North Sikkim: Lachen and Gurudongmar reopen to tourists, with a 4 pm cut-off at Toong check post
Permits for Lachen and Gurudongmar resumed on 11 September. Tourist vehicles going to or coming from Lachen and Lachung must cross Toong check post by 4 pm, to avoid night driving.
What has changed
Tourists can visit Lachen and Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim again. ETV Bharat reported on 11 September that permits for Lachen and Gurudongmar resumed that Friday, both online and offline. It quotes Samrat Sanyal of the Confederation of Indian Industry. According to The Sentinel, the reopening follows the reopening of the Lachen road at Taram Chu.
The reopening comes with a strict timing rule. The Mangan district administration issued a traffic regulation order on 10 September. According to The Sentinel, tourist and other light vehicles heading from Gangtok and Mangan towards Lachen and Lachung must cross Toong check post by 4 pm. The same deadline applies in the other direction, to vehicles coming down from Lachen and Lachung. The order cites road, weather and terrain conditions, and is meant to stop night driving and get vehicles to their destinations before dark.
What it means for your trip
Gurudongmar and Lachen are the high point of most North Sikkim itineraries, and the reopening lands just before the Puja and Diwali season. Plan the day around the 4 pm rule: a late start from Gangtok, or a slow return from Gurudongmar, can leave a vehicle on the wrong side of Toong for the night. Ask your driver or operator how they are timing the day, and do not add stops that push you towards the cut-off.
The region has had a long run of closures. North Sikkim was badly damaged by the October 2023 glacial-lake flood, and the Lachen road has been cut and restored since. Heavy rain can still close roads in the state at short notice, so check with the Mangan district administration or your operator before leaving. Our North Sikkim Lachen and Lachung package and Sikkim pages cover the wider trip.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Lachen Reopens for Tourists as Sikkim Sets Strict Travel Timings on Lachen-Lachung Route — The Sentinel, 12 September 2026
- Sikkim’s Lachen-Lachung Route Reopens For Tourists — ETV Bharat, 11 September 2026
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