Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
#6of 7 places to visit in GangtokGangtok, Sikkim
Also known as Ganesh Tok Viewpoint · Hanuman Tok Viewpoint
Quick answer
Opening hours: 05:00–19:00. Entry is free. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 07:00 – 09:00.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 05:00–19:00
- 05:00 – 19:00 daily for both sites; Hanuman Tok's temple area is maintained by the Indian Army's 17 Mountain Division and can have slightly stricter access hours around military housekeeping.
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time of day
- 07:00 – 09:00
- Best months
- Mar – May, Oct – Dec
- Address
- Ganesh Tok: Tashi View Point Road, approximately 6 km from Gangtok. Hanuman Tok: approximately 11 km from Gangtok, East Sikkim 737101
About Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok are two hilltop viewpoints on the ridge road above Gangtok, roughly 5 kilometres apart, each built around a small shrine and each valued almost entirely for the panorama rather than the architecture. Ganesh Tok's temple to Lord Ganesh is genuinely tiny — built for a single worshipper to enter at a time — with a wraparound balcony that gives an uninterrupted view over Gangtok's ridge-hugging sprawl toward the Raj Bhavan gardens below. Hanuman Tok, further along and higher, sits at 7,200 feet under the maintenance of the Indian Army and looks directly across at Kangchenjunga on a clear morning, one of the more dependable sightlines to the peak from anywhere near town.
Best time of day: 07:00 – 09:00. Before afternoon cloud typically rolls in and obscures the Kangchenjunga sightline that both viewpoints are principally visited for.
Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok timings
- Opening hours
- 05:00–19:00
Mon–Sun 05:00–19:00 - 05:00 – 19:00 daily for both sites; Hanuman Tok's temple area is maintained by the Indian Army's 17 Mountain Division and can have slightly stricter access hours around military housekeeping.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Opening hours compiled from sikkimtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian visitors | Free |
| Foreign visitors | Free |
| Children | Free |
| Camera | Free |
Both sites are free to enter. At Ganesh Tok, the small hilltop temple holds only one or two people at a time, so there is effectively no interior to charge for; a paid telescope/binocular viewing point and a small café operate alongside it on a pay-per-use basis (roughly ₹20–₹50).
Prices compiled from sikkimtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
- Quiet
- Moderate
06:00 – 08:00
Clear Morning WindowBest time to go
Best odds of an unobstructed Kangchenjunga view before cloud builds. Minimal visitor presence at either site.
Quiet09:00 – 13:00
City-Circuit Peak
Half-day Gangtok sightseeing taxis converge on both viewpoints in this window as part of standard combined itineraries.
Moderate13:00 – 16:00
Cloud Buildup
Visibility toward Kangchenjunga frequently degrades by early afternoon; visitor numbers thin as the main draw becomes less reliable.
Quiet16:00 – 18:00
Late Afternoon
Occasional clearing near sunset can reward a late visit, though light fades quickly at this elevation and both sites are quiet by this hour.
Quiet
History of Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
Both sites trace to the same figure and the same decade: Apa B. Pant, the Indian Political Officer for Sikkim during the early 1950s, built the original temple structures at both locations — Ganesh Tok around 1952–53 and the Hanuman Tok shrine shortly after, in 1950s Sikkim, then still a monarchy under Indian protection ahead of its 1975 merger into the Indian Union. Pant's role placed him at the administrative hinge between British-era protectorate arrangements and the independent Indian state's evolving relationship with the Himalayan kingdoms, and these hilltop shrines were part of a broader pattern of small public-works and religious patronage typical of that office.
When the Indian Army's 17 Mountain Division later established a cantonment on the ridge around Hanuman Tok, it absorbed maintenance of the existing shrine along with the land, and the temple has been kept up by serving soldiers ever since — an arrangement unusual enough that it is frequently mentioned as a point of local pride, a civilian shrine kept alive by a standing military unit rather than a monastic or municipal trust.
Rules & etiquette at Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
At Ganesh Tok, the temple's single-person capacity means visitors queue briefly and take turns rather than crowding in together; remove footwear before stepping onto the small platform. At Hanuman Tok, since the site sits within an active Army-maintained area, visitors should avoid photographing any military installations, vehicles, or personnel beyond the temple precinct itself, and follow any instructions from army staff without argument.
Both viewpoints are genuinely weather-dependent attractions — on an overcast day there is little to see beyond the shrines themselves, so it is worth checking the morning visibility from town before committing the drive time to either, particularly Hanuman Tok given its slightly greater distance.
Tips for visiting Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
- 1
The two are almost always visited together as part of a half-day Gangtok city circuit that also typically includes Enchey Monastery and the Ridge / Flower Show area, since all sit on broadly the same loop road north of town. A taxi covering all of these runs roughly ₹500–₹700 for a half day.
- 2
Ganesh Tok's small café serves hot tea and instant noodles and has one of the more comfortable seating setups among Gangtok's viewpoint stops — worth the short stop even if the temple visit itself takes only a couple of minutes. Hanuman Tok, being higher and more exposed, is noticeably colder; carry a jacket even if the morning in central Gangtok felt mild.
How to reach Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok
We haven't pinned Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok's exact position yet; the map shows the other places in our Gangtok guide. Use the address below or the directions link.
Ganesh Tok: Tashi View Point Road, approximately 6 km from Gangtok. Hanuman Tok: approximately 11 km from Gangtok, East Sikkim 737101Directions in Google Maps
From MG Marg, Gangtok
₹200–₹3006 km · 20–25 min
One-way by taxi; combined half-day circuit with Hanuman Tok and Enchey ₹500–₹700.
From MG Marg, Gangtok
₹250–₹35011 km · 30–35 min
One-way by taxi if visited separately from Ganesh Tok.
From Bagdogra Airport (IXB)
₹3,500–₹4,500128 km · 4–4.5 hours
Private car to Gangtok; both viewpoints are add-ons once in town.
Nearest airport
From Pakyong Airport (PYG)
approximately 35 km, 1–1.5 hours. Bagdogra Airport (IXB) – approximately 128 km, 4–4.5 hours, the reliable year-round gateway.
Nearest railway station
From New Jalpaiguri (NJP)
approximately 128 km, 4–4.5 hours by road. Sikkim has no railway of its own.
Ganesh Tok & Hanuman Tok FAQs
Which viewpoint has the better view — Ganesh Tok or Hanuman Tok?
Hanuman Tok sits higher (7,200 ft versus Ganesh Tok's lower position) and further from town, and generally gives a clearer, more direct sightline to Kangchenjunga. Ganesh Tok's advantage is proximity and its view over Gangtok's own ridge sprawl and the Raj Bhavan gardens, which Hanuman Tok does not offer as clearly.
Who built the temples at Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok?
Both were built in the early 1950s by Apa B. Pant, then India's Political Officer for Sikkim, during the last decades of Sikkim's existence as a monarchy before its 1975 merger into India.
Why is Hanuman Tok maintained by the Indian Army?
The Army's 17 Mountain Division established a cantonment on the ridge around the existing 1950s shrine and absorbed its upkeep along with the surrounding land. The temple has been maintained by serving soldiers of the division ever since.
Can you enter the temple at Ganesh Tok?
Yes, but it is built to hold only one or two people at a time, so visitors take turns rather than entering as a group. Footwear comes off before stepping onto the small platform.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
