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A small dark lake with a pale shore lying in a bowl of dense green forest, seen from a viewpoint above
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Photo: Anjan Kumar Kundu · CC BY 4.0
1 night · 2 dayscultureTemples & heritagebalanced

Two days in Pelling — the ridge, Sanga Choeling and Khecheopalri Lake

A two-day Pelling plan: Pemayangtse, the Rabdentse ruins and the skywalk on day one, then Khecheopalri Lake and Sanga Choeling Monastery, with road times.
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Two days in and around Pelling. The first day takes the nearest sights, the Pemayangtse Monastery, the Rabdentse ruins and the Chenrezig statue and skywalk. The second goes out to Khecheopalri Lake and returns to the Sanga Choeling Monastery on the ridge. For one day only, take the ridge day; for the old royal and pilgrimage sites, see the Tashiding and Yuksom day.

Photos: Anjan Kumar Kundu (CC BY 4.0) · walter callens (CC BY 2.0) · Amitabha Gupta (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Visitors with a night to spare who like monasteries, ruins and quiet water; the lake day is long, so it suits people who do not mind a winding road.

Day by day

Day 1

The ridge, the ruins and the skywalk

3 stops · 11 min on the road

The nearest sights, all within about ten minutes of the town by road.

  1. 09:00
    Pemayangtse Monastery
    temple · 3 min from Pelling · about 1 h there
    The Nyingma monastery of 1647 with its painted floors.
  2. ↓ a short walk
    10:45
    Rabdentse Ruins
    ruins · 4 min from Pelling · 7 min walk from the road · about 1 h there
    The ruins of the second capital, a short walk from the gate.
  3. ↓ 10 min by road · 5 km
    13:30
    Chenrezig Statue and Skywalk
    monument · 6 min from Pelling · about 1 h there
    The 42 m statue and the glass skywalk.
Day 2

A sacred lake and a ridge-top monastery

2 stops · 57 min on the road

A longer day: the lake is a drive of about an hour each way.

  1. 09:30
    Khecheopalri Lake
    lake · 55 min from Pelling · about 45 min there
    The wish-fulfilling lake sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, in its forest bowl.
  2. ↓ 57 min by road · 29 km
    13:30
    Sanga Choeling Monastery
    temple · 6 min from Pelling · about 45 min there
    The 1697 monastery on the ridge above Pelling; Wikipedia describes a steep forest track of 4 km, so ask locally how far a vehicle can go.

Getting there

Both days start in Pelling; see how to reach Pelling.

Where to stay

Stay both nights in Pelling. We have no verified lodging or prices.

Know before you go

  • Leave early for the lake, because the road is about an hour each way and the afternoon sky often clouds.
  • Ask locally before climbing to Sanga Choeling; Wikipedia gives a steep 4 km track.
  • We have no verified opening hours or fees for any of the stops; ask locally.

Places on this route

Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
temple · 3 min from Pelling
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
ruins · 4 min from Pelling
Sanga Choeling Monastery, Pelling — a ridge-top gompa of 1697
Sanga Choeling Monastery, Pelling — a ridge-top gompa of 1697
temple · 6 min from Pelling
Chenrezig Statue and Skywalk, Pelling — a 42 m statue, a glass walkway
Chenrezig Statue and Skywalk, Pelling — a 42 m statue, a glass walkway
monument · 6 min from Pelling
Khecheopalri Lake — the wish-fulfilling lake north of Pelling
Khecheopalri Lake — the wish-fulfilling lake north of Pelling
lake · 55 min from Pelling

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Pelling itineraries →
One day in Pelling — Pemayangtse, the Rabdentse ruins and the skywalk
One day in Pelling — Pemayangtse, the Rabdentse ruins and the skywalk
Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage
A one-day plan for Pelling, West Sikkim: Pemayangtse Monastery, the Rabdentse ruins of the old capital and the Chenrezig statue and skywalk, with road times.
Best Apr–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Tashiding and Yuksom from Pelling — a day on the old pilgrimage circuit
Tashiding and Yuksom from Pelling — a day on the old pilgrimage circuit
Day plan · culture · Temples & heritage
A day from Pelling to Tashiding Monastery, the Norbugang Chorten and Dubdi Monastery at Yuksom, Sikkim's first capital, with road times and the walk up.
Best Apr–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Pelling →
Norbugang Chorten, Yuksom — where Sikkim's first king was crowned
Norbugang Chorten, Yuksom — where Sikkim's first king was crowned
temple · 939 m away
Dubdi Monastery, Yuksom — the first monastery of Sikkim, on a hill
Dubdi Monastery, Yuksom — the first monastery of Sikkim, on a hill
temple · 2.3 km away
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
temple · 4.2 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Roofs and hotels of Darjeeling spreading down a steep ridge under distant blue mountain ranges and soft cloud
Darjeeling
29 km away · 3 itineraries · 10 places
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
38 km away · 4 itineraries · 11 places
A wide view over the houses of Shillong spread across forested hills under a sky of towering white clouds
Shillong
410 km away · 3 itineraries · 6 places
A deep, steep-sided green valley filled with low grey cloud seen from the Mawkdok Dympep viewpoint near Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji
414 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
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Questions people ask

How far is Khecheopalri Lake from Pelling?

About 27 km and 55 minutes by road on our routing, though Wikipedia says 34 km to the north-west. Allow about an hour each way and a few hours at the lake, which is a place of worship. The second day is long, so start early and leave the monastery on the ridge for the way back.

Is Sanga Choeling easy to reach?

Wikipedia describes a steep forest track of 4 km up to the monastery, while our routing reaches a road point about 6 minutes from Pelling near the skywalk, so the two sources differ. We have no verified walking time, so ask locally how far a vehicle can go on the day.

When is the best time for this plan?

We have no weather table for Pelling. Darjeeling, at a similar height, has its peak seasons in spring and autumn by Wikipedia's account, so April, May, October and November are our guess. Rain brings cloud and slippery tracks, and winter can bring snow to the town.