Discover East Sikkim: MG Marg, the Himalayas and monasteries

Gangtok offers a range of travel experiences, from MG Marg and the annual Gangtok Food and Culture Festival to cultural and natural attractions. Nearby, high-altitude landscapes and excursions with their own specific requirements add further possibilities. When planning your trip, you can consider whether Gangtok’s main street and culture or excursions into the surrounding area will play a bigger part in your stay.

MG Marg and the Gangtok festival

MG Marg is Gangtok’s pedestrianised main street, with shops on both sides. It hosts the annual Gangtok Food and Culture Festival. Ethnic-style food stalls showcase Sikkim’s multicultural cuisine, alongside traditional music and dance performances. The location is therefore both an important city street and the setting for a festival that brings food and performances together. If you would like to include the festival in your travel plans, check the specific dates in advance.

Viewpoints, a monastery path and a cable car

Tashi View Point offers panoramic views of the Himalayas and is a good place to watch the sunrise. At Enchey Monastery, a footpath lined with prayer wheels leads to the main gompa. The bi-cable Zig-back cable car offers another perspective on Gangtok: its one-kilometre ride runs from Deorali to the Tashiling Secretariat. Bakthang Waterfalls can also be visited as part of a local tour of Gangtok. These destinations offer different experiences—from Himalayan panoramas and the path to the gompa to the cable car’s set route.

Excursions with altitude and permit requirements

Nearby, Tsomgo Lake sits at an altitude of 12,400 feet. It freezes over in winter, while flowers bloom in the surrounding area in late spring. The lake is considered sacred by the Sikkimese. Every year on Guru Purnima, faith healers gather there to pray. Once they have obtained the required permit, visitors can walk or cycle at the lake, though movement around it is restricted. Check permit requirements in advance, as they may change.

At Nathu La Pass, visitors can also see a memorial to the Indo-China border war and an army exhibition centre; permit requirements may change. For a different excursion, a short, 20-minute hike from Pangthang Forest Nursery leads to the entrance of Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary. These destinations bring specific considerations into your travel planning: permits are important for Tsomgo and Nathu La, while access to the sanctuary is via the described hike.

Manuscripts, a museum and monastic traditions

Nearby, the Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology offers rare Lepcha, Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts, a museum and more than 200 Buddhist icons. Rumtek Monastery houses rare Buddhist religious art objects and is a centre for the teachings of the Kargyu school. Together, these places offer two different perspectives: the institute brings together manuscripts and a museum, while Rumtek focuses on religious art and teachings. Those interested in culture can therefore explore named destinations with their own distinct focuses, alongside Gangtok’s street life and festivals.

Sikkim as a wider setting

In the wider destination of Sikkim lies Khangchendzonga National Park, which covers 25 percent of the state. Its landscape includes plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers, snow-capped mountains and ancient forests. The park also includes 18 glaciers, among them Zemu Glacier, as well as 17 alpine lakes. This broader landscape perspective complements the specific city, cultural and excursion destinations in and around Gangtok, without attributing the national park’s features to local places.

Choose accommodation based on your travel priorities

When looking for a holiday apartment in East Sikkim, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip. If you plan excursions to Tsomgo Lake, Nathu La or Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary, take the relevant permit and seasonal requirements into account. This helps you identify the kind of days you want to spend and choose accommodation accordingly.

Discover more places

The directly subordinate destinations include Lingtam, Padamchey and Pakyong.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: East Sikkim, North Sikkim, South Sikkim, West Sikkim.

Go to the parent travel overview: Sikkim.