| Visas and Borders |
| Pakistan Tourist visas should be obtained from the embassy in New Delhi. Visas for tourists take two days, and the price and type of visa are subject to changes in the political situation. You need to have a letter of recommendation from your home embassy as well as two passport photos. Attari The Attari/Wagah Border in Punjab is open from 10 am to 4pm. Munabao The 4889 Thar Express train runs from Jodhpur in Rajasthan to the border crossing at Munabao, Khokraparand. China The Nathu-La is open from May 1 to November 30 every year following several bilateral agreements between India and China. Besides allowing for the easy transfer of goods, the Nathu-La also allows India and Chinese tourists to travel easily between the countries. Connecting Tibet with Sikkim Buddhist monks can now freely travel to holy pilgrimage sites on both sides of the border. |
| Bangladesh Tourist visas should be obtained from the bangladesh embassy in New Delhi or the embassy and consulates in Kolkata and Agartala. It take two working days, and two passport photos, to issue the visa. The cost of the visa depends upon what nationality passport you carry. Bangaon is 77km from kolkata and is a good access point to Dacca in Bangladesh. Bangaon is well connected to nearby cities and towns by road and rail. Chengrabandha The border crossing at Chengrabandha can be reached by Jalpaiguri in the northern part of the West Bengal state (Rs 50, journey time two hours). from Jalpaiguri it is a other 2 hours to the border (Rs 50). Dawki This border crossing is a good crossing for travelers in the northeastern states of India. Taxi Jeeps go from Shillong in Meghalaya to the border at Dawki. Agartala From Bangladesh a few trains a day run from Agartala in Tripura to Dhaka. Buthan Phuentsholing border crossing. You need a full Bhutanese visa to enter the country. See www.tourism.gov.bt for more information on Bhutan visas. Despite what some travel guides tell you it is not possible to cross into Bhutan from here for 24 hrs without a visa. At all times you need a visa to enter Bhutan. Nepal A 15 day visa will cost US$ 25 and one month visa will cost US$ 40. Single entry visas are issued at all borders. One passport photo will do the job. Both visas can be extended for up to one month at Kathmandu and Pokhara. Six month multi-entry visas cost US$ 80 and are issued at the Nepal embassy in New Delhi, or the Nepal consulate in Kolkata. Bring your passport and two passport photos in the morning and your visa should be ready the same day. Banbassa A little used border in the Indian state of Uttarakhand crosses to this little traveled part of Nepal. Panitanki 35km from Siliguri. This is the easiest border crossing from Darjeeling, Sikkim and the northeastern states. Buses and share jeeps run to the border from Siliguri and several other towns in West Bengal. From Kakarbhitta, on the Nepali side there are direct buses to Kathmandu (17 hours) and to Janakpur in eastern Nepal. (Note this area is block during strikes of local tribes it can happen any time and any place in southern Nepal.) Sunauli The easiest border crossing from Varanasi, with good transport conections on both sides of the border. See Varanasi transport for more information. |
| Nathu-La border crossing not yet open for foreign tourists |