Budget homestay village · Nathang Valley
Nathang Valley homestays
A handful of family homestays in Gnathang, a small high village of yak herders and army neighbours at about 3,750 m. The coldest and highest beds on the Silk Route, best for travellers who are already acclimatised after a night lower down at Zuluk.
Photo: Amitabha Gupta · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
A handful of family homestays in Gnathang, a small high village of yak herders and army neighbours at about 3,750 m. The coldest and highest beds on the Silk Route, best for travellers who are already acclimatised after a night lower down at Zuluk.
Gnathang is a cluster of houses, a small gumpa and a temple on a wide valley floor, surrounded by army camps and grazing ground. A few families take guests in rooms heated by a bukhari stove in the kitchen, and serve dinner of rice, dal, potato and whatever meat or eggs came up the road that week. Expect frost on the window inside, even in October.
We only put guests here after a night at Zuluk or Padamchen, never straight from Gangtok, because sleeping at this height without a step on the way is how headaches and breathlessness start. Snow can block the road between December and March. Indian nationals only, with a Silk Route permit arranged via Rongli. Check current status before you travel.
Why we book it
What it does well
- Wake up on the open valley floor for clear morning views
- Warm family kitchens with a bukhari stove
- Puts you close to Kupup and the Nathang war memorial
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Nathang Valley homestays
Is it safe to sleep at Nathang?
For most healthy adults, yes, if you acclimatise first. Sleep one night lower at Zuluk or Padamchen, drink plenty of water, skip alcohol and walk slowly. Headache, nausea or breathlessness at rest are warning signs: tell your driver and go down. Infants, people with heart or lung conditions and anyone who felt unwell at Zuluk should skip Nathang and drive through by day instead.
Are Nathang homestays open in winter?
Some families stay through winter and keep a room or two open, but snow can close the road for days between December and March, and permits are sometimes paused. We confirm with the house the evening before you leave Zuluk. If the road is shut, we keep you at Zuluk and try again next morning. Check current status before you travel.
What toilets do Nathang homestays have?
Most have an attached or shared Western or Indian-style toilet inside the house, but water pipes can freeze on cold nights, so you may get a bucket of warm water instead of a flush. Carry wet wipes and a torch. We choose houses with indoor toilets for families and seniors; ask us if this matters to you.
Also in Pakyong and the Silk Route
Other stays nearby
Budget
Zuluk village homestays
Family-run homestays in Zuluk, the old overnight stop for Silk Route mule caravans at about 2,800 m. Simple rooms, thick quilts, home-cooked dal-bhat and …
Budget
Padamchen village homestays
Quiet forest-edge homestays at Padamchen, about 2,200 m, between Lingtam and Zuluk. A good first night on the Silk Route for families who want …
Budget
Lingtam village homestays
Farmhouse homestays in Lingtam, a warm village at about 1,400 m just above Rongli, where cardamom, maize and vegetables grow around the houses. The …
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
Tell us your dates and your budget
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