Gyalshing district · Theme
Crafts and culture in West Sikkim
Carpets, choktse tables and thangkas
In West Sikkim, crafts and culture works best in Darap, Dubdi Monastery, Gyalshing and Hee Bermiok. The Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom in Gangtok, Lepcha weaving in Dzongu, thangka painters, carpet weavers and woodcarvers. We take you to workshops and take no commission on what you buy.
Sikkim's crafts come from its communities: Bhutia carpets and choktse folding tables, Lepcha cane work and weaving, Nepali metalwork and woodcarving. Many workshops welcome visitors.
Buy from the maker or a government emporium when you can. We do not take commission, so we have no reason to push you anywhere.
Places
Where to go
Darap
A Limbu farming village 8 km from Pelling, with homestays
monastery
Dubdi Mon…2,100M
Dubdi Monastery
The hermit's cell above Yuksom, often called Sikkim's oldest monastery
Gyalshing
District headquarters and the transport hub below Pelling
village
Hee Bermi…1,950M
Hee Bermiok
Limbu heritage, cardamom farms and forest walks west of Pelling
heritage site
Norbugang1,800M
Norbugang
The stone throne where Sikkim's first king was consecrated in 1642
monastery
Pemayangt…2,085M
Pemayangtse Monastery
Sikkim's senior Nyingma monastery, home of the Zangdok Palri model
heritage site
Rabdentse…2,000M
Rabdentse Ruins
Forest ruins of the royal capital of Sikkim from 1670
monastery
Sanga Cho…2,200M
Sanga Choeling Monastery
A hilltop monastery dated to 1697, above the Pelling Skywalk
monastery
Tashiding1,465M
Tashiding
The heart-shaped hill of chortens and the sacred Bumchu vase
village
Yuksom1,780M
Yuksom
Sikkim's first capital and the gateway to Kangchenjunga
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Hours that fit the theme
Village life
Two nights with a Limbu family in Darap
Stay with a Limbu family in Darap, eat home cooking, walk the fields and learn about Limbu language and customs, 8 km …
Kinema, gundruk and millet in a Limbu kitchen
Cook and eat with your Darap hosts, learning about Limbu food: kinema fermented soybean, gundruk greens, millet and seasonal vegetables cooked on …
Nature
Walk down to the Rimbi river
Walk from Darap down through fields and forest to the Rimbi river, its roadside waterfall and the Sewaro Rock Garden, and return …
A working day on a Darap farm
Join your host family in the fields for a few hours: planting, weeding or harvesting depending on season, and learn how a …
Adventure
Early climb to Dubdi from Yuksom
Walk an hour up through forest from Yuksom to Dubdi, dated to 1701 and called Sikkim's oldest monastery, arriving while the hill …
Wildlife and birds
Birding on the Dubdi trail
Walk slowly up the forested trail to Dubdi at dawn with binoculars, looking and listening for the mid-hill birds of West Sikkim …
Wellness
A quiet sit at the Hermit's Cell
Spend an unhurried hour in the courtyard or hall of Dubdi, the 'retreat' linked with the hermit lama Lhatsun Chempo, in silence …
Culture
Dubdi, Norbugang and Kathok in one morning
Link the three sites of Sikkim's founding on foot: climb to Dubdi at dawn, walk down to Norbugang's coronation throne and finish …
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We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
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Where we would book
Value
Yuksum Residency
One of the better hotels in Yuksom, with a terrace and garden, used by families on the Pelling–Yuksom circuit and by trekkers resting before …
Value
Hotel Tashigang, Yuksom
A long-running Yuksom hotel popular with trekkers and families, which can help arrange trekking equipment. A good-value, practical base for Norbugang, Dubdi and the …
Value
Daragaon Village Retreat, Darap
A community-minded eco homestay in Darap, the Limbu village 8 km from Pelling, offering farm walks, day hikes and home cooking. It won silver …
Budget
Yuksom village homestays
Family homestays around Yuksom, several linked to the Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee, a Yuksom-based community group. A low-cost, local way to stay at the gateway …
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartGet my price
Tell us your dates and your budget
Who is travelling, when, and roughly what you want to spend. The Gangtok desk replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and an itemised price.
- No payment to start
- Permits handled through registered partners
- Every hotel, car and fee listed