Aritar - The Summer Valley

Aritar is a hill station in the East Sikkim district of Sikkim, falling under the Rongli Sub-Division. It is famous for its beauty, lush green forests, sweeping hills of paddy fields, placid lakes, and refreshing weather. The region is quite isolated from the rest of the state, which makes it suitable for an ideally peaceful holiday spot.

Mt. Kangchenjunga bounds Aritar, the highest mountain peak in India and third highest in the world. Being around the highest peak also benefits Aritar by the presence of an abundance of rivers and forests.

Culture

Aritar is famous for hosting the Lampokhari Tourism Festival in the month of March or April. In the festive season, visitors get lucky enough to do the following things:

Leisure boating in Lampokhari Lake
Horse riding around the lake
Traditional archery competition
Short treks to nearby hilltops and viewpoints
Rock climbing
Paragliding
Traditional cultural shows
Flower exhibitions
Local ethnic cuisine

What You Can't-Miss

Take a ride on the roads that are surrounded by lush green forests and mountains.
A boating ride in Lampokari Lake, which is the first one of its kind in Sikkim and has recently been embarked.
Trek to Mankhim Dara, which offers a 360-degree view of surrounding areas.
Visit Aritar Gumpa, which is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim and belongs to the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

Best Places to Visit

Lampokhari Lake
Parbateyswar Shivalaya Mandir
Dak Bungalow
Nirmal Dham
Aritar Gumpa
Markham Temple
Lungchok valley
Changey waterfall

Best Time to Visit

As Aritar is a hill station, it looks amusing and splendid in summers. In summers, the atmosphere around lets you do many activities like trekking, hiking, or just strolling around. But when winters approach, the area tends to get extremely chilly, and the temperature is dropping down to the freezing point. It is best suggested to visit Aritar in summers.

How to Reach?

By air: The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport. You can get a private vehicle or a taxi to reach Aritar town.

By Rail: The nearest railway station is Jalpaiguri Railway Station, and after that, you can hire a taxi or a cab to reach Aritar, which is around 4-5 hours drive from there.

By road: The roads of Aritar is in an excellent position. You can take a bus from any provider or can also drive your own vehicle.