Climb to
Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake) in May
The sacred glacial lake at 12,400ft.
Quick answer. Late spring. One of the two best windows; pre-monsoon build late in the month. For Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake) specifically, May is a comfortable month with the usual hill-state caveats.
The essentials
- Altitude
- About 12,400ft
- Permit
- Protected area, via registered agency
- Foreigners
- Permitted under current PAP rules
- From Gangtok
- About 40km
- Month
- May, Sikkim
- This month
- Late spring.
Why May here
A holy glacial lake on the old Tibet road: yaks, prayer flags and ice most of the year.
Tsomgo (Changu) is the sacred glacial lake at about 12,400ft on the old trade road to Tibet, held holy by Sikkimese Buddhists. It freezes solid in winter, yaks pose along the shore in season, and it sits inside a protected area: Indians need permits arranged via registered agencies, and foreigners are permitted to visit under current PAP rules.
What to do
Frozen season
Jan-Feb turns the lake into a white plain.
Shoreline yaks
The classic decorated-yak photos.
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
Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake) 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.