gangtok (derived from the tibetan word for ‘hillside’) is the capital city and the largest town of sikkim. it is also the headquarters of east sikkim district and located at an altitude of 1650 meters. the town’s population of about one lac belongs to different communities such as nepalese, lepchas and bhutias. being nestled within higher peaks of the himalaya, it enjoys mild temperate climate round the year. it is the cosmopolitan town which all possible tourist amenities. shopping complexes, cyber cafes, night clubs and pool parlors are found in abundance. the key sightseeing places are as below:

• bakthang waterfalls located about 20 minutes from gangtok town in a place called swastik, adjacent to the army cantonment area.
• ban jhakri waterfalls located about 10-12 kilometers from gangtok on the way to ranka. 
• do-drul chorten built on 1945 by 14^th dalai lama trullshi rimpoche is about 3 kms from snt bus station. surrounding the stupa there are cluster of 108 prayer wheels with sacred mantra “om mani padme hum” inscribed on them. there are always few small stupas in the complex along with two statues of guru padmasambhava in the main area of chorten lhakhang. it is open on all week days from 8 am to 5 pm.
• directorate of handloom and handicrafts established in the year 1957 is located at distance of half a kilometer from the main market of gangtok and is recent name given to old handloom and handicrafts centre of sikkim. it is open from monday to saturday from 09:30 hrs to 12:30 hrs and 13:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs.

• enchey monastery located about 3 kms from gangtok town is an important seat of the nyingmapa order. it is built on a site blessed by lama druptok karpo, a tantric master known for his power of flying. every year around january, “chaam” or religious masked dance is performed with great fanfare-for two days. the literal meaning of enchey monastery is the “solitary monastery”
• flower exhibition center is about 20 minutes’ walk from mg marg main market showcases flowers from different parts of sikkim under one roof
• ganesh tok located close to tashi view point an altitude of 6,500 feet and at a hill adjacent to that of the huge tv tower. Tourists also enjoy spectacular view from here.
• hanuman tok is a hindu temple complex located about 11kms from gangtok town in the upper reaches. On a clear day it offers spectacular view of kanchenjunga range.
• himalayan zoological park established in 1991 is about 3km from gangtok at an altitude of 1,780m.
• mg. marg (mall road) is a great place to hang out with friends and families specially during the evening. it is also the country’s first litter and spit free zone and no vehicular traffic is allowed into the marg. There are numerous shops, restaurants, café & bars on both sides on the road. On interesting fact is that smoking is not allowed in this area. It is also the main market area of gangtok where tourists can buy handicrafts, traditional dresses, souvenirs and so on
• baba mandir dedicated to baba harbhajan singh (30^th aug 1946 – 4^th oct 1968) who was an indian army soldier. he was martyred in 1968 near nathula pass at an age of 22. after his death, he had appeared in dreams of one of his sentry and asked him to make a memorial in his name and subsequently the temple was built. infact there have been reports that chinese soldiers across border have seen turbaned sentry doing rounds at night who they believe is baba harbhajan singh.
• namgyal institute of tibetology, is a treasure of vast collection of rare lepcha, tibetan and sanskrit manuscripts, statues and rare thankas (colorful tapestries used in buddhist liturgy). it also has over 200 buddhists icons and other prized objects of art.
• nehru botanical garden located close to rumtek monastery in sikkim boasts of several varieties of botanical species
• ranka monastery also known as lingdum or pal zurmang kagyud monastery, it is situated on the rumtek – ranka – gangtok road at lingdum which is about 45 minutes from gangtok. a huge statue of buddha sits in the inner sanctum of the monastery.
• rumtek monastery is located about 45 minutes and 24 kms from gangtok. it is the seat of the kagyu order, one of the 4 major tibetan buddhist sects and is sikkim’s largest monastery. the main building is of three floors with a golden sculptor on top known as “ghanzira”. the ground floor of the main building has a large prayer hall. cameras are not allowed inside the building. in the first floor, 16^th karmapa used to live. monastery houses priceless items like black hat (vajra mukt) studded with gold, diamond, ruby and other precious items.
• saramsa garden is located about 14 km away from gangtok and is home to many species of exotic orchids and rare plants.
• shanti view point, an ideal view point which offers the magnificent panoramic view of gangtok town.
• tashi view point located about 8kms from the gangtok town and offers a great views of kanchenjunga peaks on a clear day.
• tsomgo (changu) lake is serene glacial lake is situated at an altitude of 3755 meters and about 38kms from gangtok. tso” means lake and “mgo” means head, thus literally meaning “source of the lake” in the bhutia language. this lake is about one km long, in oval shape and is 15 mts deep. the lake remains frozen during winter months. with each changing season, the surface of lake reflects different colors.
• nathula pass a mountain pass at altitude of 4310 meters connects sikkim with tibet. nathu means “listening ears” and la means “pass” in tibetan. only citizens of india are allowed to visit this pass and is very popular across all segments of tourists.