Monasteries in Sikkim are of three types :
1. Tak-phu
Literally meaning "rock-cave" or cave hermitage. Although there are many such hermitages in Sikkim , there are four which are of special importance, one in each direction. The four are hallowed as caves where Guru Rinpoche and Lhatsun Chhembo are said to have halted and meditated. These are:

Lha-ri nying phu:
The north face of the four, Lha-ri nying phu is situated at a 3-day trek precarious trek from Tashiding, west Sikkim . Not only is this the most difficult to reach, it is also the holiest. Its name means "the Old Cave on God's Hill".

Kah-do Sang phu:
The Cave of the Occult Fairies" is on the south gate and one of the easiest to reach. A five-minute walk across a pedestrian bamboo bridge from the Jorethang-Gyalshing highway just beyond Reshi hot-springs takes one to Kah-do Sang Phu where one can find footprints ascribed to fairies.

Pe-phu:
Placed between Tendong and Maenam hills in south Sikkim , Pe-phu lies near Sangmoo Gumpa about 5 kms from Ravangla, south Sikkim , en route to Singtam. A huge cavern, believed to extend by a bifurcation to both Tendong and Maenam hill, visitors can still walk in about a quarter of a mile. As low as five feet at places, the cave opens up to a towering 100 feet at some sections.

De-chhen phu:
The Cave of Happiness " is accessible only in autumn when the snow that hides it, melts. Distanced from Rimbi, west Sikkim , by a 3-day trek, it lies in the snows above Dzongri.

2.Gompa:
Monasteries are almost always translated as "Gompas". This is, however, a misinterpretation. Gompa literally means "a place of solitude", a religious escape where monks are trained in the finer aspects of Tibetan Buddhism practised here. Most gompas in Sikkim are found in solitary places since isolation from the world has always been a important for Buddhist learning; not as an act of self-punishment, but merely as an escape from mundane temptations. Monasteries usually occupy commanding & frequently picturesque sites. A choice made easy by the two conditions laid in a guiding couplet on where a monastery should be built; "Back to the hill-rock, And front to the tarn". A monastery, wherever possible, should be built on a ridge and have a lake in front. The door of the assembly room and temple should preferably face eastwards. South-east is the second choice and then south. A stream draining the site is considered inauspicious as monks believe that this would drain away all the virtue of the place. If such a location is unavoidable, then the main door is made to face another direction. A waterfall, is, however, considered a good omen and if one is visible from the monastery, then the door is made to face that direction. The monastic buildings cluster around the main building which is also used as the Assembly Hall or du-khang. Lining the approaches to the monastery are rows of prayer flags and chortens.

3. Mani Lakhangs:
These are only temples and not also schools like gompas. Normally situated near villages, these normally have only a few monks ministering to the religious needs of the villagers.

Phensong Monastery
Built in - 1840, Sect -
This monastery in North Sikkim was built during the time of Jigme Pawo. Belonging to the Nyingmapa order, this monastery, first established in 1840, stands testimony to the dedication of its monks who reconstructed the monastery within a year after it was burnt down in 1947. The monastery is situated on a gentle slope stretching fom Kabi to Phodong in north Sikkim . There are around 300 monks under the monastery and is famous for the main annual Chaam (monk dance) performed on the 28th & 29th days of the tenth month of the Tibetan Calendar which normally corresponds to the month of December. Its name translates as "The excellent Banner" or "Good Bliss".