visit Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest and most significant in Sikkim, home to stunning murals and monks in maroon robes.
  • Explore the haunting Rabdentse Ruins, once the seat of the Kingdom of Sikkim, now a peaceful archaeological site with commanding views of the surrounding hills.

Afternoon

  • Lunch in a rustic tea house with gundruk soup and nutty buckwheat crepes.
  • Visit the sacred and glassy Khecheopalri Lake, believed to fulfil wishes. Locals say not even a leaf stays on its surface, birds pluck them away.
  • Begin the 4-hour drive to Siliguri, descending from the
    mountains into the plains.
  • Arrive in Siliguri in time for a relaxed dinner with Bengali sweets, spicy street chaats, and maybe one last plate of momos before turning in. And as this is our last night, we will also try to find a watering hole for the evening.
  • Overnight in Siliguri

Day 6 – Siliguri

Morning

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Ride the narrow-gauge steam train for six hours of winding curves, mountain tunnels, and postcard-worthy views. Locals wave as the train chugs past villages and tea fields. This is known as one of the most iconic train journeys in the world and is a real trip highlight.
  • Arrive into Darjeeling mid-afternoon and check into our charming colonial-era guesthouse.
  • Explore the lively Chowrasta square, sip on freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, and maybe sample tea-infused ice cream.
  • Dinner of chicken momos, piping hot thukpa, and classic butter tea. In the evening we will also get a chance to explore the quiet village streets.
  • Overnight in Darjeeling

Day 7 – Darjeeling Villages – Tea Culture

Morning

  • Early start for a sunrise drive to Tiger Hill. If the skies are clear, you’ll see the first rays of sun hit Kanchenjunga’s snow-covered face in a stunning display.
  • Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute museum, home to Everest memorabilia and stories of local Sherpa legends.
  • Tour nearby Lepcha and Bhutia villages to meet families who have called these mountains home for generations.

Afternoon

  • Lunch with a local host family featuring home-cooked thenthuk, potato curry, and fermented pickles.
  • Visit the serene Peace Pagoda and nearby Tibetan refugee settlements, full of history and quiet resilience.
  • Dinner at a family-run tea house with yak cheese, buttered breads, and fermented mountain vegetables.
  • Overnight in Darjeeling

Day 8 – Darjeeling to Bagdogra and End

Morning

  • Breakfast with mountain views before boarding our 3-hour private transfer to Bagdogra where you can be dropped off at either the town, train station, or airport.

Afternoon

  • Tour concludes with assistance for onward travel from Bagdogra, with flights and train connections to the West Bengal and other major Indian cities.

Bespoke Tours to Sikkim

As well as our fixed group and independent tours packages to Sikkim YPT are also able to offer a number of bespoke Sikkim travel packages, such as those listed below.

Should you wish to something not mentioned here then please get in touch. If it is possible to do in Sikkim, YPT can most probably arrange it.

North Sikkim Tours

We take you deep into North Sikkim on a custom-built journey to the icy edge of the Himalayas. Visit the sacred Gurudongmar Lake, climb towards the snowfields of Yumthang and Zero Point, and witness glaciers carving through the high-altitude desert.

Truly one of the best tours available in Sikkim.

The Lost Kingdom of Sikkim Tour

Until 1975, Sikkim had its own king, its own passport, and almost no one paid attention. This tour isn’t about border passes and polite palace visits. We take you through the ghost of a country. The royal chorten no one touches, underground political activists still bitter about the merger, and old-timers in Gangtok who remember when it was a monarchy. This is for YPT style Cold War geeks, lost nation obsessives, and people who want to know what it’s like to be eaten by your neighbour without a shot fired.

Hydro Dams Dissent and the Disappearing River Gods

Sikkim’s rivers are being dammed by Delhi, China, and private contractors so fast locals can’t even keep track. We run trips into contested dam zones where Lepcha protests flare up, valleys are flooded, and sacred sites vanish overnight. Sikkim might be beautiful, but it now without historical and contemporary issues.

Sikkim Chinese Borderlands Tour

North Sikkim is where maps stop working and soldiers outnumber locals by a lot. You’ll see signs that say No Foreigners Beyond This Point and we’ll take you as close as we legally can. Military convoys, locked gates, and prayer flags whipping over the Chinese border. This is geopolitical tension wrapped in Himalayan mist. Great for photographers, researchers, or just people like us who just love weird borders.

Sikkimese Culture and Cuisine Tours

From tongba hot millet beer sipped through bamboo straws to gundruk fermented leafy greens Sikkim’s food and culture is ancient, weird, and often smells fairly pungent.It is though very intestine. We’ll take you into homes, village kitchens, and back-alley joints to taste to sample and understand Sikkimese cuisine and culture.

Longer Term Digital Detox in Sikkim Tours

Want to get away from there hustle while really getting off the beaten track? We’ve got family homestays and off-grid huts in valleys where electricity still cuts out by 6pm and you bathe in a bucket. Meditate, write, hike, or just stare at clouds rolling in from Tibet. Great for burned-out city people, broke writers, or with a surprisingly good cell network even digital nomads (that have some flexibility).

Darjeeling Tours

Our standard Darjeeling tours run for 2 days, covering key sites like Tiger Hill, the Himalayan Railway, and central markets. However, these can be expanded to include tea plantation stays, local village visits, monastery stops, and heritage walks, depending on your interests. All YPT Darjeeling tours are fully customisable to suit educational, cultural, extended stay, or in-depth travel needs.

Nepal-Bhutan-Sikkim Combo Tours

Many of our group tours incorporate travel to both Bhutan and Nepal, often combined with overland routes through Sikkim for a broader Himalayan experience. We also offer fully bespoke itineraries linking Sikkim with custom trips to Nepal and Bhutan, arranged seamlessly with all permits, border crossings, and logistics handled. Whether you want to cross from Sikkim into eastern Bhutan or connect Gangtok to Kathmandu (or other variations), YPT can make it happen.

Sikkim and Northern India Tours

YPT’s Sikkim tours can be combined with trips to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and more via Siliguri (Bagdogra), the main transit hub with road, rail, and flight links. Through our trusted local partners throughout the regions and country, we arrange smooth travel connections across Northeast India and beyond, including onward journeys and itineraries throughout India.

Student, Educational and School Trips to Sikkim

We offer bespoke student and school trips to Sikkim tailored to curriculum themes like Buddhist studies, indigenous culture, and environmental science. Programs include monastery visits, talks with tribal leaders, rural sustainability workshops, and guided treks. Suitable for schools and universities, we handle all logistics and permits, creating immersive learning experiences in one of India’s most unique Himalayan regions. Academic goals, age groups, and field focus are fully customisable.

Documentary making and filming in Sikkim

With its amazing mountaintop Buddhist scenery Sikkim could easily double up as Tibet, Bhutan and even something Tolkeinian, but with far less of the red tape. That though is not to say it is completely easy either! YPT can though through our film arm Pioneer Media lease with our partners in local government ti get you the permits and permissions needed.

Frequently asked Questions about travel to Sikkim

Most foreign nationals need a valid Indian visa to travel to Sikkim, along with a Protected Area Permit (PAP) due to Sikkim’s sensitive border control. Applying for an Indian e-Visa is a straightforward process that can be completed entirely online: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html. The PAP is generally easy to obtain, and our local partner will take care of it. However, citizens of China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar face additional travel restrictions when visiting Sikkim. They are not eligible to obtain the Protected Area Permit (PAP) on arrival and must apply for special approval from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs well in advance. This approval process can take a few weeks and is not guaranteed. Importantly, even if travellers hold a different nationality but their passport indicates they were born in one of these countries, they are still subject to the same special permit requirements. It’s essential to plan ahead and secure the necessary permissions before your trip.
Sikkim shares sensitive borders with China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan, which are closely monitored by Indian authorities for security reasons. As a result, several border areas, especially those near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, are off-limits to foreign tourists, even if they have a Protected Area Permit (PAP). Regions like parts of North Sikkim, including some areas around Lachen, Lachung, and Gurudongmar Lake, require additional military clearance beyond the standard permit. Access to certain remote passes, military installations, and border outposts is strictly prohibited.
Sikkim offers unique experiences throughout the year, with each season showcasing its natural beauty differently. Spring (March-May) is one of the best times to visit, featuring pleasant temperatures, blooming rhododendrons, and clear skies, ideal for trekking and sightseeing. Summer (June-August) brings lush green landscapes and vibrant waterfalls, but also heavy monsoon rains that can make trekking difficult. Autumn (September- November) is the peak season, with clear skies, mild weather, and great visibility for mountain views, perfect for outdoor activities, though it can be crowded. Winter (December-February) is colder, especially at higher altitudes, with occasional snowfall, making it quieter, but some trails or passes might be inaccessible.
Sikkim is generally very safe for tourists. The region is known for its peaceful environment and friendly, welcoming locals. However, as with any travel destination, it’s wise to stay vigilant with your belongings, especially in crowded markets or public transport. Overall, visitors can enjoy a secure and pleasant experience exploring the state.
Sikkim is a state in India, so the Indian Rupee (INR) is the official and only accepted currency. ATMs are available in major towns like Gangtok, Pelling, and Namchi, but access can be limited in remote areas. It’s advisable to carry enough cash, especially when travelling to smaller villages or higher-altitude regions where card payments and ATMs may not be available. Credit cards are accepted at some hotels and restaurants in urban areas, but cash remains the most reliable option for daily expenses.
Travelers are advised to check with their healthcare provider for vaccinations. While no specific vaccinations are mandatory, routine vaccines like tetanus, hepatitis A, and typhoid are commonly recommended. Trekking at high altitudes comes with the risk of altitude sickness. Ascend gradually, stay hydrated, and allow time to acclimatize properly. Also, carry any necessary personal medications, as pharmacies may be limited in remote regions.
Sikkim has a rich cultural blend influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous traditions. When visiting monasteries or religious sites, it’s important to dress modestly, covering shoulders and legs, and always remove your shoes before entering. Respect for elders and religious figures is highly valued. When greeting someone, a polite “Namaste” with palms pressed together is common and appreciated. Public displays of affection should be avoided, and it’s considered respectful to ask before taking photos of people or religious ceremonies. Always show consideration for local customs and traditions, especially in rural or sacred areas.
What to pack for Sikkim depends on the season and your planned activities, but layering is key due to the region’s varied mountain climate. Bring warm clothing, especially if you’re visiting higher altitudes or traveling in winter. A waterproof jacket, sturdy hiking boots, and rain gear are essential if you’re trekking or visiting during the monsoon season. Comfortable clothes and shoes are ideal for sightseeing and exploring towns like Gangtok or Pelling.
Mobile communication in Sikkim is generally reliable in towns and cities. You can use any Indian SIM card, such as Jio, Airtel, or BSNL, while traveling in the state. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased at airports or mobile shops across Sikkim. However, network coverage may be limited or inconsistent in remote or high-altitude areas. Most hotels, cafes, and restaurants in major towns like Gangtok offer free Wi-Fi. It is also possible to buy an e-SIM before traveling to the country. We recommend using the Airalo app, which is easy to use and offers connectivity in most destinations: https://airalo.tpo.mx/nNyw4f2H.
Sikkim is quite vegetarian friendly, thanks to its strong Buddhist and Hindu cultural influences. Many locals follow a vegetarian diet, especially in and around monasteries and during religious observances. Traditional dishes like phagshapa, gundruk, sel roti, and dal bhat often have vegetarian versions. Tibetan-influenced foods like veg momos (dumplings) and thukpa (noodle soup) are widely available. While veganism is still a growing concept, many vegetarian dishes can be adapted by avoiding dairy or eggs. In most towns and tourist areas, you’ll find plenty of meat-free options that are both flavourful and filling.
Alcohol is available throughout Sikkim. The state even has its own local brews, tongba (a warm millet-based drink) and chang (a traditional fermented drink), especially popular among the ethnic communities. You’ll also find Indian-made foreign liquor, beer, and spirits easily in towns and cities. Sikkim has relaxed alcohol laws compared to many other Indian states, but it’s still advisable to drink responsibly, especially in religious or rural areas.
Sikkim is one of India’s more progressive and peaceful states, and while homosexuality is legal across India, social attitudes, especially in rural or traditional areas, can still be conservative. In Sikkim, public displays of affection (regardless of orientation) are generally uncommon. LGBTQ+ travellers are unlikely to face legal issues, but for a smooth and respectful experience, it’s best to remain low-key and culturally sensitive, particularly in remote or religious areas.

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