• Siliguri, West Bengal
Old Silk Route Sikkim tour package covering Zuluk, Nathang Valley and Old Baba Mandir

Silk Route Sikkim Tour Package

Zuluk • Thambi View Point • Nathang Valley • Old Baba Mandir — the old Tibet trade road, with permits and homestays arranged from Siliguri.

The Old Silk Route — Sikkim's Great Road Trip

Long before there were highways, mule caravans carried silk and wool over the Jelep La pass between Kalimpong and Lhasa. That trade road still exists, and driving it is the most dramatic thing you can do in Sikkim. From the foothills at Rongli it climbs through Padamchen and Zuluk, folds itself into the famous zig-zag road of some thirty-odd hairpin bends, and comes out at Thambi View Point — where on a clear morning the entire Kanchenjunga range lines up on the horizon.

Higher still are Lungthung, the wide bowl of Nathang Valley at around 13,500 ft, Kupup with its elephant-shaped lake, and the Old Baba Mandir. AU Cloud Tours Pvt. Ltd. runs this circuit from Siliguri with restricted-area permits filed, hill-experienced drivers, and the better homestays along the route held in advance.

🛣️ The Zig-Zag Road

The hairpin stack above Zuluk — the single most photographed road in Sikkim.

🌄 Thambi View Point

Sunrise on Kanchenjunga, with the bends you drove up curling below you.

📄 Permits Handled

East Sikkim is a restricted area — we file the permits, you send ID and photos.

How the Route Runs

Day 1 — NJP / Bagdogra to Zuluk

Through Rongli, where permits are checked, then up past Padamchen. Overnight at Zuluk (~9,400 ft).

Day 2 — Zuluk to Nathang

Pre-dawn run to Thambi View Point, then Lungthung, Tukla Valley and the high plateau at Nathang.

Day 3 — Kupup & Old Baba Mandir

Elephant Lake, Kupup, the Old Baba Mandir and Menmecho Lake before dropping towards Tsomgo.

Stays Along the Way

Family-run homestays at Zuluk, Padamchen and Nathang — warm, clean and simple. No luxury hotels exist up here.

Planning for Autumn or Winter? Book Now

The Silk Route has very little accommodation — a few dozen homestay rooms spread across three villages — and permits are issued against confirmed stays. That means the season sells out from the rooms side first, not the permit side.

October and November give the clearest Kanchenjunga views of the year and are the busiest weeks, running straight into the Puja holidays. December and January bring snow at Nathang and Kupup. If those are your dates, reserve now rather than in September.

Pair It With the Rest of Sikkim

Silk Route + North Sikkim

East and north in one trip — Zuluk, then Lachung, Lachen and Gurudongmar.
Silk Route + Gangtok & Darjeeling

Come down off the route into Gangtok, then across to the Queen of the Hills.
Coming from Kolkata?

Overnight train to NJP or a flight to Bagdogra, and we start the drive the same morning.
Silk Route + Dooars

High mountains one half of the trip, jungle safari the other.

Best Time to Travel the Silk Route

October to early December is the peak — dry roads, sharp air and the mountain views the route is famous for. March to May brings rhododendrons in bloom around Lungthung. August and September turn Nathang Valley green and flowering, which many photographers prefer, though this is also when the Rongli approach is most prone to landslides. December and January are for snow, accepting that heavy falls can close the upper section for a day or two.

Note: the Silk Route crosses a sensitive border area. Sections can be closed at short notice by weather or army restrictions, and Nathu La requires a separate permit that is not always available. We plan a buffer day wherever your schedule allows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Zuluk, Nathang and Kupup lie in a restricted area of East Sikkim, and Indian nationals need a permit arranged through a registered Sikkim operator — you cannot apply for it yourself. Send us ID proof and passport photos and we handle it. Foreign nationals are generally not permitted on this route.

Three nights is the comfortable minimum from NJP or Bagdogra — roughly two nights on the route itself plus travel days. Four to five nights lets you slow down, add Aritar or Tsomgo Lake, and keep a buffer for weather.

Nathang and Kupup sit around 13,000–13,500 ft, high enough for altitude sickness, and the days involve long stretches on winding mountain roads. It suits most healthy travellers, but please consult a doctor first if anyone has heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions, and expect car sickness on the bends.

Simple family-run rooms with hot water, heavy blankets and home-cooked meals — there are no hotels or resorts on the route. Mobile network is weak to absent above Padamchen, there are no ATMs, and electricity can be intermittent. Carry cash and any medication you need from Siliguri.

Nathu La needs its own separate permit, is open only to Indian nationals, and is closed on certain days of the week — so it is usually done as a day trip from Gangtok rather than folded into the Silk Route drive. Tell us if you want it and we'll structure the itinerary to make it possible, subject to permits being issued.

Very few rooms. Book ahead of the season.

Send your dates — we'll come back with homestays, permits and a day-by-day Silk Route plan.

📞 Call Now WhatsApp Us