How to reach Lachung

From the airport

Bagdogra Airport (IXB), near Siliguri, is the airport to use, with direct flights from Delhi, Kolkata and other major cities. Most visitors head first for Gangtok, about 125 km and 4 to 5 hours away, by taxi from the terminal, or more cheaply by auto or taxi into Siliguri (about 20 minutes) and a shared jeep from the Sikkim taxi stand beside the SNT bus stand. They spend the first night in Gangtok, where operators arrange the North Sikkim permit, and drive up the next morning. With the permit already arranged, a car can go straight from Bagdogra via Singtam, Dikchu and Mangan, about 200 km and 7 to 8 hours, but only with an early flight, because of the afternoon cut-off on the road beyond Mangan. Pakyong Airport (PYG), about 30 km from Gangtok, had no scheduled passenger flights in 2025-26, so check before planning around it.

From the railway station

New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP), at Siliguri, is the railhead, with direct trains from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati and many other cities. Shared jeeps and taxis for Gangtok usually wait outside the station; if none is loading, go into Siliguri, about 30 minutes away, to the Sikkim taxi stand beside the SNT bus stand. Gangtok is about 120 km and 4 to 5 hours from NJP, and most people stay the night there before the drive to Lachung. A reserved car straight from NJP via Singtam, Dikchu and Mangan covers about 190 km in 7 to 8 hours, if the permit is already arranged and you leave early. There is no railway into Sikkim yet: the Sevoke to Rangpo line is not due to be finished before December 2027.

By road

Lachung is about 120 km from Gangtok by the North Sikkim Highway, usually 5 to 6 hours. The road passes Kabi Lungchok (about 17 km from Gangtok), the Seven Sisters Falls (32 km) and Phodong (36 to 38 km), then follows the Teesta valley to Mangan, the district headquarters, about 70 km out. Beyond Mangan it runs about 28 km through Singhik, Toong and Naga to Chungthang, where the road forks: left for Lachen, right up the Lachung Chu for the last 20 to 25 km to Lachung.

The Toong to Naga section, badly damaged by the October 2023 flood, was rebuilt by the Border Roads Organisation as a single-lane road with a Bailey bridge at Ritchu and reopened to traffic at the start of January 2026. When it is shut, traffic is sent the longer, narrow way through Dzongu via Sankalang, Saffo and Shipgyer, which adds about an hour and a half. From Siliguri, Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri, reach Gangtok on NH10 along the Teesta (110 to 125 km, 4 to 5 hours), or go straight to Mangan via Singtam and Dikchu (about 135 to 150 km, around 5 hours). Landslides block NH10 and the North Sikkim roads most often in the June to September monsoon.

By bus

No bus goes to Lachung: visitors travel in a permitted tour vehicle, arranged with the North Sikkim permit by a Sikkim-registered operator. Buses help only as far as Gangtok or Mangan. Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT), the state bus service, runs buses from its Siliguri bus stand to Gangtok between about 8 am and 3 pm, taking about 4.5 hours, and its older schedules list one bus from Siliguri to Mangan at about 11 am (about 5 hours), with a return from Mangan at about 7 am. From Gangtok, taxis leave the Vajra taxi stand for Mangan, and taxis run on from Mangan to Chungthang. SNT calls its timetable tentative, so confirm times at the counter.

Local transfers

The last stage is in the permitted tour vehicle from Gangtok, and police check posts on the way inspect permits and ID, so keep both to hand. Leave Gangtok by about 10 am: under the rule announced in September 2026, tourist vehicles must pass the Toong check post, beyond Mangan, by 4 pm in either direction. Shared tour jeeps, filled with several parties, also leave Gangtok for North Sikkim. Hotels and homestays are spread along both banks of the Lachung Chu, so give the driver the name of yours; the same car usually takes you up to Yumthang early the next morning.

Distances from major points

• Bagdogra Airport to Gangtok: about 125 km
• New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Gangtok: about 120 km
• Siliguri to Gangtok on NH10: about 110 to 115 km
• Gangtok to Phodong: about 36 to 38 km
• Gangtok to Mangan: about 70 km
• Mangan to Chungthang: about 28 km
• Chungthang to Lachung: about 20 to 25 km
• Gangtok to Lachung: about 120 km
• Siliguri to Mangan via Singtam and Dikchu: about 135 to 150 km
• Bagdogra Airport to Lachung via Singtam, Dikchu and Mangan: about 200 km
• NJP to Lachung via Singtam, Dikchu and Mangan: about 190 km
• Lachung to Yumthang: about 25 km
• Lachung to Lachen via Chungthang: about 45 km
• Pakyong Airport to Gangtok: about 30 km

Good to know

Lachung is a village in Mangan (North Sikkim) district, run by its own traditional council, the Dzumsa, and the overnight base for Yumthang Valley (about 3,600 m, 25 km further up) and Zero Point. Lachen, the base for Gurudongmar Lake, is about 45 km and 2 hours away via Chungthang, so many trips combine the two. Nights fall well below freezing from December to February. Lachung has a State Bank of India branch, but bring the cash you need from Gangtok or Mangan, which has several banks.

Indian visitors need a permit for Lachung, Yumthang and Zero Point; in practice a Sikkim-registered tour operator arranges it together with the vehicle. Sikkim Tourism lists a voter ID card or driving licence and two passport photographs, with a birth certificate, a parent's voter ID or a passport for under-18s, and says Aadhaar is not accepted. Foreign nationals need the Sikkim Restricted Area Permit plus a Protected Area Permit for Lachung and Yumthang, applied for through a Sikkim-registered travel agent for a group of two or more, valid for 3 to 5 days, with a registered guide; Gurudongmar is closed to foreigners. Check the current process with your operator before you travel.

Safety

Keep a spare day at each end. Landslides cut North Sikkim's roads most often from June to September, but not only then: in 2025 Lachung was closed to visitors from the end of May until 8 September, and in April 2026 a road collapse near Taram Chu stranded around a thousand visitors at Lachen for several days. Snow can shut the road above Lachung between December and March. Lachung is at roughly 2,700 m but Zero Point is about 4,600 to 4,900 m, so keep that visit short. Permits stop when roads are unsafe, so check the day's status.

Travel tips

• Plan buffer time for road delays, especially in monsoon and winter.
• Start early for long drives to avoid night stretches on mountain roads.
• Keep offline maps and cash as backup in low-network zones.
• If you are continuing to high altitude areas, acclimatize and hydrate well.