The Yumthang Valley or Sikkim Valley of Flowers sanctuary, is a nature sanctuary with river, hot springs, yaks and grazing pasture on rolling meadows surrounded by the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

n mountains in the North Sikkim district of

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...

state in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is at an elevation of above msl at a distance of from the state capital Gangtok. It is popularly known as 'Valley of Flowers' and is home to the

Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary is a nature park in the Indian state of Sikkim. It has forty species of rhododendron trees. It is located in the Yumthang Valley of Flowers north of Lachung in North Sikkim district. Bird species found in the pa ...

, which has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the state flower. The flowering season is from late February and to mid June, when countless flowers bloom to carpet the valley in multicolored hues of rainbow.Yumthang bloom season
/ref> A

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

river Teesta Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows through ...

flows past the valley and the town of

Lachung Lachung is a town and hill station in northeast Sikkim, India. It is located in the North Sikkim district near the border with Tibet. Lachung is at an elevation of about and at the confluence of the Lachen and Lachung Rivers, both tributaries ...

, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall. There is also a hot spring in the valley. A forest rest house is the only permanent residence in the valley. During the spring months, the area blooms with rhododendrons,

primula ''Primula'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They include the primrose ('' P. vulgaris''), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common species are '' P. auricula'' (auricula), '' P. veris'' (cow ...

poppies Poppies can refer to: *Poppy, a flowering plant * The Poppies (disambiguation) - multiple uses *'' Poppies (film)'' - Children's BBC remembrance animation *"Poppies", a song by Patti Smith Group from their 1976 album '' Radio Ethiopia'' *"Poppies", ...

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

and other flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these heights to graze (a practice known as ''

yaylag Yaylak (russian: яйлаг) is a summer highland pasture associated with transhumance pastoralism in several Central and Western Asian communities. There are different variants of yaylak pastoralism forms of alpine transhumance, some of which ar ...

pastoralism''). In view of increasing number of tourists, there is possibility of environmental degradation in near future. Skiing is conducted in the valley.

Transportation by road

Tourists may travel from Gangtok to

(the nearest village where accommodation is available) by booking a full vehicle or shared one and stay over night. A direct journey to Yumthang is not feasible as roads are commonly foggy and it becomes dark very early around 5:30 pm. A trip to the Valley takes around two hours from Lachung, which is about 125 km from Gangtok.

Gallery

File:Yumthang Valley, Lachung Sikkim.jpg, Yumthang valley, Lachung Sikkim File:Yumthang Valley.jpg, Yumthang valley File:Yumthang.jpg, Yumthang File:North of Yumthang and the river.jpg, North of Yumthang and the river File:Yumthang Valley snow covered.jpg, Yamthan valley covered with snow

External links

Yumthang photos and reviews on tripadvisor.com

Yumthang photo travelogue with directions

Yumthang Valley Detailed Guide for Travellers

References

{{Sikkim Valleys of Sikkim Mangan district Ski areas and resorts in India

Transportation by road

Gallery

See also

External links

References