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Hornbill Festival 2026 Dec 1–10 · Kisama, Nagaland Packages from ₹4,999 Camps · Bonfire · Permits included Dzükou Valley Trek Tawang & Sela, from ₹14,999 Kapamodzü Peak trips, Sep-Dec Camps · Treks · Villages Hornbill Festival 2026 Dec 1–10 · Kisama, Nagaland Packages from ₹4,999 Camps · Bonfire · Permits included Dzükou Valley Trek Tawang & Sela, from ₹14,999 Kapamodzü Peak trips, Sep-Dec Camps · Treks · Villages Hornbill Festival 2026 Dec 1–10 · Kisama, Nagaland Packages from ₹4,999 Camps · Bonfire · Permits included Dzükou Valley Trek Tawang & Sela, from ₹14,999 Kapamodzü Peak trips, Sep-Dec Camps · Treks · Villages

Count the bends at

Zuluk (Silk Route)

Thirty-two hairpins on the old silk route.

Hairpin road landscape, representative of the Zuluk loops
Zuluk (Silk Route), Sikkim
Altitude
About 10,000ft
Signature
32 hairpin bends
Foreigners
Not permitted
Permit
Protected corridor, via agency

Zuluk is a tiny hamlet at about 10,000ft on the old silk route, famous for the view across its 32 hairpin bends stacked up the hillside. The road is a protected corridor: the official PAP page states foreign tourists are not allowed, and Indian visitors travel with permits and registered vehicles.

Kupup lake, the Elephant-shaped lake and Thambi view point complete the loop.

Things to do in Zuluk (Silk Route) →

Quick answers

Zuluk (Silk Route) at a glance

Why is Zuluk restricted?

It sits in a sensitive border corridor; permits run through registered agencies for Indian nationals only.

Practicals

Permits & season

No ILP, but protected areas (Nathula, North Sikkim beyond Mangan) need permits arranged through registered agencies ahead of travel.

March to May for rhododendrons and clear skies, October to December for the sharpest views; the monsoon closes high routes.

When to go

Plan around these months

MarchAprilMayOctoberNovember

Nearby

Close enough to combine

Things to do

What you're here for

Thambi viewpoint

The full hairpin staircase in one frame.

Kupup Lake

The high lake by the army checkpoint.

Journal

Read before you go

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Explore Zuluk (Silk Route)

Facts checked against the official Sikkim tourism portal · Last verified 2026-09-26

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