The Old Silk Route in East Sikkim is the Indian segment of a trade road that ran from Kalimpong in West Bengal, climbed through Rongli, Aritar, Zuluk, Nathang Valley, Kupup and Jelepla Pass on the Tibet border, then descended to Yatung and finally Lhasa. Wool, tea, gold and Chinese silk moved along this road for at least 300 years. The Indian segment closes today at Jelepla (closed to civilians since 1962); everything below it from Rongli to Kupup is still drivable. This is the deep guide — the named places along the route, the history, why the road exists in the shape it does, and the photography that makes it the second-most-photographed mountain road in East Sikkim after the Lachung-Yumthang access.
A brief history of the route
The Indo-Tibetan trade through Sikkim predates British colonial records. The Bhutia and Lepcha communities had been moving small volumes of wool, salt and yak butter through the high passes for centuries before recorded history. The route became formalised under British India in the late 19th century. Younghusband's 1903-04 expedition to Lhasa moved along essentially this road. The 1904 Treaty of Lhasa opened formal trade marts at Yatung (on the Tibet side) and Gangtok (Sikkim side) — the wool and silk trade through Jelepla peaked between 1910 and 1950. The 1962 India-China war shut Jelepla; trade has not resumed since.
The named places along the route
Rongli — the permit gate
Rongli at 800 m sits on the lower foothills, 84 km from NJP. This is where the Inner Line Permit for East Sikkim is issued — the road from here on is technically restricted. Two passport photos, an ID copy, allow 30-45 minutes at the permit office. Not a destination in itself; you eat lunch at one of the small dhabas and continue.
Aritar — the lake stop
Aritar at 1,500 m with the small natural Lampokhri Lake. The acclimatisation stop on the standard 6-day itinerary. The Mankhim viewpoint nearby offers a clear panorama of the Kanchenjunga massif on dry days. Aritar Eco Resort and Lake Resort are the two main properties. Walking circuit around the lake takes 45 minutes.
Padamchen and Lingtam — the warm-up climb
Padamchen at 1,920 m is a small village known to the route mostly for the tea shops that supply army convoys. Lingtam, the next stop at 2,200 m, marks where the pine-and-magnolia forest gives way to rhododendron-and-alpine. The road from Lingtam climbs hard through the famous 32 hairpin bends to Zuluk.
Zuluk — the working army township
Zuluk at 2,900 m. A village of ~700 residents on a hill flank, originally established as an army post. Today it operates as both a tourist village and a working army township — the army has a meaningful presence and you see uniformed staff in the streets. Most homestays are family-run; the cuisine is Bhutia. The Hindu monastery above the village holds the puja for departing army units. Stay one or two nights; the village walks well in 30 minutes.
Thambi View Point — the dawn shot
Thambi at 3,200 m. The dawn viewpoint above Zuluk with the famous shot — the 32 hairpins of the access road snaking up to the platform with Kanchenjunga in the distance. Pre-dawn departure from Zuluk by 4:30 a.m. arrives at Thambi by 5:00 a.m. The sun clears the Kanchenjunga massif around 5:50 a.m. Clear-view probability: 60-70 per cent October-November, lower in monsoon. The single most-photographed point on the entire route.
Lungthung — the high meadow
Lungthung at 3,500 m. A high alpine meadow with an army post and a small viewing area. Photo stop on the route from Thambi/Zuluk to Nathang. Not a destination in itself; allow 30 minutes for the views.
Nathang Valley — the high-altitude village
Nathang at 4,100 m. The highest sleeping altitude on the standard route. A small village with about 30 homestays and a working monastery. The valley around the village is open meadow in summer, deep snow in winter (December-March). Altitude is real; some guests feel mild symptoms here. Hydration is the defence. The Kalapokhri (Black Lake) seasonally has water; the small Buddhist gompa is worth a visit.
Kupup and Bitan Cho (Elephant Lake)
Kupup at 4,200 m. The next major stop after Nathang on the descent toward Tsomgo. The Kupup Lake (also called Bitan Cho or Elephant Lake, named because seen from above the lake is shaped like an elephant's foot) is the photographed stop here. Photo stop of 15 minutes, not a destination.
Tukla Pass
Tukla Pass at 3,950 m. The road levels here as you transition from the Nathang plateau toward the Tsomgo descent. A small war memorial commemorates the 1962 conflict casualties. Brief stop for the memorial; the high-altitude photography opportunities along the immediate descent toward Baba Mandir are the next set.
Jelepla Pass — the closed border
Jelepla at 4,267 m on the India-Tibet border. The route's historical endpoint. Closed to civilians since 1962. The army post visible from the descent road from Nathang to Kupup is on the Indian side of Jelepla. You cannot drive to Jelepla itself today. Mention only because guests sometimes ask where the road actually ends — the answer is "at the army gate above Kupup, the pass beyond it is closed".
The 32 hairpin bends — what they actually are
The famous 32 hairpins on the Old Silk Route are the section between Lingtam and Zuluk — about 9 km of road climbing roughly 700 metres of vertical. Each hairpin is numbered. The Border Roads Organisation builds and maintains them; the engineering challenge of the gradient and the slope soil composition means the road needs regular re-tarring. The best shot of the hairpins is not from inside them — it is from Thambi View Point above, looking back down. The road has the appearance of a fishbone laid across the hill flank.
Photography on the route
- Thambi View Point at dawn — the canonical shot, the 32 hairpins with Kanchenjunga distant
- Lungthung Meadow — wide-angle of the high alpine grassland, especially in summer
- Nathang in winter — fresh snow on the meadow with the mountain backdrop
- Bitan Cho Lake — bird's-eye view from the descending road shows the elephant-foot shape
- Aritar Lake at dawn — mist on the water with reflections
- Padamchen tea shops — the human element, Bhutia hosts, working life
When to go — the two windows
October to mid-November is the primary window: clear Thambi sunrises, dry roads, autumn light, first snow on Nathang in the last week of November. March to mid-May is the secondary window: rhododendron bloom along Padamchen-Lingtam, warmer weather, longer days. Mid-May to mid-September is monsoon and the route is officially open but the access road from Rongli to Aritar sees frequent landslide closures. Late December to early February has the deepest snow at Nathang (genuinely beautiful) but the access road past Tukla can close for days. We do not run the route in July-August.
