Try "Sandakphu", "toy train", "homestay", "Gangtok in April"
Route · North Sikkim
Gangtok to Lachung is about 118 km via Kabi, Phodong, Mangan and Chungthang, 6–8 hours since the 2023 flood. You need a North Sikkim permit and a registered tour operator; most people go on a shared tour. Check current status before you travel.
| From | To | How | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GANGTOK | LACHUNG | Shared permit tour | 6–8 h | ₹4,500–6,000 PP |
| GANGTOK | LACHUNG | Reserved vehicle | 6–7 h | ₹14,000–20,000 A |
| GANGTOK | LACHUNG | Shared jeep plus tour pickup | Two days | ₹200–300 JEEP SE |
From our route pages. Fares change with fuel prices, season and demand: check current status before you travel.
The cheapest way. Gangtok agents sell seats in vehicles of 8–10 that leave around 10–11 am after permits are processed. You need a photo ID copy and two photos a day ahead. The price usually includes your Lachung room, dinner and breakfast, and the Yumthang trip.
A Bolero, Scorpio or Innova with driver and permit from a registered operator. Better for families and groups who want to stop at Kabi Lungchok, Seven Sisters falls and Singhik, or break the journey with a night on the way.
Take a shared jeep to Mangan or Singhik for a night, then have your tour vehicle collect you next day. Agree this with the agent in Gangtok; it gives a gentler altitude gain and a Kanchenjunga sunrise.
Local tip: Book the evening before so the agent can process your permit, and carry several photocopies of your ID.
Questions people ask
About 6–8 hours for roughly 118 km since the October 2023 flood, depending on road works and diversions around Chungthang. Before 2023 it was about 5–6 hours. Tours leave Gangtok around 10–11 am and arrive in the evening. Check current status before you travel.
Generally no. Permits for Lachung are issued through registered tour operators, and visiting vehicles from outside Sikkim are not usually allowed into North Sikkim's restricted areas. Book a shared tour or a reserved local vehicle with a registered Gangtok operator.
Not for tourists. Local shared jeeps run between Gangtok and North Sikkim for residents, but visitors need a permit tour to go beyond Mangan and Chungthang. The shared tour is the budget equivalent.
Usually from the agent's office area around MG Marg or from the Vajra taxi stand at Maarchak, which serves North Sikkim. Your agent will tell you the pickup point and time the evening before, once permits are ready.
Plan with a local
Where you want to go, how many of you, and roughly what you want to spend a day. A planner who lives in these hills replies within one working day with a route and every rupee written down.