North Sikkim: Lachung & Lachen · village

Lachen

The big pass: base for Gurudongmar and a Dzumsa village

Altitude2,750m Nights1–2 BestMar – May · Oct – Nov

Photo: Amitabha Gupta · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

In brief

Lachen is a Bhutia village at about 2,750 m on the Lachen Chu, 129 km from Gangtok, and the overnight base for Gurudongmar Lake and Chopta Valley. Like Lachung it is governed by its Dzumsa. Tours spend one night and leave for Gurudongmar at 3–4 am; two nights help with altitude. Check current status before you travel.

The local story

The council, the gompa and the 4 am convoy

Lachen means big pass, and the valley above it leads to the high plateau and passes toward Tibet. Its people, the Lachenpas, are Bhutias who once moved between the village, the high summer pastures at Thangu and beyond, and trade over the border. The Dzumsa, the council of all households under an elected Pipon, has run village life since the first half of the 19th century, and still decides much of how tourism works here: which vehicles go, which homes take guests and how waste is handled.

Above the village stands Lachen Monastery, Ngodrub Choling, a Nyingma gompa built in 1858 that also runs a monastic school. In 1849 Joseph Dalton Hooker came up this valley toward the Kongra La, recording plants and people for his Himalayan Journals, before being detained with Archibald Campbell on a later stage of the journey. Lachen today is busiest before dawn: tour vehicles line up at 3–4 am for the climb to Gurudongmar, and by mid-morning the village is quiet again.

Lachen Monastery, also called Ngodrub Choling, was built in 1858 and runs the Lachen Monastic School.

Lachen and Lachung are the only villages in Sikkim governed by a Dzumsa instead of a gram panchayat.

In Lachen's high pastures, Dokpa yak herders keep their herds; the Lashar valley nearby is known for a yak race at their festival.

About Lachen

Lachen is smaller, quieter and colder than Lachung. The village climbs a slope above the Lachen Chu, with wooden houses, a monastery at the top and a short main street of homestays and small hotels. For most visitors it is a place to sleep a few hours before the Gurudongmar run, but it repays a second night.

That second night matters. Gurudongmar is about 2,400 m higher than Lachen, and arriving from Gangtok in the evening and driving up at 4 am gives the body almost no time to adjust. A spare day lets you walk up to the gompa, visit Chopta Valley or simply rest, and then do the lake with less risk. Since 2023 the road between Chungthang and Lachen has closed for long periods; check current status before you travel.

What to see and do

Gurudongmar at dawn

The reason most travellers come: a 3–4 am departure, about 65 km and three hours to the sacred lake at about 5,180 m, back to Lachen for a late breakfast. Indians only; check current status before you travel.

Lachen Monastery

Ngodrub Choling, built in 1858, sits above the village with a monastic school attached. Walk up in the afternoon to hear young monks at lessons and look back over the valley. Donations welcome.

Chopta Valley

A high meadow valley near Thangu at about 4,000 m, frozen in winter and full of flowers in summer. Often combined with Gurudongmar or done on a spare day.

A second night to acclimatise

Two nights in Lachen roughly halves the shock of the Gurudongmar climb. Use the spare day for a slow walk, early sleep and plenty of water.

Dzumsa rules at work

Lachen's council sets tight rules on tourism: vehicle queues, homestay registration and limits on waste. Ask your host how the Pipon is chosen and what the village has decided about plastic.

How to get there

Shared permit tour: Most visitors join a shared 3-day tour from Gangtok: day 1 to Lachen, day 2 Gurudongmar and on to Lachung, day 3 Yumthang and back. About ₹6,000–8,000 per person with permit, rooms and meals. Book a day ahead.
Reserved vehicle: A whole vehicle from a registered Gangtok operator, for ₹18,000–28,000 on the 3-day Lachen–Lachung loop before hotels. Ask for a 4-day version with two nights at Lachen.
From Lachung: Some tours run the loop in reverse, Lachung first, then Lachen via Chungthang, about 50 km and 2.5–3 hours. Check current status before you travel; the Chungthang–Lachen section has had the longest closures.

Where to stay

Lachen has a few dozen small hotels and family homestays along the main road and the slope below the monastery. Shared tours assign rooms; the standard is simple, with thick quilts, hot water by bucket or geyser, and dinner and breakfast included. Ask for a heater in winter. The best budget value is in the family-run homestays, at about ₹1,500–2,500 per person with meals. Lachen's Dzumsa registers guesthouses, so book through your agent or a host you have spoken to directly.

Local tips

Sleep early: Gurudongmar vehicles leave at 3–4 am.
Spend two nights here if anyone in your group is older or has never been above 3,000 m.
Drink 3–4 litres of water the day before Gurudongmar and avoid alcohol.
Pack the night before and keep your down jacket and gloves on top.
Carry cash from Gangtok; Lachen has no reliable ATM.

02,7005,400

Altitude2,750 m

High enough to feel it on steep stairs. Warm layers from October to March.

What it costs here

Shared 3-day Lachen–Lachung tour from Gangtok₹6,000–8,000 pp with permit, rooms and meals

Homestay or small hotel with dinner and breakfast₹1,500–2,500 pp

Packed breakfast for the 4 am startUsually included; ₹100–200 if not

Boots and long coat rental₹100–300 each

Thukpa or momos₹100–180

Portable oxygen can₹500–900

Indicative, 2025–26. Check current status before you travel.

Best months: Mar – May · Oct – Nov
Nights we suggest: 1–2
From Gangtok: ≈ 129 km · 6–8 h
Altitude: ≈ 2,750 m
Known for: Gurudongmar base, Lachen Monastery, Dzumsa council
Network: BSNL and Jio patchy in the village

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

BestGoodAvoid or closed

Things to do

Four things to do in Lachen

Monasteries · 1.5 hoursLachen Monastery and its young monksLachen · Free · donation welcome

Treks and walks · 2–3 hours walkingA slow acclimatisation day in LachenLachen · Free

Culture and history · 1.5 hoursEvening in a Lachenpa kitchenLachen · Included in homestay stay

Treks and walks · 8–12 daysGreen Lake: the restricted Zemu trekLachen · Special permits and a full trekking cre…

On the map

Lachen and its neighbours

Drawn by Darjeeling Himalayas from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Trips that stop here

Go to Lachen on a ticket

Comfort North Sikkim5 nights · Reserved car North Sikkim at a safe pace, by private car Singhik · Lachen · Lachung ₹37,500per person
about ₹6,250 a day

Comfort North Sikkim8 nights · Reserved car North Sikkim end to end, slowly, in 8 nights Phodong · Singhik · Lachen · Lachung ₹48,000per person
about ₹5,350 a day

Value North Sikkim3 nights · Mixed Gurudongmar with a gentler climb Singhik · Lachen ₹13,000per person
about ₹3,250 a day

Shoestring North Sikkim2 nights · Shared jeeps Gurudongmar and Yumthang on a shared tour Lachen · Lachung ₹7,000per person
about ₹2,350 a day

Value North Sikkim6 nights · Reserved car Gurudongmar and Yumthang, four friends in a car Singhik · Lachen · Lachung · Mangan ₹21,000per person
about ₹3,000 a day

Close by

Nearby places

trek stop3,900 m Thangu Yak country and the last tea stop before Gurudongmar

lake5,183 m Gurudongmar Lake A sacred lake about 5 km from the Tibetan border

valley4,000 m Chopta Valley A frozen river in winter and a flower meadow in summer

river town1,790 m Chungthang Where two rivers become the Teesta, and where the 2023 flood struck

Routes

Gangtok to Lachen Lachen to Gurudongmar Lake

Ways to travel

Snow and high passes Monasteries Homestays

Questions people ask

Questions about Lachen

How far is Lachen from Gangtok?

Lachen is about 129 km north of Gangtok by road, via Mangan and Chungthang. Before 2023 the drive took about six hours; with flood repairs and diversions it often takes 6–8 hours now, and the Chungthang–Lachen section has had long closures. Check current status before you travel.

Why do Gurudongmar tours stay in Lachen?

Lachen is the last village with tourist rooms on the road to Gurudongmar, about 65 km and three hours below the lake. Staying here lets you leave at 3–4 am, reach the lake in the clear morning and be back down before wind and cloud build up around midday.

What is the altitude of Lachen?

Lachen is at roughly 2,750 m, with sources giving figures from about 2,700 m to 2,900 m. Nights are cold year-round and well below freezing in winter. Most people sleep fine at this height but may feel slightly breathless climbing the village lanes.

Is Lachen open for tourists now?

It depends on the month. Since the October 2023 Teesta flood, the road from Chungthang to Lachen has opened and closed several times, and tours to Lachen and Gurudongmar have been suspended for long periods. Ask your Gangtok agent and the Mangan district administration, and check current status before you travel.

Can foreigners stay in Lachen?

Rules have varied. Foreign nationals have sometimes been allowed to Lachen with a Protected Area Permit through a registered agent, but not to Gurudongmar. The list changes, so ask your agent which places your permit covers, and check current status before you travel.

What is there to do in Lachen besides Gurudongmar?

Visit Lachen Monastery, built in 1858; walk the village lanes; take a day to Chopta Valley and Thangu; and talk to your hosts about the Dzumsa council. With a spare day you can rest and acclimatise, which makes Gurudongmar safer and more enjoyable.

How cold is Lachen in winter?

Very cold. Winter nights often drop to −5 to −10 °C, and days are close to freezing in the shade. Snow can fall from December to March. Bring thermals, a down jacket, warm cap and gloves, and ask for a room with a heater.

Are there ATMs in Lachen?

Do not count on one. Carry all the cash you need for your North Sikkim tour from Gangtok, plus a margin for delays or extras. Mangan, the district headquarters, has several banks. Digital payments work only when the network does, which is patchy.

What does a Lachen homestay cost?

About ₹1,500–2,500 per person per night with dinner and breakfast, booked directly or through a Gangtok agent. On a shared tour your room and meals are included in the package price. Rates rise in May, October and late December.