The Old Silk Route: Zuluk, Thambi and Nathang Valley

The Old Silk Route trades marquee sights for a genuinely different kind of drive: thirty-two hairpins climbing out of Zuluk, homestay nights, and a sunrise viewpoint at Thambi that is worth the early alarm.

The hairpins at Zuluk

The switchback climb above Zuluk village is the postcard image of this route, best seen and photographed from the Thambi viewpoint above it, reached by a short morning drive from your homestay.

Where you actually sleep

Homestays rather than hotels are the norm here, in Zuluk and again near Nathang Valley. Rooms are simple and the nights are cold at altitude, which is part of the appeal rather than a drawback.

What it needs

The same protected-area permit process as our other North Sikkim routes, filed against your ID before travel, plus a vehicle suited to loose mountain roads. We usually pair this with a Gangtok stay on either end.