- Where
- Ghum, about 7 km from Darjeeling
- Distance
- About 6–8 km from Darjeeling, 20–30 minutes
- Timings
- About 9 am–6 pm
- Entry fee
- Free; small camera fee
- Permit
- None
- Best time
- Year-round; early morning for prayers
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
Ghoom Monastery, properly Yiga Choeling, stands in Ghum, the railway town on the ridge above Darjeeling. Founded in 1850 by the Mongolian lama Sherab Gyatso, it is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the region, and its prayer hall holds a large statue of Maitreya, the future Buddha.
Visiting
Entry is free; a small fee applies for cameras. Remove your shoes in the prayer hall, walk clockwise and ask before photographing monks. The monastery is open roughly 9 am to 6 pm.
How to reach
Ghum is 6–8 km from Darjeeling, 20–30 minutes by taxi, and a stop on the toy train. Batasia Loop and the Ghum railway museum are close by, and Tiger Hill sunrise tours often stop here on the way back.
Ghoom Monastery: questions travellers ask
What are Ghoom Monastery timings?
Roughly 9 am to 6 pm.
Is there an entry fee at Ghoom Monastery?
No. Entry is free; a small fee applies for cameras.
When was Ghoom Monastery built?
In 1850, by the lama Sherab Gyatso.
How far is Ghoom Monastery from Darjeeling?
About 6–8 km, 20–30 minutes by taxi.
Sources
Timings and fees change. Check on the day, or ask us when you book.
