The Old Silk Route Zuluk & High Altitude Border Passes circuit is an evocative 5-day mountain journey tracing the ancient trading corridor that once connected Lhasa in Tibet with the plains of Bengal through the high Himalayan passes of East Sikkim. Beginning from the emerald waters of Aritar’s Lampokhari Lake, the trail climbs through subtropical pine forests into the dramatic switchbacks of Zuluk, a historic transit hamlet perched at 9,400 ft. Rise before sunrise to stand at Thambi Viewpoint, watching dawn break in blazing gold across Mount Kanchenjunga while looking down at the famous 32 hairpin loops clinging to the cliff face. Traverse the wild, windswept high-altitude plateau of Gnathang Valley, pass the iconic Elephant Lake at Kupup (13,500 ft), and descend into Gangtok on this unforgettable off-grid adventure.
Aritar · Zuluk · Padamchen · Thambi Viewpoint · Gnathang Valley · Kupup Lake · Gangtok