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Turquoise Tsomgo Lake lying in a valley of brown, snow-streaked mountains with a road along its far shore
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Photo: Indrajit Das · CC BY 3.0
Day planFirst visitRoad tripbalanced

Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La from Gangtok — a permit day on the high road

A day on the Nathu La road from Gangtok: Tsomgo Lake at 3,753 m and the border pass, with the permit rule for Indian visitors, road times and the season to go.
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A full day on the road east of Gangtok to Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La, both in a restricted border area. Wikipedia says Indian citizens obtain permits in Gangtok a day in advance and may visit Thursday to Sunday, and that foreign nationals need a special permit for the lake and cannot visit the pass. Confirm the rule with Sikkim Tourism or your hotel; for a day without a permit, take the monasteries and the ridge.

Photos: Indrajit Das (CC BY 3.0) · Kuldeepburjbhalaike (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Indrajit Das (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Indian citizens with a permit and a day to spare, in April and May or October and November when the road is most often clear; the pass can close in snow.

Day by day

Day 1

A glacial lake and a border pass

2 stops · 28 min on the road

One long day on the Nathu La road, in the restricted zone: permits are arranged in Gangtok the day before.

  1. 09:30
    Tsomgo Lake
    lake · 1 h 15 min from Gangtok · about 1 h there
    The glacial lake at 3,753 m, frozen in winter.
  2. ↓ 28 min by road · 17 km
    12:00
    Nathu La
    pass · 1 h 42 min from Gangtok · about 45 min there
    The border pass, 52 to 54 km east of Gangtok by Wikipedia's figure; visits are for Indian citizens only.

Getting there

The road starts at Gangtok; see how to reach Gangtok for the airport and station.

Where to stay

Stay in Gangtok and leave early; the pass is about 102 minutes from the centre on our routing, and the day can run long. We have no verified lodging or prices.

Know before you go

  • Arrange the permit a day ahead in Gangtok, and carry ID and a copy of it.
  • Carry warm layers: the lake is at 3,753 m and Nathu La is higher, and the air is thin.
  • Snow and landslides can close the road at short notice; ask your hotel about the day's conditions.

Places on this route

Tsomgo Lake (Changu) — the high glacial lake on the Nathu La road
Tsomgo Lake (Changu) — the high glacial lake on the Nathu La road
lake · 1 h 15 min from Gangtok
Nathu La — the border pass east of Gangtok, and who may visit
Nathu La — the border pass east of Gangtok, and who may visit
pass · 1 h 42 min from Gangtok

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Gangtok itineraries →
One day in Gangtok — monasteries, the royal chapel and the ridge
One day in Gangtok — monasteries, the royal chapel and the ridge
Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage
A one-day Gangtok plan: the Do-drul Chorten, the Tibetology museum, the royal Tsuklakhang, Enchey Monastery, Hanuman Tok and an evening on Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Two days in Gangtok — the town, Banjhakri Falls and Rumtek Monastery
Two days in Gangtok — the town, Banjhakri Falls and Rumtek Monastery
1 night · 2 days · First visit · Classic
A two-day Gangtok plan: the Do-drul Chorten, the Tibetology museum, the Tsuklakhang and Banjhakri Falls, then Rumtek Monastery, Lingdum and Saramsa Garden.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Gangtok →
Hanuman Tok, Gangtok — the army-kept temple on the ridge
Hanuman Tok, Gangtok — the army-kept temple on the ridge
temple · 13 km away
Enchey Monastery, Gangtok — the "solitary monastery" on the ridge
Enchey Monastery, Gangtok — the "solitary monastery" on the ridge
temple · 14 km away
Kabi Lungchok — the stones of the Lepcha–Bhutia blood brotherhood
Kabi Lungchok — the stones of the Lepcha–Bhutia blood brotherhood
monument · 15 km away
Tsuklakhang Monastery, Gangtok — the royal chapel of the Chogyals
Tsuklakhang Monastery, Gangtok — the royal chapel of the Chogyals
temple · 15 km away
Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park, Gangtok — a waterfall and the forest healer
Banjhakri Falls and Energy Park, Gangtok — a waterfall and the forest healer
waterfall · 16 km away
Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok — the Tibet museum and library
Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok — the Tibet museum and library
museum · 17 km away
Do-drul Chorten, Gangtok — the white stupa with 108 prayer wheels
Do-drul Chorten, Gangtok — the white stupa with 108 prayer wheels
temple · 17 km away
Phodong Monastery and Labrang — two old monasteries on the North Sikkim road
Phodong Monastery and Labrang — two old monasteries on the North Sikkim road
temple · 18 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The town of Almora spread across a terraced ridge under a blue sky with clouds
Almora
912 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
Rows of boats with red cushioned seats moored on Nainital Lake, with forested hills across the water
Nainital
925 km away · 2 itineraries · 5 places
A wide panorama of forested ridges below a long line of snow-capped Himalayan peaks seen from Ranikhet
Ranikhet
934 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
Joshimath's houses spread down a steep mountain slope above a deep valley, with high ridges and blue sky beyond
Joshimath
951 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

How long is the drive from Gangtok to Nathu La?

About 53 km and 102 minutes by road on our routing, and Wikipedia says the pass is 52 to 54 km east of Gangtok. Tsomgo Lake is about 75 minutes out. Allow a long day with the return, because snow, landslides and the altitude slow the road. Start early and ask about the conditions the night before.

Do you need a permit for Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La?

Yes. Wikipedia says the lake is in a restricted area, so Indian visitors need permits and foreign nationals a special permit, and that only Indian citizens can visit Nathu La, on Thursdays to Sundays, with permits obtained in Gangtok a day in advance. Confirm today's rule with Sikkim Tourism or your hotel.

When is the best time for Tsomgo Lake?

Spring and autumn for clear roads, with the shoreline in bloom after the winter ends in mid-May by Wikipedia's account. The lake freezes in winter, sometimes into May, and snow can close the road. The monsoon, June to September, brings landslides. Ask locally about the road before you set out.