Lachung is a beautiful hill station at 9,600 feet or 2,900 meters in the North Sikkim district, India, bordering Nepal. Lachung means small mountain.

Lachung, Sikkim

Lachung means ‘small pass’. This Himalayan town is known for its Himalayan beauty. It lies at the confluence of the River Lachen and River Lachung, tributaries of River Teesta.

October to May is the tourist season here.

Lachung Monastery alias Lachung Gompa and Yumthang Valley are the main tourist attractions here. Lachung Monastery is a Nyingma Buddhist Monastery, established in 1880.

Yumthang Valley has beautiful flowers and is known as the Valley of Flowers. (This valley of flowers is not the same as the Valley of Flowers National Park in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand state). Rhododendron flowers are the most famous flower here.

The hill station is covered with snow during the winter season. Lachung is the base camp for those trekking to Rhododendron Valley, from Yumthang Valley to Lachen Valley.

Skiing is a popular sport here at Phuni, near the hill station. If you are looking for ski holiday packages or ski holidays or ski trips or ski vacations in India, Phuni is the best location for your snow holidays.

Lachung was a significant trading post between Tibet and Sikkim, before the Chinese military conflict in Tibet in the 1950s. There is an Indian army forward base in this town.

How Do I Go to Lachung Hill Station?

Lachung Hill station is around 125 kilometers from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim state. Jalpaiguri Railway station in West Bengal state is the nearest railway station to Sikkim around 230 kilometers away. Siliguri railway station is another major railway station at around the same distance. Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri is the nearest airport to the hill station, around 124 kilometers from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

Inner Line Permits

Indian citizens must get the Inner Line permit to visit this hill station. This permit should be applied in advance.