Quieter corners of Sikkim — Yuksom, Aritar Lake, Chayataal and Nathang Valley
Away from Gangtok’s high street, Sikkim has several smaller stops that reward an extra night. Yuksom, in West Sikkim, was the state’s first capital. It is known for Dubdi Monastery, the Coronation Throne and as the traditional gateway for treks toward Kangchenjunga. Aritar, in East Sikkim, is a village beside a forest lake, often visited with the Silk Route.
Chayataal is a high, still water body on the eastern ridges. Nathang Valley is an open highland above Zuluk, used more as a sunrise viewpoint than as a town. The east-side places usually need permits. October to May is the practical season; Yuksom remains reachable in the monsoon when the high valleys do not.
Clear views on the Silk Route and in West Sikkim.
Yuksom stays open; Nathang depends on snow.
Mild weather on both the east and west sides.
Forest around Yuksom; high valleys are often in cloud.
Share which places interest you — Yuksom in the west, or Aritar and the Silk Route in the east — and we can fit them into your dates.
