Why the Silk Route needs a permit
The road from Rongli up through Lingtam, Padamchen and Zuluk to Nathang and Kupup runs close to the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Jelep La, the old trade pass, is a few kilometres from Kupup, and the Doklam plateau can be seen from the ridges above Nathang. The Army has camps along the whole road, and Zuluk itself grew around an Army transit camp. For these reasons the area beyond Rongli is a protected area, and every visitor needs a permit issued in their name for specific dates and a specific vehicle.
None of this makes the trip difficult. Thousands of Indian families do it every season, and the paperwork is handled by the people you are already paying: your driver, your agent or your first homestay. What matters is that you carry the right documents, start early enough, and do not assume rules from an old blog still apply. Everything below is the rule as we understand it in October 2026. Check current status before you travel.
Who can go, and who cannot
The Silk Route is open to Indian nationals only. Foreign nationals, including holders of an OCI card, are not allowed to Zuluk, Nathang, Kupup or the other places beyond Rongli, even with a Sikkim Restricted Area Permit. This is one of the clearest rules in Sikkim and it is checked at the posts.
If you are travelling with a foreign partner or friend, they can still enjoy a lot of Pakyong district. Aritar, Lampokhari Lake, Rhenock and Pakyong town lie outside the protected area and only need the general Sikkim entry permit that every foreigner gets online. From Gangtok, foreigners in a group of two or more can visit Tsomgo Lake on a one-day permit. Plan the Silk Route for the Indian members of the group on a separate day, or choose a route that suits everyone.
- Indian nationals: allowed with a Silk Route permit
- Foreign nationals and OCI holders: not allowed beyond Rongli
- Aritar, Rhenock, Pakyong town: no protected-area permit needed (Rolep: ask us)
- Tsomgo Lake from Gangtok: separate permit, Indians and foreigners (foreigners in groups of 2 or more)
- Nathu La: separate permit, Indians only, usually Wednesday to Sunday
Documents and fees
Each traveller needs an original government photo ID and two recent passport-size photographs. Aadhaar, a voter card, a passport or a driving licence are the usual choices; carry the original and a photocopy, because some posts keep a copy. Children carry a school ID or birth certificate along with an Aadhaar card if they have one. Send the scans to whoever is processing the permit a day or two before you arrive, and keep the originals in a pocket, not in the car boot.
The government fee is about ₹200 per person. Agents and homestays usually charge between ₹300 and ₹700 per person including the processing, the trip to the office and the vehicle paperwork. That is fair: someone has to stand in the queue at Rongli. Ask whether the permit fee is inside your package price.
| Permit | Who can apply | Where processed | Indicative fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Silk Route (Zuluk, Nathang, Kupup) | Indians only | Rongli, via registered agent, driver or homestay | ≈ ₹200 + handling |
| Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir | Indians and foreigners | Gangtok, via registered agent | ≈ ₹200–400 with handling |
| Nathu La | Indians only | Gangtok, via registered agent, a day ahead | ≈ ₹200 |
| Sikkim tourist entry fee | All tourists over 5 | Collected by your first hotel or homestay | ₹50, valid 30 days |
| Foreigner entry to Sikkim | Foreign nationals | Online on the e-FRRO portal, 24–48 h | No fee listed; check portal |
We turn this into a priced, day-by-day plan for your dates.
How the Rongli permit actually works
Most travellers arriving from NJP, Bagdogra or Gangtok reach Rongli between late morning and early afternoon. Your driver takes your documents into the office, the permit is prepared for your names, dates and vehicle number, and you continue up the hill. On a good day this takes 30 to 60 minutes. On a busy October Saturday it can take two hours, which is one reason we suggest a first night at Padamchen or Lingtam rather than pushing to Nathang.
Many homestays at Zuluk and Padamchen now arrange the permit in advance from your scanned documents, so the paper is waiting at Rongli. This is the easiest way. Offices keep government hours, close on some holidays and sometimes stop issuing after mid-afternoon. If you arrive late, you may have to sleep at Rongli, Lingtam or Rolep and go up the next morning.
You will show the permit at check posts along the road. Keep it with your ID until you are back below Rongli or over Kupup towards Gangtok.
Vehicles, timings and the Kupup crossing
The permit names the vehicle as well as the people. Sikkim-registered tourist taxis are the standard choice and the drivers know every post. Cars registered outside Sikkim, including West Bengal taxis and private cars, have faced restrictions on this road at different times, so do not plan a self-drive trip without asking us first. Bikers usually need extra paperwork; again, ask.
The high road continues from Nathang past Old Baba Mandir and Kupup to the Gangtok–Nathu La road near Sherathang and Tsomgo Lake. Some trips cross this way between Gangtok and the Silk Route in one day, which saves the long return to Rongli. It needs a Tsomgo-side permit from Gangtok as well as the Silk Route permit, a driver whose vehicle is on both, and clearance from the posts on that day. It is not always allowed, it shuts after heavy snow, and the rules have changed more than once. Treat it as possible but not guaranteed, keep the Rongli road as your fall-back, and check current status before you travel.
Rules on the road
The Silk Route passes through Army areas, and a few simple rules keep everyone out of trouble. Drivers will remind you, but it helps to know them in advance.
- Do not photograph Army camps, bunkers, vehicles, check posts or soldiers. Ask your driver where photography is fine.
- Stay on the road and marked viewpoints. Do not wander off towards the ridges near Kupup or Jelep La.
- Do not fly drones anywhere on the route.
- Carry your permit and ID at all times, including on short walks from Zuluk or Nathang.
- Take your rubbish back down. Homestays burn or carry out what they can, and plastic left at Thambi stays there.
- Do not pick rhododendron flowers or disturb yaks and their herders around Nathang and Kupup.
Common permit mistakes
We see the same few problems every season. A traveller sends a blurred Aadhaar scan and the permit cannot be prepared. A group arrives at Rongli at four in the afternoon on a holiday. Someone forgets that their friend is a foreign national, or that their cousin's OCI card does not count as Indian citizenship for this purpose. A family adds a night at the last minute and the dates on the permit no longer match. Each of these is easy to avoid if you send clear documents two days ahead, reach Rongli by early afternoon, and tell us about any change before the trip, not at the check post.
One more point: keep a few photocopies of each ID and two spare photos in the car. Posts sometimes ask for a copy, and a second permit for Tsomgo or Nathu La needs the same documents again in Gangtok.
Rules, fees, fares and road status change often. Check current status before you travel.
