Gangtok Rumtek The Bamboo Resort Rumtek Monastery Turuk Heritage house Pelling Pamayangtse Sangacholing Monastery Yangsum Farm Rinchenpong Western Sikkim Monastery monastic buddhist buddhism pilgrimage Nature Culture Leisure Walking Car Jeep Himalayan Village Homestay Holiday Itineraries Package Tours,East Eastern Himalayan monastery monastic buddhist buddhism pilgrimage Nature Culture Leisure Walking Car Jeep Himalayan Village Homestay Holiday Package Tours

Nature & Culture Tours

| General Information | Nature & Culture Tours | Village Tours | Trekking Adventures | | Mountain Biking | Tourism & Political Map | White Water Rafting | Homestay Holidays | | Samthar Farm House | Gurudongma House |

• Available all year round. 
• Best in Sep-Dec and Feb March. 
• Max Altitude: 2200 m

Featuring West Sikkim, Gangtok, Rumtek, and South Sikkim. Breathtaking snow views, spectacular sun rises, mountains, forests, sights of Gangtok and Rumtek, Buddhist monasteries, remote villages, shopping in exotic bazaars, walking, handicrafts, interaction with local people, and more. Staying at special places with exotic cusine. Extention to North Sikkim available

Day 01: Bagdogra – Gangtok

Arrive Bagdogra from Delhi or Kolkata. Met at the airport by your car with driver and driven  to Gangtok – the capital of Sikkim, located on a series of ridges in the shadow of the high mountain ranges bordering Tibet. Enroute complete entry formalities as you enter Sikkim at Rangpo.

Entry to Sikkim is restricted. All tourist visiting Sikkim must be in possession of valid visa endorsement on their passport. Apply for permission to enter Sikkim, while applying for India Visa. You can also get a Sikkim Entry permit at Rangpo. Keep 03 passport photos handy.

Upon arrival at Gangtok, Check in at the Hidden Forest Retreat - A charming retreat amidst 03 acres of forests.

This is a home-stay hosted by the Lachungpa family. It is located amidst a plant nursery with a fabulous, fresh wholesome feel. On these lush acres are cow sheds and green houses, a large organic vegitable patch, for Guava, Kiwi, and oranges, bonsai trees in the tea room and lilies and orchids glore. Birds chirrup, butterflies flutter, cicadas hum, and the views reach across the valley to Rumtek Hill.

The guest accommodation is built into the terraced hillside, on split levels. Rooms are bright with teak wood floors and ceilings and spotless white toilets. It is a special place to relax and let the peace and quite wash over you. Listed in Alastair Sawday’s  Special places to stay in India.

Day 02: Gangtok

After Breakfast, your driver cum guide will take you on a local tour. You will drive around the localsightseeing circuit visiting the Govt. Institute of Cottage Industry which is keeping the local handicrafts alive. Here you see skilled teachers and trainees working at various handicrafts. There is also a sales outlet, where you can buy handicrafts at reasonable prices.. Continue to the Enchay Monastery,  the Research Institute of Tibetology -, with its large collection of Buddhist, icons, religious paintings and literature and the Do-Drul Chorten.  Back to the retreat for lunch. Evening free to explore bazar for bargains. Overnight at Hidden Forest Retreat.

Day 03: Gangtok – Rumtek

Short drive to Rumtek. Check in at the Bamboo Resort.

The resort is located in splendid isolation 26 Kms from Gangtok, close to the Rumtek Monastery. Owned by a Swiss- Sikkimese couple Helen and Topgay the resort has been aptly described as a East meets West sort of place. Buddhist Monastery like exteriors rub shoulders with grey marble interiorfloors and Feng Shui bedrooms with low double beds, Sikkimese cushions and rugs and all the vibrancy of Sikkimese culture. In 3 acres of oxen ploughed paddy fields and clumps of bamboo, it has refreshing mountain views. . Listed in Alastair Sawday’s  Special places to stay in India.

Enjoy the ambiance and take a walk through the countryside. In the evening visit Rumtek Monastery and join in the solemn evening prayers.

Headquarters of the Karamapa branch of the kargyu sect, Rumtek Monastery was rebuilt in 1964, as a replica of the Tsurphu Monastery, which was the original headquarters of the Kargyu Sect in Tibet. The 16th Gyalwa Karamapa, head of the order undertook this, after he fled from Tibet, and settled in Sikkim. Behind the main temple are the Dharma Chakra Center, and the Nalanda Institute of Buddhist Studies. Here monks spend a minimum of nine years, in study, followed by three years of meditation. The gilded chorten or stupa studded with precious stones containing the remains of the Karamapa, as also the main temple, are the main attractions. With its traditional architecture, exquisite paintings, intricate woodwork, housing treasures of manuscripts and icons, Rumtek is a splendid example of Tibetan monastic art.

Note: Please keep your passports handy, They are checked at the monastery entrance.

Day 04: Rumtek - Turuk Heritage house

After breakfast drive 27 Kms to Rangpo Check post 

Please do not get exit  stamp on  your passports at Rangpo as you will be reentering West Sikkim at Malli Check Post. Inform the police check post of your itinerary

From Rangpo a short drive to Malli- where you will  re-enter Sikkim and drive up the mountain along a dirt track to reach your destination for the day –the Turuk heritage estate.  Reach in time for lunch.

Drive from Malli Bazaar - the gateway to South Sikkim. A 160 years old heritage house and estate, surrounded by nine acres of flora, and lawns. Here time stands still and the air is filled with the fragrance of wild flowers and bird song. The climate is friendly and  mild throughout the year. It is an ideal place to relax and wind down, as also explore rural lifestyles. You will stay in an elegantly furnished cottage pampered by your hosts and their staff with true Sikkimese hospitality. Meals are cooked from delectable home recipes with organically grown fresh vegetables fruits ,country chicken and eggs - all from the resort garden. Citrus fruits, coffee plantation, ornamental plants, vegetables, red hot cherry pepper are grown .The tranquil surroundings offer quite walks, village explorations and bird watching. The adventurous can drive down to Malli for river rafting in the Teesta River.

After lunch  explore the village and take a guided walk to the razor sharp edge of humongous cliff called Taray Bhir – with panoramic look down views of the  Teesta and Rungeet rivers flowing 4000 feet below, and an across the valley view of Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Sunsets are simply breathtaking. Overnight at Turuk heritage house.

Day 05: Turuk

A day to relax and explore the local village and the quite countryside around the house

Day 06: Turuk - Pelling

After breakfast, drive to Pelling in West Sikkim. It is a 03.30 hrs picture post card drive through the Rangit River Valley. Upon arrival check in at Hotel Mount Pandim / Phamrong in time for lunch. After lunch take a sightseeing trip. You will visit the famous Pamayangtse Monastery, and walk to the Ruins of the old capital city of Rabantse, with its panoramic views.

Western Sikkim – The cradle of Buddhism in Sikkim: The legendary installation of the Namgyal dynasty, by three monks in 1642, introduced Buddhism in Sikkim. They came together at Yoksom, and as it had been prophesied, in sacred texts, they searched, and found Phuntsog Namgyal; anointed him with holy water, gave him the title of "chogyal" – meaning king of religion, and urged him to spread Buddhism, amongst the ethnic Lepchas. At that time the local people were animist worshipping nature spirits. Astride the Rathong River Valley, on various hills inter- visible to each other, are located a string of holy sites. Pamayangtse - the sublime perfect lotus, was built in 1705. It is the paramount of the Nyingmapa monasteries of Sikkim, and regarded the most prestigious. It is well known for its seven level wooden pagoda structure of mind boggling intricacy, depicting paradise. The late Dongzin Rimpoche crafted this, over five years of solo effort. Sangacholing Monastery - the place of secret spells, was founded in 1697. Clay statues dating back to the 17th Century are amongst the oldest in Sikkim. Both monasteries have splendid views of the snows and river valleys.

Day 07: Pelling - Hi Barmoik( West Sikkim)

Get up early for a breathtaking sunrise view of Mount Khangchendzonga, from your hotel terrace. Walk up to the Sangacholing Monastery for panoramic snow views. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, drive to Hi Barmoik. A 1.30 hrs journey through the Kalet River Valley. Check in at Dhongey House. Hi Barmoik village lies at the foot of the Vershay Rhododendron Sanctuary at an elevation of 1400 m. The community here is a blend of cultural, and ethnic mutiplicity, flourishing amidst bio diverse nature with a wide range of flora.  The village stands on a series of ledges continuing up hill to 2400 m, with a massive spur of the Vershay Ridge rearing its head in the backgroud. Covered with lush vegitation, terraced cultivation, and lovely homsteads, the surroundings are tranquil and serene. A short walk from the house presents views of the panarama of snows.

Dhongey House is the family home of the Chhettri family. This is a large homestead surrounded by terraced fields, and homes of extended family members. Based on advice from the Awake and Shine team, and training at Samthar, the family has converted two rooms into comfortable guest rooms with modern toilets, and refurnished a lounge and a "chang " bar.  Interiors have been decorated to showcase heritage household articles used by the family for generations. The house retains its farming roots - cow shed, goat house, herb garden, and hollow tree trunk honey comb.

After lunch explore the immediate surroundings and meet extended family members.

Morning: Lifestyle exploration village walk which will include visit to homesteads of various ethnic groups - Limboos, Bahun, Sherpa, Tamang, Bhutia, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sarki, and Kami Damai communities. Song and dance can be arranged. Overnight.

Day 08: Hi Barmoik- Rinchenpong

Morning: Lifestyle exploration village walk which will include visit to homesteads of various ethnic groups - Limboos, Bahun, Sherpa, Tamang, Bhutia, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sarki, and Kami Damai communities. Song and dance can be arranged.

Pre lunch short drive to Yangsum Farm at Rinchenpong. Check in sat Yangsum Farm for lunch.

The Yangsum  Farm is tucked away, in idyllic countryside with a backdrop of the Khangchendzonga group of peaks and the sky- line of the Singelila Range. At Yangsum you will stay at the heritage Farm House, build in 1833 and remodeled in 1966. Thendup Tashi and his wife of the Tsechu Tharpa family will be your hosts.  You will stay in spacious furnished bedrooms with western style toilet and bath. The host family manage a 44 Acre mountain farm, consisting of open mixed forest of Pine, Himalayan Alder, Schima, Chestnut, Magnolia, Rhododendrons, cherry, and others. It grows cardamom, avocados, oranges, banana, pears, apricots, and mangoes. Cultivated agriculture yields maize, paddy, millet, potatoes, ginger, turmeric, and sweet potatoes. In addition to these, seasonal vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes and peas are also grown.

After lunch explore the farm and surroundings. Overnight at Yangsum Farm.

Day 09: Rinchenpong at Yangsum Farm

Take a guided walk to ancient village monastery, another hill top Gompa with great views and a Lepcha Village which has a heritage house.  Overnight at the farm.

Drive to Bagdogra Airport in 5.30 hrs, to board your departure flight. It is a scenic drive along the Rangit and Teesta Valley.

TOUR ENDS