Photo: Masoom321 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

RhenockHeight above mean sea level 1,040 m

village · Gangtok and East Sikkim

Border bazaar on the old Kalimpong–Jelep La road into Sikkim

Best Mar – May · Oct – Nov1 nights

Rhenock is a small bazaar town at about 1,040 m in Pakyong district, East Sikkim, 47 km from Kalimpong on the old road to Jelep La. Lepcha, Bhutia and Gorkha families have shaped it over several centuries. Today it is the quiet back door into Sikkim, and a cheap base for Aritar and the Silk Route.

Rhenock sits on a ridge at about 1,040 m, 63 km east of Gangtok and 47 km north of Kalimpong, close to where the Pedong side of West Bengal meets Sikkim at Reshi. Its bazaar is a long market street of shops, canteens and offices, with houses and farms spreading down the slopes around it. Most travellers know it only as a name on the road to Aritar, a short drive further on, but Rhenock is older and more lived-in, and it is a practical, cheaper place to break a journey.

The name is usually explained as Lepcha for black hill. Local histories say Lepcha families settled the area some five or six hundred years ago, when it was dense forest. Bhutia families from Tibet followed from the mid-16th century and founded villages such as Kyongsa, Aritar, Tarpin and Reshi. Nepali-speaking Gorkha groups, including Newar, Bahun, Chhetri, Gurung and Limbu families, came later, and traders from the plains arrived in the 1940s and 1950s. You hear all of it in the bazaar, though Nepali is the common tongue.

Rhenock is also the back door into Sikkim. When NH10 along the Teesta is blocked by landslides, which happens most monsoons, traffic from Siliguri often comes via Kalimpong, Pedong and Rhenock, or via Gorubathan, Lava and Rhenock on NH717A, and on to Rorathang and Pakyong. Indian travellers need no permit here. Foreign nationals need the standard Sikkim Restricted Area Permit and should confirm in advance where it can be endorsed, as Rangpo and Melli are the usual entry points. Check current status before you travel.

Don't miss

Highlights of Rhenock

The bazaar street

Rhenock's main street is a working market of grocers, hardware shops, tailors, sweet shops and canteens, busiest in the morning. It has no souvenir trade. Walk it end to end, eat momos or a thali for ₹60–300, and watch shared jeeps load for Siliguri, Kalimpong and Gangtok.

The old Kalimpong road

The road from Kalimpong through Algarah and Pedong to Rhenock follows the line of the old trade route to Jelep La. Stop at Pedong for the ruins of Damsang fort, built by Lepchas in 1690, and the 1882 mission cross on its hill before crossing into Sikkim.

Day hop to Aritar

Aritar is a short drive from Rhenock, with Lampokhari Lake, boats, the 1895 dak bungalow built under John Claude White and the Kagyu gompa. If Aritar's homestays are full, or you want a cheaper bed near transport, sleep in Rhenock and spend the day there.

Village homestays and farms

The slopes around Rhenock are farming country, with maize, vegetables, cardamom and cattle. A few registered village homestays take guests for simple rooms and home meals, and they are the best way to see how a Sikkimese farming family lives from day to day.

A monsoon back door

When NH10 along the Teesta is cut, drivers often reroute through Kalimpong, Pedong and Rhenock, or via Lava and NH717A. Knowing this road can save a trip. It is longer and slower, but it is often open when the main highway is not. Check current status before you travel.

Told in the hills

The black hill on the road to Tibet

Before the motor road, the main trade route from Kalimpong to Lhasa ran east through Algarah and Pedong, crossed into Sikkim near Reshi, and climbed through Rhenock and Rongli towards Jelep La. Pedong had Damsang fort, built by Lepchas in 1690, and a mission cross raised on a hill in 1882. Rhenock, just over the border, was a natural halt on the ridge for mule caravans carrying wool and furs down from Tibet and manufactured goods back up, and for the officials who followed the trade.

Settlement here is layered. Local histories, summarised on Wikipedia, say Lepchas were the first settlers, Bhutias came from Tibet from the mid-16th century, and Gorkha families from Nepal and the Darjeeling hills followed, especially from the late 19th century, when the British-run administration encouraged Nepali farmers to clear and settle land in Sikkim. Each group left its mark: Lepcha place names, Bhutia villages and gompas such as the one at Aritar, Hindu temples, and Nepali as the shared language of the bazaar.

The caravans stopped after the 1959 crackdown in Tibet and the 1962 war, when Jelep La was closed, and it has stayed shut since. Rhenock became what it is now: a subdivision bazaar serving farms and villages, with a school, offices and a steady flow of shared jeeps. Walk the main street slowly and you can still see the bones of a trade town, with shops built close to the road and the old route running on towards Rongli.

Pinned to the board

Did you know

Rhenock's name is usually explained as Lepcha for black hill.

Wikipedia's Jelep La article lists two Indian approaches to the pass: from Gangtok via Changu and Kupup, and from Kalimpong via Algarah, Pedong, Rhenock and Rongli.

Pedong, about 20 km from Kalimpong on the road to Rhenock, has the ruins of Damsang fort, built by Lepchas in 1690.

Things to do

Four ways to spend a day in Rhenock

1–1.5 hours A morning walk through Rhenock bazaar Rhenock · Free; ₹60–300 for breakfast, indicative

Half a day Drive the old trade road from Kalimpong via Pedong Rhenock · ₹3,000–4,500 for a reserved car Kalimpo…

Half a day Day hop from Rhenock to Aritar and Lampokhari Rhenock · ₹800–1,500 for a local taxi return, plu…

A day and a night A farm day at a Rhenock village homestay Rhenock · ₹1,500–2,500 per person with meals, ind…

Getting there

How to reach Rhenock

Shared jeepShared jeeps link Rhenock with Siliguri, Kalimpong and Gangtok, mostly leaving in the morning. Budget roughly ₹250–400 a seat from Siliguri, ₹120–200 from Kalimpong and ₹150–250 from Gangtok, indicative 2026. Ask at the stand the day before, as departures thin out after early afternoon.

Reserved carA small car from NJP or Bagdogra costs about ₹4,500–6,500 for the roughly 100–110 km, 4-hour drive, via Rangpo and Rorathang or via Kalimpong and Pedong. From Kalimpong it is about 47 km and 2 hours. Both roads see monsoon slides, so check current status before you travel.

Rail / AirThe nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and the nearest working airport is Bagdogra (IXB), both near Siliguri. Pakyong Airport, roughly 30 km away by road, has no scheduled flights as of 2026. The Sivok–Rangpo railway is still under construction. Check current status before you travel.

Costs in Rhenockindicative, 2026

Shared jeep seat Siliguri → Rhenock₹250–400
Shared jeep seat Kalimpong → Rhenock₹120–200
Reserved car NJP → Rhenock₹4,500–6,500
Homestay, full board₹1,500–2,500 per person per night
Thali or momos in the bazaar₹60–300
Sikkim tourist fee₹50 per person, collected at check-in

Fares and fees change with fuel prices, season and local union rates. Check current rates before you travel.

Money-saving tip

Use Rhenock as your shared-jeep hub: ride in by shared jeep from Siliguri or Kalimpong, sleep here or at Aritar, and hire a Silk Route vehicle only for the permit days.

Where to stay

Sleeping in Rhenock

Rhenock has a few simple hotels and lodges in the bazaar, used mostly by traders, officials and drivers, and a small number of registered village homestays on the slopes around it, where ₹1,500–2,500 per person usually covers dinner, bed and breakfast, indicative 2026. Most travellers who want the lake and the Silk Route sleep a short drive on at Aritar instead. Rhenock suits those who want a cheaper, quieter night close to shops and shared jeeps. We do not name properties because standards change; ask your driver or agent which homestays are registered and open this season.

On the map

Drawn by Darjeeling Tour Plan from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Next stations

Near Rhenock

All of Gangtok

Aritar1,400 m

Lampokhari Lake, an 1895 dak bungalow and a gentle Silk Route start

Village · best Mar – May · Oct – Nov · 1–2 nights

Rongli850 m

Old trade bazaar on the Rangpo River and the Silk Route permit gate

River town · best Mar – May · Oct – Nov · 0–1 nights

Zuluk2,900 m

Silk Route village above the zigzag road to Thambi

Village · best Apr – May · Oct – Nov · 2 nights

Questions people ask

Rhenock: questions answered

Where is Rhenock in Sikkim

Rhenock is in Pakyong district of Sikkim, in the former East Sikkim district, at about 1,040 m. It lies about 63 km east of Gangtok and 47 km north of Kalimpong, close to the West Bengal border at Reshi, on the old road from Kalimpong to Jelep La. Aritar and its lake are a short drive away, and Rongli further on.

Do we need a permit to visit Rhenock

Indian nationals do not need any permit to visit Rhenock. Foreign nationals need the standard Sikkim Restricted Area Permit, which is free, and should confirm in advance where it can be endorsed if they enter via the Pedong road, since Rangpo and Melli are the usual entry points. A Protected Area Permit is needed only beyond Rongli. Check current status before you travel.

How do we reach Rhenock from NJP or Bagdogra

Rhenock is about 100–110 km from NJP and Bagdogra, roughly 4 hours by road, either via Sevoke, Rangpo and Rorathang or via Kalimpong and Pedong. A reserved small car costs about ₹4,500–6,500; shared jeeps from Siliguri cost roughly ₹250–400 a seat, indicative 2026. Monsoon slides affect both roads, so check current status before you travel.

What does Rhenock mean

Rhenock is usually explained as a Lepcha name meaning black hill. The Lepchas are considered the earliest settlers of the area, and many place names around here come from their language. As with many place-name meanings in the hills, this is the commonly given explanation rather than a formally documented one, so treat it as local tradition.

What is the best time to visit Rhenock

October to May is best. October and November are clear and dry, December and January are cool and bright, and March to May are mild, with flowering trees on the slopes. June to September brings heavy rain, leeches on paths and landslides on the approach roads, though Rhenock itself stays reachable more often than higher places. Check current status before you travel.

Is Rhenock a good alternative route when NH10 is closed

Often, yes. When NH10 along the Teesta is cut by landslides, traffic from Siliguri to Sikkim commonly reroutes via Kalimpong, Pedong and Rhenock, or via Gorubathan, Lava and Rhenock on NH717A, then on to Rorathang, Pakyong and Gangtok. These roads are longer and slower, and can also be hit by slides. Check current status before you travel.

What is there to do in Rhenock

Walk the bazaar in the morning, eat in the canteens, spend a day at a village homestay, and take a half-day trip to Aritar for Lampokhari Lake, the 1895 dak bungalow and the gompa. History lovers can drive in from Kalimpong via Pedong to follow the old trade road. It is a place for slow days, not sightseeing lists.

How much does a night in Rhenock cost

Simple hotels and lodges in Rhenock bazaar and registered village homestays nearby usually work out at about ₹1,500–2,500 per person with meals, indicative 2026. Add ₹50 per person Sikkim tourist fee at check-in. Shared jeeps keep transport cheap: about ₹250–400 a seat from Siliguri and ₹120–200 from Kalimpong. It is one of the cheaper bases in East Sikkim.

Which communities live in Rhenock

Rhenock is mixed. Local histories say Lepchas were the earliest settlers, Bhutias from Tibet came from the mid-16th century, and Nepali-speaking Gorkha groups, including Newar, Bahun, Chhetri, Gurung and Limbu families, followed. Kirati communities, and traders from Bihar and Rajasthan who came in the mid-20th century, also live here. Nepali is the common language of the bazaar.