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 Himalayan mountains in the North Sikkim district of Sikkim state in India. It is at an elevation of 3,564 metres (11,693 ft) above msl at a distance of 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the state capital Gangtok.
It is popularly known as ‘Valley of Flowers’. This bottomless vale has remarkable variety of flowers to boast of. Once again to its credit, Yumthang also embraces the world renowned Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary in its region, and has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the state flower. A tributary of the Teesta flows through the valley and making it all the more mesmerizing in its appearance. To visit this vale, spring season is the perfect time when flowers blossoms at their best. During summers, this valley acts as a pasture land for the yaks. A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall.There is also a hot spring in the valley.
Besides its astonishing flora, Yumthang also offers an eye-catching vista of peaks along with Pauhunri and Shundu Tsenpa. Yumthang is also famous for Hot Springs, but actually these springs fall in Yumesamdong region. We have covered them in a separate article.
During winters, the whole valley gets enveloped in a thick layer of snow. To put succinctly, Yumthang Valley is an amazing treat where you would become the element of the ceaseless picture exclusive of any sort of infringement.
During the spring months, the area blooms with rhododendrons, primulas, poppies, iris and other flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these heights to graze (a practice known as yaylag pastoralism). Skiing is conducted in the valley.
A trip to the Valley takes around two hours from Lachung, which is about 125 km from Gangtok.
