Dzongri La Trek

The Dzongri La trek is an 8-day private walk from Yuksom in West Sikkim, Bagdogra airport to Bagdogra airport. It climbs through rhododendron and magnolia forest to Dzongri, goes up Dzongri Top (4,170 m) for sunrise on Kanchenjunga, and on to Dzongri La, above the Rathong valley.

After the long drive you spend a second night in Yuksom, Sikkim's first capital, with a walk to Dubdi Monastery. Then the trail enters Khangchendzonga National Park, crosses the Prek Chu at Sachen and Bakhim, and reaches Tsokha. The next day is the steep one: log steps through forest to Phedang, switchbacks to Deorali Top, and the Dzongri meadows at 3,960 m. A full day there starts in the dark on Dzongri Top, where Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Kabru and Rathong stand in the first light, then goes on towards Dzongri La. You walk back down by Phedang and Tsokha to Bakhim, and on to Yuksom.

• Duration: 8 days, 7 nights, Bagdogra to Bagdogra
• Sunrise point: Dzongri Top, 4,170 m; you sleep at 3,960 m
• Grade: Moderate; steep days on the way up and down
• Best months: January to April and September to December

Your group is private, and acclimatisation is built into the days: an extra night in Yuksom, then two nights at Dzongri.

• Dzongri Top at sunrise: A pre-dawn walk of about an hour from camp to 4,170 m, with Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) turning gold and more than 14 peaks to pick out, including Pandim, Kabru and Rathong.
• Dzongri La: The pass is the day's main walk from Dzongri, with a view into the deep Rathong valley, Black Kabru and across to the Oklathang valley.
• Yuksom and Dubdi Monastery: A full extra day in Sikkim's first capital, with the 18th-century monastery and Kathok Lake, before the climb begins.
• Rhododendron and magnolia forest: The trail from Bakhim to Tsokha and up to Phedang runs through both, and the spring flowering is one of the reasons to come between February and April.
• Khangchendzonga National Park: You enter the UNESCO World Heritage park on day 3 and walk in it until the check-post at Yuksom on day 7.
• Phedang and the log trails: Wooden log steps through dense forest lead to the clearing at Phedang, the last place you see forest before the alpine slopes.
• Tsokha: A Tibetan settlement at 2,956 m with close views of the high ranges, and the first night above 2,500 m.
• Two nights at Dzongri: A full day at 3,960 m for the sunrise climb and the pass, then a return to the same camp to sleep.

The reason most people choose the Dzongri La trek is a single hour before dawn. Dzongri Top, at 4,170 m, is the sunrise viewpoint above the Dzongri meadows, and it is where the Kanchenjunga range comes into view.

How the morning goes

You leave the Dzongri camp (3,960 m) in the dark for a walk of about an hour to the top. It is cold and quiet, and the wait for the light is part of the experience. Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) catches the first sun, followed by the peaks beside it. From the top you can pick out more than 14 peaks, including Pandim (6,691 m), Kabru and Rathong (6,679 m). When the light has come up, you walk back to camp for a hot breakfast. The pass walk of the same day starts after that.

Why Dzongri is a good place to watch from

Dzongri is a high meadow basin, so the ridge above it has few obstacles between you and the range. You arrive on day 4 and stay two nights, which means your sunrise comes on a rested morning, not after a hard climb.

Choosing the season for the view

Autumn, from October to early December, is when the weather is steady and the air is clear. In winter it is colder and drier, with fresh snow possible, and few other trekkers on the trail. In spring the view is often softer, but the forest below is in flower. Temperatures on this trek run from about -8 to 18 degrees Celsius over the year, and the early hours on Dzongri Top are at the cold end of that, so we ask you to dress for standing still, not for walking.

What it connects to

The same sunrise is part of the longer Goecha La trek, which continues to Thansing and Samity Lake. If the Kanchenjunga sunrise is what you want and ten days is too long, this 8-day trek gives it to you in full. Tell us your dates and we will say which season suits what you hope to see.

Dzongri La is the pass that sets this trek apart from a plain Dzongri sunrise walk. The itinerary puts it at about 4,300 m, on day 5, from your camp at Dzongri.

The day

The day begins with the sunrise walk to Dzongri Top and a breakfast back at camp. After that you head towards Dzongri La, about 4 to 5 km on the trail. In all, the day is about 8 km and 5 hours of walking, with no camp move. You return to Dzongri to sleep at 3,960 m.

What you see from the pass

From Dzongri La the view opens into the deep Rathong valley, towards the Rathong glacier, and across to the Black Kabru peak and the Oklathang valley. It is a different outlook from the one at Dzongri Top, which looks at the main range. The Rathong glacier is the source of the Rathong Chu, which runs down to the Rangeet river.

Why this day matters for acclimatisation

You climb to about 4,300 m in the morning and come back down to 3,960 m for the night. That climb high, sleep lower pattern is what the two nights at Dzongri are for. It is the main acclimatisation on the trek, and it means the descent from day 6 starts from a well-adjusted body.

Snow and conditions

In winter and early spring there can be snow on the upper trail, and we carry what the conditions need and tell you on the day. In autumn the ground is dry and the views are clear. Both seasons work. The route up to the pass is a walk, not a technical climb.

Dzongri La on the longer trek

On the 10-day Goecha La trek the same pass is walked on the same rest day, before the route continues to Thansing. The Dzongri La trek keeps that day and turns back from Dzongri, which leaves two days fewer and no camps above 3,960 m.

If you are not sure whether the pass day suits your fitness, send us your recent walking and we will give you an honest answer.

The first half of the Dzongri La trek is a long climb, and the way it is paced is what makes the top days comfortable. Here is the profile, stage by stage.

Day 3: Yuksom to Tsokha

You start at the forest check-post at the edge of Yuksom (1,706 m) and enter Khangchendzonga National Park. The trail crosses about three rivers on bridges to Sachen (2,179 m), a small man-made clearing you walk through. After a major bridge over the Prek Chu you reach Bakhim (2,727 m), a clearing with your first view of the high country. The forest of rhododendron and magnolia continues to Tsokha (2,956 m), a Tibetan settlement, where you sleep. That is a gain of about 1,250 m in a day, so we keep the pace slow.

Day 4: Tsokha to Dzongri

This is the steepest day on the way up: about 10 km and 6 hours, with a gain of about 1,000 m. Wooden log steps climb through dense rhododendron and conifer forest to Phedang (3,500 m), a clearing that is the last forest on the route. From there the trail switches back over loose rock to Deorali Top (3,980 m), marked with prayer flags, and drops a little to the Dzongri meadows at 3,960 m. The switchbacks are hard on the knees and ankles, so we go carefully.

Why the order works

By the time you reach Dzongri you have spent a night in Yuksom, a night at Tsokha and then two at Dzongri, with the pass day in the middle. We do not hurry the climb, and we do not add more height than the itinerary has. The sleeping altitude stays at 3,960 m.

Coming down

Day 6 is a descent of about 12 km in around 5 hours, from Dzongri back by Deorali Top, Phedang and Tsokha to Bakhim (2,727 m). The air thickens as you drop, and the forest closes in again. On day 7 you walk about 11 km in 5 hours to Yuksom through Sachen, crossing the suspension bridges over the Prek Chu, and sign out at the park check-post.

The trek is rated moderate, but it asks for fit legs on both of the steep days. A few weeks of stairs and loaded walking before you come is the best preparation.

Many Sikkim itineraries go straight from the drive to the trail. The Dzongri La trek keeps day 2 in Yuksom, and there are two reasons: the village is worth the time, and it is a gentle first step in altitude.

Arriving on day 1

We meet you at Bagdogra airport and drive to Yuksom via Jorethang and Legship, about 160 km and 6 to 7 hours. The road follows the Teesta and Rangeet rivers through deep gorges, with prayer flags and monasteries along the way. In the evening there is a team introduction and a trek briefing. Yuksom is at about 1,706 m, a small step above the plains.

Day 2 in Yuksom

The day is an easy excursion of about 4 hours and 8 km, with the sights close by.

• Dubdi Monastery: About an hour uphill through forest to the 18th-century monastery, said to be the oldest in Sikkim.
• Norbugang Coronation Throne: The site where the first Chogyal of Sikkim was crowned in 1642, and the reason Yuksom is called the first capital.
• Kathok Lake: A quiet lake that is held sacred, where lamas are said to have purified themselves before the coronation.

Why the extra night helps

You have travelled a long way and gained height from the plains. A day of easy walking at 1,700 to 1,800 m gives your body time to settle, before the climb to Tsokha.

Where Yuksom sits in the trek

Yuksom is the starting point for both the Dzongri and the Goecha La trails, and the road ends here. The trek leaves from the check-post at the edge of the village and returns to the same place on day 7, where you sleep in a homestay before the drive back to Bagdogra on day 8.

If you have more days, the Goecha La trek takes the same first week and goes further. Tell us how long you have and we will suggest the right one.

This is how we plan the Dzongri La trek, and what you should know before you choose your dates.

Which season

The best months on this trek are January to April and September to December. Spring, from February to April, is when the rhododendrons and magnolias flower, and the grass starts to turn green again. Autumn, from October to early December, brings stable weather and clear views of the range. Winter is possible, and it is colder and drier, with fresh snow now and then. The trail is close to empty in winter. Temperatures run from about -8 to 18 degrees Celsius over the year. There is no monsoon trek: from June to September the road along the Teesta is prone to landslides.

Permits

Park entry permits are issued at the forest check-post in Yuksom, and we arrange them. Foreign nationals also need a Restricted Area Permit for Sikkim, which is applied for online and approved before you reach Melli, and a Protected Area Permit through a registered operator for a group of at least two. We handle both, and we ask for your passport details well before your dates.

Getting there

We pick you up from Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station, and the drive to Yuksom is about 160 km. Plan for most of a day, and book your onward travel for late afternoon or later on day 8.

How the days are run

Your group is private, usually between 2 and 10. The acclimatisation is built into the days: an extra night in Yuksom, a night at Tsokha, and two at Dzongri, with the pass day on the second. We camp or use homestays depending on the stage, with a local team. We turn back when the conditions or the group say so.

Who it suits

The trek is moderate. Beginners can do it if they are healthy, fit and used to exercise, and ready to listen to the guides. If you want a longer trek, look at the Goecha La trek, which adds Thansing and Samity Lake. Tell us your dates, experience and pace, and we will shape the days with you.