Damsang Fort and Pedong monastery half-day

Start with Damsang Fort, about 6 km from Icchey Gaon on the ridge near Algarah. A short forest walk leads to the remains of stone walls. Lepcha tradition holds that the chief Gaeboo Achyok built the fort around 1690 to hold off the Bhutanese. It later fell into ruin after the Duar War of 1864–65. Every 20 December, Lepchas gather here to honour him.

Continue to Pedong, where Sangchen Dorjee Gompa dates from around 1706, the period of Bhutanese rule. Its old prayer hall and murals are worth half an hour. Above town, Cross Hill carries a cross raised in 1882 by Father Augustine Desgodins, a French priest of the Paris Foreign Missions who hoped to reach Tibet. The Sacred Heart Church of the same mission still serves Pedong's Catholic community and can be seen quietly outside service times.

Have tea in Pedong bazaar and return to Icchey Gaon by lunchtime, or continue down to the Reshi river on the Sikkim border. The drive involves narrow roads, so a local car arranged by your homestay is the easiest option. Remove shoes in the monastery and ask before taking photographs inside. The loop costs about ₹1,500–2,500 for a local car, indicative for 2026, and both main stops are free, with donations welcome at the monastery.