So you are planning to visit North Sikkim, and looking for a vehicle to take you there. It sounds simple, we know, but if you have done some research on this, you already know that hiring a vehicle for your North Sikkim tour is not as simple as you may have thought in the beginning.
If you are in a hurry and do not have time for further research, we recommend you contact an expert tour operator such as naturebeyond or NBTT. Both of them are companies recognized by Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and are organizing tours to Sikkim for 15 years or more.
But if you can spare 10 minutes to understand the issues involved, read on.
"North Sikkim" is one of the four districts of Sikkim. The other three are, as you may have guessed, East, West, and South districts. Though all the districts are in the mountains, North Sikkim covers most of the high altitude area of Sikkim. Geographically it offers the most beautiful and the most difficult terrain. And in terms of area, this district is more than half of entire Sikkim. It is also the least populated area of Sikkim, and arguably the population density here is one of the lowest in the country.
The high mountain peaks of North Sikkim include Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, which is situated on the Sikkim – Nepal border. Lachen and Lachung are two towns on the east of Kanchenjunga. Lachen is the base for Gurudongmar tour whereas Lachung is the base for Yumthang valley tour. This area is beyond the high mountains of the Himalayas and on the Tibetan side. The extremely difficult terrain brings its own challenges in organizing tours to this area.
North Sikkim can be visited any time of year subject to suitable weather condition and when the road is open for tourists. During monsoon months, due to very high downpour, a landslide is common. North Sikkim may remain cut off for several days and even months in such a scenario. The monsoon here starts in the middle of June and lasts until the end of September. However, a landslide is more common between mid-July to end of August period.
Again the winter months may sometime cause a problem due to excessive snowfall or cold. This is less common than a landslide. Snowfall related issues arise mostly during the months of January or February.
Indian Tourists need a permit to visit North Sikkim. These permits are arranged by us subject to your submission of necessary documents. The permits are made from Gangtok, so there is little flexibility in terms of deciding on the spot about your next day itinerary. The tour program must be planned in advance and permit acquired accordingly.
Foreign nationals visiting North Sikkim should note they have some additional restrictions applicable here. Foreign nationals must be traveling in a minimum group of 2 or more and they must be accompanied by a guide during their North Sikkim tour. The foreign nationals are not allowed to travel to Gurudongmar lake. There is a special permit needed for North Sikkim visit by the foreign nationals which will be arranged by us on submission of necessary documents.
Normally North Sikkim tours are arranged all-inclusive basis. This will include your transport, accommodation and all meals. However, it is now possible for you to hire a vehicle from us and book the hotel yourself directly. The tariff of the vehicle will depend on the season. During the lean season, the tariff is relatively low and during peak season the tariff may be much higher.
The North Sikkim tours are mainly of the following types. All these tours originate and end in Gangtok
Start from Gangtok, overnight at Lachung. Early morning visit to Yumthang valley, back to Lachung. Return to Gangtok. Reach Gangtok in the evening.
This short duration tour is not recommended as tourists get very little time to enjoy the place and have to travel 14 to 18 hours in rough terrain during these two days.
Start from Gangtok and go to Lachung. Overnight at Lachung. On Day 2 visit Yumthang valley and other attractions, return to Lachung stay overnight at Lachung and return to Gangtok on the third day.
This is a much better tour plan with enough time to relax and enjoy the beauty of North Sikkim.
Start from Gangtok and go to Lachen, overnight at Lachen. On the second day early morning visit Gurudongmar lake, return to Lachen, pack up and drive onwards to Lachung for overnight stay. On the third day visit Yumthang valley and return to Lachung and then return to Gangtok.
This itinerary is also hectic but can be managed by most people unless there are young, old, sick or unfit people in the group.
Start from Gangtok and go to Lachen, overnight at Lachen. On the second day early morning visit Gurudongmar lake, return to Lachen, pack up and drive onwards to Lachung for overnight stay. On the third day visit Yumthang valley and return to Lachung and stay overnight at Lachung. On the fourth day return to Gangtok.
Small vehicles like hatchbacks and sedans are not recommended in North Sikkim tour. We offer two types of vehicles for this tour. One is the basic MUV such as Sumo / Bolero etc. The other is luxury SUV such as Innova, Xylo, Scorpio, etc. Air-conditioned vehicles do not operate the AC as it puts extra pressure on the vehicle on steep terrain.
Very Lean Season | Lean Season | Mid Season | High Season | Very High Season | |
Itinerary 1 (1 Night Lachung) | 9,000 | 9,500 | 10,000 | 10,500 | 11,000 |
Itinerary 2 (2 Night Lachung) | 11,000 | 11,500 | 12,000 | 12,500 | 13,000 |
Itinerary 3 (1 N Lachen 1 N Lachung) | 16,000 | 16,500 | 17,000 | 17,500 | 18,500 |
Itinerary 4 (1 N Lachen 2 N Lachung) | 18,500 | 19,000 | 19,500 | 20,000 | 21,000 |
Very Lean Season | Lean Season | Mid Season | High Season | Very High Season | |
Itinerary 1 (1 Night Lachung) | 9,500 | 10,000 | 10,500 | 11,000 | 12,000 |
Itinerary 2 (2 Night Lachung) | 11,500 | 12,000 | 12,500 | 13,000 | 14,000 |
Itinerary 3 (1 N Lachen 1 N Lachung) | 17,500 | 17,500 | 18,500 | 19,000 | 20,000 |
Itinerary 4 (1 N Lachen 2 N Lachung) | 20,000 | 20,000 | 21,000 | 21,500 | 25,500 |
From | To | Season |
27-Sep-19 | 30-Sep-19 | High |
1-Oct-19 | 11-Oct-19 | Very High |
12-Oct-19 | 25-Oct-19 | High |
26-Oct-19 | 30-Oct-19 | Very High |
31-Oct-19 | 10-Nov-19 | High |
11-Nov-19 | 20-Dec-19 | Mid |
21-Dec-19 | 4-Jan-20 | High |
5-Jan-20 | 29-Feb-20 | Lean |
1-Mar-20 | 10-Apr-20 | Mid |
11-Apr-20 | 19-May-20 | High |
20-May-20 | 10-Jun-20 | Very High |
11-Jun-20 | 20-Jun-20 | High |
21-Jun-20 | 30-Jun-20 | Mid |
1-Jul-20 | 15-Sep-20 | Very Lean |
Shrey Car Rental is one of the most reliable tourist transport provider of Sikkim Darjeeling area. We have our own fleet of tourist taxi vehicles. Most of our vehicles are luxurious vehicles such as Innova, Xylo etc.