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Twenty places most itineraries skip.
Gangtok, Tsomgo and Pelling are worth seeing — but they are not the whole state. These are the villages, ridges and valleys we send guests to when they ask for somewhere quieter. Each one with where it is, how high, and what it's actually like.
A4 · printable · for offline use on the road
20
quiet places, away from the usual circuit
4
regions — West, South, East and North
1
needs a special permit — Dzongu
01
Quiet ridge villages and the forest walk into Varsey — the views Pelling is known for, without the crowds.
01
A quiet ridge village with some of the cleanest Kanchenjunga views in West Sikkim, best at first light. The 18th-century Rigsum Monastery sits just above, with short forest walks towards Maggi Dara. For people who want the views without Pelling's crowds.
02
Rinchenpong's twin, two kilometres along the same ridge, with the same sweep of the Singalila range. Small cluster of homestays, a handful of tea shops, and very little else — which is the appeal. A good base for day trips to Varsey and the Hee–Bermiok valley.
03
Two Lepcha hamlets in the Varsey sanctuary buffer zone. Hee has one of the region's largest prayer wheels and the Yuma Samyo Mangheem temple; Bermiok has the Sirijunga Falls and cave, and the meeting of the Reshi Khola and Kalej rivers. Walking country, mostly.
04
A small lake ringed by forest, with boating and a clear line of sight to Kanchenjunga on a good morning. Still largely undeveloped — a few benches, a path round the water, and almost nobody. Usually combined with Hee Kyangbari on the same run.
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A small settlement just off the Kaluk ridge, and one of the better Kanchenjunga viewpoints in the area — the range sits almost directly in front of you on a clear morning. Very little here beyond a few homes and the view, which is the reason to come.
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A small Sherpa village on the approach to the Varsey sanctuary, with homestays and a genuinely remote feel. Cold at night even in summer. Most people stay here the evening before walking up to Barsey.
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The end of the motorable road and the start of the walk into Varsey. Little more than a clearing with a few stalls, but it's where every Barsey trip begins. The path from here is gentle and wide — manageable for families and older travellers.
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A protected forest running along the Nepal border, and in spring the rhododendrons turn the whole ridge red and pink. A forest barrack at the top is the only accommodation up there. Outside the bloom season it's quiet, misty and good for birds.
02
Small towns and hamlets around Ravangla and Namchi, with wide outlooks and very little tourism infrastructure.
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One of the best of the lot. Views across to Rathong, Pandim and Kabru, and the Borong Tsachu hot springs down by the Rangit — a steep walk down and a harder one back. Also the base for the roughly three-hour climb to Maenam peak. Ralang Monastery is nearby.
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A farming hamlet on the road between the Temi tea garden and Ravangla, with terraced fields running down the hillside and the Teesta valley below. Very little tourism infrastructure, which is exactly why people who find it go back.
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A small town with an unusually wide outlook — close to 180 degrees of mountain across the horizon. Nagi Hill and Tendong Hill are both within reach, and the Perbing Valley below is organic farming country. A handful of homestays and a steady trickle of guests who ask for it by name.
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A newer name on the offbeat circuit — alpine forest, a handful of homestays, and views down to the Teesta and Kalej rivers. Cool through the year and quiet even in peak season. Good for a slow two or three nights rather than a stop-over.
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A sheer cliff edge with a viewing platform built out over the drop, looking across the Rangit valley. The name means "a thousand cliffs." Early morning is when the cloud sits below you rather than around you. Small rustic hamlet, not much else there.
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Easy first stops coming up from Siliguri, and quiet villages within reach of Gangtok.
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One of Sikkim's oldest natural lakes and the only one where boating is allowed. Around it sit the 1895 British dak bungalow, the Aritar Gumpa monastery, and the Changey waterfall a short drive away. An easy first stop coming up from Siliguri.
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A ridge above Aritar with a Rai community temple at the top, where the Khambu Rai gather for Sakewa each spring. On a clear day you can see Kanchenjunga, Jelep La and the village of Zuluk from the same spot. A jungle trail runs down from here to Lampokhri Lake.
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A working village above Rongli Bazar, on the way up to Zuluk and the Silk Route passes. Terraced farmland, orange orchards in season, and a cluster of homestays that make it a practical overnight before the climb to Zuluk.
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A riverside stay rather than a village to sightsee in — the appeal is the water, the sound of it at night, and nothing else to do. Good for a short stop on the way up or down, or for anyone who wants a couple of quiet days by a river.
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Rice terraces on a slope close enough to Gangtok for a half-day, far enough to feel rural. Quiet, green, and good for birds. Often paired with Rumtek Monastery, which is nearby.
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A very small settlement with hill views and almost no visitors. There is nothing organised to do here, which is the point — people come to sit still for a couple of days and go home.
04
A protected Lepcha reserve, deliberately kept quiet.
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A reserve set aside for the Lepcha community, and the most genuinely remote place on this list. Hot springs, cardamom terraces, waterfalls and homestays run by Lepcha families. Entry is restricted and requires a permit beyond the usual North Sikkim one — it has to be arranged in advance, and visitor numbers are deliberately kept low.
Read the Sikkim permit guideHomestays, drivers and roads — we know them.
Please note: Altitudes and distances are approximate and intended as a planning guide. Road access to several of these places changes with weather and landslide activity, particularly between June and September. Confirm current conditions before travelling.
Near Bhutia Market, Haren Mukherjee Road, Ward No. 12, Hakim Para, Siliguri – 734001
+91 70017 24300
