#25 of 79 · mountain
Gangtok to Nathula
Gangtok, Sikkim → Nathula Pass
54 km · May – Oct · Challenging
A short, high road to the old trade pass. Tsomgo on the way, then a ridge that looks at Tibet. Closed in winter, and not the Silk Route — a different Sikkim entirely.
Viewpoints
Tsomgo Lake
Still, high, and usually the first stop.
40 km
3,753 m
Nathula
The pass, the fence, and the thin air.
54 km
4,310 m
- Road
- Army road, well kept, steep, and often in cloud. Convoys have right of way. Ice is possible even in May.
- Permits
- Protected Area Permit for Nathula. Indian nationals only. Arranged via a registered operator in Gangtok the day before. Passport-size photos and ID.
Tips
- 01
Permit the day before
You will not talk your way through the checkpost.
- 02
Tuesdays are closed
And winter. And whenever the army says so. Ask in Gangtok that morning.
From the road
1 notes
Field reports from people who have driven this route.
Driven this road? Join as a driver to leave a note from the road.
Sonam T.
Jun 2025
Permit the evening before. Tsomgo still, Nathula in a white-out. The fence was the only thing that was clear.
