Yuksom, Pelling - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 35 km from Pelling, 55 km from Ravangla and 126 km from Gangtok, Yuksom a historical town in West Sikkim district in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. It is the gateway to Kangchendzongha and among the best places to visit in Pelling.
Situated at an altitude of 5,800 feet, Yuksom is located at the southern fringes of Kanchenjunga National Park and is known for its gorgeous landscape and snow-capped mountains. It was the first capital of Sikkim established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal who was the first Chogyal of Sikkim. The meaning of the term Yuksom is 'meeting place of the three lamas'. This is the place where three Tibetan monks met and enthroned the first King (Chogyal) of Sikkim in 1641. This was the beginning of Namgyal dynasty in Sikkim which lasted for 332 years. Visitors can visit and see the coronation stone at Norbugang where the first King Phuntsog Namgyal was consecrated.

Yuksom also has a religious connotation attached as it symbolically represents 'the third eye of Sikkim'. Yuksom is part of Demazon (valley of rice), the sacred landscape consisting of four religious sites which have been blessed by Guru Padmasambhava and which are considered to be the four plexuses of the human body, in which Yuksom represents the 'third eye'.

The town houses Dubdi Monastery, the oldest monastery of Sikkim which was established in 1701. It was the hermit cell of the lama Lhabtsun Chenpo who had the highest seat out of three monks who enthroned the first king. Other than the monastery, one can also visit Kathoke Lake, Norbugang Coronation Throne and helipad with lovely views of the mountains all around at Yuksom. Yuksom is the base camp for many treks in Sikkim. One can trek to Tashiding, Dzongri peak and Goecha La from here. You can also trek to Khecheopalri Lake from Yuksom.

There is no public transport to Yuksom. So, visitors need to hire a taxi or shared sheep to Yuksom from Geyzing, Tashiding, Pelling and Gangtok. It might be difficult to find shared jeeps after 1 PM.