A Day Trip to Gurodongmar Lake during North Sikkim Package Tour: Every Detail You Need to Know
North Sikkim - A Frozen Heaven in Winter
Have you ever fantasized about being in an isolated valley that’s home to a serene lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains? If yes, Gurodongmar Lake, situated in North Sikkim, is your dream destination that you can find during your North Sikkim Package Tour. The place is synonymous with absolute serenity and peace.
WHY NORTH SIKKIM TOUR PACKAGE ONCE IN A LIFETIME
North Sikkim happens to be one of the most frequently traveled places in India, and there are reasons why people from all parts of the country love to travel to this quiet and picturesque destination. The thundering waterfalls almost at every turn of the road, the beautiful rivers like Teesta and Lachen, and of course, the snow-covered mountains – keep you hooked to the scenes out of your car window.
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| North Sikkim Trip - A Frozen Heaven |
Well, apart from the serene beauty and absolute peace that you can experience here, the Gurudongmar lake has some magical and mythical facts about it.
The never-freezing water – The nature of water is to freeze at a certain temperature – science tells us so, right? But, something unique happens at Gurudongmar lake as the water never freezes completely, not even when the temperature is as low as -20 degrees Celsius. It’s an acknowledged fact that the lake is the primary source of water for the locals. According to popular belief, the locals pleaded Guru Padmasambhava on his way back from Tibet as they used to face a perennial problem of water. Being moved by their pleadings, he had touched a certain part of the lake. Since then, the water of that part never freezes and is also considered to be sacred.
The high altitude causing breathing troubles – Situated at a height of 17,800 feet from the sea level, Gurudongmar lake is one of the highest altitude lakes in the world. And due to this high altitude, most of the tourists fail to make it to the point. While some of them face difficulty in breathing due to the low level of oxygen, some of them have to return from halfway due to landslides. It’s advisable to take slow and deep breaths, and stay calm after reaching the spot, in order to get acclimatized.
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| North Sikkim Tour Package - A Never Frozen Lake |
The magical healing power – There is a popular belief that drinking lake water can heal fertility issues in women, although there is no scientific explanation behind this. However, there is a temple next to the lake where tourists can offer prayers and there are plenty of colorful flags that symbolize the individual prayers of the travelers. All of these add up to the mystic stories and make Gurudongmar a wish lake for all the visitors.
Witness stones getting lifted by the wind – Due to the low temperature and extreme wind speed of around 15 km per hour, it feels a lot more freezing than the actual temperature. The area around the lake remains windy throughout the year, and it gets worse (or better?) during the winter. The speed remains low in the morning and keeps going up with the hours passing by. And most interestingly, it’s believed that in the afternoon, the wind can even lift stones! Hence, most of the day trips to Gurudongmar lake are arranged early in the morning.
When Should You Plan the Trip to Gurudongmar Lake?
Since a day trip to Gurudongmar lake is one of the most important parts of your North Sikkim Tour Package, it’s important to consider the ideal time for visiting the lake while planning the tour. Here is a brief overview of how the lake looks like at different times of the year –
During April – May – If the sight of colorful blooming wildflowers fascinates you, during the month of April –May would be the ideal time for you to visit the Gurudongmar Lake and its surrounding areas. During this time, the spring is in full bloom with thousands of rhododendrons to welcome you and in case, you are a shutterbug, it would be a feast for you to capture the colors of spring. The temperature usually ranges between -2 degrees and 0 degrees. And if you are lucky enough, you can also experience snowfall in the month of April, if not snowstorms.
During the winters – Well, if you’re seriously inspired by the “winter is Coming” from GoT, and would love to see the surrounding completely frozen, you can plan the trip in the early weeks of December. However, this is not at all advisable if you are amongst the faint-hearts or don’t enjoy the cold too much! The temperature usually goes down to -8 to -10 degrees and the road might get blocked due to heavy snowfall at any point in time.
It’s never advisable to plan the trip in the second half of December, January, and February as most of the roads are closed due to heavy snowfall, and the lake remains inaccessible during this time. The temperature usually goes down to -20 degrees this season.
What’s the ideal time, then? – Well, according to the regular tourists, November is the best time to witness the lake at its best and to book North Sikkim Tour Package. The clear sky, the kind-of-soothing temperature, and the partially frozen lake are sure to blow your mind. If you are lucky enough, you’ll definitely get a chance to witness the snow-clad mountains’ reflection in the crystal clear deep blue water of the lake! The temperature is usually around -2 degrees during this time.
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| Changu Lake |
NORTH SIKKIM 2N/3D TOUR ITINERARY FROM GANGTOK
Day 1 - Process the North Sikkim Permit in the morning and start for North Sikkim at around 10 am.
Visit on the way waterfalls and reach Lachen in the evening.
N/Stay in Lachen
Day 2 - Early morning, start for Gurudongmer lake, the most sacred lake in Sikkim. The beauty of the lake is it never frozen completely, complete the lake visit quickly as there are strong wind and low oxygen level. Come back to Lachen resort and have lunch and start for Lachung, a small hamlet on the riverside.
N/Stay in Lachung
N/Stay in Lachung
Day 3 - After breakfast, start for Yamthung Valley, the most beautiful valley with Rhododendron flowers in the month of April. If you don't get snow in Yumthang valley, proceed to Zero Point to experience and pay with snow. Come back to Lachung Resort and have lunch.
Post Lunch, start from Lachung towards Gangtok and Reach Gangtok in the evening ..
Please do remember for a North Sikkim Tour
- It is a restricted area, So you need Permits
- Permits to North Sikkim generally available, unless there is a roadblock due to snow or any other natural calamities
- Documents required for Permit - Either Passport / Voter ID Card/Driving License/Aadhar Card
- Carry heavy woolen along with cap/gloves etc
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