Can we do Nathu La and the Silk Route in one trip?
Yes, as two separate drives with separate permits. Nathu La is a day trip from Gangtok; the Silk Route goes up from Rongli and needs its own permit for the Rongli subdivision. Doing Nathu La first, then sleeping at Aritar and climbing through Zuluk, lets your body adjust gradually. Both are generally for Indian nationals only. Check current status before you travel.
Is sleeping at Gnathang safe?
For healthy adults who have spent two nights at Zuluk first, usually yes, but it is the hardest night of the trip, close to 4,000 m and very cold. Walk slowly, drink water, eat well and skip alcohol. A headache that will not go, vomiting, breathlessness at rest or confusion means you should drive down at once, even at night.
How much does this trip cost?
About ₹45,000 per person for eight nights, four sharing the SUV and twin rooms, indicative for 2025–26. The SUV at about ₹5,000–7,000 a day is the biggest cost. Two people alone in the car would pay roughly ₹13,000 more each. Homestays on the Silk Route cost ₹1,200–2,500 per person with dinner and breakfast.
Why is this a Comfort trip if it uses homestays?
Because of the private SUV for nine days, the central Gangtok guesthouse, the better rooms we suggest at each homestay and a slower pace with no shared transport. Silk Route villages have no hotels, so even the most expensive trips sleep in homestays there. Ask for view rooms and attached bathrooms when you book.
Which permits do we need?
Two: the Tsomgo and Nathu La permit, applied about a day ahead through a registered Gangtok operator, and the Silk Route permit for the Rongli subdivision, covering Zuluk, Gnathang and Kupup, usually arranged by the operator or your homestay. Each needs photo ID, photocopies and passport photos. Check current status before you travel.
Can foreigners do any of this trip?
Only part. Foreign travellers can visit Gangtok, Rumtek, Aritar and Rongli on the free Sikkim Restricted Area Permit, and Tsomgo Lake on a Protected Area Permit in a group. Nathu La and the Silk Route above Rongli are generally closed to foreign nationals. Check current status before you travel.
When is the best time to go?
October and November for clear views of Kanchenjunga and dry roads, and April and May for rhododendrons and less biting cold. December to March brings heavy snow, which can close Nathu La and the road above Zuluk for days. June to September brings fog, rain and landslides, and we do not recommend it.
What is the Old Baba Mandir?
The original shrine to Sepoy Harbhajan Singh, an Indian Army soldier who died near Nathu La in 1968 and is revered by soldiers as a guardian of the border. It stands near Kupup on the Silk Route side and is quieter than the newer Baba Mandir on the Tsomgo–Nathu La road, which most tours visit.
What should we pack?
A down jacket, thermals, fleece, warm hat, gloves, woollen socks and boots with grip; sunglasses and sunscreen for snow; a headtorch; a hot water bottle; basic medicines for headache, colds and stomach upsets; cash for the Silk Route nights; and plenty of ID photocopies and passport photos for both permits and the checkpoints.
