Tholung Monastery Trek

Tolung Monastery was established during the rule of Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal in the early 1700s. It houses valuable scriptures and artefacts from other monasteries brought here for safekeeping during the Nepalese invasion of Sikkim in the 17th and 19th centuries. The monastery also contains a brass Chorten with the ashes of one of the incarnates of Lama Latsun Chembo, the patron saint of Sikkim. These relics are stored in thirteen boxes and are overseen by the government of Sikkim. Every three years in April, the relics are exhibited to the public in the monastery complex, with the last exhibition taking place in April 91.

Tolung is located at an altitude of 8,000 ft in the sparsely populated Dzongu area of North Sikkim and is a restricted area requiring an inner line permit for Indian nationals. To reach Tolung, one needs to travel by road to Linzey, with a daily bus service available from Gangtok. From Linzey, there is a 20 km walk taking approximately five hours along the Tolung River through dense forests and cardamom groves.