Gyalshing district · Theme
Monasteries in West Sikkim
Prayer halls, masks and butter lamps
Photo: Rangan Datta Wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In West Sikkim, monasteries works best in Dubdi Monastery, Khecheopalri Lake, Norbugang and Pelling. We have 2 packages 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
monastery
Dubdi Mon…2,100M
Dubdi Monastery
The hermit's cell above Yuksom, often called Sikkim's oldest monastery
lake
Khecheopa…1,700M
Khecheopalri Lake
The sacred lake where birds are said to clear the fallen leaves
heritage site
Norbugang1,800M
Norbugang
The stone throne where Sikkim's first king was consecrated in 1642
town
Pelling2,150M
Pelling
West Sikkim's base, facing Kangchenjunga across the Rangeet
monastery
Pemayangt…2,085M
Pemayangtse Monastery
Sikkim's senior Nyingma monastery, home of the Zangdok Palri model
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
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. StartPackages
Trips to start from
Indicative prices per person, twin sharing. Each one can be changed.
Budget
Top2,200M
Pelling budget escape from NJP
Pelling
Budget
Top2,200M
Pelling and Yuksom on a budget
Pelling · Yuksom
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. StartExperiences
Hours that fit the theme
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 …
Monasteries and shrines
Dawn on the jetty at Khecheopalri
Stay in Khecheopalri village and walk down to the lake at first light, when mist lifts off the water, birds call from …
Adventure
Old village trail from Khecheopalri to Yuksom
With a local guide, walk the old footpath that links Khecheopalri village and Yuksom through forest, fields and small settlements, the way …
Village life
Evening with a Khecheopalri homestay family
Spend a night with a family in Khecheopalri village: home-cooked dinner, stories about the lake, and a morning walk down before the …
Culture
Prayer wheels and a quiet wish at the lake
Walk the short path past the row of prayer wheels to the lake, make a silent wish as pilgrims do, and learn …
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. StartStays
Where we would book
Premium
The Elgin Mount Pandim, Pelling
A hotel run by the Elgin group on the ridge just below Pemayangtse Monastery, with lawns that face Kangchenjunga across the Rangeet valley. The …
Premium
The Chumbi Mountain Retreat and Spa
A large resort in Pelling from the group behind The Chumbi Residency in Gangtok, with a spa, several dining options and rooms that face …
Comfort
Norbu Ghang Retreat and Spa
A well-known Pelling resort with wide Kangchenjunga views, a café and a hot stone bath spa. Our usual comfort-tier pick in Pelling when the …
Comfort
Summit Newa Regency, Pelling
A Summit Hotels property on the Pelling–Pemayangtse side of town with a spa and mountain-facing rooms. A solid comfort-tier base a few minutes by …
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 …
Budget
Hotel Garuda, Pelling
Pelling's long-standing backpacker favourite in Upper Pelling, near the helipad viewpoint, with good-value rooms, Kangchenjunga views from the terraces and a restaurant serving Sikkimese …
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