Seven Sisters Waterfall, North Sikkim
Seven Sister Waterfall is located in North Sikkim and 31kms from Gangtok, and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to reach by car. The waterfall is located adjacent to the road and can be easily spotted while you are approaching the place.
This is a tall waterfall... you will thoroughly enjoy watching the foaming water gushing down in full force from high above a mountain through lush vegetation and falling on the rocks below making a continuous roaring sound.
Seven Sisters Waterfall, North Sikkim
This is a popular tourist spot and most tourist vehicles on their way to
Lachung or
Lachen stop here. A stony steeped pathway from the road leads down to large number of rocks across a stream. You can go over the rocks and reach the bottom of the waterfall.
Be careful, the rocks are usually wet and can be slippery. A portrait of Buddha sculpted on a stone has been fixed on the cliff surface.
Seven Sisters Waterfall is so named because the waterfall has seven tiers or stages one after the other through its course as it comes down. From the bottom, only three stages are visible.
Buddha's Portrait at Seven Sisters Waterfall
Next to the pathway that leads down to the rocks, another pathway leads up to a platform at an elevation which is the viewing area of the waterfall. There are benches here... you can sit, relax and enjoy the view of the fall gushing down the cliff in front of you.
This pathway continues above and ends at another viewing spot at a higher elevation and from there you can see the 4th tier of the waterfall. The top three tiers of the waterfall can not be seen as they are hidden in the mountains above. This is a great place for photographers and videographers.
Best time to visit
In monsoon (i.e. mid-June to mid-September), the waterfall attains its full force and that's the time when you get the best views. However, in summers too when the snow melts at the peaks, the waterfall is equally good to be seen. In winters however, the water thins out and you won't likely see the fierce and most attractive form of the waterfall as in monsoon.
Seven Sisters Waterfall, Sikkim
Facilities
The main road at Seven Sister Waterfall goes over a small bridge here crossing the stream below. This stream on which the waterfall drops into, is known as Seven Sister Waterfall River. Right after the bridge and on the roadside, there is a pay and use public toilet for both ladies and gents that's run by the Sikkim Tourism department.
There is also a budget eatery offering tea and snacks. In fact, all drivers after dropping the tourists at the waterfall usually park their vehicles here. These facilities have been created for tourists visiting the Seven Sisters Waterfall.
The driver mentioned that Samosas (fried dumplings with potato and veggie fillings) they make here are among the best you can get in Sikkim. They definitely looked very tempting and seemed to be very popular among the local drivers here. The black tea with ginger is quite refreshing.
Nearby attractions
9.5kms ahead and along North Sikkim Highway is the settlement
Phodong which is known for the famous
Phodong Monastery that was established in 1740 and the ruins of royal palace at Tumlong a short distance from the monastery which became the 3rd capital of Kingdom of Sikkim.
Before reaching Seven Sisters Waterfall and 11kms towards Gangtok, there is a historical place known as
Kabi Lungchok located at a small village Kabi. The entrance is on the roadside and a pathway through a forested area leads to the spot where in 13th century leaders of Lepcha and Bhutia tribes had sworn on blood brotherhood so that both the communities can leave harmoniously in the hills here. A statue has been erected there to mark that event.
Another attractions nearby is Phesang Monastery located shortly before the waterfall (4kms towards Kabi). This monastery was built in 1721 and belongs to Nyingmapa Sect of Buddhists.
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