Gangtok Tour Package, 4 Nights 5 Days with Tsomgo and Nathula

What does this Gangtok tour package include?

This is a 4 nights and 5 days Gangtok tour package. You start at Bagdogra airport or NJP railway station, near Siliguri, and you end at the same place. You stay all four nights in one hotel in Gangtok.

On Day 1 you drive up along the Teesta to Gangtok and walk MG Marg in the evening. On Day 2 you go high, to Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and, on an open day, Nathula. On Day 3 you see the city: Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok, Enchey Monastery, Do Drul Chorten and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. Day 4 takes you to Rumtek Monastery, and it is also your spare day. On Day 5 you drive back down.

Why a spare day? Because the high road is not in your hands. Snow can stop the permits. Nathula shuts to tourists on two days a week. NH10 closed many times in 2025 and 2026. With one free day, you still see the lakes.

Is 4 nights enough for Gangtok?

Yes, for Gangtok and the Tsomgo and Nathula road. Three nights is too tight, because one bad weather day then costs you the high lakes. Four nights gives you a city day, a high day, a Rumtek morning and a spare slot.

If you also want Lachung and Yumthang, add two to three nights. See our North Sikkim tour. For the whole state, with Pelling and Namchi, see our Sikkim tour package.

How do you reach Gangtok from Bagdogra or NJP?

Gangtok has no railway, and the airport in Sikkim has no regular flights at present. So almost everyone comes by road from Siliguri. Here is what each way in looks like for you.

• By air to Bagdogra. Bagdogra airport is about 120 to 125 km from Gangtok. The drive takes about 4 to 5 hours on NH10, and longer when the road is slow.
• By train to NJP. New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station in Siliguri is about 115 to 125 km away. It has direct trains from Delhi and Kolkata. Check the current trains on the official IRCTC site.
• Pakyong airport. It is about 31 to 35 km from Gangtok. It opened in 2018, but no scheduled flights have run there since June 2024, as the Civil Aviation Ministry told Parliament in July 2025. In April 2026, talks to bring flights back were still going on. Please check before you book a ticket to it.

The road climbs from the plains, crosses the Teesta and enters Sikkim at Rangpo. Your car moves at about 30 km an hour on these hill roads. If you fly in from abroad, rest one night in Delhi or Kolkata first. Then take a morning flight to Bagdogra, so you climb in daylight.

Is NH10 open, and what happened in 2025 and 2026?

NH10 is the main road from Siliguri to Gangtok. It runs beside the Teesta, and it closes often in the rains. Here is what the record shows.

• In August 2025, NH10 stayed shut for six days after landslides. A part of the road near 9th Mile fell into the Teesta. All India Radio reported it open again on 17 August 2025.
• From 13 to 16 October 2025, the road was closed from Sevoke to Rangpo for repairs, as the road had sunk by about 2 m at one point. Cars went the long way, by Lava and Gorubathan to Coronation Bridge.
• On 7 July 2026, a landslide closed the 20th Mile stretch for more than a month. In August it opened only in turns, with halts of 2 to 4 hours.
• On 20 September 2026, a mudslide at 20th Mile, Bardang, closed it again for a day, and it opened for one-way traffic.

In October 2026 the Centre sanctioned an upgrade of NH10 from Rangpo to Ranipool, with tunnels and slope protection. That work will take time. So please do not trust old news. On your travel day, our team checks the road status with the driver union and the police before you leave. If NH10 is shut, the driver takes the longer road through Lava, or you wait at Siliguri.

Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir: what you should know

Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, is about 40 km from Gangtok. It sits at about 3,753 m (12,313 ft). Local Sikkimese people hold it sacred. In winter it freezes, and in some years the ice stays into May. Yaks and mules wait by the shore for rides.

Baba Mandir honours Sepoy Harbhajan Singh of the 23rd Punjab Regiment. He died near Nathula on 4 October 1968, when he fell into a stream while leading a mule column. Soldiers believe he still guards the border. Every year on 11 September his things are sent by train from NJP to his home village of Kuka, in Kapurthala, Punjab. The new temple stands on the road between Sherathang and Kupup. The old bunker shrine is a few km away.

Tsomgo is a protected area. You need a permit even though you are Indian. Only a Sikkim-registered car with a permit may take you. A taxi from outside Sikkim may drop you in Gangtok, but it may not take you sightseeing.

Nathula: open days, permits and who may go

Nathula is the pass on the border with Tibet, about 54 to 56 km from Gangtok, at about 4,310 m (14,140 ft). It was a part of the old Silk Route. India and China reopened border trade here on 6 July 2006. At the top, a wire fence marks the border, and you look into the Chumbi Valley.

• Who may go: only Indian citizens. An NRI who holds an Indian passport is an Indian citizen, so you may go. Carry that passport as your ID. Foreign nationals may not, and that includes OCI cardholders, who need a special permit for protected areas.
• Open days: Nathula is shut to tourists on Monday and Tuesday. Most sources say it opens Wednesday to Sunday. One says Thursday to Sunday. Check the day printed on your permit.
• How to apply: you cannot apply on your own. A Sikkim-registered agency applies for you, a few days ahead. Give each person's original photo ID, a copy and two passport-size photos.
• Daily limit: only a fixed number of cars may go each day, so book early in season.
• Weather: on snow days the district can stop all permits. This happened on 4 and 5 January 2020.

Sikkim is moving its permits online with a QR code, and a new portal was still under talks in August 2026. The rules may change before your trip. Our team tells you the current list of papers when you book.

Is the high road safe for elders and children?

Yes, with care. The road climbs from about 1,650 m at Gangtok to about 4,310 m at Nathula in a few hours. Some people get headaches, feel sick or breathe fast up there. Here is what helps you.

• Eat a light breakfast and drink water through the day. Carry dry snacks and toffees.
• At Nathula, stay only 20 to 30 minutes at the top. Climb the steps slowly; there are about 90, and they can be slippery with snow.
• If a parent has heart or lung trouble, or if you are pregnant, ask your doctor first. You may see Tsomgo and skip Nathula.
• Wear proper shoes with grip, gloves, a cap and a warm jacket, even in May.

Do not push past a closed point. On 4 April 2023 an avalanche at 15th Mile on this road killed seven people. Police said tourists had gone beyond the allowed point in bad weather.

Gangtok city: Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok and the monasteries

Hanuman Tok is about 11 km from the town, at about 7,200 ft. The Indian Army looks after it. Tradition says Lord Hanuman rested here while he flew with the Sanjeevani herb for Lakshmana. Go early for the clearest view.

Ganesh Tok stands at about 6,500 ft, in the upper part of the city. A short path lined with prayer flags leads to the small temple of Lord Ganesh. From the top you see most of Gangtok.

Enchey Monastery sits on a ridge on the Nathula road, about 3 km from the market. It was first built in the 1840s, and the present building dates from 1909. Its masked Chaam dance is held in January.

Do Drul Chorten was built in 1945 and 1946, with 108 prayer wheels around it. Next door is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. The Dalai Lama laid its foundation stone in 1957, and Pandit Nehru opened it in 1958. It opens Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 4.30 pm, and usually shuts on Sundays and government holidays. Leave your shoes outside the museum, and do not take photos or videos inside.

Rumtek Monastery: what to expect

Rumtek is about 22 to 24 km from Gangtok, about an hour by car. It was first built in the time of the 12th Karmapa, in the 18th century. The 16th Karmapa came here in 1959 and rebuilt it as his seat. It opened on Losar in 1966.

Inside, the Golden Stupa holds the relics of the 16th Karmapa. Because of an old dispute between two groups over the next Karmapa, armed guards stand at the gates. Carry your photo ID, speak softly, and ask before you take photos inside the halls.

Rules in Gangtok that every visitor must follow

Sikkim is strict, and that is why Gangtok is so clean. Please follow these rules:

• MG Marg is for walkers only. Spitting, littering or smoking in public places can bring a fine.
• Plastic bags are not used or sold in Gangtok. Carry a cloth bag.
• Sikkim charges a small tourist fee, collected by your hotel or homestay. Children under five do not pay. It covers a stay of up to 30 days. Confirm the current rate at the hotel.
• Taxis from other states may drop you in Gangtok, but they may not take you sightseeing in Sikkim. For Tsomgo and Nathula, you must change to a Sikkim-registered permit car.

What to eat and buy in Gangtok

Gangtok food is mostly Sikkimese, Tibetan and Nepali. Try momos and thukpa, both easy to find in vegetable form. Sel roti is a ring-shaped fried bread, and chhurpi is a hard local cheese. Shah-phaley is a fried pie, usually filled with meat. Chhang is a millet beer, so families may skip it.

On MG Marg, Taste of Tibet is known for momos and thukpa. In the lanes near MG Marg, many small cafes serve veg momos and rolls. You will also find pure vegetarian places on MG Marg with North and South Indian snacks and sweets. For a full Sikkimese thali, ask your hotel for a good place near you.

For shopping, the state Sales Emporium of the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom sells local crafts at fixed prices. Look for handmade paper and thangka paintings. Sikkim is also known for Temi tea and passion fruit squash. In the market lanes, compare two or three shops before you buy a woollen shawl or a prayer wheel.

When is the best time for a Gangtok tour package?

March to May and October to mid-December are the easiest months. Days are mild and the views are clear. Spring and summer are the busy season, so book your hotel early.

December to March is cold. Tsomgo may be frozen and snow may cover Nathula, which many families love. But permits can be stopped on snow days. In December 2024, Gangtok police also told permit cars to cross the 3rd Mile checkpost before 10.30 am and leave the high road by 5 pm. Expect a rule like this in your winter too. June to September is the monsoon. July is the wettest month, and NH10 closes most often then. Snow in Gangtok town itself is rare.

Combine Gangtok with Darjeeling or Pelling

Many families add Darjeeling to Gangtok. See our Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong tour package, the longer Darjeeling Gangtok Pelling tour package, or the Darjeeling Sikkim tour package. For Darjeeling alone, with the toy train and Tiger Hill, see our Darjeeling tour package.

How is this package different from others?

We read the top pages that sell Gangtok packages. One gives no word on permits at all. Two give Nathula open days that do not match each other. None tells NRI and OCI families who may go to Nathula. None gives the NH10 closures of 2025 and 2026, and none keeps a spare day for them.

This page gives you the open days, the papers, the rule on outside cars, the tourist fee, the winter checkpost time, the altitude advice and the dated road record. Official sites come first, then trusted guides. Where sources differ, we tell you so.