Motorcycle trip to Enchanting Sikkim (Complete Guide)

A trip to the northeastern state of India, Sikkim is not always on the bucket list of most tourists. Sikkim is blessed with beautiful locations, glacial lakes, waterfalls at every kilometer. The state is bounded by Tibet on the north and northeast, Bhutan on the east, Nepal on the west, and West Bengal on the south.

I particularly had fun riding on the worst and most scenic roads I have encountered. You will not find words to describe the natural beauty of Sikkim. No pictures do justice to the beauty of the place.

The journey to Pelling and Gangtok is pretty easy and these places have good hotels for a comfortable and memorable stay. Though the journey to North Sikkim is tough and challenging, these places are very scenic and beautiful, you would not find them anywhere else.

Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Bagdogra Airport.

Day 2: Siliguri — Namchi — Ravangla — Gangtok

Day 3: Stay in Gangtok

Day 4: Gangtok — Lachen

Day 5: Lachen — Gurudongmar Lake — Lachung

Day 6: Lachung — Yumthang Valley — Zero Point — Gangtok

Day 7: Gangtok — Zuluk — Aritar

Day 8: Aritar — Darjeeling

Day 9: Darjeeling — Siliguri

Breakdown of the Itinerary and My Experience

Day 1: Fly to Bagdogra Airport and stay in Siliguri

On the first day, you arrive at Bagdogra Airport. At the exit of the airport, you will find a massive crowd of taxi drivers. You can get a taxi instantly but you might have negotiated a bit. You can book an OLA, but to board the taxi you need to go to the parking.

Get a hotel in Siliguri and rent a bike. Get some rest for the next few days of adventure. It's not going to be easy :)

Recommendation: Don’t get RE Classic 350. Go for Himalayan, Dominar, or Classic 500. In the high altitude of North Sikkim where oxygen is less Classic 350 does not do a good job. I have seen Bajaj Avenger performing better than Classic 350.

Day 2: Siliguri — Namchi — Ravangla — Gangtok

This morning try to start by 6 or 7. You commence the bike trip to Sikkim. On the way, you will come across beautiful and scenic views of nature, picturesque terrains, and much more.

Head to Char Dhaam in Namchi where you find the miniatures of India’s most famous temples of Lord Shiva. The temple complex is beautiful.

The next stop is Buddha Park, Ravangla. The park is huge and very beautiful with a gigantic statue of Buddha. The spiritual ambiance of the park is unforgettable.

Post exploration and lunch head towards Gangtok. On the way stop by at The Temi Tea Garden. An amazing cup of Temi tea (which some people call Red Tea) will take away all the tiredness and is very refreshing. You can buy the tea leaves as well.

Reach Gangtok by evening. The beauty of Gangtok will take your mind away.

You should visit Mall Road if you are not tired. This is one of the best Mall Roads I have ever seen.

Day 3: Stay in Gangtok

Don’t forget to clear all your permits properly. You will need these permits to travel to the North and towards the Nathula pass.

There are various places to visit in Gangtok like Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, Hanuman Temple, Tashi Viewpoint, Ban Jhakri Falls Park, Mahatma Gandhi Marg (Mall Road), etc. You should pick and choose based on your preferences. I visited Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, spent a good time there, and went to Mall Road in the evening.

If you need clothes, accessories, etc you can easily find them at Mall Road.

Day 4: Gangtok — Lachen

Gear for the real adventure to the North Sikkim. For the next 3 days, prepare yourself to spend a lot of time on your bike. As you travel north the ride becomes more scenic. But as you move forward the roads become rougher and sometimes there are no roads (almost).

Start your journey early morning and don’t forget to stop at Tashi Viewpoint for the beautiful view of Mt. Kanchenjunga.

You will start your journey towards Lachen. Interestingly to know this route was also taken by Guru Nanak Dev Ji on his way to North Sikkim. Take a halt at Mangan for permits and then proceed towards Chungthang.

Visit the Gurudwara Nanak Lama, Chungthang, and have lunger (food). Then you leave for Lachen, which is also the base for Gurudongmar Lake. The altitude of Lachen is quite high, so you might come across bumpy pathways. Relax and get acclimatized to the high altitude. Overnight stay at Hotel / Guest House in Lachen.

On the way, you will come to access many waterfalls. There are beautiful waterfalls every few kilometers and you would want to stop at all of these. Please do not spend a lot of time because there are some restrictions in Lachen Army base. You need to cross it before 5 pm (I guess). Please don’t carry an Action cam on the journey to Lachen. Army folks don’t allow it due to security reasons.

Day 5: Lachen — Gurudongmar Lake — Lachung

You will need to leave the hotel by 4 am for the long and adventurous ride to Gurudongmar Lake, At first, you will ride to North Sikkim Plateau, roads are bumpy. These roads can be slushy too if it rains. The ride takes about 5–6 hours each way from Lachen. You will be off-roading for the majority of this time as a lot of the ‘roads’ in the area are just gravel and pebbles. Though the roads are tough, the mountain views, streams of water around you will keep you going.

20 km before you reach the lake, there is a cafe called ‘Cafe 15000’ signifying the altitude of the place which is 15,000 ft. Please stop by and have some snacks.

Head towards Gurudongmar Lake. From ‘Cafe 15000’ to the lake altitude changes from 15,000 ft to 17,800 ft. The beautiful Gurudongmar Tso will welcome you with freezing waves surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The lake is definitely the highlight of the trip for me.

You will feel the lack of oxygen with every breath. It is not advisable to stay there for more than 30 min.

Start another long and beautiful ride to Lachung. It will be dark before you reach there. Check in to a hotel and rest for the new ride.

Day 6: Lachung — Yumthang Valley — Zero Point — Gangtok

After early morning breakfast, you start your journey to Zero Point and Yumthang Valley, where snow-clad mountains will be waiting for you, crooked pathways, and if you get lucky you might even see the frozen river or half-frozen river, depending on the weather conditions. Don’t forget to have Maggie and Tea at Zero point.

It is damn cold there, I don’t advise spending a lot of time there. I have seen people fainting there. Please drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated.

While coming back from Zero point, stop by at Yumthang Valley. Yumthang Valley is covered with purple flowers in April. In other months of the year, it offers beautiful landscapes worth capturing.

Start your ride to Gangtok. By the time you reach Gangtok, you will be tired and sore. Take good rest and sleep well, another long ride is waiting for you the next day.

Day 7: Gangtok — Zuluk — Aritar

Now it is time to explore the Eastern part of Sikkim. Start early and head towards the famous Nathula pass which is the favorite hotspot for tourists in Sikkim.

On the way, you will come across a lake called “Lake Tsomgo”. It is pronounced as “Changgu Lake”. Please don’t ask me how!

Nathu La is a high-altitude pass situated on the old silk route at the Indo-China border. You can not click pictures. You will get to know about the history of the Indo-China conflict and how Sikkim became part of India.

Leave Nathula to travel to the new attraction, Zuluk a Village on the Silk Route. On the way take a stop at Baba Mandir, the temple of Baba Harbhajan Singh. A soldier of the Indian Army who continued to serve even after his death.

Head towards Zuluk which is located at a height of around 10,000 feet (3,000 m). This is the land of hairpin bends. You will cross several hairpin bends to go to the destination Aritar.

Relax at Aritar.

Day 8: Aritar — Darjeeling

After many days of long and tough rides, the ride will be smooth and easy. There are few places on the way to Darjeeling which will test your bike’s capabilities to climb. To start the day visit Aritar Lake. The lake is beautiful but nothing compared to the lakes you have seen earlier on the trip.

Go to Darjeeling. On the way stop by at the tea gardens to enjoy a cup of Darjeeling tea.

By afternoon you will reach Darjeeling. Explore the beautiful city.

Day 9: Darjeeling — Siliguri

This ride is short and easy. Plan the ride based on the schedule of your flight. It takes around 3–4 hours with a few stops to reach Bagdogra Airport.

You will relish the beauty of the place for a lifetime. The enchanting waters of Gurudongmar Lake, endless waterfalls, panoramic view of Zero point, an adventurous ride of Sikkim will be memories to cherish.

People of Sikkim

Make friends with the cordial locals and get to know about their culture. They don’t mind going the extra mile to show you the way. People are friendly and often engage in chat.

I can not forget, a lady asked me if I was 7 ft tall :). It was hard for me to control my laugh.

Food in Sikkim

Since the food of Sikkim is influenced by the cuisines of Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, mostly it consists of rice. A meal has rice, dal and veggies, and onion salad with short and round chilies on the side. The food is yummy. I ate this food all the time during the trip and loved it.

Do not miss having momos and thukpa. I have never tasted better momos anywhere else.