Take the Tibetan Temple Trail

You'll begin in Darjeeling and, on the first day, you’ll drive north to western Sikkim. Then, you'll begin your Sikkim journey, and on the way, you’ll pass the rich, green tea fields for which the entire Darjeeling region is famous. As Sikkim lies at a lower altitude than Ladakh in North West India, the countryside here is more verdant, with dozens of little streams trickling down the valleys between the green hills. After approximately 4-hours, you’ll reach the tiny village of Pelling, a short walk from the town of Pemayangtse. You’ll spend your first night in Pelling, and from your hotel window you’ll have a breathtaking view of the third highest mountain in the world - Mount Kanchenjunga.

After breakfast on day two of your Sikkim trip, you’ll set out on foot to visit two Buddhist monasteries close to Pelling. First, your guide will lead you on the 3km hike to Sanga Choling Monastery, perched on top of a hill. It will take you no more than an hour to hike up to the monastery along a narrow path, and it’s definitely worth the effort. This is the oldest monastery in Sikkim, giving you magnificent views of the verdant foothills and the imposing mountains behind them.

Pemayantse Monastery, one of the most important in Sikkim lies hidden between two high snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas that reach over 2000 metres. Again, you’ll reach the monastery on foot, which is home to more than 100 monks and is also a religious school for Buddhist studies. The isolated position of the monastery has enabled its wonderful preservation, so you can gaze in awe at the amazing colourful murals, finely detailed wood carvings, prayer wheels Buddha images that cover the three floors of the building. It is incredible to think that all of this is detailed work was done by hand.
 

On the fourth morning of your Sikkim trip, you’ll grab your backpack, ready for the hike to Tashiding. The path from Yuksom rises steeply to the top of the hill where Tashinding Monastery proudly surveys the local area. At the start of the 2½km walk, you’ll pass through woodland and gradually see the tops of the mighty Himalaya range appear through the trees.

Tashiding Monastery was built in the 17th century and is revered as the most holy monastery in Sikkim. As well as the temple and stupas, you’ll find craft workshops where woodcarvings of Buddhist mantras are made. From the front gate of the temple, you can hear the monks chanting these mantras, which sound like a mystical low murmuring. After the ceremony, you can enter the temple yourself and see the many murals. There’s also a large statue of the historic Buddha. Your Sikkim trip will end in Ravangla, where you’ll stay in a hotel on a hill top, with stunning views of Mount Narsingh. The surrounding fields are a mass of brightly coloured flowers and the atmosphere is serene and peaceful.
 

After breakfast on the final morning of your Sikkim trip, the module ends in Ravangla. From here, you can travel back to Darjeeling, or if you'd prefer, you can continue your India experience on another of our Sikkim tours. We can arrange the transfer for you – just ask one of our travel specialists.

If you would like to explore colourful Rajasthan, then you can travel to Delhi or Kolkata for an internal flight. The same applies if you’re planning to finish your trip on a tropical beach with one of our tours in Goa. Or perhaps you'd like to travel to the paradise islands of the Maldives from India- the choice is yours. Our friendly India travel specialists are on hand to help you plan your India trip.