Charming natural beauty, with extraordinary flora and fauna.
Travel to Lachen is a lifetime experience with fantastic Sikkim tourist destination with plenty of adventure and beauty on the way including extraordinary waterfalls. Lachen, located at an elevation of 8500 feet above sea level, is a charming mountain village surrounded by Rhododendron and conifer woods. Lachenpas, a Sikkimese Bhutia community, live there. The name Lachen translates as “Big Pass.” The settlement has breathtaking views of the Himalayan mountain ranges, granite cliffs, and glaciers. The hamlet serves as a starting point for hikes to Gurudongmar Lake, Tso Lhamo Lake, Chopta Valley, and other fascinating destinations.
Lovely village surrounded by natural beauty.
Lachen is an excellent Sikkim tourist attraction that offers both adventure and natural beauty.The lovely mountain community surrounded by Rhododendron and conifer trees at an elevation of 8500 feet above sea level. There are Lachenpas, a Sikkimese Bhutia community, who dwell there. Whn you tavel to Lachen , do great care to not to hurt the sentiments o locals. The will definitely reciprocate.
Lachen means “Big Pass” in Tibetan. The Himalayan mountain ranges, granite cliffs, and glaciers are visible from the hamlet. Hikes to Gurudongmar Lake, Tso Lhamo Lake, Chopta Valley, and other wonderful sites begin near the hamlet.
Travel to Lachen via Air
The nearest airport to Lachen is Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal, which is around 200 kilometers away. You can take a cab from the airport to Gangtok first. To visit Lachen, you will require an Inner Line Permit (ILP), which you may get through your travel agent. So, collect your permission while in Gangtok for a day, and then depart early the next morning for Lachen. It is around 107 kilometers from Gangtok and takes about 4-5 hours to get there. The most convenient and only method to go to Lachen is to fly to Gangtok and then drive down to Lachen.
The great news is that there is a new airport Pakyong Greenfield Airport that has opened in the Pakyong village in Sikkim (around 35 km from Gangtok). The airport is around 135 km from Lachen and hence you can save your travel time to almost around 5-6 hours once this airport is fully operational. You can directly fly to Gangtok from the major cities of India. At present only few aircrafts fly to and from this airport . It is located at an altitude of 4,590 ft and is one of the highest altitude airports in India.
Travel to Lachen via Train
The train ride to Lachen is pretty intriguing. The nearest railway station to Lachen is in Siliguri, West Bengal, at New Jalpaiguri. It is around 155 kilometers from Lachen. Lachen is 107 kilometers from Gangtok, and the most convenient and only method to get there is to first go to Gangtok and then drive down to Lachen. This railway station is well connected to major Indian cities such as Kolkatta and Delhi.
The road to Lachen passes via Gangtok, so you drive down from the train station. Stay there for a day while you get the Inner Line Permit to Lachen from your travel agency. Leave early the next day.
Travel to Lachen by Road
Lachen can be easily reached by road from any place in Sikkim. You have to first come to Gangtok to reach Lachen.
Lachen is around 107 km from Gangtok and it takes around 4.5 hours to reach there from Gangtok. Once you reach Gangtok ask your travel agent to get you the permit issued which is mandatory to visit Lachen. Stay for a day in Gangtok and the next day leave early morning with your permit for Lachen. The drive to Lachen is scenic at many points that add joy to the journey. At certain stretches, the road may not be very good but overall it is hassle-free to reach Lachen by road. The beauty of thepaathe iwth numerous waterfall is an excellent ride.
Things to remember while travelling to Lachen:
Although taxis are easily available from the airport, railway station and other places and they run daily but it is advisable to contact your travel agent to book a taxi for you in advance to make your journey hassle-free. During peak season when tourists come here in great numbers, you might not get a taxi easily if you don’t book it in advance. So whether you are traveling to Lachen by air, rail or road or from Gangtok to Lachen ask you travel agent to book a taxi for you prior to your arrival in Sikkim.
Travel to lachen not just to reach Lachen but to enjoy the beauty of the path that lead to Lachen. One of the he coldest place is sikkim, is mostly covered with snow. The people who are eager to view snow capped mountaind and play with the snow, Lachen is one of the fantastic experience.
It is advisable to carry good and warm clothers while visiting the area. The valley is in fullbloom during the spring season thus . If the spring time si busy for you then you may want to get a decent place for the saatay. We not suggest you not only travel to Lachen but give it a time to explore every tourists spots that falls beside the road. The slowly dropping temperature while desscensing