Base at
Lachen in May
The quiet twin of Lachung, gateway to Gurudongmar.
Quick answer. Late spring. One of the two best windows; pre-monsoon build late in the month. For Lachen specifically, May is a comfortable month with the usual hill-state caveats.
The essentials
- Altitude
- About 8,800ft
- Opens
- Chopta Valley, Thangu, Gurudongmar
- Permit
- PAP via registered agency
- Month
- May, Sikkim
- This month
- Late spring.
Why May here
The Lachenpa village at 8,800ft that opens Chopta Valley and Gurudongmar Lake.
Lachen, home of the Lachenpa community, sits at about 8,800ft and opens the northern runs: Chopta Valley, Thangu and, for Indian nationals, Gurudongmar Lake at about 17,800ft. Foreign visitors may visit Lachen and Yumthang under current PAP rules but Gurudongmar is not open to them.
What to do
Lachen Monastery
The village gompa above the roofs.
Star nights
Zero light pollution at 8,800ft.
Elsewhere in Sikkim in May
The wider Sikkim calendar this month: Saga Dawa (lunar, May-Jun, major monastery festival). Dates shift with harvests and moons; we confirm them when you plan.
Pair it with
Lachen in May, planned properly
Tell us your dates and group size. Solo travellers can join fixed departures and keep the freedom. A real person replies with a plan and an honest price.