An Ideal Post-Covid Travel Guide To Sikkim, Gangtok, And Darjeeling: Exploring The Eastern Trifecta

India is a vast and diverse country. Because of the frequent change in culture, language, landscape every 100 kilometers, travellers often mark their expeditions based on the region they focus on exploring. While the North has Ladakh and the Golden Temple, the South has Wayanad’s lush-eco charm, the West has the Rann of Kutch, Eastern India is also a marvellous region to absorb history, culture, and breathtaking scenery. In Sikkim, you can feel like you’re visiting blessed alpine meadows. In Darjeeling, you’ll be awed by the art of tea plantations. From dense forests to modern cities, the East-Indian lands are must-experience places. Here are the updated Sikkim travel guidelines.

Read below for a detailed Covid-19 travel guide to Sikkim, Gangtok, and Darjeeling for your post-pandemic travel planning.

Sikkim Travel Guidelines

Sikkim is waking up to look at the early morning light on snowy mountain peaks, having dumplings for lunch with Temi tea, taking a ride on the Gangtok ropeway and observing Buddhist prayers in monasteries. Sikkim is mountains and rocky terrains and also forest reserves. More than a place, this state is the culmination of feelings and experiences, a cultural delight that attracts travelers from all over the world. As it slowly reopens under the new unlock guidelines, travelers are urged to prioritise their safety above all and help the country recover, even if it means postponing your plan a little bit.

Must Read: Top 7 Things To Do In Sikkim In 2021!

Mandatory Travel Advisory

According to Kapil Meena, the director-cum-additional secretary of Sikkim’s tourism and civil aviation department, domestic travel will resume soon. In the first phase, Indian residents, as well as foreigners who are residing in India at the moment, will be eligible to enter Sikkim if they have a valid permit to stay in the country. Here is a list of the latest travel advisory and Sikkim entry restrictions issued by the state government of Sikkim under the new stage of reopening:

Domestic travelers and foreign nationals residing in India are allowed to enter the state.
The Pakyong airport is operational and receives passengers from domestic flights.
Carrying a COVID negative certificate of RT-PCR test is mandatory for travelers who have taken the first dose of the vaccine.
Tourists who have taken both doses of vaccination can enter the state without any test certificate.
All tourists must register for a “Travel Card” on the Sikkim Tourism Web Portal.
Night curfew has been extended in the state from 9 PM to 6 AM local time.
Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are allowed to stay open till 8:00 pm with 50 percent seating capacity.
The restrictions shall not be applied to those moving for emergencies, essential services.
The ban remains the same for social, cultural, and political events.
Private cabs and taxi services are available for sightseeing.
Domestic buses are operating on normal routes but at a limited capacity.
Restrictions on vehicular movement between 9 pm – 6 am.

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit Sikkim is from March to May or October to Mid-December most tourists prefer to enjoy the mild temperatures and blooming nature. The climate is not too hot or not too cold and is perfect for sightseeing.

How To Reach

The state of Sikkim has made amendments in all major travel restrictions for domestic travellers. As mentioned above, if you are planning to visit some of the breathtaking places in Sikkim post-Covid-19, you can do so given that you follow the government advisory.

The best and the fastest way to reach Sikkim is by taking a flight from any major airport to the Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal. From there, you can use local transport to reach your destination/accommodation.
If traveling by train, there is no major railway station in the state but you can get to Jalpaiguri (187 km) and Siliguri (146 km), stations well connected with major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. From there you can take local buses that operate daily to reach Sikkim.
You can also take a ride on overnight buses from your city/town or hire a car to get to Sikkim.

Getting Around

There are multiple modes of transportation available for travellers who want to go around Sikkim. The most popular and affordable way to travel within Sikkim is by using the local bus from the city centre or using private jeeps for hire. The Sikkim government has fixed-rate buses; Sikkim Nationalized Transport (SNT) that are very comfortable for travel between cities. The most common route that tourists travel on is between Siliguri and Gangtok. But before that, please read about the Gangtok travel guidelines and the listed Gangtok travel instructions.

Places To Visit In Sikkim

Sikkim is one of those exceptional places that are generally delightful to visit any time of the year. From Tibetan style Buddhist Gompas to the historic influence of ancient kingdoms, there is serenity in the air that helps unwind and disconnect from the daily woes. The tiny Himalayan-state is also one of the most tourist-driven destinations in India. Sikkim has recently opened its doors to domestic travelers and by focusing on safe travel policies to ensure the well-being of those who are visiting.
If you are planning to travel to Sikkim in the upcoming months, don’t forget to visit the Buddhist temples in Gangtok, hike in Pelling, and enjoy the rejuvenating baths in Yumthang. Also, check out Singalila National Park and Ravangla for more adventure.

If you are planning to visit Darjeeling as your first or only destination, you must-visit Tsomgo Lake, Nathula Pass, and MG Marg.

Suggested Read: Mountaineering In Sikkim: A Handbook To Give You An Insight Into It For 2020

Things To Do In Sikkim

If you are visiting Sikkim for a short getaway or maybe a long staycation, there are abundant adventures that you can participate in to make your trip memorable. As the tourism industry is slowly reponing, most of the places which operate these adventures are open, some remain partially operational and a handful of them are indefinitely closed. Due to the ongoing pandemic, it is strongly advised that travelers must check with their agent/planner to book in advance and follow the Covid-19 guidelines implemented by the state.

When in Sikkim, you can enjoy: River Rafting, Paragliding, Cable Car Ride, Trekking, Yak Ride, Visiting Rumtek Monastery, Mountain Biking, and much more.

Accommodation

If you are looking to book a hotel or Airbnb during your travels in the state of Sikkim, make sure you get your room in advance and fill out the mandatory documentation like any contact tracing forms or checks you may require. All hotels are now following the government advisory for reopening which includes a deep sanitization process during and after every guest, limited capacity of beds, closure of community areas like pools and gyms, and contact tracing.

Here is a list of measures that the state of Sikkim has implemented on the hotel industry for safe and secure travel:

Temperature screening at the time of check-in and sometimes also during check-out
Sanitizer availability at the hotel and inside all the rooms
Disposable gloves mandatory for hotel staff at bar and restaurant
Contact tracing forms at every hotel
Tourists/travelers who are not registered on the Sikkim travel portal won’t be able to book rooms.
Hotels located in containment zones would not be allowed to operate.
Accommodation units permitted to operate would have to prepare at least one room for emergency isolation purposes, in case of any suspected cases.

Suggested Read: Guide To 2021 Dzongri Trek In Sikkim – A Glimpse Into The Heaven

Restaurants

The restaurants in Sikkim are reopening but the safety of the travelers and staff remains a key priority. While some of the big-league restaurants are back to normal functioning with a limited capacity, many of the food outlets have moved to delivery-only or takeaway facilities. Food franchises are also operational and open for customers with social distance seating and disposable cutlery to avoid any transmission.

West Bengal

You’ll want to head to West Bengal after waiting for months on end to walk on the busy streets of Kolkata, escape for a little while in Darjeeling or maybe talk a walk on the wide side in Sundarban. This state has some of the most enchanting destinations. At this moment, we cannot wait to get back to normal but to get there we must remember how important it is to abide by the Covid-19 guidelines, take care of the people around us and contribute to slowing down the spread by ensuring safe travel.