Hills & Viewpoints
2 places around Gangtok, with the travel time to each.
Nathu La
A mountain pass at 4,310 metres on the Dongkya Range, between Sikkim and Tibet. Until the border closed in 1962 it was the main route for the wool, fur and spice trade with Tibet, and it reopened in 2006. Barbed wire separates the two sides at the pass, which is open to Indian nationals only, on a permit obtained a day before travelling. The resort can advise.
Hanuman Tok
A Hindu temple to Hanuman in the upper reaches of Gangtok, kept by the Indian Army, from which the Kanchenjunga range can be seen. Local tradition holds that Hanuman rested at this spot while flying to the mountain that held the Sanjeevani herb, needed to save Rama's brother Lakshmana. A signboard at the temple puts it 7.9 km from Gangtok's Zero Mile.