~:About the Four District of Sikkim:~

Sikkim is divided into 4 Districts

• North Sikkim - Mangan (Headquarter)
  
  
• East Sikkim - Gangtok (Headquarter)
  
  
• West Sikkim - Gyalshing (Headquarter)
  
  
• South Sikkim - Namchi (Headquarter)

North Sikkim

The most beautiful of the four districts is the north district. The beautifully laid out terrain and the beautiful Alpine forests surrounding it offers nature lovers an enthralling experience. Yumthang alone , with its panoramic view of the valley of flowers, is enough to take the visitors breath away. Be it the springs or the winters this region never fails to provide tourists with a exquisite view of the valley. In spring season the valley remains covered in a carpet of wild delicate flowers in vibrant colors. The hot springs here are a must visit.

East Sikkim

Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim is situated here. This district is the center of administration, religion and commerce. The world famous Rumtek monastery, The Dharma Chakra Centre and the seat of His Holiness- The Gualwa Karmapa is located here. Many famous tourist attractions are situated here. The Frozen Tsomgo Lake, the mysterious Harbajan Baba Mandir are all located here. It also leads to Nathula, the pass that connects India with Tibet.

West Sikkim

The beautiful Pelling and Yuksom which was the first capital of Sikkim lies in this district. This is the place for adventure seekers to be. Many adventurous treks of the Himalayan region originate here including treks through the thick Rhododendron forests. It is also the place from where white water Rafting in the bumping and swirling Teesta and Rangeet rivers begin.

South Sikkim

This district is the home to some of the oldest Monasteries in entire Sikkim. The Famous 108ft high image or Guru Padmashambhava the patron saint of sikkim, is found here. This place has a lot of scope for adventure trekking, biking and nature trails which is being promoted here in a big way. A must see here are the Hot Springs.

Helicopter Service

The Bagdogra Airport is connected to Gangtok by a Helicopter Service which takes approx. 30 minutes to reach Gangtok. Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation operates this service daily at 11:00 am from  Gangtok to Bagdogra and at 2:00 pm from Bagdogra to Gangtok at a price of Rs.1500/- per person. it is a Five Seater chopper and mountain flights and other such tours to north. Sikkim are conducted.

Formalities to Entry

Indian tourists require no entry permits in Sikkim, except for the restricted areas.
Foreigners must obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) to visit Sikkim. The permit can be obtained from all Indian missions, Sikkim tourism office (Delhi, Kolkata, Siliguri and Rangpo Tourist Lodge in Bengal-Sikkim check post) against an Indian Visa. 15 days permit is issued on the spot. Provided two passport photos photocopy of pass port and visa details of the applicants are made available then and there. The permissible duration of stay would be 15 days. The Sikkim Govt. is authorized to extend the same twice by a further period of 30 days. The extension can be obtain from S.P of the North, West, and South District of Sikkim and FRO Gangtok
For trekking in the region the Department of Tourism issues a Protected Area Permit (PAP) at Gangtok which is for some specified area for groups consisting of two or more foreigners subject to the condition that the trekking programme is arranged through a registered Travel Agency. Rangpo (Bengal – Sikkim border) is also authorized to issue a 2 days permit to foreign tourist to enable them to enter the state and acquire the full 15 day permit