Ascend to
Gurudongmar Lake
One of the highest lakes on earth, sacred to three faiths.
- Altitude
- About 17,800ft
- Eligibility
- Indian nationals only under current rules
- Sacred to
- Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu traditions
- Run
- Pre-dawn from Lachen
Gurudongmar sits at about 17,800ft, one of the highest lakes in the world, sacred in Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu tradition. The official PAP page is clear: Indian visitors are allowed under the permit framework, foreign tourists are not (they may visit Lachen and Yumthang instead).
The run leaves Lachen pre-dawn; spend minutes at the shore, not hours. The lake famously stays unfrozen in a patch said to be blessed by Guru Padmasambhava.
Quick answers
Gurudongmar Lake at a glance
Can foreigners visit Gurudongmar?
No: under the current official PAP rules, Gurudongmar is not open to foreign tourists; Lachen and Yumthang are.
How do I handle the altitude?
Sleep at Lachen, leave pre-dawn, stay minutes at the lake and descend; anyone with heart or lung conditions should skip it.
Practicals
Permits & season
No ILP, but protected areas (Nathula, North Sikkim beyond Mangan) need permits arranged through registered agencies ahead of travel.
March to May for rhododendrons and clear skies, October to December for the sharpest views; the monsoon closes high routes.
When to go
Plan around these months
Nearby
Close enough to combine
Things to do
What you're here for
The unfrozen patch
The blessed stretch of water that winter cannot close.
Lunar landscape
A plateau so high it reads as another planet.
Journal
Read before you go
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Explore Gurudongmar Lake
Facts checked against the official Sikkim tourism portal · Last verified 2026-09-26