Value · Pakyong and the Silk Route
Gangtok and the Silk Route, 5 nights
Our classic combination for first-time visitors: two nights in Gangtok, then the Old Silk Route via Rongli to Zuluk, sunrise over the loops at Thambi, a night on the Nathang plateau with a visit to Kupup, and a warm last night by Aritar's lake. Private car for two and good rooms throughout.
Photo: Subhrajyoti07 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Our classic combination for first-time visitors: two nights in Gangtok, then the Old Silk Route via Rongli to Zuluk, sunrise over the loops at Thambi, a night on the Nathang plateau with a visit to Kupup, and a warm last night by Aritar's lake. Private car for two and good rooms throughout.
Key facts
- Nights
- 5 nights, 6 days
- Tier
- Value: Your own car, good 3-star rooms
- Pace
- Balanced
- Max altitude
- 4,100 m
- Best months
- Apr · Oct – Nov
- Route
- Gangtok (2N) · Zuluk (1N) · Nathang Valley (1N) · Aritar (1N)
- Starts
- NJP station or Bagdogra Airport (IXB)
- Ends
- NJP station or Bagdogra Airport (IXB)
- Per night
- about ₹5,300 per person
Altitude, night by night
How high you sleep
Sleeping height each night. We sleep you lower than you visit wherever the road allows. Speak to your doctor before a high-altitude trip if you have heart or lung conditions.
The route
Where the road goes
Most first-time travellers want to see Gangtok and the Silk Route, and they fit together naturally. Two nights in Gangtok at about 1,650 m give you the capital's monasteries and viewpoints and a gentle start in altitude. From there the Silk Route is only four and a half hours away, so Zuluk can be your first mountain night without strain.
With a private car for two, the days move at your pace: an extra stop at Thambi, a longer lunch at Rongli, a detour to Mankhim for sunset at Aritar. Rooms are a good 3-star hotel in Gangtok, the better homestays with attached bathrooms on the Silk Route, and a lake-view hotel at Aritar for the last night.
Highlights
What this trip is for
Gangtok'S Enchey Monastery, Tibetology Institute And Rumtek
Zuluk And Sunrise Over The Loops At Thambi
A Night On The Nathang Plateau And Kupup'S Elephant Lake
A Lake-View Last Night At Aritar To Break The Drive
Private Car For Two, With Time For Every Stop
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: NJP or Bagdogra to Gangtok
Arrive at NJP station or Bagdogra airport and drive north along the Teesta on NH10 to Rangpo, where you enter Sikkim, and on up to Gangtok at about 1,650 m. If NH10 is closed in the monsoon, drivers use the road via Kalimpong and Lava or Algarah. Check in at a good 3-star hotel within walking distance of MG Marg and spend the evening on MG Marg, the pedestrian high street, with dinner at one of its momo and thukpa places. Gangtok is a good first stop: it helps your body adjust before the higher Silk Route.
About Gangtok -
Day 2: Gangtok monasteries and viewpoints
A gentle day around Gangtok. Start at Enchey Monastery above the town, then the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and the Do Drul Chorten, and the viewpoints at Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok, which look across to Kangchenjunga on clear mornings. In the afternoon visit Rumtek, the large Karma Kagyu monastery across the valley, or the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom for weaving and carpet work. Evening free on MG Marg. Your driver uses today to confirm Silk Route homestays and collect documents for the permits. Overnight at a good 3-star hotel within walking distance of MG Marg.
About Gangtok -
Day 3: Gangtok to Zuluk via Rongli
Leave Gangtok after breakfast and drive down through Ranipool and Pakyong to Rorathang, then up the Rangpo river valley to Rongli, where your driver processes the Silk Route permit while you have lunch. Above Rongli the road climbs through Lingtam and Padamchen and through thick forest to Zuluk at about 2,900 m. Arrive by mid to late afternoon and take a short walk around the village before the cold comes in. Because you have already spent nights in Gangtok, your body is ready for this height. Overnight at a better homestay room with an attached bathroom and geyser.
About Zuluk -
Day 4: Thambi sunrise, then up to Nathang
Wake around 4:30 am for the drive up the zig-zag to Thambi View Point at about 3,400 m or Lungthung a little higher, in time for sunrise over the eastern Himalaya and, on a clear morning, Kangchenjunga to the west. Back to Zuluk for breakfast, then continue up through Lungthung to the Nathang plateau at about 4,000 m. In the afternoon visit the 1888 war memorial and the Gnathang monastery, and, if the road is open, drive about 12 km on past Old Baba Mandir to Kupup and Elephant Lake. Overnight at a better homestay room with an attached bathroom and geyser; drink water and keep warm.
About Nathang Valley -
Day 5: Down from Nathang to Aritar
After breakfast, leave Nathang and drive back down the loops, with a last stop at Thambi if the morning is clear. Below Zuluk the forest closes in, and by Rongli the air is warm again. Lunch at Rongli, then the short drive via Rhenock to Aritar at about 1,400 m, about 2,600 m lower than where you woke up. Everyone sleeps well tonight. Spend the late afternoon by Lampokhari Lake and take a boat out if the counter is still open. Overnight at a good lake-view hotel or the better homestays.
About Aritar -
Day 6: Aritar to NJP or Bagdogra
A last walk around Lampokhari Lake at dawn, when the water is still and the boats are tied up, then breakfast. Leave Aritar by about 9 am and drive down via Rorathang to Rangpo and along the Teesta on NH10 to Siliguri, reaching NJP station or Bagdogra airport by early afternoon. If NH10 is closed by a landslide in the monsoon, the driver will take the road via Reshi, Pedong and Kalimpong, which adds about an hour. Check current status before you travel.
About Aritar
We send a day-by-day plan and an itemised price within one working day.
Included
- Better homestay rooms with attached bathrooms on the Silk Route and good 3-star hotels elsewhere, twin sharing
- Dinner and breakfast at homestays; breakfast at hotels
- A private small car or Bolero-class vehicle for your party, with fuel, tolls and driver costs
- All permit processing the route needs
- The ₹50 Sikkim tourist entry fee
- Our planning, bookings and on-trip support
Not included
- Train or flight tickets to NJP or Bagdogra
- Lunches, snacks and drinks unless stated
- Room heater charges at homestays (≈ ₹200–300 a night) where not included
- Boating, entry tickets, snow-boot hire and tips
- Extra nights or car days caused by snow, landslides or road closures
- Personal travel insurance
- Tsomgo and Nathu La day, which can be added for about ₹4,500 per person
Before you book
Good to know
- The Old Silk Route beyond Rongli is open to Indian nationals only; foreign nationals, including OCI holders, cannot go to Zuluk, Nathang or Kupup.
- Send a clear photo ID scan and two passport photos per person at least two days ahead so the Rongli permit is quick. Check current status before you travel.
- There are no ATMs above Rongli and mobile signal is patchy above Zuluk; carry enough cash for the whole route.
- Carry a refillable bottle, thermals, a warm cap and gloves in every season; nights above Zuluk are cold even in May.
- NH10 between Siliguri and Rangpo closes after landslides in the monsoon; the alternatives are via Kalimpong and Lava, Algarah, or Pedong and Rhenock, which add one to two hours.
Questions travellers ask
Questions about this trip
Do I need a permit for this trip?
Yes. Indian travellers need the Silk Route protected-area permit, processed at Rongli for about ₹200 per person plus handling, which is included in the price. Each person needs an original photo ID and two passport photos. Send scans two days ahead and the permit is usually ready within an hour at Rongli. Check current status before you travel.
Can foreign nationals book this trip?
Not this one. The Old Silk Route beyond Rongli, including Padamchen, Zuluk, Nathang and Kupup, is open to Indian nationals only, and OCI card holders count as foreign nationals here. Mixed groups can stay together at Aritar, Rhenock or Gangtok while the Indian members go up. Ask us for a version of this trip that suits everyone, and check current status before you travel.
How high does this trip go, and will altitude be a problem?
The highest point is about 4,100 m and the highest night is at Nathang, about 4,000 m. Two Gangtok nights and one at Zuluk before Nathang keep the climb gradual. Drink water steadily, skip alcohol at height and keep warm. Mild headache is common; vomiting, confusion or breathlessness at rest mean going down at once. Tell us about heart or lung conditions when you book.
What happens if a road closes during the trip?
Your driver and our team decide on the day. If snow or a landslide closes a stretch, we reshuffle the route, wait a few hours, or swap a high night for a lower village such as Padamchen or Aritar. Extra nights or car days caused by closures are charged at cost. Keep a gap before any flight, and check current status before you travel.
Is there mobile network and an ATM on the way?
ATMs are at Rangpo, Rhenock and Rongli, but there are none at Padamchen, Zuluk, Nathang or Kupup. Mobile signal is weak to absent above Zuluk, and UPI only works where there is signal. Carry cash for heaters, tea stalls, lunches and tips. Homestay Wi-Fi, where it exists, depends on power. Tell family you may be out of reach for a day.
Can we add Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La?
Yes, with one more Gangtok night. Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir need a protected-area permit, and Nathu La a separate one applied a day ahead for Indian nationals, usually Wednesday to Sunday. Adding the day costs about ₹4,500 per person in your private car including permits. Check current status before you travel.
Why not come back to Gangtok over Kupup?
You can, if you prefer. Our Tsomgo-crossing trip does exactly that. We end this one at Aritar because it gives you a lake-view night and a 4.5 hour run to NJP, rather than a high crossing that depends on two permits and the day's clearance. Tell us which you prefer when you book.
Which Gangtok hotel will we stay in?
A good 3-star hotel within walking distance of MG Marg, with private bathrooms, heating or warm bedding in winter and Wi-Fi. We confirm the name before you pay the balance, based on availability for your dates. If you want valley views or a specific hotel, tell us and we will price it.
Is this trip good for a couple?
Yes. It has enough variety for a short holiday together: Gangtok's cafes and MG Marg, a sunrise at Thambi, a night under the stars at Nathang and a quiet lakeside evening at Aritar. For a honeymoon with more comfort, see our 4-night comfort honeymoon trip.
Also in Pakyong and the Silk Route
Similar packages
Budget
Top1,980M
Aritar weekend: lake, Mankhim and villages
Aritar
Value
Top1,980M
Pakyong villages: Aritar, Mankhim and Rolep, 4N
Aritar · Mankhim · Rolep
Rolep riverside village stay, 3 nights
Rolep
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartGet my price
Send us your dates for this trip
Who is travelling, when, and roughly what you want to spend. The Gangtok desk replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and an itemised price.
- No payment to start
- Permits handled through registered partners
- Every hotel, car and fee listed