Barsey Rhododendron Trek, West Sikkim Overview

The hike from Hilley to Barsey Wildlife Sanctuary is a short trek of about 4 km. The route is easy and can be covered in 1-2 hours. Most tourists start early, reach Barsey, explore the forests and return on the same day. The trail inclines gradually through the colourful Rhododendron forest. In the short walk, one will walk past many glacial streams. The slightly wider streams have wooden bridges over them. The forest explodes with a burst of colours with the pink and white flowers dotting the entire route.

Must Know Before You Visit Barsey Rhododendron Trek

Permit For Indians : - A permit is required for every tourist or trekker visiting Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary.
- The permit can be obtained at the Hilley Forest check post.
- You'll need to present an original Photo ID card with your address (such as Aadhar Card, Driving License, Voter ID, or Passport, but NOT PAN CARD), along with 2 photocopies of the same.
- Additionally, Indian nationals also need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) if visiting North Sikkim or the Nathu La border area.

Permit for Foreigners : For Foreign Nationals including OCI (Overseas Citizens of India):
- All foreign nationals (excluding Bhutanese origin individuals) require an Inner Line Permit (ILP), now renamed as Restricted Area Permit (RAP), to enter Sikkim.
- The ILP/RAP is issued free of cost at Sikkim check posts when entering Sikkim by road. It typically takes 15-20 minutes to process with your passport and valid Indian VISA.
- Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) need to follow the same process as foreign nationals.

Cost of Permit : This permit is issued by the Adventure Cell of the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, Government of Sikkim in Gangtok. There is an additional charge of INR 4000 as a service charge per person, along with 5% government tax, to process the Trekking Permit.

It's important to note that the PAP can be processed for a minimum of 2 foreigners trekking together.