Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake)

Tsomgo Lake is the most popular day trip from Gangtok, a sacred glacial lake at around 3,750 m on the road to Nathu La. Here is what to know about permits, timings and the best season to see it frozen or in bloom.

Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, sits at an elevation of about 3,753 m (Wikipedia; Incredible India gives 12,313 ft and the East Sikkim district site about 12,400 ft) in the Changu area of Gangtok district, roughly 38–40 km from Gangtok by road. The oval glacial lake is about 836 m long and 427 m wide, with a maximum depth of around 15 m, and it is ringed by steep slopes that are often snow-covered.

The lake usually freezes in winter, sometimes into spring, while late spring brings alpine flowers to the surrounding slopes.

The lake is held in deep reverence by local Sikkimese communities; a small Shiva temple stands on the shore, and on Guru Purnima jhakris (traditional healers) are known to gather here. Along the lakeside, local operators offer yak and pony rides, and small kiosks sell hot tea, momos and noodles.

Tsomgo lies in a protected border zone. Sikkim Tourism states that visiting Tsomgo Lake requires a Protected Area Permit and that it is a day excursion: domestic tourists get the Tsomgo–Baba Mandir permit via the Police Check Post, while foreign nationals are allowed only up to Tsomgo Lake, with the permit issued by the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department through a registered travel agency.

In practice most visitors go on a registered taxi or tour that arranges the permit, often combining the lake with Baba Mandir and, for Indian citizens, Nathu La (about 18 km further). Weather and landslides can shut the road at short notice, and the altitude means visitors should move slowly and carry warm layers.