Walk down to the old Rumtek monastery
The old monastery was the first Karma Kagyu temple at Rumtek, built in the time of the 12th Karmapa in the mid-1700s and later rebuilt. It is much smaller than the 1960s complex above it, with a simple courtyard, a painted prayer hall and a few resident monks or caretakers.
Ask at the main gate or in the village for the path, which drops through houses and fields for about 15–20 minutes. Walk clockwise around the temple and spend a few minutes inside if it is open. Coming back up is steep, so take water and go slowly.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Is the old Rumtek monastery always open?
Not always. It is looked after by a small number of monks or caretakers, and the prayer hall may be locked at times. Even when it is closed, the courtyard and exterior are worth seeing. Asking a villager or the monastery staff before you walk down can save a wasted climb back.
How difficult is the walk to the old monastery?
It is short but steep, about 15–20 minutes down and 25–30 minutes back up on village paths and steps. It is fine for most reasonably fit adults. Paths can be slippery after rain, so wear shoes with grip. Your driver can sometimes meet you on the road below instead.
Why visit the old monastery if the new one is bigger?
It is older, quieter and more intimate, and it shows what a village monastery in Sikkim looked like before the large 20th-century complexes. You will often have it to yourself. It also explains why the Karmapa chose Rumtek: there was already a Karma Kagyu presence here.
Also in Rumtek
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