photogenic
Thambi View Point
A 3,415 m balcony above the Old Silk Route where the road from Zuluk unwinds below in a stack of hairpin bends; on clear mornings Kanchenjunga rises straight ahead at sunrise.
18 km · about 20 min drive
AsiaIndiaSikkim
Gangtok
Sikkim, India · Asia
About Gangtok
Gangtok is worth a stop: 30 minutes from Singtam, 23km from Nathu La.
Gangtok is in Sikkim, India, with about 100,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Singtam, about 15 km away.
Gangtok (Sikkimese: [ɡaŋt̪ʰòk]) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,410 ft). The city's population of 100,000 consists of the three Sikkimese ethnicities: the Bhutias, Lepchas,Read more
Indian Gorkhas as well as plainsmen from other states of India. Within the higher peaks of the Himalayas and with a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.
Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from the British Empire in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. After Sikkim's merger with India in 1975, Gangtok continued as the state capital.
Where to Stay in Gangtok
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Gangtok.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Gangtok.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Gangtok?
Within an hour or so of Gangtok: Thambi View Point (18 km), Nathang Valley (21 km), Nathu La (23 km), Glenary's (46 km).
Are there any good drives near Gangtok?
The nearest famous roads are Nathu La, Chele La and Dochula Pass.
Where is Gangtok?
Gangtok is in Sikkim, India, about 15 km from Singtam.
Road trip
Drive to Gangtok
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Gangtok. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 100,286
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- India
- Region
- Sikkim
- Timezone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Coordinates
- 27.3257, 88.6122
Tags
Worth the detour from Gangtok
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Nathang Valley
A treeless high plateau at roughly 4,100 m on the Old Silk Route, grazed by yaks and dotted with a handful of houses and a British war memorial from the 1888 Anglo-Tibetan clash.
21 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Nathu La
A 4,310 m pass on the India-China border, one of the few open trading posts on the frontier, where you can stand metres from Chinese sentries at the barbed-wire line.
23 km · about 25 min drive
cafe
Glenary's
A British-era bakery and restaurant on Nehru Road founded around 1885, with a glass-fronted tea room looking over the Darjeeling hills and a cellar bar below. Still the town's default meeting place.
46 km · about 55 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Darjeeling
The Queen of the Hills offering panoramic views of Kanchenjunga, the world's finest tea gardens, and a UNESCO heritage toy train ride.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Gangtok
- 21 kmNathang ValleyA treeless high plateau at roughly 4,100 m on the Old Silk Route, grazed by yaks and dotted with a handful of houses and a British war memorial from the 1888 Anglo-Tibetan clash.
- 23 kmNathu LaA 4,310 m pass on the India-China border, one of the few open trading posts on the frontier, where you can stand metres from Chinese sentries at the barbed-wire line.
- 47 kmDarjeelingThe Queen of the Hills offering panoramic views of Kanchenjunga, the world's finest tea gardens, and a UNESCO heritage toy train ride.
- 73 kmChele LaBhutan's highest motorable road at 3,988 m, a narrow asphalt climb through hemlock and rhododendron forest between the Paro and Haa valleys, with prayer flags in their thousands at the top.
- 76 kmTiger's Nest ViewpointA viewpoint on the trail to Paro Taktsang, looking across a forested gorge at the monastery clinging impossibly to a 3,000-foot cliff face.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Gangtok.
Plan a trip around Gangtok
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Gangtok.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.