Why sikkim is restricted

Count: We have sent you a verification email. To verify, just follow the link in the message. Argentina is now open to fully vaccinated travellers Beautiful getaways in South India that you can visit in December A look at most picturesque heritage lakes in India. From around the web. Afghanistan air space now closed as Kabul-Delhi flight get cancelled. New Zealand to keep its border closed for travellers till the end of this year.

Coming soon to Tawang—a toy train! Popular Attractions. Gurudongmar Lake. Khecheopalri Lake. Hotels Resorts. Thing To Do. Wildlife sanctuaries Caves. Adventure tourism. Pilgrimage tourism. Heritage tourism. Tourism calender. Hotels Travel Agent. It borders Tibet in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south.

Sikkim is also located close to India's Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh Advertisement space for private entrepreneurs, for details Contact Additional Secretary. Wildlife Learn more. Cuisines Learn more. Many people are motivated by the desire to learn new things and so are the tourists. Engaging in experience educationally increases ones knowledge about a product or service he wants to consume.

As a result, he or she will go for the best quality when looking for any commodity or services. In Sikkim, many tourist establishments provide their customers or the tourists with tourist guidelines and brochures indicating the animals, activities and people to expect in a given tourist establishment. Depending on how these brochures are appealing tourists may feel more attracted to a given place and that particular place will have more demand amongst tourists Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Govt.

Fairs and festivals Cuisines of Sikkim Flora and Fauna. Popular Attractions Buddhist Sites. Pilgrimage Tourism. Heritage Tourism. Wildlife Sanctuaries. Interests Wildlife sanctuaries Caves Tourism Calendar. Government Affiliation Hotels Travel Agent. Traveller Tips FAQs. Hello, there is no cost for ILP, it's free. You can get a provisional ILP online through the website sikkimpts. You can also get a manual ILP at Rangpo. For your information, in the online application, you need to choose a tour operator you can choose any and it practically has no bearing at this time.

Hello very soon I am travelling to India from New Zealand and I would like to know if we need any special permit to enter Gangtok? We are flying to Bagdogra and will then get a taxi from airport to our hotel in Gangtok.

Thank you very much for your help. Kind regards. You can get that at Bagdogra airport arrival hall at the Sikkim Tourism counter. Carry photographs, passport, visa etc.

Hi, I and my husband will be visiting Gangtok in February, We wish to travel to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir. You can try with a driving license if you have.

Otherwise, you can not go. I am a Nepali citizen, planning to visit North Sikkim with my sister, who has an Indian citizenship. Pairing with an Indian citizen won't solve that problem. So you are likely to be refused the PAP unless you have at least one more Nepali citizen travelling with you.

You can try through a registered operator and they sometimes can find a work around. Hi Raj. You have provided a fantastic details. We are a group of motorcyclist and have done many accomplishments. As few of our fellow riders are not carrying the Voter ID. Is it possible to access with Aadhar Card? And one more thing is can we get the permits on the same day of traveling towards Lachen? Hi, only Voter Card and Passports are accepted for permits. Since September , Aadhar is no longer accepted.

If you reach Mangan early, you can get the permits done on the same day provided the officers are available but you can not get it on the same day in Gangtok. Hello, Sir, and thank you for posting all of the information you already have. I had no idea you could no longer obtain a permit for Sikkim in Darjeeling. This is useful information. We will ensure that we get our permits in Kolkata before travelling to Sikkim. My question, if you have time to answer, is as follows: I have read that foreigners cannot travel through Jorethang as there is no checkpoint, but if we were to already have our permits would we be allowed to take this route?

We would like to go straight to Pelling, then after we have explored we would like to go straight to Siliguri. Is this allowed or would we need to go to Gangtok either way first to avoid Jorethang? Thank you for your time. Hello, firstly it is possible to get your Inner Line Permit ILP in Darjeeling although the process could be a little cumbersome at times.

You need to first visit the Foreigners Registration Office on Ladenla Road, fill out an application form and get a memo. You can not take the short Darjeeling-Tukvar-Jamuni-Jorethang route even if you have permits However, you do not need to go via Gangtok either.

Once you come down from Darjeeling to Teesta bazar area and get on to NH10, you will take diversion towards Melli, and it would be much easier to get your ILP at Melli check post. From here the route goes all the way to Jorethang and then to Pelling there is no restriction on this route if you have the permit. You will take the same route back on your return up to Teesta and then continue on NH10 to reach Siliguri.

However, the requirement for RAP says there should be a minimum of two foreign nationals for processing the application. Would this work for us although only one of us is a foreign national? However when it comes to PAP Protected Area Permit which is required to visit protected areas such as Tsomgo, Yumthang etc the requirement of minimum two foreigners comes into play. They can make exceptions in cases like yours, but you need to go and talk to the officials or approach through a well known registered tour operator.

Hi Raj, Thank you very much for Your initiatives. I want to know some information. According to our permission we will arrive on 13 September, But we see that there is no flight operating to Pakyong airport in Gangtok this time. This airport is not usable this time. Then we want to take taxi to go to Gangtok. Will it create any problem at the check post?

Can you suggest which check post we can use for entry to Gangtok? What could be the best way for our way to reach Gangtok? Thank you again. Hi, it should not be a problem, but do check with the Indian High Commission at Dhaka. If yes, what is the best way to obtain it and what documents will be needed? Hello, no Indians require restricted area permits i. I got mine there on 22 May, First you have to visit the F. Very simple and pleasant process, no waiting, the day I did it. It was good for two weeks beginning the date I gave for my entry into Sikkim.

Dear Raj, Thanks for this very informative website. Then we would arrive from Bogdogra and Darjeeling, from your list it is not clear, if we could get ILP in Darjeeling as I've read on an other site?

Or would you suggest to apply from abroad. Thanks a lot for your help. Hello, eVisa is okay to get your ILP. ILP is no longer issued directly in Darjeeling although it's possible to get it. You need to first visit the F. Foreigners Registration Office and then go down to the District Magistrate office at the lower town area.

You can also easily get your ILP at the designated places mentioned on my website. My daughter aged 6 holds a US passport has Indian visa. I have an Indian passport and am a Sikkim native. How do we work around this is we want to take the helicopter? Could I take her to the closest office upon arrival at Gangtok? Will they let her board the helicopter? Many thanks,. Hello, I am from Bangladesh. I have valid Indian Tourist Visa till Sep Next May I want to visit Sikkim by Air. I will fly from Kolkata to Pakyong Airport.

Now my question is: After landing at Pakyong Airprot where I can register myself as foreigner on the way to Gangtok?

Is there any option at Paykong Airport? I suggest you contact the the Tourist Office at Pakyong airport arrival hall. They will guide you on the matter. Hi, me and my girlfriend are going to visit Sikkim in March. We wanted to go in a few restricted areas. Do we need just one permission for all areas or is for every area another permission required? Is there a Website to book approved local Guides on the Internet and how much is a guide approx.

Hi, whether you need separate permits would depend on the places you want to visit. North Sikkim and East Sikkim protected area permits are issued separately and you need to organize the tours through registered tour operators of Sikkim.

They have packages which includes vehicle, permit, guide, accommodation etc. However there are certain areas where foreign nationals are not allowed for example you can not visit Gurudongmar lake, Nathula Pass, Zuluk etc. You can contact an operator online through their website and organize the tours.

Hi, What is the procedure for a Chinese national to get the approval from the ministry of home affairs. Do we have to go and get it from Delhi or can we apply online? You can approach the Indian Mission Consulate office in your home country and make an application through them or take their guidance for the application. There is no provision for online application. We have a tourist permit on the front window of the car Hi, self driven rental cars from outside Sikkim for example Zoomcars are allowed in Gangtok and Pelling.

Chauffeur driven rental cars black letters on yellow number plate from outside Sikkim are allowed only for hotel drops but not for local sightseeing within Sikkim. You should check this out with your rental company. As foreign nationals, you will be required to get permits ILP before you enter Sikkim.

Hi Raj, We are planning to visit Sikkim with our 5-year-old boy. As we are Nepalese do we need permits to visit Tsomgo Lake. Hi, yes everybody including Indians need protected area permit to visit Tsomgo lake. Hi Raj, The information on the website is really useful. I am a foreigner who is working in West Bengal with a work visa.

I want to visit Sikkim. I am going to get my permit from the Rangpo checkpoint. Any advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks. Hi Mark, foreign tourists need to fill up 'the place arriving from' and 'the date of arrival' on the permit form. The permit is stamped at the checkpost on entry and exit so the same permit can not be used for re-entry.

It takes only minutes at Rangpo check post to get your permits done Hi Raj, Thank you for such valuable information on this page. I am an Indian travelling to north Sikkim in January. I will be staying in Lachen for 3 nights and in Lachung for 4 nights. I am unsure of this information, whether it is true or false. Please advice. Good day, We 2 persons from Europe are coming to India in Decembre. We are going to rent a car from Mumbai and then drive first to Assam and are planning first to visit Kalimpong then Gangtok and then Darjeeling.

I know I can get permit at the police check point on the way to Gangtok. I am a bit confused about Darjeeling. I read that Foreigners driving to Darjeeling need a permit. Can I apply for it at the airport in Dehli when entering India or at the police check point in Gangtok? Thanks a lot for your answer.

Hi, there is no permit required for foreigners in Darjeeling, even if you are self-driving. However you must have valid international travel documents like passport, visa etc. Permit is required for Sikkim Gangtok because it has international borders. Hi, Raj your blog has been very useful for my visit to Sikkim.

I am from Malaysia. Thank you so much. Hi, there is a Sikkim Tourism help desk at the arrival area of Pakyong Airport. Carry two photographs and of course your passport and visa. Hello, I have just tried to fill in the online form of ILP. I am a solo traveller to Sikkim and I don't have any tour operator. Which tour operator do I have to fill in? Is a tour operator obligatory? You can choose any tour operator while filling up the online form A solo foreign national is anyway not allowed to travel to a protected area in Sikkim.

Actually this online form makes no sense Instead you can get the usual ILP itself at the checkpost in a matter of minutes with your passport, visa and couple of photographs.