Places to visit in Gangtok, and the order to see them

A viewpoint on the hill road north of town, about 8 km from MG Marg. On a clear morning you see Kanchenjunga and the snow peaks around it across the valley.

A tall waterfall right beside the road to Tashi View Point. There is a small viewing area with a bridge, so it is a short photo stop rather than a walk.

A Hanuman temple on a hilltop above Gangtok, looked after by the Indian Army. It is clean and quiet, and the terrace looks out over the town and, on clear days, Kanchenjunga.

A large zoo spread over a forested hill opposite Ganesh Tok. The animals live in big open enclosures on the slope: red panda, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear and barking deer among them. A road runs up through it past the enclosures.

A tiny Ganesh temple perched on a ridge, so small that only a few people fit inside at once. Prayer flags cover the railings, and the viewing deck looks over the whole of Gangtok.

A Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma order, about 3 km from MG Marg, set among tall pines. The prayer hall is painted inside with gods and guardians, and the masked Chaam dances are held here in winter.

A glasshouse of orchids, ferns and seasonal flowers on the Ridge, a few minutes above MG Marg. The Ridge Park outside is a quiet strip of garden with benches and old trees.

Gangtok's main street, closed to cars and kept very clean. It is lined with shops, cafes and momo places, with benches and flower beds down the middle. Most visitors stay near it.

A landscaped park round a tall waterfall, about 8 km from town. Paths and footbridges cross the stream, and statues tell the story of the Banjhakri, the forest shaman of Sikkim's old beliefs.

A museum and research library in a traditional Sikkimese building at Deorali. It holds old Buddhist statues, thangka paintings, masks and rare manuscripts, and it is one of the best places in India to see Tibetan Buddhist art.

A large white stupa with a golden top, built in 1945, ringed by 108 prayer wheels. Next to it is a small monastery school and a hall with two big statues of Guru Rinpoche.

A cable car that runs about 1 km from Deorali up to Tashiling, near the Secretariat, with a stop on the way. The cabin gives a wide view over the town and the valley below.

The largest monastery in Sikkim and the main seat of the Karmapa's Kagyu order outside Tibet. It sits on a hill across the valley from Gangtok, with a big courtyard, a richly painted prayer hall and a golden stupa behind it.

A glacial lake at about 3,750 m, about 40 km from Gangtok on the road to Nathu La. Steep bare mountains ring the water, which freezes in winter. Yak rides and tea stalls line the shore.

A mountain pass at about 4,300 m on the India and China border, about 17 km past Tsomgo. From the Indian viewpoint you look across the fence to the Chinese side, with bare peaks all round. Soldiers often chat with visitors, and there is a small memorial.

An army shrine to Harbhajan Singh, a soldier who died near Nathu La in 1968 and who soldiers here believe still guards the border. The shrine keeps his room, uniform and boots, and the army runs a small tea stall.