Getting to the Silk Route from NJP, Bagdogra or Gangtok

The gateway: Rongli

Every Silk Route trip passes through Rongli, a market town on the river in Pakyong district where the protected-area permit is processed. Whatever your starting point, plan your first day so that you reach Rongli by early afternoon, sort the permit, and then climb to Lingtam, Padamchen or Zuluk before dark. Above Rongli the road narrows and climbs steadily through forest; drivers prefer not to do it at night.

There are three common starting points: New Jalpaiguri station (NJP) and Bagdogra airport (IXB) in the plains of West Bengal, and Gangtok, the Sikkim capital. Pakyong Airport, about 22 km from Rongli, would be the obvious gateway, but it has had no scheduled flights since June 2024. Plan on Bagdogra or NJP and check current status before you travel.

From NJP or Bagdogra by car

Most travellers arrive by train at NJP or by air at Bagdogra and are met by their driver. The route runs north from Siliguri through the Mahananda forest to Sevoke, crosses the Teesta at the Coronation Bridge, and follows the river up NH10 to Rangpo, where you enter Sikkim. From Rangpo the road leaves the Teesta and climbs to Rorathang, then follows the Rangpo river valley to Rongli. On a normal day this takes about four to four and a half hours from NJP, longer with traffic at Sevoke or slow stretches on NH10.

If your train arrives early, you can reach Rongli by midday, finish the permit and sleep at Padamchen or Zuluk the same night. If you land at Bagdogra in the afternoon, sleep lower at Aritar, Rolep or Lingtam and go up the next morning. A reserved car for the whole Silk Route loop from NJP costs about ₹18,000–22,000 for four days in a Bolero-class vehicle; a one-way drop to Rongli or Aritar costs ₹3,500–5,000. Check current status before you travel.

Overnight trains from Kolkata reach NJP early in the morning, which suits a same-day climb. Flights into Bagdogra from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru arrive through the day; the earlier, the better. Ask your driver to meet you at the station exit or the airport arrivals gate with a name board, and agree in advance on breakfast and lunch stops. Sevoke Road and Siliguri can be slow at office hours, so leave the city before nine if you can.

From Gangtok

Gangtok is the easiest base. The standard route goes down to Ranipool, along the Rangpo river side through Pakyong or via Rorathang to Rongli, about 65 km and two and a half to three hours. From Rongli it is another hour and a half to two hours to Zuluk. Many travellers spend two or three nights in Gangtok first, which also helps acclimatisation, and then do the Silk Route as a three-night loop.

A second route links Gangtok directly with the top of the Silk Route: up the Nathu La road past Tsomgo Lake to the Kupup area, then down past Old Baba Mandir to Nathang and Zuluk. It is shorter in kilometres, crosses ground above 4,000 m within a few hours of leaving Gangtok at 1,650 m, and needs both a Tsomgo permit from Gangtok and the Silk Route permit, plus clearance on the day. It is not always open to tourist vehicles and closes after heavy snow. We use it only when conditions and permits allow, and never as the first day of a trip. Check current status before you travel.

If you want both, the neatest plan is to go up via Rongli, spend nights at Padamchen or Zuluk and Nathang, and come back to Gangtok over Kupup and Tsomgo on the last day if the road and permits allow. That way you climb slowly and only cross the highest stretch when you are already acclimatised, and you see Tsomgo Lake on the way home.

Shared jeeps and the budget way

There is no bus to Zuluk, and for most people a reserved car is the only practical way to do the high road. Still, you can cut costs on the way in. Shared jeeps leave Siliguri and Gangtok for Rongli and Rhenock through the day, mostly in the morning, and cost a fraction of a reserved car.

• Siliguri to Rongli or Rhenock by shared jeep: ≈ ₹250–400 a seat, about 4–5 hours
• Gangtok to Rongli by shared jeep: ≈ ₹200–300 a seat, about 3 hours
• Rongli to Zuluk by local shared jeep: ≈ ₹150–250 a seat, usually once or twice a day, mainly for residents
• Above Zuluk: no shared transport; you need a reserved car that is on your permit
• Best budget plan: travel to Rongli by shared jeep, then share a reserved car for the loop with three to five other travellers

Monsoon and NH10 closures

NH10, the main road from Siliguri to Rangpo and Gangtok, follows the Teesta through a steep, unstable gorge, and it is cut by landslides several times in most monsoons, sometimes for days. When that happens, traffic for Gangtok moves to the routes via Kalimpong and Lava or via Algarah, and traffic for the Silk Route usually goes via Kalimpong, Pedong and Reshi into Rhenock and on to Rongli. This road is longer and slower but avoids the worst of NH10, and it follows the line of the old trade route from Kalimpong.

The Rongli–Zuluk road itself also gets slides in the monsoon, usually cleared within hours, sometimes longer. From late June to mid-September, plan extra time on every road day, keep flexible dates and ask your driver each morning which road is open. Check current status before you travel.

Getting back

The return journey is often the longest day. From Zuluk to NJP is about 140 km and six hours; from Nathang via Rongli it is about 165 km and seven to eight hours. If you have an evening train or flight, leave by seven in the morning and do not plan Thambi at sunrise on the same day. Better still, break the trip with a night at Aritar or Rolep on the way down, or end the trip in Gangtok via Rongli or, when open, via Kupup and Tsomgo.

Bagdogra flights to Delhi, Kolkata and other cities leave through the day, but a late-afternoon flight is safer after a Silk Route trip. Traffic at Sevoke and in Siliguri can add an hour at peak times.

Five practical tips for the road

A few small things make the road days easier.

• Send ID scans to your driver or homestay two days ahead so the Rongli permit is quick.
• Eat lunch at Rongli or Rorathang; there is little food between Rongli and Zuluk.
• Withdraw cash at Rangpo, Rhenock or Rongli; there are no ATMs above.
• Carry motion-sickness tablets if anyone needs them; the roads above Rongli wind constantly.
• Pay the ₹50 Sikkim tourist entry fee at your first hotel or homestay; keep the receipt for 30 days.