Nathu La

Nathu La is a mountain pass at 4,310 m in the Dongkya Range of the Himalaya, on the border between Sikkim and Yadong County in the Tibet region of China. It is reached by road from Gangtok, which lies in the same district. In earlier times the pass carried an important branch of the Silk Route, linking Gangtok and Kalimpong with the villages of the lower Chumbi Valley.

The pass has strategic military importance, and it is also one of the points where trade across the India-China border takes place. The drive up from Gangtok climbs past waterfalls and valleys into bare high country lined with prayer flags, with small stalls along the road. From the top there are wide views over the snow ranges on both sides of the border.