Nathula Pass Permit: Open Days, Documents, Who Can Go

The short answer

Nathula is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. Only Indian nationals can go, and the operator applies for your permit the day before.

• Closed every Monday, open Tuesday to Sunday. Tuesday and Sunday are the busiest days.
• Indian nationals only. Foreign nationals and OCI card holders can visit Tsomgo Lake instead, on the Tsomgo Lake day for foreign nationals.
• After you book, add every traveller’s name, date of birth and ID number to your booking by the listing’s cut-off, about 3–4 pm the day before.
• Aadhaar isn’t accepted for Nathula, or for the Tsomgo (Changu) Lake and Baba Mandir permit you need on the way, so carry a Voter ID, driving licence or passport.

Days you can book for this

Shared Trip to Nathula Pass , Tsomgo and Baba MandirFull day · from $16 per personTsomgo Lake & Baba Mandir Day trip with Optional Nathula PassFull day · from $41 per vehicleTsomgo (Changu) Lake Day Trip for Foreign Nationals with Registered GuideFull day · from $68

For Nathula, pick any date but a Monday. If only the pass is shut on the day, the Nathula days still go to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir.

Which days is Nathula open?

Nathula is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed every Monday.

Monday is the one day of the week to keep Nathula off your plan. As of October 2026, Tuesday is open. It used to be closed on Tuesdays too, which is why some pages still list two closed days.

Tuesday and Sunday are the busiest days, Tuesday because it follows the Monday closure. Operators report a limit of about 200 vehicles a day up to the pass, so on those two days it pays to book early and add everyone’s details in good time.

The shared day has Nathula in its plan, and operators report it runs even when only a few people have booked. Its calendar shows the dates you can pick.

A day you can book

Gangtok, SikkimShared Trip to Nathula Pass , Tsomgo and Baba MandirNathula Pass · New Baba Mandir · Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake)Full day·meet in town·refundable 48hfrom $16per person, all-inSee the day →

Who can go to Nathula?

Indian nationals only. Foreign nationals cannot visit Nathula, and OCI card holders count as foreign nationals.

Sikkim Tourism’s permit page says foreign tourists may go as far as Tsomgo Lake and no further. Baba Mandir and Nathula, higher up the same road, are for Indian nationals.

So a traveller with a foreign passport or an OCI card can still see the lake. The Tsomgo Lake day for foreign nationals is made for exactly that, with a registered guide.

A day you can book

Gangtok, SikkimTsomgo (Changu) Lake Day Trip for Foreign Nationals with Registered Guide3 Rd Mile Checkpost · Pine tree View point · Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake)Full day·pickup incl·refundable 24hfrom $68all-inSee the day →

Which documents do you need, and is Aadhaar accepted?

A Voter ID, driving licence or passport for each adult, and passport-size photos. Aadhaar is not accepted.

Sikkim Tourism’s permit page says Aadhaar isn’t accepted for Nathula, and operators say the Tsomgo (Changu) Lake and Baba Mandir permit you need on the way doesn’t take it either. Nathula is further up the same road, so every car needs that permit first, and an Aadhaar card alone won’t get you as far as the pass.

For Nathula, the permit page names a Voter ID or driving licence and two passport-size photos. For children under 18 it names a birth certificate, the father’s Voter ID or a passport.

You don’t need printouts. On the day, carry the same ID you gave for the permit, for every traveller.

How is the permit applied for?

The operator applies for it. After you book, add each traveller’s details to your booking by about 3–4 pm the day before; the operator may also ask for a photo of each traveller and their ID for the permit.

There are two permits behind a Nathula day. As of October 2026, the Tsomgo (Changu) Lake and Baba Mandir permit can be applied for online, while the Nathula permit is applied for in person, so it has to be lodged the afternoon before.

Sikkim Tourism says Nathula permits are issued by the Tourism Department through a registered travel agency, with a vehicle permit from the police check post. On the days listed here, the operator handles all of it.

What happens if Nathula is shut on the day?

You still go to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, as long as the road to the lake is open; only the last stretch up to the pass is missed.

Nathula can close at short notice, for snow or by order of the authorities. The lake and the temple sit on their own permit, so the day carries on to both.

The weather also decides how long cars stay up high. If it turns, especially in winter, the drivers come down early so the cars don’t get stuck in snow.

Each listing’s terms cover a day that can’t run at all. Read them on the day’s page before you book.

Shared or private, and what changes with the Nathula add-on?

Take the shared day for a seat with Nathula in the plan, or the private day for your own vehicle with Nathula as an option.

On the shared day, there are usually 8 to 10 people in one vehicle. It leaves early, and a little earlier in the busy season when traffic builds on the road up. The listing gives the meeting time and place, and the exact pickup point is confirmed the day before.

The private day is Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir in your own vehicle, with Nathula as an add-on you choose at checkout, priced per vehicle. Adding Nathula doesn’t change the pickup time; you’re back about one to two hours later than without it.

Both need the same details by the same cut-off, and both still go to the lake and the temple if only Nathula is shut. Each is run by a verified local operator. If neither fits, see every day you can book from Gangtok.

A day you can book

Gangtok, SikkimTsomgo Lake & Baba Mandir Day trip with Optional Nathula PassNew Baba Mandir · Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake)Full day·pickup incl·refundable 24hfrom $41per vehicle, all-inSee the day →

Who should skip Nathula?

People with heart conditions, high blood pressure, asthma or breathing problems should not go up to Nathula.

The pass is at 4,310 m, and even healthy people sometimes feel unwell up there; it depends on how your body reacts on the day.

Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, lower down, may still be fine for some of those travellers, depending on the day’s weather. Check with your doctor before you book, and read the restrictions on the day’s page.

Children and older travellers do go: operators report taking babies from about six months old, and travellers over 60. For babies and toddlers, the warmer months are a better time than peak winter. Sikkim Tourism’s permit page lists no minimum age, and each listing shows who its day isn’t suited to.

Portable oxygen cans, at shops on the way up: about ₹500 each (operators) · checked Oct 2026

What is it like at the top, and what should you wear?

A climb up stairs to a viewpoint over the border, in cold, thin air, so dress warmly and take the steps slowly.

From the viewpoint you look straight across the border to the Chinese side. You may see soldiers there, and they sometimes photograph the visitors on the Indian side.

The stairs are the hard part. Climbing at this height takes effort even for healthy people, so go at your own pace and rest when you need to.

The Gangtok district administration lists a war memorial, an army exhibition centre, souvenir shops and places to eat at the pass. Signs mark the areas where photos aren’t allowed; follow them and any instructions from army staff.

Warm gear is easy to hire on the way. At 17th Mile, on the road to Tsomgo Lake, shops hire out snow boots, gloves and jackets, and small roadside eateries serve tea and food.

Snow boots, gloves or a jacket at 17th Mile: about ₹300–500 per item, depending on the shop, the material and the size (operators) · checked Oct 2026

Questions travellers ask