Sikkim, Arunachal or Ladakh: which mountains suit you

Ladakh is a high desert for the summer months; Sikkim and western Arunachal are green, forested mountains for spring and autumn. That single difference in season decides most trips before anything else. Ladakh is at its best from May to September, when the eastern Himalaya sits under monsoon cloud. Sikkim is at its best from March to May and October to December, and Arunachal from October to April, when Ladakh's high passes are cold or closed. So the honest answer to which one is often a question of which month. If your dates are fixed, the calendar chooses for you. If they are open, the choice comes down to altitude, landscape, permits and the kind of hotel you want at the end of each day.

The landscapes differ as much as the seasons. Ladakh is bare rock, apricot orchards, white monasteries and lakes at 4,000 m and above, with almost no rain. Sikkim and Arunachal are steep, wet and wooded: rhododendron and fir, terraced cardamom, prayer flags strung across gorges, and Kangchenjunga at 8,586 m filling the northern sky from Pelling on a clear morning. Ladakh asks more of your body; Sikkim asks more of your patience on the road. Arunachal asks for both, and rewards it with Tawang, one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India, at about 3,050 m.

The table sets the three ranges side by side on the points our guests ask about first. Altitudes are approximate and refer to where you sleep and to the highest point on a typical journey. Road times are realistic for a private car with a driver, not the optimistic figures on a map app.

Two points stand out. Ladakh is the only one where you sleep above 3,000 m from the first night, and that shapes the whole plan. The eastern Himalaya is the only one where the weather can close a road for days: North Sikkim has been shut for long periods since the Teesta flood of October 2023, so check current status before you travel.

Flying into Leh puts you at about 3,500 m within 75 minutes of leaving Delhi, with no time to adjust. That is why every Ladakh journey we plan begins with two full nights of rest in Leh: short walks, no stairs you can avoid, plenty of water and no alcohol. Many guests feel a headache or shortness of breath on the first day, which usually eases. Only after that do we cross Khardung La to Nubra or drive to Pangong Tso at about 4,225 m. Our guide to acclimatisation explains the signs to watch for and why we never rush the first 48 hours.

Sikkim is gentler. Gangtok sits at about 1,650 m, lower than many Alpine resorts, and the high points are day trips or a single night: Tsomgo Lake at about 3,750 m, or Lachung at about 2,700 m with a morning drive up to Yumthang. Arunachal sits between the two. Dirang, at about 1,500 m, is an easy first night, and Tawang at about 3,050 m comes after a slow climb over Sela Pass. For anyone with a heart or lung condition, or travelling with young children or older parents, Sikkim is the easier mountain, and we suggest seeing a doctor before any high-altitude trip.

All three regions have permits because all three lie along international borders, but none is difficult when a registered operator handles it. In Ladakh, Indian nationals register online, and foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit, issued in Leh, for Nubra, Pangong, Tso Moriri and Hanle. We apply while you rest on your first day. In Sikkim, Indian citizens move freely around Gangtok and Pelling; foreigners need a free Restricted Area Permit, issued at Rangpo or Bagdogra. Everyone needs separate permits for Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim, and Nathu La is open to Indian citizens only.

Arunachal needs the most planning. Indian citizens apply online for an eILP, about ₹300 for 15 days under the 2026 guidelines, and foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit arranged in advance, usually for two or more travellers on a fixed itinerary. Allow four to six weeks for a foreign permit. Rules in all three regions have changed several times since 2019, so check current status before you travel. On every journey we arrange the permits, carry printed copies for the checkposts and confirm the route again before you leave home.

Sikkim has the widest hotel choice of the three. In Gangtok, Taj Guras Kutir Resort & Spa, Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino and The Elgin Nor-Khill, a former royal guest house, cover modern resort comfort and old-fashioned heritage. In Pelling, The Elgin Mount Pandim looks straight across the valley to Kangchenjunga. North Sikkim is the exception: in Lachung, rooms are simple and the night is about the location, not the linen.

Ladakh's best stays are more personal. In Leh, The Grand Dragon Ladakh and The Zen Ladakh are full-service hotels with heating. Chamba Camp Thiksey is a seasonal tented camp below Thiksey monastery, Stok Palace Heritage Hotel lets rooms in the former royal residence, and Nimmu House is a restored family house among Sham valley orchards. In Nubra, Lchang Nang Retreat carries the same standard over Khardung La. Arunachal is the plainest of the three: comfortable local hotels and homestays in Dirang and Tawang, with no luxury brands yet. We book the best rooms available and say plainly what to expect.

Ladakh is the simplest to reach. Delhi has several daily flights to Leh all year, about 75 minutes, landing in the morning before the afternoon winds. From Leh, a private car reaches Nubra in about 5 hours over Khardung La and Pangong Tso in about 5 hours over Chang La. For the overland route, the Srinagar to Leh road usually opens in April or May and the Manali road around June; check current status before you travel.

Sikkim begins with a flight to Bagdogra in West Bengal, followed by about 4.5 hours by road to Gangtok along the Teesta valley. Pakyong airport, about 30 km from Gangtok, has had intermittent flights, so we do not rely on it. North Sikkim needs locally registered vehicles, which we arrange. Arunachal is the longest approach: fly to Tezpur or Guwahati, drive to Dirang for the night, and cross Sela Pass to Tawang the next day. The Sela tunnel, opened in 2024, has made winter crossings more reliable, though snow still closes the high road at times.

When guests ask us to choose for them, this is how we usually decide:

Our seven-night Leh, Nubra and Pangong journey starts from ₹2,60,000 per person, nine nights of Sikkim's monasteries and mountains from ₹2,90,000, and eight nights in Tawang and western Arunachal from ₹2,40,000, all twin sharing with a private car and guide. If you would like two ranges in one year, Sikkim in April and Ladakh in August is a pairing that works well.

• Choose Ladakh if you travel between May and September, are in good health, and want monasteries, high lakes and dry, clear skies.
• Choose Sikkim if you travel in spring or autumn, want gentler altitude, or are travelling with children or older parents.
• Choose Arunachal if you know Sikkim or Ladakh already, want Monpa villages and Tawang with few other visitors, and do not mind long drives.
• Combine Sikkim with Meghalaya, or Arunachal with Kaziranga, to make 10 to 14 nights in the North East.