North Sikkim - Tholung Valley Trekking
Tholung valley in North Sikkim is the home of the ethnic Lepcha people of Sikkim and is now a protected area. The lepchas live in small villages amongst the dense forested slopes high above the Tholung valley. The Tholung monastery houses many relics and antiques collected from other monasteries for safe keeping. Many of these relics are displayed on a special day every three years. The trek up this beautifully forested valley leads to the higher alpine valleys where yaks graze below the snow capped mountains of the Kanchanjunga range.
ITINERARY
Day 01: Arrive Bagdogra Airport, Bhadrapur Airport or NJP Railway Station. Drive to Bagdogra to Gangtok (1600m). O/N Hotel.
Day 02: Full day sightseeing around Gangtok including Rumtek Monastery. O/N Hotel.
Day 03: Drive north of Gangtok to Mangan and on to Singhik. Enroute visit Podong Monastery. O/N camp at Singhik.
Day 04: Enjoy early morning views of Kanchanjunga range from Singhik. Drive from Singhik to the road-head at Lingsha. Start trek to Tsana (1573m) in Tholung valley. O/N camp.
Day 05: Continue trekking up the valley to Tholung Gompa (2600m).
Afternoon visit the little known Tholung Monastery. O/N camp near Monastery.
Day 06: Day of exploration hike up the Tholung Valley. O/N camp.
Day 07: Trek back to Lingsha. End of Tolung Valley Trek. O/N Camp.
Day 08: Drive back to Gangtok. Afternoon free in Gangtok. Overniht hotel.
Day 09: Free day in Gangtok. Optional day trip to Thangu Lake. Hotel.
Day 10: Drive to Bagdogra airport for flight to Calcutta or Delhi. Or to Bhadrapur for flight to Kathmandu, Nepal.
