Do's and Don't
Do's
- Loss or theft of any important travel related documents may be reported to the nearest Government of Sikkim Tourist Office / Police Station / Government of India Tourist Office etc
- For any emergency medical assistance contact hotel or accredited hospital / nursing homes
- It is recommended that tourists follow local tradition / custom guidelines while visiting religious places
- During summers light woolen clothes and during winters medium to heavy woolen clothes are advisable
- While purchasing packaged drinking water look for the ISI mark. This is a government endorsed quality seal
Don'ts
- Refuse food / drinks offered by unknown people
- Foreign tourists are not allowed to take Indian Currency back home as export of the same is strictly banned
Topography and Climate
The climate of Sikkim is both sub-tropical and tundra as is evident in different parts of the state. The regions that have tundra type of climate remains snow clad for four months a year. However the populated regions of Sikkim experience a temperate climate. Sikkim witnesses all the five seasons of winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and monsoon season between June and September.
Temperature :-
Summer: Max 28 degrees C/Min 13 degrees C
Winter: Max 18 degrees C/Min 7 degrees C
Best time to visit :-
From March to May and from September to mid-December
Important Information
Entry formalities-
- Domestic tourists need no entry permits except for a few restricted areas.
- Foreign tourists require a special 15 day permit which can be obtained from all authorized Indian Missions. Tourists can also approach the tourism officer of the border town of Rangpo who is authorized to issue a 2-day permit so as to enable them to enter Sikkim and thereby acquire the mandatory 15-day permit.
- Permits can also be obtained from the tourism offices located at Gangtok, Delhi, Siliguri, Bagdogra and Kolkata.
A regular helicopter service which operates once a day carrying 4 people at a time is run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connecting Gangtok to Bagdogra.
On the other hand Gangtok is well connected by a network of roads with all important cities and towns. Local transport facilities in Gangtok are also great as Sikkim Nationalized Transport (S.N.T) plies regular bus services between Gangtok and Siliguri and within Sikkim. Private bus/taxi and jeep services are also available on a regular basis. Vital Statistics-
| Capital City | Gangtok |
| Area | 7096 sq.kms |
| Population | 540493 (Provisional Census 2001) |
| Altitude | 224 meters to 8590 meters |
| Clothing | Summer: Light woolens winter: Heavy woolens |
| Languages | Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali, English, Hindi, etc |
.jpg)