Sikkim Silk Route
Photo: Arup1981, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Old Silk Route or simply the Silk Route is a high-altitude road trip in the East Sikkim district of Sikkim. The 2-day- and 1-night-long road trip follows the ancient trade routes and offers spectacular views of the snow-covered Kanchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world. The route passes several beautiful high-altitude glacial lakes, high passes opening into Tibet, China and a couple of temples dedicated to a fallen Indian soldier.
UnderstandThe tour covers part of an ancient trade route passing through the high passes of Nathula and Jelep La on the India Tibet (China) border. The route connected Eastern India with the famous Silk Route of Central Asia.
PrepareIndians need a Protected Area Permit to travel in the Silk Route. The permits can be arranged by the travel agents and hotels.
Get inSince Rongli is the place where the permits are issued for the Silk Route tour, it saves a lot of time.
Route* Lingtam (9 km from Rongli) — a small village with a couple of hotels and a monastery. It has a check post where permits of Silk Route are checked.
ItinerariesThere are several itineraries for the Silk Route:
Stay safe
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Sikkim Silk Route" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Arup1981, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons