Yumthang Valley is a grazing pasture surrounded by the Himalayan mountains

Yumthang Valley is a grazing pasture surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in North Sikkim. At a height of 3,564 metres above sea level, it's popularly known as the 'Valley of Flowers', so naturally home to many beautiful Himalayan flowers. It is rightfully called a valley of flowers, although that name is associated with the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand.

It is also home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, and has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the state flower.

Yumthang Valley also offers views of a stunning array of peaks with Pauhunri and Shundu Tsenpa. In view of increasing number of tourists, there is possibility of environmental degradation in the near future.

Transportation And accommodation
There is no accommodation available at the valley. Visitors may stay at Lachung from where the valley is about an hours drive. Accommodation in Lachung is basic and can not be compared to other destinations in Sikkim. 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. There is no direct way of going to Yumthang Valley - one has to first go to the capital, Gangtok, and get permission to go to the Valley because of its proximity with the Indo-China border. If you are travelling by air, which is getting cheaper now-a-days, you should take a flight to Bagdogra in West Bengal, a town which mostly serves as a connecting point to Sikkim and Darjeeling. From inside the Bagdogra airport, one can get a prepaid taxi to Gangtok. Gangtok is 124 km from Bagdogra, and by road it takes about 4 hours to reach there.

Time to Visit
The best season for visiting the valley starts in late February and continues up to mid June, when thousands of colourful flowers are in full bloom. However, to enjoy a clear sky and brilliant view of snow-capped mountains, the September – December season would be ideal.