Photo: Suniel Pradhan · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

DzonguHeight above mean sea level 1,200 m

valley · North Sikkim

The Lepcha reserve across the Teesta from Mangan

Best Oct – Apr2–3 nights

Dzongu is a reserve for the Lepcha people on the west bank of the Teesta, opposite Mangan, set aside by royal proclamation in 1956. You need a special entry permit, usually arranged by your homestay, and you stay with Lepcha families. It is warm, green and lower than Lachung; check current status before you travel.

Dzongu is a block of steep, forested valleys between the Teesta and the Khangchendzonga National Park, drained by the Talung and Rongyong rivers. Villages such as Lingthem, Passingdang, Hee Gyathang and Tingvong sit on terraces of rice, millet and large cardamom between about 700 and 2,000 m. It feels nothing like the high north: it is warm, wet, full of birds and butterflies, and the snow peaks appear only at the head of the valleys.

The reason it feels different is its status. In 1956 a royal proclamation of the Chogyal declared Dzongu a special reserve for the Lepchas, the indigenous people of Sikkim, and only Lepchas may own land here. Everyone else, Indian or foreign, needs a permit to enter. There are no hotels; you stay in family homestays, eat from the farm and walk with local guides.

Dzongu is also where one of the best-known environmental movements in the eastern Himalaya began. From 2007 young Lepchas of the Affected Citizens of Teesta held hunger strikes against hydropower dams planned inside the reserve, and several projects were dropped. Come for the homestays, the hot springs and the walks, and listen when your hosts talk about the river.

Don't miss

Highlights of Dzongu

A Lepcha homestay

Dzongu has no hotels, only family homes that take guests. You eat in the kitchen by the wood stove, try rice and millet dishes from the farm and learn a few words of Lepcha. It is the main reason to come.

Hot springs by the river

Dzongu has natural hot springs reached by short walks from the villages; your hosts will know which are open after the monsoon. A soak after a day's walking, at a few hundred metres above the Teesta, is a gentler cousin of Yumthang's.

Cardamom and rice terraces

Mangan district is called the large cardamom capital of the world, and Dzongu's shaded slopes grow a lot of it. Walk through the groves with a host and see how the pods are harvested and smoke-dried in autumn.

Village walks and waterfalls

Local guides lead walks between villages, to waterfalls and viewpoints, from 2 hours to a full day. Views of Khangchendzonga open up from higher villages such as Lingthem on clear mornings.

Stories of the Teesta

Your hosts may be part of the families who fought the dams. Hearing the story where it happened, beside the river, is the best history lesson in North Sikkim.

Told in the hills

The hunger strike that saved a valley

In the 2000s the Sikkim government planned a cascade of hydropower dams on the Teesta and its tributaries, including several inside Dzongu. To many Lepchas, the Teesta and the mountain Khangchendzonga are sacred, and Dzongu is the last place where their way of life holds together. In 2007 a group called the Affected Citizens of Teesta, or ACT, decided to resist.

On 20 June 2007, Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha began an indefinite hunger strike in Gangtok, with others joining a relay fast. After a personal appeal from the Chief Minister, the two ended their fast on 21 August, after 63 days, but relay hunger strikes continued into 2009. The protest drew national and international attention to Dzongu.

The movement had real results: the state dropped four of the six projects planned in the reserve. Others, such as the Panan project, remained contested. After the 2023 flood destroyed the Teesta-III dam at Chungthang, Lepcha groups again protested against its reconstruction. You will meet people in Dzongu who took part; ask with interest and they will tell you.

Pinned to the board

Did you know

The Mangan district administration lists Rong Lungten Lee, a replica of a traditional Lepcha house, near Namprikdang at the confluence of the Teesta and the Kanaka.

Tholung Monastery in upper Dzongu keeps relics that are shown to the public only once every three years, in the Kamsil ceremony.

Dzongu borders the Khangchendzonga National Park, which UNESCO inscribed as India's first mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site in 2016.

Things to do

Four ways to spend a day in Dzongu

2–3 hours Cook and eat in a Lepcha kitchen Dzongu · Included in most homestay rates

3–6 hours Village-to-village walk with a Lepcha guide Dzongu · ₹800–1,500 per group, indicative, 2026

Half day A riverside hot spring soak Dzongu · Free or small fee; guide ₹500–1,000, in…

Full day, or 2 days with trek Tholung Monastery and upper Dzongu Dzongu · Guide ₹1,500–2,500 per day, indicative,…

Getting there

How to reach Dzongu

Shared jeepShared jeeps run from Gangtok's North Sikkim stand to Mangan, about ₹250–350 a seat, indicative, 2026. From Mangan your homestay can arrange a pickup into Dzongu, across the Sanklang bridge rebuilt by the BRO in 2025. Your permit must be ready before the check-post.

Reserved carA reserved car from Gangtok to a Dzongu village costs about ₹4,000–6,000 one way, indicative, 2026, depending on the village and road. Many homestays arrange this. A car directly from NJP or Bagdogra costs more, about ₹7,000–9,000.

Rail / AirThe nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB) and the railhead NJP, both in Siliguri, about 6–7 hours from Dzongu. You can go via Gangtok or take the shorter route via Singtam and Dikchu to Mangan.

Mangan and Singhik to Dzongu

Costs in Dzonguindicative, 2026

Homestay with all meals₹2,000–3,500 per person a night, indicative, 2026
Shared jeep Gangtok → Mangan₹250–350 a seat, indicative, 2026
Pickup Mangan → Dzongu village₹1,000–2,000 per car, indicative, 2026
Local guide for a day walk₹800–1,500 per group, indicative, 2026
Dzongu entry permitNominal fee, arranged by homestay

Fares and fees change with fuel prices, season and local union rates. Check current rates before you travel.

Money-saving tip

Take the shared jeep to Mangan and ask your homestay for a pickup from there; it costs a fraction of a reserved car from Gangtok and supports the village.

Where to stay

Sleeping in Dzongu

All accommodation in Dzongu is in Lepcha family homestays. Mayal Lyang Homestay in Passingdang, built by the host's parents in traditional style with wooden floors and five rooms, is well known; toilets are outside the house, as is Lepcha custom. Lingthem Lyang Homestay in Lingthem has Khangchendzonga views and five bedrooms built to Lepcha tradition. Most homestays charge per person with all meals. Book ahead and let your host arrange the permit.

comfort

Mayal Lyang Homestay Homestay · Dzongu ₹5,000–8,000 per room night for two, all meals, indicative budget

Lingthem Lyang Homestay Homestay · Dzongu ₹3,000–5,500 per room night for two, all meals, indicative

Tour packages

Packages that stop in Dzongu

Nº 58639 · North Sikkim4N / 5D Dzongu Lepcha homestay in 4 nights Gangtok → Dzongu Budget fare from
per person, twin₹13,500

On the map

Drawn by Darjeeling Tour Plan from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Next stations

Near Dzongu

All of North Sikkim

Mangan and Singhik1,000 m

District town of cardamom, with Kanchenjunga from Singhik

Hill town · best Oct – Apr · 1 nights

Chungthang1,790 m

Where two rivers become the Teesta, and the flood struck

River town · best Mar – May · Oct – Nov · Transit nights

Phodong1,400 m

One of Sikkim's six great monasteries, 38 km from Gangtok

Monastery town · best Oct – May · 0–1 nights

Festivals here

Tendong Lho Rumfaat · 8 August every year

Questions people ask

Dzongu: questions answered

Do I need a permit for Dzongu

Yes. Dzongu is a reserve for the Lepcha people, and every non-Lepcha visitor, Indian or foreign, needs a special entry permit. It is usually arranged by your homestay or a registered operator through the district office in Mangan, using copies of your ID and photographs. Send them at least a week ahead.

How do I reach Dzongu from Gangtok

Take a shared jeep or reserved car to Mangan, about 65 km and 3 hours, then cross the Teesta into Dzongu by the Sanklang bridge. Your homestay can arrange a pickup from Mangan. The police check-post on the Dzongu side checks permits. Allow 3–4 hours in total.

Are there hotels in Dzongu

No. By design, Dzongu has only Lepcha family homestays, not hotels. Rooms are simple, meals are home-cooked and included, and toilets are often outside the main house. Well-known options include Mayal Lyang Homestay in Passingdang and Lingthem Lyang Homestay in Lingthem.

Is Dzongu worth visiting

Yes, if you want village life, Lepcha culture, walks and quiet rather than snow and high lakes. It is lower and warmer than Lachung, so it suits travellers who cannot or do not want to go high. Two or three nights let you settle into the homestay rhythm.

What is the best time to visit Dzongu

October to April is best: dry paths, clear views of Khangchendzonga from higher villages, cardamom harvest in autumn and orchids in spring. May brings heat and early rain. June to September is monsoon, with leeches, landslides and frequent road problems.

Can foreigners visit Dzongu

Foreign nationals can visit Dzongu with the right permits, arranged through an approved operator or homestay in addition to the Sikkim Restricted Area Permit where required. Rules have changed over time, so start early and check current status before you travel.

How much does a Dzongu homestay cost

Most charge per person, with all meals, about ₹2,000–3,500 a night, indicative, 2026. Guides for day walks cost about ₹800–1,500 per group, and a pickup from Mangan about ₹1,000–2,000 per car. Ask what is included, especially guided walks and permits.

Was Dzongu affected by the 2023 flood

The flood of 4 October 2023 ran down the Teesta past Dzongu and damaged roads and bridges along the river. The BRO rebuilt the Sanklang bridge, which links Dzongu with the Mangan side, in 2025. Upper Dzongu roads also suffer monsoon damage. Check current status before you travel.

Why is Dzongu reserved for Lepchas

A royal proclamation of 1956, during the reign of Chogyal Tashi Namgyal, declared Dzongu a special reserve for the Lepchas to protect their land and way of life. Only Lepchas may own land there, and outsiders need permits to enter. The reserve remains central to Lepcha identity today.