We are planning for a Gangtok trip by the mid of July. But then one of my friends advised me not to plan the trip before September. According to him, monsoon in Sikkim peaks in July and there might be landslides and blocked roads. Is that a factor to be concerned about? If we decide to postpone this trip, then what would be the ideal time to plan our tour again? Is autumn the right season or we should ideally wait till winter sets in? I would like to go for the trip when the weather is at its best. Any idea what could be the best season to visit Gangtok?
Your friend is absolutely right. Monsoon is not the best season to visit Gangtok, or for that matter, any place in North-Eastern states. The region is known to receive excessive rainfall. That along with the fragile hilly terrains, landslides are quite common in rainy days. If you don't want to spend your holidays stuck inside the hotel room, then plan your Gangtok trip in some other season. In-fact getting stuck in the hotel room is the least inconvenience that you can expect during monsoon season, - there have been bigger disasters in the past. There are two tourist seasons in Gangtok. The most popular season is the autumn between the months of September and November. Weather is extremely pleasant and the sun smiles bright during these days. The temperature hovers around 15°C to 20°C. To sum things up - autumn is the beast season to visit Gangtok. The second best season to visit Gangtok is the spring season. It's a short-lived season that lasts for two months - March and April. No cloud, no fog and great visibility to catch spectacular views of sunrise. Temperature is pleasant during the day time, although the nights can be a little chilly. All in all, it's a good time to do local sightseeing without the weather playing spoilsport. Winters are extremely cold and the temperature may drop down to single digits. Tourist influx is quite low during the winter months, but if you can adapt to colder climate well, then you can very much plan for a winter trip to Gangtok. Hotels are usually much cheaper in winter season and you can probably land some great discount deals. You may also visit Gangtok during the early summer days from May till mid of June. Day temperature will be higher, but nights remain pleasant. The temperature usually shoots up for the later part of June and then heavy monsoon follows from mid of July till August end - which is the time when you should NOT plan your trip. Regards, Deb
