Nathula Pass

Nathula Pass, properly Nathu La, is a high mountain pass at about 4,310 m on the border between India and China in East Sikkim, about 56 km from Gangtok. Nathula Pass was one of the main routes of the old trade between Tibet and the plains of Bengal, used by mule caravans carrying wool and salt south and cloth and goods north, as part of a network often linked to the Silk Road.

The pass was closed after the 1962 war between India and China, and in 1967 it saw serious clashes between the two armies. After decades of closure it was reopened for limited border trade in 2006, through trade marts at Sherathang on the Indian side, and since 2015 it has also been one of the routes for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. At the top, soldiers of both armies stand a short distance apart at the border fence. Nathula Pass is open only to Indian nationals; foreign visitors, including Singapore passport holders, cannot visit, though they may reach Tsomgo Lake with a permit.

What to see

• The border point, with the fence and the Chinese side in view
• The Indian Army memorial and visitor area at the top
• Snow peaks and high lakes along the approach road
• Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir, a shrine to a soldier revered by the army
• Tsomgo Lake on the way up from Gangtok

What to wear

Nathu La is bitterly cold and windy, and snow is possible in any month. Wear thermal layers, a down jacket, woollen hat, gloves, sunglasses and waterproof boots. The air is thin at 4,310 m: walk slowly, avoid exertion and do not go if you feel unwell from the altitude. Bhutia dress in Sikkim is the bakhu, a long robe tied at the waist, and many Nepali-speaking Sikkimese men wear the daura suruwal and topi for occasions.

Local food to try

There are few food options at the pass, apart from tea and snacks at army-run canteens and stalls near Tsomgo Lake. Eat in Gangtok before or after: momos, thukpa, phagshapa (pork with radish), gundruk and kinema, a fermented soybean dish, are all Sikkimese staples. Tongba, a warm millet beer sipped through a bamboo straw, is served in local eateries. Vegetarian meals are widely available on MG Marg.

Good to know

• Best time: April to June and October to November; the road often closes with winter snow
• Open to visitors Wednesday to Sunday, closed Mondays and Tuesdays; day trips return by afternoon
• Special permit for Indian nationals only, arranged through a registered operator in Gangtok at least a day ahead
• Allow a full day from Gangtok
• About 56 km from Gangtok, via Tsomgo Lake
• No photography of military installations; foreign nationals cannot visit

Nearby places

Nathula Pass is visited in one trip with Tsomgo Lake, below on the same road. From Gangtok, Rumtek Monastery is an easy half-day outing, and Darjeeling in West Bengal is about four hours away by road.