Tashiding day hop from Yuksom

Yuksom and Tashiding belong together. Ngadak Sempa Chenpo, one of the three lamas who met at Yuksom and crowned Phuntsog Namgyal in 1642, founded Tashiding a year earlier, in 1641. The road between them is about 19 km and takes around an hour, winding down through forest and villages. Leave Yuksom after breakfast and you can be at the monastery by mid-morning, when the light on the chortens is at its best.

Tashiding sits on a hilltop between the Rathong Chu and the Rangeet river at about 1,465 m. Walk the flagstones carved with 'Om Mani Padme Hum', the rows of chortens, and look for the Thongwa Rang Drol chorten, which tradition says frees anyone who simply sees it. If you are here on the 14th and 15th days of the first Tibetan month, usually February or March, you can see the Bumchu festival, when the sacred vase is opened.

Shared jeeps on this stretch are few and timings change, so a reserved car often makes more sense for a family or small group. Agree the fare and waiting time before you set off. From Tashiding you can continue to Legship and Pelling, or return to Yuksom for the night. Combine the trip with lunch in Tashiding bazaar, keep the afternoon free, and you have a gentle day that ties two centuries of Sikkim's story together.