On arrival at Pakyong airport / Bagdogra airport, received by our representative and transfer to Gangtok.

Highly alluring, pleasantly boisterous – Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, is a fascinating town, a pristine hill station nestled in mountains and in clouds. The name meaning hill-top, Gangtok is perfect blend of ancient traditions alongside modern developments. Rich in natural beauty, the town offers amazing view of Mount. Kanchenjuna, the third highest mountain peak in the world. 

Evening take a stroll on MG road, picking up some souvenirs or sample few local delicacies.

Overnight in Gangtok 

After breakfast, the sightseeing in Gangtok includes:

Rumtek monastery: It is the largest monasteries of Sikkim, reflecting the best of Tibetan architecture. Located 24km from Gangtok town at an elevation of 5000 ft. the serene Rumtek monastery in the beautiful background of majestic hills is the holy seat of XVIthGyawla Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. Its architectural design is almost identical to the original Kagyu headquarters in Tibet. The Kagyu (also called Kagyupa or Kagyud) school is one of six main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Rumtek monastery also serves as one of the most important seats of the Kagyu (Black Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet and is also known as Dharmachakra Centre. Late in the afternoon the courtyard gets vibrant with the monk debating testing each other knowledge on Pram??av?rttika.

Return to town to continue local tour of following places:

Do Drul Chorten: Built in 1945 by Trulshi Rinpoche, head of Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism, it is regarded as one of the most important stupas of Sikkim and possess sacred gold-topped shikhara with 108 prayer wheels. This highly revered Chorten is also characterized by complete mandala sets of Dorjee Phurba (Bajra Kilaya), a set of Kan-gyur relics (Holy Books), complete Zung (mantras) and other religious objects.

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology: Regarded as the highest seat of learning amongst the Mahayana Buddhist scholars, this Institute was built in 1958 and is a famous global centre for the study of Buddhist philosophy and religion today. It houses the world's largest collected works and rare manuscripts on the theme of Mahayana Buddhism. Apart from this collection, the museum has more than 200 Buddhist icons, antique paintings, thangkhas, statues, shrines, tapestries, masks and other religious works of Tibetan Art. The Institute also has in its keep around 30,000 volumes, most of them in the form of xylographs. (Closed on Sunday)

The Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts Centre: The Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts Centre was established in the year 1957 with the sole purpose of promoting and preserving the fine ethnic arts and crafts of Sikkim. The Directorate is a unique combination of training-cum-production with its similar units spread over 20 centres in Sikkim. (Closed on Sunday)

Flower Exhibition Centre: Situated at a walking distance from the MG Marg Gangtok, Flower Exhibition Centre showcases flowers from the different parts of Sikkim together under a single roof which makes it a heaven for all the nature lovers. Though the flowers are displayed here all through the year, the annual flower show which is held from April to May during this time, the management gathers here and presents numerous varieties of orchids along with other flowers from around the state.

Rest of the time can be spent taking stroll on MG Road.

MG Road is the heart of Gangtok and the central shopping hub of this beautiful state capital with various shops, restaurants, and hotels lined up along both sides of the road. This is a great place to take a leisurely stroll or just sit on the benches and revel in the eclectic ambience.

Overnight in Gangtok

After breakfast transfer to Yuksom via Ravangla (7,000 ft), a pleasant hill station in South Sikkim. Decked with panoramic landscape, Ravangla enveloped by incomprehensible characteristic excellence is a charming destination in Sikkim. The marvels of its eccentric settlements, entrancing tea gardens, old religious communities and chattering cascades are mesmerising.

Visit Buddha Park in Ravangla. Peacefully situated, this popular fascination fills in as a vital historic point to the Buddhist community; it was built by virtue of the 2550th birth commemoration of Lord Gautama Buddha in 2006. About 60 tonnes of copper and some 4kgs of gold was used for the statue built in the repoussé technique, one of the oldest metal-working practices in the world.

Drive further and visit Tashiding monastery, believed to be one of holiest monasteries in Sikkim. The walk up to the monastery is dotted with white coloured prayer flags while the carvings on the walls which lead to the complex are filled with Buddhist Chant ‘Om Mane Padme Hum’. All this makes it a surrounding full of prayer and positivity. Tashiding means ‘The Devoted Central Glory’. This monastery was founded in 1641 by Ngadak Sempa Chempo Phunshok Rigzing who belonged to the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery has a sealed pot (magic vase) of holy water, which is taken out once in a year during the Bumchu (Bum means pot and Chu means water) festival.  This festival is celebrated on the 14th and 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar.  Buddhists from different parts of the world come to attend this festival in which the sealed pot is opened by the monks and the water level is checked. Buddhists believe that the water level helps in predicting how prosperous will be the upcoming year.

Overnight at the hotel in Yuksom.

Today’s is 6-7 hours trek through the picturesque Rathong Valley. The trail passes through a sub-tropical forest comprising of oaks, chestnuts, magnolias, orchids and cross over Paha Khola and climb up to Sachen. From here, the trek until Prekchu river is relatively gradual, after crossing the river it is a steep climb with noticeable gain in altitude until Bakhim (2625m). The views of Mt. Pandim and Mt. Tenzinkay is astounding along with the view of Yuksom valley below.  By the end of the day, we reach a gorgeous Tibetan village called Tshoka. On arrival at the village, get into the campsite or a hut to spend overnight.

Overnight in Tent Camp or Tea House at Tshoka.

It’s an exciting and adventurous day, traversing through zigzag terrains. Moving ahead the route takes one to Phedang. The best season to trek across this route is April to May as during this period the entire region blooms into variety of Rhododendron flowers with multi colours. Local villagers grazing their yaks and cattle are interesting sight.

Overnight in Tent Camp or Tea House at Dzongri.

Before Breakfast we take a short hike to Dzongri view point (4,250m), about 40 minutes’ walk from the campsite. From here one can get a magnificent view of Kabru (7353 m), Ratong (6678 m), Kanchenjunga (8534 m), Koktang (6147 m), Pandim (6691 m) and Narsingh (5825 m) peaks. Towards the west, the Singalila Ridge, which separates Sikkim from Nepal, can also be seen. Rest of the day at leisure to explore the beautiful region.

Overnight in Tent Camp or Tea House at Dzongri

Today trek is gradual to moderate, a mixture of descend and ascend till Lamuni crossing Thangshing valley. The amazing view of Mt. Pandim accompany the trekkers and one can also get magnificent view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan ranges. From here onwards, one will be hiking through areas dotted with prayer flags until reaching Lamuni.

Overnight in Tent Camp or Tea House at Lamuni.

Today’s trek starts very early morning (sometimes as early as 3AM) as sunrise melts the snow which makes the walking trail slippery. Trekking ahead, we cross Simiti Lake further one will finally reach the gorgeous Goechala Pass at a height of 4940 metre. Encircled with colourful flags, offering majestic views of the Mt. Kanchenjunga and Talung Glacier, this region is the perfect example of the serenity and beauty of the nature. We retrace our hike to Lamuni further to Thangshing for overnight camp.

Overnight in Tent Camp or Tea House at Thangshing.

Today morning, one will be retracing our trek till Kokruchung, take a diversion shorter route to Pedang and later descend to Tshoka to spend overnight.

Overnight tent camp or tea house at Tashoka.

On the last day of the trek, one will finally trek back to Yuksom, visit Dubdi Monastey & Norbugang chorten and the royal coronation site where the first king of Sikkim was crowned by the three great lamas.

Overnight at the hotel in Yuksom.

After breakfast, drive to Turuk or Tooruk, a small settlement in South Sikkim, dotted with lush greenery all around and offering an exotic natural splendour. The century old Turuk Heritage Home surrounded by lush vegetation is a major attraction here while the alluring flora & fauna and magnificent view of Rangeet and Teesta rivers offers panoramic vistas.

En route visit Khecheopalri Lake, situated at an altitude of 5,600 ft and is estimated to be 3,500 years old. The name Khecheopalri literally translates to ‘heavenly abode of Padmasambhava’, the 8th century Buddhist master commonly known as second Buddha. Even though the lake is surrounded by thick vegetation, there are no leaves on the surface of the waterbody. This is because the avifauna swoop down and keep the lake clear of leaves. Dotted with colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind, Khecheopalri Lake is also a pilgrimage site for both Buddhists and Hindus.

Later visit Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest and a highly revered Buddhist monastery in the state, standing tall on a hilltop overlooking the historic Rabdentse ruins. Pemayangtse translates to 'perfect, sublime lotus' and is said to represent one of the four networks of nerves (vessels) in the human body. Dedicated to Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche who revived Buddhism in Tibet), the striking feature of this monastery are the statues of him and his consorts. The monastery attends to the Nyingma Order (oldest one of the four schools) of Tibetan Buddhism.

Overnight at the hotel in Turuk.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to onward destination.