Wildlife and birds · Yumthang Valley
Rhododendrons of the Shingba sanctuary
The Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary covers the road from Lachung to Yumthang. From late April through May the forest flowers in waves, from the lower slopes to the valley head. Ask your driver to stop where the colour is best and walk a few hundred metres.
Sikkim's state tree is a rhododendron, and the Shingba sanctuary is where you see why. Sources count between 24 and about 40 rhododendron species in and around the sanctuary, from tall tree rhododendrons with red flowers lower down to dwarf shrubs near the treeline. The sanctuary is part of the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, a conservation area that runs across the eastern Himalaya.
Flowering starts as early as late February at the lowest slopes and lasts into June at the top, but most visitors come between the last week of April and the end of May. The road from Lachung climbs through the forest, so you see the flowers from the vehicle. The best stands are often in the middle section, before the valley opens out.
Ask the driver to stop for 10–15 minutes and walk along the road, not into the forest. Look for birds: wood snipe and hoary-throated barwing are recorded here, and you will hear more than you see. Do not pick flowers or break branches. In a big crowd, go up at 6 am, before the tour jeeps bunch together.
Cost: Included in Lachung tours
Questions people ask
Good to know
When do rhododendrons bloom in Yumthang?
Most years, the main bloom is from late April to the end of May. Flowering begins on lower slopes in late February or March and continues into June higher up. Warm or cold springs shift it by a week or two, so ask your Gangtok agent for a recent report and check current status before you travel.
How many rhododendron species are in Shingba sanctuary?
Sources differ. Some count about 24 species around Yumthang, while others put the sanctuary's total at around 40. Either way it is one of the richest rhododendron forests that you can see from a road in India. Ask a forest guard or local guide to point out the different species.
Is there an entry fee for Shingba sanctuary?
Visitors on a North Sikkim tour do not usually pay a separate fee at the gate; the permit and the tour cover it. Fees and rules can change, so ask your agent whether anything is due and check current status before you travel.
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