Soreng district · Theme
Monasteries in Soreng
Prayer halls, masks and butter lamps
In Soreng, monasteries works best in Mangalbarey, Okhrey and Rinchenpong. We have 1 package built around it. Sikkim has a gompa in almost every valley, from Dubdi (1701) above Yuksom to Rumtek, seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in exile. We time visits for morning prayers and the mask-dance days of the Tibetan calendar, and we brief you on the etiquette before you step inside.
Buddhism reached Sikkim with the Nyingma lamas who consecrated the first Chogyal at Yuksom in 1642. The monasteries that followed, Pemayangtse, Tashiding, Phodong, Rumtek, still run on ritual time: prayers at dawn, cham dances on fixed days of the lunar year.
Walk clockwise, ask before photographing inside a prayer hall, and keep your voice low. Mask-dance dates move with the Tibetan calendar each year, so check current status before you travel.
Places
Where to go
Mangalbarey
A subdivision bazaar and the way to Rahuney Cave
village
Okhrey2,300M
Okhrey
A Sherpa village of homestays below the Barsey rhododendron forest
village
Rinchenpo…1,650M
Rinchenpong
A ridge village with a 1730 monastery and a full Kangchenjunga view
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Trips to start from
Indicative prices per person, twin sharing. Each one can be changed.
Budget
Top1,700M
Rinchenpong weekend from NJP, budget
Rinchenpong
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Hours that fit the theme
Monasteries and shrines
Visit Rahuney Cave at Kamling
Visit the cave at Kamling that the Soreng district site describes as the abode of the protector Rahula, where Guru Padmasambhava is …
Tea, momos and the Tuesday-named bazaar
Stop in Mangalbarey's bazaar for tea, momos or a thali and a look at a subdivision town at work. The name means …
Wildlife and birds
Early birding walk around Mangalbarey
Walk quiet village lanes and forest edges around Mangalbarey at dawn, where farmland and mixed forest at about 1,200 m attract common …
Nature
The back road from Mangalbarey to Rinchenpong
Drive about 19 km up from Mangalbarey to the Rinchenpong ridge on a quieter road than the main Jorethang route, through farm …
Monasteries and shrines
Climb to Ugen Thondroling Monastery
Walk up the long flight of steps through Okhrey's rhododendron park to the village gompa, a Nyingma monastery built in 1950, and …
Food
Sherpa kitchen evening at an Okhrey homestay
Spend an evening by the kitchen fire with your Okhrey host family, help with dinner and taste Sherpa and Nepali dishes such …
Village life
Late-afternoon walk through Okhrey's lanes
Wander the lanes of Okhrey between Sherpa houses, potato and maize terraces, chortens and mani walls as the afternoon light softens. An …
Adventure
Dawn drive from Okhrey and the Barsey walk
The day most people come to Okhrey for: a dawn taxi 8 km up to Hilley, the 4–5 km forest walk to …
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Where we would book
Budget
Rinchenpong village homestays
Family homestays spread along the ridge between Rinchenpong bazaar, the old monastery and Kaluk. Simple rooms, home cooking and Kangchenjunga outside the window on …
Comfort
Yangsum Heritage Farm
A family farmhouse built in 1833 and remodelled in 1966, on a 44-acre organic farm about 2 km from Rinchenpong bazaar. Wood-panelled rooms, meals …
Budget
Okhrey Sherpa village homestays
Homestays run by Sherpa families in Okhrey, a village of about 2,300 m below Hilley, the road gateway to Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary. Wood-lined rooms, …
Budget
Sherpa Lodge
A family-run Sherpa homestay in Okhrey, about 30 minutes by car from the Hilley checkpost. Seven wood-panelled rooms with attached bathrooms, all meals included …
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Tell us your dates and your budget
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