Tsomgo, Gurudongmar, Nathu La, Zuluk
Lakes and passes in Sikkim
High-altitude lakes and border passes are why most people come: Tsomgo at 3,753 m, Gurudongmar at about 5,183 m, Nathu La at 4,310 m. Every one needs a permit and a sensible ascent. We handle both.
Photo: Myself (Ambuj Saxena) · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
High-altitude lakes and border passes are why most people come: Tsomgo at 3,753 m, Gurudongmar at about 5,183 m, Nathu La at 4,310 m. Every one needs a permit and a sensible ascent. We handle both.
Sikkim's best-known sights sit above 3,500 m, inside protected or border areas. Permits are issued only through registered agents, often a day ahead, and some sites close on certain weekdays or after snow.
Altitude is the real cost of these trips. We sleep you lower than you visit, carry water and dry fruit, and turn back without argument if anyone feels unwell. Check current status before you travel.
Packages
Trips built around it
Sorted by price. Indicative per person, twin sharing.
Budget
Top4,000M
Gangtok weekend on a budget
Gangtok
Budget
Top3,564M
Lachung and Yumthang on a budget
Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,100M
Silk Route from Gangtok on a budget, 3 nights
Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar
Budget
Top5,183M
Lachen, Gurudongmar and Lachung loop
Lachen · Lachung
Budget
Top4,100M
Old Silk Route on a budget, 3 nights from NJP
Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley
Budget
Top4,310M
Gangtok, Tsomgo and Nathu La on a budget
Gangtok
Budget
Top3,564M
Lachung snow trip, December to February
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,100M
Silk Route winter snow trip, 4 nights
Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley
Budget
Top4,000M
Gangtok and Lachung on a budget
Gangtok · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,100M
Gangtok and the Silk Route on a budget, 5N
Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route family trip, 4 nights
Aritar · Padamchen · Zuluk
Budget
Top4,100M
Full Silk Route loop on a budget, 6 nights
Aritar · Padamchen · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Gangtok
Budget
Top5,183M
Gangtok, Gurudongmar and Yumthang budget
Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top4,100M
Gangtok and the Silk Route, 5 nights
Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route photography trip, 5 nights
Padamchen · Zuluk · Thambi View Point · Nathang Valley
Value
Top4,100M
Silk Route to Gangtok via Kupup and Tsomgo, 5N
Aritar · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Gangtok
Value
Top5,183M
Gangtok and North Sikkim in a private car
Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
Budget
Top4,570M
Goecha La trek, group departure
Yuksom · Dzongri and Goecha La · Yuksom
Value
Top5,183M
Dzongu homestay and North Sikkim
Gangtok · Dzongu · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top5,183M
Lachen, Thangu and Chopta Valley slowly
Gangtok · Lachen · Lachung · Gangtok
Value
Top4,100M
Pelling, Gangtok and the Silk Route, 8 nights
Pelling · Gangtok · Zuluk · Nathang Valley · Aritar
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. StartWhere to go
Places for lakes and passes
pilgrimage site
Baba Harb…4,000M
Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir
The Army shrine to a soldier who died in 1968
Cho La
The royal road to Tibet, open to Indians since 2025
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary
Rhododendron and fir forest on the Tsomgo road
pass
Nathu La4,310M
Nathu La
The India–China border pass at 4,310 m
lake
Tsomgo La…3,753M
Tsomgo Lake
A glacial lake at 3,753 m, 40 km from Gangtok
valley
Chopta Va…4,000M
Chopta Valley
A high meadow beside the Lachen river, just beyond Thangu
town
Chungthang1,600M
Chungthang
Where the Lachen and Lachung rivers meet to form the Teesta
lake
Gurudongm…5,150M
Gurudongmar Lake
A sacred lake near the Tibet border, above 5,000 m
village
Lachen2,750M
Lachen
Gurudongmar's base village, run by its own Dzumsa
waterfall
Naga Wate…1,300M
Naga Waterfall
A roadside waterfall before Toong on the way to Chungthang
valley
Thangu3,900M
Thangu
The last village before Gurudongmar, at about 3,900 m
viewpoint
Zero Poin…4,660M
Zero Point (Yumesamdong)
Where the civilian road ends, about 4,660 m above Lachung
trek
Dzongri a…4,020M
Dzongri and Goecha La
Sikkim's classic trek from Yuksom to the face of Kangchenjunga
sanctuary
Khangchen…1,780M
Khangchendzonga National Park
India's first mixed World Heritage Site, entered on foot from Yuksom
lake
Khecheopa…1,700M
Khecheopalri Lake
The sacred lake where birds are said to clear the fallen leaves
lake
Kupup3,940M
Kupup
Elephant Lake and the Yak golf course below Jelep La
valley
Nathang V…3,750M
Nathang Valley
A high yak valley where the 1888 campaign was decided
viewpoint
Thambi Vi…3,413M
Thambi View Point
Sunrise above the Zuluk loops, beside the 1888 Lingtu ridge
village
Zuluk2,800M
Zuluk
The old caravan halt below the zigzag road
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. StartThings to do
Experiences on the way
Monasteries and shrines
Visit the shrine of Baba Harbhajan Singh
Pay respects at the Army-run shrine to Sepoy Harbhajan Singh, who died near Nathu La in 1968 at 22. See his quarters …
Culture
The old Baba Mandir bunker on the Silk Route
On the Old Silk Route side, beyond the new shrine, stands the original Baba Mandir, built at Harbhajan Singh's bunker. It is …
Nature
Photographing the high road to Baba Mandir
The 18 km from Tsomgo to Baba Mandir climbs through some of the most open country on the Gangtok road: switchbacks, snowfields, …
Wellness
A gentle high-road day for seniors
How we plan Tsomgo and Baba Mandir for older travellers and anyone worried about altitude: a later start, more stops, short visits …
Culture
Escorted visit to the Cho La battlefield
Drive up from your Silk Route homestay with an escort from Kupup to Cho La at about 4,593 m, the site of …
A night in a Silk Route homestay
The Cho La permit requires a night in an approved homestay at Kupup, Gnathang, Zuluk or Padamchen. It is cold and simple, …
Adventure
Cho La and Doklam on one trip
Cho La and Doklam (Doka La) opened together in autumn 2025 on two-day vehicle permits. With a night on the Old Silk …
Photographing the Chola range
The Chola range above the Silk Route offers some of the widest high-altitude views in Sikkim: bare ridges, frozen lakes, snowfields and …
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. StartWhere to sleep
Stays that fit
Comfort
Summit Gangchen
Run by the Sikkim-based Summit Hotels group, Summit Gangchen is the largest and best-equipped hotel in Lachen, with electrically heated beds and a multi-cuisine …
Budget
Lachen family homestays
Lachenpa families in the old village above the road host guests in wooden and stone houses, with dinner and an early breakfast. A low-cost, …
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
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 …
Budget
Lungthung homestays
A few high homestays at Lungthung, around 3,800 m, a short drive above Thambi View Point on the road to Nathang. Sunrise over 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
Plan a lakes and passes trip with us
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