Nathu La — the border pass east of Gangtok, and who may visit
What it is
Nathu La is a high pass in the Dongkya Range on the border between India's Sikkim and China's Tibet, east of Gangtok. Wikipedia gives its height as 4,310 m in its lead and 4,340 m in its geography section, so give both. It connects Gangtok and Kalimpong with the lower Chumbi Valley.
Photos: ঈশান জ্যোতি বৰা (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
History
Wikipedia says the pass was surveyed in 1873 and was used by Tibetan traders, and that Francis Younghusband went through it in 1903–04. In the 1950s Sikkim's trade ran over it. After the 1962 war it was sealed, and the years that followed saw skirmishes between the two countries, including clashes in 1967. It reopened for limited trade in 2006, restricted to specific goods and specific days, and mainly in the months between about May and November.
Who can visit
This is a border area. Wikipedia says that from the Indian side the pass is open to Indian citizens alone, on Thursdays to Sundays, with permits arranged in Gangtok a day ahead. It adds that the pass was closed in April 2020 and that tensions have affected tourism, and that by October 2024 it was again popular with tourists. Foreign nationals are not covered by that route. Confirm today's rules with Sikkim Tourism or your hotel.
The road and the circuit
The road climbs from Gangtok past Tsomgo Lake; our measured road time is in the quick facts, but snow and landslides can make the day much longer. Wikipedia says the Baba Harbhajan Singh memorial and shrine are part of the circuit.
Combine it with
The Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La day is the standard full day. For a day that needs no permit, take the monasteries and the ridge. Read when to visit Gangtok.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →
Nearby places
All of Gangtok →
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
What is Nathu La?
A mountain pass in the Dongkya Range on the border between Sikkim and Tibet. Wikipedia gives its height as 4,310 m in one place and 4,340 m in another, and says it lies 52 to 54 km east of Gangtok. It was an old trade route to Tibet and reopened for limited trade in 2006.
Who can visit Nathu La?
Wikipedia says that from the Indian side the pass is open to Indian citizens alone, on Thursdays to Sundays, with permits obtained in Gangtok a day in advance. Foreign nationals are not covered by that permit route. This is a border-area rule that changes, so confirm the current rule with Sikkim Tourism or your hotel before you plan.
Is Nathu La always open?
No. Wikipedia notes heavy snowfall, a border-trade season of roughly seven to eight months, and that the Sikkim government closed the pass in April 2020, with border tensions affecting movement afterwards. By October 2024 it was again popular with tourists on the Indian side. Check the day's status locally; the pass can close at short notice.