Thangu

A Yak herders' Village at 4500 Mt

Thangu is the last village in Sikkim before the Tibetan Frontiers and one of the highest settlements on the rugged plateau along the Trans-Himalaya. The raging Lachen Chu, a main tributary of Tista, flows along the Thangu valley with its fierce rapids forming foams of waves. And just beside this raging flow lay this sleepy village, which refuses to progress with the flow of time.

At the height of about 4000 Meters, this small village of a handful of people, mainly Yak Herders, Thangu and its surroundings presents a stunning array of natural beauty. The tree lines end here and begin another form of vegetation unique only in this terrain along the Trans-Himalayan zones. Dominated by alpine scrubs with endemic dwarf Rhododendron Anthopogon and Nivale, the highland pastures become a bed of colours with their characteristic hues of pink and white. The Rheum Nobile, also known as Sikkim Rhubarb, a giant flowering plant with its tower-like shape, peeps through the vast flowered valleys and is a delight to watch.

Just 30 Km from Lachen, Village Thangu is perched on the mid-point between Lachen and the famed Gurudongmar Lake at 5500 Meters. You may choose to stay at Lachen, which has a few better accommodations. But to reach Gurudongmar from Lachen, you need to start at 3.30 AM. While staying at Thangu, you have the liberty to begin the journey a little late and still get to Gurudongmar by 7 AM, which is the best time to capture the captivating moments in the serenity, that engulfs you at this place. Being a very sensitive area along the China-controlled Tibet Border, only people with valid Indian citizenship proof and special Army permission can reach Gurudongmar Lake. We know this is unfortunate news for the non-Indians, and we are working on this.

Activities in Thangu

Excursions - Surrounded by plateaus and highland pastures with colourful Alpine vegetation zones under towering Snowy peaks, Thangu never disappoints the explorers who want to get lost in the serenity. The Trans-Himalayan beauty can be observed only when you drive further from Thangu towards Gurudongmar Lake. This high altitude sacred lake is only 30 km from Thangu

Hiking - There are many attractive but challenging short & long hikes along the plateaus and valleys. Chopta Valley, Kala Pathar, Lasar Valley, Muguthang Plateau, Zachu Valley, all above 4000 Meters, offer a never-to-forget hiking experience in the higher Trans-Himalayas. All these places are hidden Himalayan wonders and are extremely rich in flora and faunal diversity. MORE

Attractions in Thangu

Lasar and Zachu Valley
An enchanting land at above 4000 Metres under the shadow of Khangchengyao Peak, Lasar Valley is mainly a vast plateau and a periodic shelter of Nomadic Tibetans called Dokpa, who use to stay here during the summer for grazing their Yaks. The green carpeted meadow on the rolling valleys dotted with colourful high-altitude flowers like Primula, Sikkim Rherb, Brahma kamal (Saussurea Obvallata), Juniper shrubs, Dwarf Rhododendron makes this place like a fairy-tale image.
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Chopta Valley and Kala Patthar
At a distance of just 2 Km from Thangu by a jeepable road takes you to Chopta Valley at 3800 Meter. Tucked away among the snow-laden peaks of Phunuri and Kalapathhar, this stunning valley often remains inaccessible due to snow. From Chopta Valley, the view of the twisting Chopta River, creating numerous horseshoe lakes through a deep gorge is fascinating. During the spring and summer, the entire valley glows with a riot of colour for an extensive range of Alpine Himalayas' flowering shrubs. While in winter, it turns into a field of divine snow.
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Muguthang Valley
A 15-kilometres strenuous hike from Chopta Valley leads to Muguthang and Lhonak Valley's highland plateau at 5000 meters. This remarkable land bounded with glaciers, glacial lakes, barren scree slopes and Trans-Himalayan grassland remains cut off almost throughout the year due to snow – except for the summer and early autumn. These valleys under a harsh climate are not devoid of human settlements.
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Gurudongmar Lake
An unforgettable journey on the rugged terrain of the Trans-Himalayan zone in North Sikkim leads to Gurudongmar Lake. Famed for its natural beauty, Gurudongmar is one of the world's highest glacial lakes. Situated at 5500 Meters and bounded by Mount Kunchengayo and Donkia La Pass on the Indo—Tibetan Border, the emerald and turquoise colour lake appears as a glittering gem on this harsh-cold dessert of the Himalayan Plateau.
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