10 Things to do in Lachung

Lachung is a beautiful hill station that is located amidst the Himalayas that attracts travelers seeking breathtaking views, adventure and peace. The town is decorated with wooden houses and surrounded by alpine pastures.

This place boasts stunning views of the snow capped mountains and a perfect place to spend your leisure time. The peaceful ambience of the place away from the bustling city life helps the tourists reconnect themselves with mother nature. There are also a number of religious places around Lachung that have spiritual significance and myths associated with them.     

Here is the list of the ten things that you must experience on your trip to Lachung to make your visit to Sikkim more memorable.

• Trek to Yumthang Valley
• Visit Lachung Monastery
• Zero Point
• Visit Bhim Nala Fall and Naga Fall
• Trek to Mount Katao
• A day at Chungthang 
• Visit Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
• Visit Gurudongmar Lake
• Seven Sister Waterfall
• Enjoying the local cuisines

Things to do in Lachung

Trek to Yumthang Valley

Yumthang Valley is one of the most popular tourist attractions and is a hidden beauty that offers breathtaking views to the tourists. The scenic beauty of the valley is enhanced by 24 species of Himalayan flowers that offer a hue of colors over the valley that mesmerizes the tourists during the spring season.

The valley is situated at an elevation of 3564 meters above the sea level. There are rhododendrons of different colors such as purple, white, pink and red that make the scenario more vivid. Besides there are also other trees that enhance the beauty namely irises, edelweiss and primulas.

This valley is popularly known as the valley of flowers due to the surrounding flowering plants around the valley. The Yumthang valley is placed at a distance of 25.8 km and will take around 56 minutes to reach from Lachung.     

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit this valley is during the spring season that lasts between February to mid-June. During this season the flowers in the valley bloom and yaks are also spotted near the valley grazing. 

Location: North Sikkim

Timing: 24 hours

Visit Lachung Monastery

Lachung Monastery is a renowned monastery of Lachung that is located amidst the picturesque scenery. The monastery was built back in the year 1850 and reflects Buddhist architecture. The breathtaking views surrounding the monastery will help you devote yourself to the holy site.

You can also enjoy the annual mask festival that is being held at this monastery every year in the month of December. The mask dance that occurs at this festival is performed by Lamas and is also the most renowned festival of Lachung. The monastery is situated at a distance of 1.6 km that takes about 5 minutes from Lachung to visit this monastery.    

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Lachung is between the months of March and May, when the ideal weather conditions help the visitors enjoy the surrounding view of the monastery. Moreover, the surrounding valley will also bloom into flowers that makes it more attractive to the visitors. 

Location: Faka, Singring, Lachung

Timing: 7 AM to 7 PM

Also Read : Things to do in Sikkim

Zero Point

Zero Point is a hidden gem and also a sensitive area, as it remains close to the Indo-China border. The point is situated at an elevation of 153000 feet above the sea level. This point is considered to be the last point of human civilization.

Visit to zero point is a challenging one as it is located at a high altitude and also has less density of oxygen. This place is an attraction to bird watchers and nature lovers.

Zero point is located at a distance of 51.1 km from Lachung and will take approximately 1 hour and 47 minutes to reach the destination.  

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit zero point is between the months of April and June, when the weather stays Clear and the  

Location: Indo China border, Sikkim

Timing: 7 AM to 1 PM

Visit Bhim Nala Fall and Naga Fall

Bhim Nala Fall is a captivating waterfall that is placed amidst the scenic landscape. The waterfalls offer you an escape from the bustling city life. The grandeur and grace of the cascading waterfall offers a serene ambience to the tourists to help them relax.

The name of this waterfall has been named after the character BHim from the epic Mahabharata. This waterfall is placed at a distance of 10.4 km from Lachung that will take around 24 minutes to travel to the spot.    

Naga Fall is 21 km away from Bhim Nala falls, which is a spectacular place to be visited in  Lachung. The cascade of this multi-tiered waterfall offers a scenic beauty to the tourists and is one of the tallest waterfalls in Sikkim. The waterfall will offer you solitude as you can connect yourself with nature and also hear the birds chirping along with the gushing water of the waterfall.

Naga falls is situated at a distance of 33.8 km from Lachung that will take about 1 hour and 17 minutes to reach the destination. 

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Bhim Nala Fall and Naga Fall is between the months of October to June, when you can witness the surrounding scenery and also get a pleasant climate. It is also advised to avoid traveling to these waterfalls during the monsoon season. 

Location: North Sikkim District 

Timing: 24 hours

Also Read : Things to do in Gangtok

Trek to Mount Katao

Mount Katao is another popular tourist attraction that offers spectacular sights. The  natural vegetation surrounding the mountain consists of primula, rhododendron and poppy.There are a number of snow activities that are held in this destination such as stone grinding, snow tubing, snowboarding and skiing.

Hence this is the perfect place for adventure enthusiasts who love snow sports. The mountain is located at a distance of 35.4 km from Lachung and will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach this destination. 

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Mount Katao is between the months of March and June, when you can witness scenic beauty around the place as well as enjoy activities like snowboarding and skiing.  

Location: North Sikkim District 

Timing: 24 hours

A Day at Chungthang

Chungthang is a beautiful small town that is situated near the confluence point of Lachung and Lachen river, where they form Teesta river. Perched at an elevation of 1790 meters, it also serves as a military base.

As per the locals, this small town is considered sacred by the Buddhists. There is a rock at this town that has the handprint of Guru Rinpoche that is considered as a symbol of blessing by the locals. Another legend surrounds this town that Guru Nanak Dev has passed through this town on his journey towards Tibet. It takes around 45 minutes to cover a distance of 21.1 km from Lachung to visit to this town

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Chungthang is either in the summer season (March to June) or during autumn season (October to December). You will get clear skies during these two seasons that will help you witness the scenic beauty surrounding the town. 

Location: Mangan District, North Sikkim

Timing: 24 hours

Also Read : Places to Visit in Sikkim

Visit Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary

Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary is a must visit place on your Lachung trip. This sanctuary is spread across an area of 43 square kilometers. The elevation within this sanctuary ranged between 3048 to 4575 meters above the sea level.

There are 40 different species of rhododendrons that bloom during the spring season. Some of the other trees that are present in the sanctuary namely, Gentias, Aconites, Potentillas, Saxifrages and others.

This sanctuary is located at a distance of 10 km from Lachung that will take about 24 minutes to reach the destination.    

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit this sanctuary is between the months of April and July, when the rhododendrons blooms fully offering an exquisite scenario. You can also witness a snow covered scenery in between the months of November to January, which will make you feel mesmerized.  

Location: Yumthang valley, North Sikkim

Timing: 8 AM to 4:30 PM

Visit Gurudongmar Lake

Gurudongmar Lake is a popular tourist destination that is positioned at an elevation of 17000 feet above the sea level. This lake is surrounded by lush green vegetation and snow capped mountains. During the winter season the entire lake freezes offering a pleasant view. This lake is a sacred site for the Buddhists and Sikhs.

As per the locals, this lake is blessed by Guru Rinpoche for which one part of the lake remains unfrozen. This is also the reason behind naming the lake after the name of Guru Padmasambhava. The lake is placed at a distance of 14 km from Lachung and takes about 4 hours and 12 minutes to reach the destination.      

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit Gurudongmar lake is between March and June when the weather remains pleasant and you can see blue sky with its reflection on the pristine water of the lake.   

Location: Gurudongmar Road, Mangan District of Sikkim

Timing: 24 hours

Also Read : Best Places to Visit in Lachen

Seven Sister Waterfall

Seven Sister Waterfall is one of the popular waterfalls of Sikkim that have 7 different waterfalls flowing sideways. The view of the waterfalls is mesmerizing and also offers splendid photographic scenes.

It is also an ideal picnic spot for the locals as the waterfall is surrounded by green vegetation. The waterfall is located at a distance of 84.4 km from Lachung and takes around 3 hours and 15 minutes to reach the destination.

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit this waterfall is during the monsoon season, which exists between the months of May to July. However, it is less recommended to travel during monsoon season as there are chances to face landslides that may interrupt your trip. 

Location: North Sikkim

Timing: 8 AM to 5 PM

Enjoying the local cuisines

It is a must to try out local cuisines of every place that you visit, which will help you to get connected with the traditional way of preparing a dish along with the different usage of ingredients in the cuisine.

Some of the popular cuisines that you will find here are thukpa, momo, phagshapa, sha phaley, thenthuk, gundruk, skinkebab, aloo dum and chhurpi soup.  

Best Time to Visit: You can enjoy cuisine in Lachung throughout the year. However, the pleasant season in Lachung is between March and May. During this tenure the weather remains pleasant and you can also enjoy the cuisines.  

Location: North Sikkim

Timing: 7 AM to 9 PM

Also Read : How to Reach Lachung

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lachung situated?

Lachung is located in the­ northeast corner of Sikkim, near Tibe­t. This town is perched at an impressive height of­ 8,610 feet, at a distance of118 kilomete­rs from Gangtok.

What is Lachung famous for?

Lachung is known as the gateway to the Chopta Valle­y and Gurudongmar Lake, and it also hosts the Thangu yak race­ in summer. 

What are the best things to do in Lachung?

Some of the best things to do in Lachung are hikes, trips, place­s of worship, music, and dance festivities, which will help in making your trip more memorable and adventurous.

What are the adventure things to do in Lachung?

Lachung offe­rs a plethora of sporty adventures, like­ challenging mountain climbs, rock scaling, exhilarating hikes, and trave­rsing landscapes on mountain bikes.