Great View Hotel Lachung

Great View Hotel Lachung is a mountain hotel in Lachung, the village in North Sikkim's Mangan district that most travellers use as their base for Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. Rooms sleep two, three or four, and the rate starts at ₹1,400 per person.

Lachung sits at around 2,700 m in a steep valley of pine forest and apple orchards, ringed by peaks that hold snow for much of the year. Most of the people here are of Lepcha and Tibetan descent, and Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia are all spoken in the village. The botanist Joseph Hooker passed through in 1855 and called it the most picturesque village in Sikkim. It is still a fair description on a clear morning.

The hotel is set up for families and groups doing the North Sikkim circuit together, with three layouts:

• Deluxe Quad Room: four guests to a room, ₹1,400 per person per night.
• Triple Sharing Deluxe Room: three guests to a room, ₹1,400 per person per night.
• Double Bed Room: for couples, ₹1,400 per person per night.

The rate is the same per head whichever room you take, so a group can split up however suits it. With 14 rooms, the hotel can take a large party or several families travelling together.

Meals are not included in the room rate. Many North Sikkim packages bundle food separately, so tell us how your trip is arranged when you enquire and we will confirm what the hotel can serve on your dates. Lachung nights are cold for most of the year, and a hot dinner close to your room matters more here than almost anywhere.

Lachung is a stepping stone, and the reason to sleep here is the early start it allows.

• Yumthang Valley: roughly 25 km up the valley, about an hour by road. Rhododendrons, primulas and poppies flower here from April to June, and the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary is on the same route.
• Zero Point (Yumesamdong): about 23 km beyond Yumthang, at roughly 15,000 ft. The air is thin up there, so go slowly; access depends on snow and road conditions on the day.
• Lachung Monastery: an old Buddhist gompa with murals and prayer flags, on the way towards Yumthang.
• Hot spring: a natural sulphur spring near the Lachung river, usually combined with the Zero Point day.
• The village itself: a walk through the orchards and along the river after you arrive is the best way to get used to the altitude.

Every trip to Lachung starts from Gangtok. If you are coming from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station or Bagdogra Airport, make Gangtok your first night.

• From Gangtok it is about 120 km on the North Sikkim Highway, six to seven hours by road with the stops.
• Lachung is in a protected area. Indian travellers need a Protected Area Permit, which a registered tour operator arranges in Gangtok; it cannot be applied for on your own. Foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit and cannot go beyond Yumthang.
• Self-drive and outside taxis are stopped at the checkpoints. You travel in a locally registered vehicle, usually an SUV.

Plan at least two nights in Lachung if you want both Yumthang and Zero Point without rushing.

Lachung's season runs from October to May. April to June is flower season in Yumthang; October and November bring the clearest skies and autumn colour in the maples and larches; from December to March the village is usually under snow, which is beautiful but can close the road beyond. July and August are the wettest months and are best avoided.

• Check-in is at 12 noon and check-out at 10 am.
• Rates are per person; meals are charged separately.
• Carry your permit and ID copies; they are checked on the way up.
• Winter nights drop well below freezing, so pack warm layers, gloves and a cap even in spring.
• Mobile signal is patchy in North Sikkim; carry some cash and let family know your plan.
• Ask us about your travel dates early; road conditions can change the plan at short notice.