Gangtok & East Sikkim

Permits & entry — Indian nationals require no permit for Gangtok city or general East Sikkim movement. Tsomgo Lake requires a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for Indian nationals, arranged through a registered tour operator with one day's advance notice, an ID copy, and two passport photos; the government-levied fee is approximately ₹20–50 per person, with operator processing fees of ₹150–200 pp, making the all-in cost roughly ₹150–200 pp through an operator. Nathula Pass (4,310 m) requires a separate permit (₹200 pp government fee) applied for through a registered Sikkim travel operator — typically the evening before travel; the pass is open Wednesday through Sunday only (closed both Monday and Tuesday), carries a hard daily ceiling of 200 civilian permits enforced by the Indian Army, is typically snow-closed from December through March (closures can begin before mid-December and the exact window varies year to year), and is barred to all foreign nationals. The Old Silk Route / Zuluk zone requires a PAP for Indian nationals — obtainable from the SDPO office at Rongli Bazaar, the Gangtok Sikkim Tourism Office, or the 3rd Mile Police Check Post in Gangtok, or through a licensed operator — at a fee of ₹100–200 pp with one day's processing time; foreign nationals are barred. OCI/PIO holders face a confirmed hard military restriction barring them from the Old Silk Route / Zuluk zone; their status at Nathula Pass is genuinely contested — some licensed operators treat OCI holders as equivalent to Indian passport holders while others enforce the foreign-national bar — reconfirm with your specific licensed Gangtok operator before building any OCI itinerary around Nathula.