pelling located at an altitude of 2073 mtrs is second biggest tourist destination in sikkim. infact one of the main advantage of pelling is its close promixmity to third highest mountain peak kanchenjunga. it is also a paradise for nature lovers as it is an apt place for mountain biking, rock climbing, village tours, trekking and so on. the most common time for visit to pelling is during april to june and in october to november. july to september is the rainy period and december to march are coolest months here and hence are low season. most of the hotels offer good discounts during this period.

couple of key town which are close to pelling, gyezing (10 kms) and yuksom (33 kms) are also described here.

a small town in west sikkim, gyalshing or geyzing, is also west sikkim district headquarters. located about 10 kms from geyzong lies pelling. because of the plethora of holy places which includes lakes and monasteries this place is a major pilgrimage for buddhist community. also, one of the best views of mighty kanchenjunga range can be seen from here.

yuksom, located about 33 kms from pelling and founded in 1641, yuksom was the first capital of sikkim where the first chogyal was crowned by three monks from tibet. its is also the origin of several treks into the himalayas or mountan kanchenjunga.

keys places of interest in this region includes:

• glass skywalk, india’s first skywalk at a height of 7200 ft was inaugurated in november 2018. since than it has become must visit. it is surrounded by himalayas and overlooks 137 feet statue of chenrezig.
• barsey rhododendron sanctuary– established in 1996, this sanctuary is well known for good variety of flora and fauna. there are three entry points to this sanctuary – hilley, dentam and soreng with the most popular being hillet as the sanctuary is just 4 kms trek from here which takes around 3 hrs to complete. there are lot of homestays at the entrance.  himalayan animals like red pandas, black bear, fox, leopard, himalayan yellow throated marten etc can be found here. situated on singalila ridge, the sanctuary offers breathtaking views of snow-capped kanchenjunga mountains. plastics are strictly banned in the sanctuary.
• khecheopalri lake also known as sho dzo sho lake about 25kms from pelling, this lake is holy for both hindu and buddhist devotees. as per legend it is believed that one’s wishes are fulfilled here, hence it is also known as “wish fulfilling lake”. it is interesting to know that the birds do not permit even a single leaf to float on the lake surface. on observation the lake resembles a foot which is believed to be of goddess tara.
• rabdentse ruins is located just a walk away from pemayangtse monastery and about 3kms from pelling. rabdentse was the 2nd capital of sikkim after yuksom. till the year 1814 a.d., the king of sikkim ruled from this place. the site has been recently very fully excavated and restored by the archeological survey of india. after restoration, tourists can visit the king’s bed room, assembly hall and kitchen, public courtyard and other palace guards’ room etc.
• sangachoeling monastery situated on a hill opposite to pemayangste monastery this monastery was established in 17th century by lama lhatsun chempo and is one of the oldest monasteries in sikkim. the access to the monastery is through a 4km walk up the hill, which also offers great views of the hilly vegetation. beautiful paintings and clay statues dating back to the 17th century can be seen in this monastery.
• coronation throne of norbugang carries a huge historical and religious importance as it was the places where phuntsog namgyal was crowned the first chogyal of sikkim. as per the legends, the three lamas came from tibet in 1641 used to meet at norbugang coronation, in a bid to strengthen their hold in sikkim and spread buddhism. on the coronation site, there is a park called norbugang park which encloses prayer hall, prayer wheel, the norbugang chorten (stupa), and the purported coronation throne.
• darap village located about 6 kms from pelling on the way to yuksom, it is habited mainly by people from limboo community. it is coming up as a popular home stay destination
• dubdi monastery famous buddhist monastry situated in yuksom also known as yuksom monastry. it is the oldest monastry in sikkim.
• khangchendzonga waterfalls located about 5 kms before yuksom it is one of the main waterfalls of sikkim. it has a ticketed entry and is busy with shops and roadside sellers. the waterfall is in the gorge carved by the force of the river water
• karthok lake another sacred lake like khecheopalri where during december – january a festival is held to commemorate the coronation.
• pemayangste monastery, one of the oldest monasteries which originally built by lhatsun chempo, one of the lamas who had performed the coronation ceremony of the first chogyal of sikkim. being located on hill-top it offers a panoramic view of the himalayan ranges, its surrounding hills and countryside. it belongs to the nyingma order and controls other monasteries of this order in sikkim. the main deity of padmasambhava is in the dorje bhurpa vjarakila form, depicted traditionally with multiple heads and arms. the monastery is normally open from 7 am to 5 pm.
• phamrong falls, located about 7 kms from yuksom, this is highest waterfall of west sikkim. there is a viewpoint for a closer view of this waterfall for which tourists need to trek a steep staircase of about 200 steps to reach.
• singshore bridge,  an engineering marvel, is the highest bridge in sikkim and the second highest in asia. it has a height of at least 100m, and a span of 200m.
• reshi hot spring, located about 25 kms from gyalshing near reshi, on the banks of the rangeet river, the water of the spring is high in sulphur and believed to have special curative powers for skin diseases.
• rimbi water falls is located about 12kms away from pelling on the way to yuksom
• tashiding monastery about 40 kms from pelling, it is one of the holiest monasteries in sikkim and believed to be personally blessed by guru rinpoche. as per the legend tashiding hill is the navel point of all the holy places in sikkim. it was established in 1641 by ngadak sempa chempo phunshok rigzing, and belongs to the nyingma sect of tibetan buddhism. ngadak was one of the wise men who crowned the first king of sikkim.