This Family’s Child-Friendly Travel Itinerary To Sikkim Will Make You Book Your Holiday Now!

“Mom, I want to see snowy mountains again,” said my 4-year-old when she heard the husband and me discussing places to visit during the summer vacation. We spent our last summer holidays camping in Sangla in the lap of the Himalayas, exploring the beautiful valley and she loved it! So it came as little surprise to us that she remembered all the fun she had and wanted to go back to see snowy mountains again this year.

That’s why we chose Sikkim. I know you are wondering about why we chose such an offbeat destination. But trust me when I say, Sikkim doesn’t disappoint and has something for everyone!

You may also like: This mom’s choice of offbeat travel destination will give you all travel goals!

Why we chose Sikkim?

1. Our previous experience with the warm hospitality by the Himalayan people on our last visit had left us yearning for more and made us include Himalayas in our list of places to visit with kids every year.
2. Although the state of Sikkim looks really small on the map of India, it is versatile enough to offer places of interest as per your hobby and what you want to do on your trip – be it adventure, history or simply to disconnect and relax. The more I read about Sikkim, the more I was excited about visiting.
3. Good reviews from friends and family who had visited Sikkim also contributed a great deal.

So we started by shortlisting places that we could cover easily in 10 days, we knew some places would be be difficult to do with a 4 year old, given the poor road conditions and high altitude sickness which is quite common when you are in the mountains.

But we also knew that the small, quaint villages of Sikkim area the best destination to disconnect with modern distractions and spend some quality time with family and that there was never a better time to head to the snowy mountains than this!

Places to visit in Sikkim

• Pelling – for the great views of Mount Kanchenjunga 
• Lachung – Must visit the Valley Of Flowers.
• Gangtok – for shopping local handicrafts from Sikkim and
• Darjeeling – although not in Sikkim but this beautiful hill station in West Bengal can be easily reached from Sikkim and offers places of interest to suit even the most discerning traveller.

We spent 9 days in Sikkim and here is a sneak-peek into our trip

Day 1:We took an early morning flight from Mumbai and reached Pelling late night after a long arduous journey. The roads to Pelling after Jorethang are in poor conditions and if you suffer from car sickness on meandering roads, don’t forget to carry your medicines.The damp scent of the forest after dark and the hairpin bends kept me awake although my daughter slept most of the time since she was tired of travelling the whole day. I guess that helped make the car journey a lot easier for us. But she did get up to see the fox that crossed our path.

Useful Tip: Plan your trip to Sikkim early as, during peak season, hotel availability can be an issue.

Day 2: We woke up to the clear view of the mighty Kanchenjunga – the third highest mountain in the world (elevation of 8,586 metres). Sunrise is Sikkim is very early around 4: 45 am and listening to our excited conversation while trying to guess which one of those majestic peaks in front of us was Kanchenjunga, our daughter woke up to! She was so excited to see snowy peaks! We spent the rest of the day driving through the picturesque villages of Darap and Rimbi and never missed the opportunity to capture the stunning views of Kanchenjunga range on the way. We spent the evening in the hotel as after sunset it is not recommended to drive on the mountain roads.

Things to do with kids: Ropeway crossing, playing in the waterfalls, bird watching, you will see lots of colourful Himalayan birds, go for a short forest trail, when hunger strikes treat them to a hot bowl of Thukpa (soupy noodles) available at every local restaurant.

Day 3: Gangtok after breakfast.

It takes around 6 hours to reach Gangtok from Pelling. There are multiple stops on the way to take panoramic pictures of the scenic villages and the best part so many of them have waterfalls! If you notice a vegetable vendor selling his farm produce, do check it out! Sikkim is known as an organic state and you will find a variety of vegetables and grains at these small countryside outlets. We bought Rajma (kidney beans) and Moong dal (green gram) from one of these stalls and reached Gangtok only by evening but that didn’t stop us from shopping into the late evening on the famous MG road.

Things to do with kids: There is a small section off MG road which has merry go rounds and bumpy rides for kids and adults too! Kids also enjoy walking down the cobbled stone shopping street or sitting on the bench and observing the people go by.

Useful Tip: If you are running short on time and looking for a one-stop shop for curios and souvenirs, head to the Sikkims Store off MG road which sells everyday lifestyle products inspired by Sikkim culture. We bought Tea Spa, Chilli packs, T-shirts, notebooks and way too many postcards from here!

Image source- Sikkimmi store

Day 4: Drive to Tsongmo Lake and Nathula Pass situated close to Indo China border.

This is a day trip from Gangtok and takes 3 hours one way.

Things to do with kids: We spent most of the day in the car but is was a scenic drive so we rolled down the windows and took in the sights. This is a complete army controlled area and you will pass through many army camps on the way, my daughter was excited to see an ‘Army Jawan’! Don’t forget to carry medicines to ward off altitude sickness as you can also opt for Nathula Pass which is situated on 14000 ft above sea level but you need to have all the permits to visit this restricted army area. We visited the famous ‘Old Baba Mandir’ and spent a lot of time playing in the snow fields on the way and taking lots of pictures. Super fun for kids and adults! On the way back, we stopped and enjoyed a yak ride at Tsongmo Lake.

Useful Tip: Nathula is closed on Monday and Tuesday for tourists, so plan your trip accordingly.

Day 5: We left for Lachung after breakfast.

Lachung is a small village in North Sikkim and provides a gateway to the beautiful Yumthang Valley Of Flowers and Zero Point in Sikkim. It took us a little over 6 hours to reach this beautiful village.

Things to do with kids: Enjoy the various waterfalls, spot the wild yaks grazing in the meadows, interact with the locals and don’t forget to take selfies against the beautiful backdrop of snow mountains. Again this day was spent mostly in the car but we just didn’t get bored. There are only a handful of hotels in Lachung we stayed in Modern Residency which is built in Tibetan style and has a small museum on the top floor which kids will love. It has a curious collection of wildlife, plants and everyday scenes from Sikkim culture.

Day 6 : Visit to the valley of flowers in Yumgthang 

This valley is home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary – a nature park where you will get to see 24 different species of the rhododendron flower, the state flower of Sikkim. We were lucky to see long stretches of flowering shrubs in the month of May and the entire valley was decked with colourful flowers which my daughter really enjoyed.

Things to do with kids: You are not allowed to pluck flowers here but we did collect the ones which were fallen on the road and made ourselves a lovely bouquet. We also stopped at the rolling meadow to see some yaks and spent time on the banks of river Teesta.

Useful Tip:  Before stepping out of the car to get those ‘100 likes Facebook pics’ make sure your kids are wearing their woollens and gloves, as it gets really chilly at the riverside. The best time to visit this valley is from mid-March to May if you want to see the flowers in full bloom.

Make sure to visit Zero Point which is situated at 15000 ft above sea level. We did and enjoyed some fresh snowfall!

Useful Tip: Due to the high altitude of Zero Point, oxygen in the air is thin and you could face trouble breathing. So avoid if you are asthmatic or travelling with an infant. We did experience some breathing difficulty ourselves and did as our driver told us to which was take deep breaths and not spend too much time here. We left after a cup of warm water and a bowlful of local Wai -Wai noodles (Maggi like noodles from Sikkim).

Day 7 : Back to Gangtok and more shopping! We checked out the local Lal Market (A shopping plaza for clothes, shoes and bags at reasonable rates). Go ahead and try your bargaining skills here!

Day 8 : Left for Darjeeling after breakfast.

Things to do with kids: If you an adventure seeker, the white water rafting in Teesta river is a must do!  Kids above 3 years are allowed. I took my daughter and found it really hard to not look scared or scream out of fear as I was holding her (really tight). This activity can be done on your way to Darjeeling and you don’t need to take any diversions.

Useful Tip: Keep a pair of dry clothes handy as your clothes will get soaked. Also, make sure to take a ride on the world famous heritage toy train in Darjeeling or the passenger ropeway. Make sure to book online well in advance or you might end up wasting a lot of time waiting in long queues. We also visited the Himalayan Zoo to see some native wildlife like Snow Leopards, Red Panda, Black Panther and the Himalayan Wolf.

Day 9: Heading back but not before visiting the world renowned Darjeeling Tea estates and a quick stop to buy Wai-Wai noodles.

Remember: 

1. Things to pack for Sikkim: Woollens, medicines for altitude sickness, hot water bags, sunscreen, extra sets of clothes as due to moisture in the air clothes don’t dry easily and rain showers are quite common, especially at higher altitudes.
2. Carry an umbrella, raincoat in your backpack every day.
3. Don’t forget to carry your child’s favourite snack items.
4. Pack a few games. We packed LEGO and it really helped my daughter unwind back at the hotel.
5. Start your day early. You will pack a lot more in your day and be back to the hotel by sunset so your kids can get enough time to rest.
6. We did our hotel and car booking via Jungle Lore a travel company that customises your itinerary according to what your family likes to do.
7. Travel in Sikkim takes time. When travelling with kids, make sure to not have a tight schedule. Travelling in Sikkim takes time due to bad patches of roads on the way and too much car travel can become hectic for kids.

You may also like: Must visit places in London with kids

You may also like: Kid friendly travel itineraries to Switzerland

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Soundcloud & Instagram or subscribe to our YoutubeChannel for more information.