Best Time To Visit West Sikkim

Monsoons begin from July and last well into September. This is the least favoured time to visit West Sikkim, even more than winter, because of the danger that torrential rains cause. Landslides or boulder-drops are frequent, and the winding mountain roads become too slippery to drive safely. Moreover, it disrupts travel routes and limits outdoor activities mostly, which means there is no such point in visiting West Sikkim during monsoon.

The time of autumn, right after the monsoon and before the cold of winter, is ideal to visit any hilly area and West Sikkim is no exception to that. The rains thoroughly wash away the leftover dirt and grime of summer, leaving landscape refreshingly green and the mountain streams raging to the brim. The difference in daytime temperature and that of the night is a big one during October-November. When the sun is up, it is lukewarm on the skin, with the mercury around 17°-22°C, but it starts to drop after sundown and goes below 10-degree Celsius very often, but nothing that a layer of good warm clothes cannot beat.

The surroundings in this climate are too perfectly pristine not to give it a shot. By the end of November, the temperature quickly plummets to subzero levels. December is full-fledged winter, with frequent snowfall and shivering cold throughout, and so is January. It goes down to as much as -4° to -6°C, which is not an ideal situation to find yourself in, especially in the lap of Himalayas. However, the cold in itself is an experience to have, and if that is what you are after, then West Sikkim will welcome you with open arms, covered in white powdery snow. The jovial Kanchenjunga festival is also held during this time, during the last week of December.