Sikkim for foreigners: RAP, PAP, what is closed and the realistic itinerary

Sikkim is one of India's most-traveller-friendly states for foreigners — culture is open, cuisine is gentle, accommodations across all tiers, and locals consistently warm. But it is also one of three Indian states that requires a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for foreign-passport entry (the others are Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland with their own systems). North Sikkim requires an additional Protected Area Permit (PAP), and currently three destinations are closed to foreigners regardless of permit: Gurudongmar Lake, Cholamu Lake, and the entire Zuluk-Nathang Old Silk Route. This is the foreigner-specific Sikkim trip guide — what permits to get, where you can actually go, what is realistic to plan, and the practical things Indian-citizen guides rarely think to mention.

Restricted Area Permit (RAP) — how to get it

• Free of cost — RAP itself has no fee
• Valid for 15 days standard (extendable to 30, then 45 with additional applications)
• Required documents: passport (valid 6+ months), Indian visa, 2 passport photos, photocopy of passport identity page, photocopy of Indian visa
• Where to get it: Bagdogra airport on arrival (counter at the international terminal), Rangpo Inner Line check post on the road from Bagdogra (most common), Sikkim Tourism office in Gangtok, or Sikkim House offices in Delhi/Kolkata/Siliguri
• Time: 15-30 minutes at Rangpo; 1-2 working days if applying via Sikkim House office in advance
• Photocopies are essential — bring 3-4 sets to be safe; printers at Rangpo are sometimes broken

Protected Area Permit (PAP) — for North Sikkim

• Required for any travel north of Chungthang — Lachung, Lachen, Yumthang, Zero Point, Lachen, Dzongu
• Fee: ₹500-1,000 per person depending on duration
• Foreigners must apply in groups of at least 2 — you cannot do North Sikkim solo as a foreigner
• Required documents: RAP + 2 passport photos + photocopy of passport and Indian visa + the booked tour itinerary
• Processed by your tour operator at the Sikkim Tourism Department office in Gangtok, 1 working day turnaround
• Valid for 7 days from issue; the North Sikkim leg must be completed within this window

East Sikkim · ↑ 1,650mGangtok →Car-free MG Marg, a 8-minute valley ropeway, ridge monasteries and Kanchenjunga views.

What is currently closed to foreigners

• Gurudongmar Lake (5,430 m) — closed to all foreign nationals at present. Indians only
• Cholamu Lake (5,330 m) — also closed. Indians only
• Zuluk-Nathang Old Silk Route (East Sikkim) — Inner Line Permit not issued to foreigners. Closed indirectly
• Nathu La Pass — closed to foreigners specifically (Indians only on Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun)
• Dzongu Lepcha reserve — currently restricted to Indian passport-holders. Foreigners not permitted

What is open and worth doing as a foreigner

• All of West Sikkim — Pelling, Pemayangtse, Yuksom, Khecheopalri, Tashiding, Barsey
• All of South Sikkim — Ravangla, Namchi, Temi tea garden, Buddha Park
• Most of East Sikkim — Gangtok, Rumtek, Enchey, Do Drul Chorten, MG Marg. Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir are open with East Sikkim permit (Nathu La is excluded)
• North Sikkim Lachung side — Lachung village, Yumthang Valley, Zero Point (with PAP, group of 2+)
• Lachen town itself — accessible with PAP (but Gurudongmar from Lachen is not)
• Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Mirik, Kurseong — all in West Bengal, no Sikkim permit needed; just standard Indian visa
• Khangchendzonga National Park — open for guided walks

A realistic 10-day foreigner Sikkim + Darjeeling itinerary

1. Days 1-3 — Darjeeling: Tiger Hill, Toy Train, Happy Valley Tea Estate, HMI Mountaineering Museum, monasteries
2. Day 4 — Drive Darjeeling → Gangtok via Teesta. Evening MG Marg
3. Day 5 — Gangtok local: Rumtek dawn, viewpoints, ropeway, Tibetology Institute
4. Day 6 — Tsomgo Lake + Baba Mandir day trip (Nathu La excluded for foreigners)
5. Day 7 — Drive Gangtok → Lachung (PAP processed Day 4 in Gangtok)
6. Day 8 — Yumthang Valley + Zero Point morning. Afternoon return drive to Gangtok
7. Day 9 — Drive Gangtok → Pelling. Pemayangtse Monastery + Skywalk
8. Day 10 — Pelling sunrise. Drive Pelling → Bagdogra for departure flight

Foreigner-specific practical tips

• Carry your passport AND a photocopy in your day bag — checkpoints regularly ask
• Travel insurance is genuinely useful at altitude — for foreigners, the medical evacuation cover is the part that matters
• Currency: USD/EUR/GBP exchange at SBI in Gangtok or at Bagdogra airport; carry small Indian rupee notes for daily expenses
• SIM card: Indian SIM cards require passport + visa + photograph + Indian local address. Tourist SIMs available at Bagdogra (Airtel-Tourist plan, ₹350-650, 28-day validity)
• Embassy contacts — write your country embassy contact (in Delhi) on a piece of paper and keep with passport
• Travel buddies for North Sikkim — if you are travelling solo, we can match you with another foreign solo traveller heading to North Sikkim on the same dates
• Vegetarian foreigners — Sikkim is one of the easier Indian states for vegetarian travel; the Nepali base cuisine is naturally veg-friendly
• Photography rules — same as for Indian visitors; no flash in monasteries, ask before photographing locals

Common questions