Goecha La and Dzongri Trek

The Goecha La trek is the classic high trek of Sikkim, leading from the old capital of Yuksom into Khangchendzonga National Park for a close-up view of Kanchenjunga (8586 m), the third-highest mountain on Earth. The journey begins with a drive through tea gardens and villages to Darjeeling, with sunrise at Tiger Hill, Ghoom Monastery, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and a tea estate. From Yuksom the trail climbs through subtropical forest and stands of rhododendron and magnolia to Tshoka and the high pastures of Dzongri (4020 m), where an acclimatization day includes Dzongri viewpoint (4320 m) facing Kanchenjunga and the Kabru peaks. It then drops to the Prek Chu at Thansing, passes beneath Pandim to the sacred glacial lake of Samiti, and climbs the moraine to the prayer-flagged Goecha La viewpoint (about 4940 m) with views of Kanchenjunga and the Talung Glacier. The trek returns the same way to Yuksom and ends in Gangtok. Foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit for Sikkim (issued free on arrival at Rangpo or through the operator) and an additional Protected Area Permit for the Dzongri-Goecha La trail inside Khangchendzonga National Park, which must be trekked with a registered guide or agency.

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   Day 1Arrive at Bhadrapur or Bagdogra, drive to Darjeeling (2130 m)