Photo: Original: Yoghya Derivative work: UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Gurudongmar LakeHeight above mean sea level 5,430 m

lake · North Sikkim

A sacred lake at 5,430 m, reached at dawn from Lachen

Best Apr – May · Oct – NovDay trip nights

Gurudongmar Lake lies at 5,430 m, about 5 km south of the Tibetan border and 3 hours above Lachen. It is sacred to Buddhists and linked by legend to Guru Padmasambhava. It is a serious altitude day: children under five should not go, visits last 20–30 minutes, and roads close often, so check current status before you travel.

Gurudongmar is a glacier-fed lake of about 118 hectares on a high plateau north of the Kangchengyao range, close to the Tibetan plateau. The Government of Sikkim gives its height as 5,430 m (17,800 ft), which makes it one of the highest lakes in the world that you can drive to. It is frozen for much of the year, roughly November to mid-May, and in summer its water is a deep, clear blue against brown moraines and snow peaks.

You reach it on a single long morning from Lachen. Cars leave at 4–5 am, climb about 30 km to Thangu for tea and permit checks, then cross about 35 km of bare high plateau, with yaks and herders' shelters along the way. Most visitors arrive between 8 and 10 am, spend 20–30 minutes on the shore and start back by noon, when wind and cloud usually build.

For most travellers this is the highest place they will ever stand, and the altitude is the real challenge. Even fit adults feel breathless walking a few steps. Children under five should not go, and anyone with heart or lung disease, uncontrolled blood pressure or a recent illness should take medical advice first. Foreign nationals are not permitted; they can usually go as far as Thangu.

Don't miss

Highlights of Gurudongmar Lake

The lake in thaw

From about late May to October the lake is open water, a deep blue that changes with the light. Late May and October are the most reliable months for a clear sky and an open, or partly open, lake.

The frozen lake

From November to mid-May the lake is largely frozen and white. Many visitors find this just as striking. Access depends on snow on the plateau; after heavy falls the road may close for days.

The Thangu halt

On the way up you stop at Thangu, about 3,900 m, for tea, noodles and an army permit check. Use it to walk around slowly, drink water and see how everyone feels before going higher.

The high plateau

Beyond Thangu the landscape turns into open, treeless plateau with moraines and grazing yaks, very different from the forested valleys below. It feels like Tibet because it is, geologically, its southern edge.

The lakeside shrine

A small shrine and prayer flags stand on the shore, looked after by Lachen Monastery. Walk clockwise around it, keep your voice low and leave nothing behind except, if you wish, a khada scarf.

Told in the hills

Guru Rinpoche and the lake that would not freeze

Local Buddhist tradition holds that Guru Padmasambhava, the 8th-century teacher who brought tantric Buddhism to Tibet and is revered across Sikkim as Guru Rinpoche, passed this way on his return from Tibet. The lake was then frozen for most of the year, and the herders here had no water. According to the legend, he touched a part of the lake, and that part never froze again. This is a legend, told with devotion, not a recorded event.

The lake's name links it to him, and it became a place of pilgrimage. In 1997–98 a Sikh regiment of the Indian Army posted nearby built a gurdwara on the shore, believing Guru Nanak had visited the lake. Local Sikkimese communities objected strongly, holding that the lake had always been a Buddhist sacred site.

The state government set up a high-level committee. Documents from the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology supported the local claim, the committee accepted it, and on 6 July 2001 the army handed the building over to Lachen Monastery, which placed a lama at the lake as caretaker. Today you will see prayer flags and a small shrine on the shore.

Pinned to the board

Did you know

Gurudongmar Lake covers about 118 hectares, with a shoreline of about 5.3 km.

Tso Lhamo, counted as the source of the Teesta River, lies about 5 km away and is fed by streams that include Gurudongmar's outflow.

The road to the lake is National Highway 310C, about 100 km from Chungthang through Lachen and Thangu.

Things to do

Four ways to spend a day in Gurudongmar Lake

20–30 minutes at the lake Twenty minutes on the Gurudongmar shore Gurudongmar Lake · Included in Lachen packages

Part of the lake visit The Guru Rinpoche legend, told on the shore Gurudongmar Lake · Free

1.5 hours each way The plateau drive from Thangu Gurudongmar Lake · Included in Lachen packages

Dawn trip from Lachen Seeing Gurudongmar frozen Gurudongmar Lake · Included in Lachen packages

Getting there

How to reach Gurudongmar Lake

Group packageGurudongmar is the second morning of a standard Lachen–Lachung 2N/3D package from Gangtok, which costs about ₹6,000–9,000 per person including permit, seat, hotel and meals, indicative, 2026. You sleep in Lachen the night before.

Reserved carA private car with a registered local driver for the Lachen–Lachung loop costs about ₹16,000–22,000 per car, indicative, 2026. It lets you add an acclimatisation night in Lachen. Self-drive is not allowed.

Rail / AirThe nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB) and the railhead NJP. Go to Gangtok first and spend a night there while your permit is processed, then Lachen the next day. There is no air link to North Sikkim for tourists.

Lachen to Gurudongmar Lake

Costs in Gurudongmar Lakeindicative, 2026

Group package Lachen + Lachung, 2N/3D₹6,000–9,000 per person, indicative, 2026
Private car, 2N/3D loop₹16,000–22,000 per car, indicative, 2026
Tea and noodles at Thangu₹50–150 per person, indicative, 2026
Portable oxygen can, bought in Gangtok₹500–900, indicative, 2026
Entry to the lakeNo ticket; covered by your permit

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

Money-saving tip

Buy any oxygen can, gloves and warm socks in Gangtok before the trip; the same things cost more in Lachen and are often sold out at Thangu.

Where to stay

Sleeping in Gurudongmar Lake

There is no accommodation at the lake. Most people sleep in Lachen, at about 2,750 m, 3 hours below. Group packages use simple family hotels on Lachen's main street. For more comfort, The Apple Orchard Resort in Lachen is a small, family-run place with garden views, up about 25 stone steps. Some operators use basic lodges in Thangu when permitted, but sleeping at 3,900 m is harder on the body than sleeping in Lachen.

comfort

The Apple Orchard Resort Resort · Lachen ₹4,000–7,500 per room night, indicative

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 Gurudongmar Lake

All of North Sikkim

Thangu and Chopta Valley3,900 m

The tea-and-permit halt on the road to Gurudongmar

Valley · best May · Oct – Nov · 0–1 nights

Lachen2,750 m

The night stop before Gurudongmar, reopened in 2026

Village · best Apr – May · Oct – Nov · 1–2 nights

Chungthang1,790 m

Where two rivers become the Teesta, and the flood struck

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

Questions people ask

Gurudongmar Lake: questions answered

What is the altitude of Gurudongmar Lake

The Government of Sikkim gives the altitude as 5,430 m, or 17,800 ft, which is the figure we use. Some maps give lower figures. Either way, it is far higher than anywhere else on a normal Sikkim holiday, and you reach it within about 24 hours of leaving Gangtok, so it needs care.

Is Gurudongmar Lake open in 2026

As of early October 2026, yes. Tourist access resumed in March 2026 after 887 days of closure following the 2023 flood, stopped again in April when the Lachen road was damaged, and permits resumed around 10–11 September 2026. Weather and landslides can close it at short notice; check current status before you travel.

Can children go to Gurudongmar Lake

Children under five should not go; this is widely advised and enforced by many operators. Older children can go if they are healthy, have slept a night in Lachen and are watched closely for headache, vomiting or drowsiness. Keep the visit short and turn back at the first sign of trouble.

Can senior citizens visit Gurudongmar Lake

Healthy seniors do visit, but they should get medical advice first, especially with heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Spend two nights in Lachen before going up, keep the lake visit to 20 minutes and do not walk far. If unsure, Thangu is a fine place to stop.

Can foreigners go to Gurudongmar Lake

No. Foreign nationals are not permitted at Gurudongmar Lake because of its closeness to the international border. They can usually visit the Lachen valley as far as Thangu on a Restricted Area Permit through an approved operator, in a group of two or more. Check current status before you travel.

How far is Gurudongmar from Lachen

About 65–70 km, roughly 3 hours each way, via Thangu. Cars leave Lachen at 4–5 am, reach the lake around 8–10 am and return to Lachen for lunch. The whole round trip takes 7–9 hours. After lunch most groups continue to Lachung, about 3 hours away.

What should I carry to Gurudongmar

Thermals, fleece, down jacket, windproof shell, woollen cap, gloves, two pairs of socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, a refillable water bottle, dry snacks, your medicines, ID and permit copies. A small oxygen can from Gangtok can help briefly but is not treatment. Pack a bag for any rubbish.

What is the best time to visit Gurudongmar Lake

Late April to June and October to early November are the most reliable. In May–June the lake thaws and access is better; October brings the clearest skies. From late November to April it is frozen and the road is often blocked. June to September is monsoon, with landslides on the road below Lachen.

Does Gurudongmar Lake ever fully freeze

For much of winter it is largely frozen, from about late November to mid-May. Local legend says Guru Padmasambhava blessed a part of it so that it would never freeze. Visitors' reports vary. Treat the unfrozen patch as a matter of faith and legend, and do not walk on the ice.