Rumtek, on the other side of the Ranipul Valley, is visible from Gangtok though it's 24 km away by road. The monastery is the seat of the Gyalwa Karmapa, the head of the Kagyu-pa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The order was founded in the 11th century by Lama Marpa, the disciple of the Indian guru Naropa, and later split into several subsects, the most important of which are Druk-pa, Kagyu-pa and Karma-pa. The teachings of the sect are communicated to the disciples orally.

The main monastery is a recent structure, built by the Gyalwa Karmapa in strict accordance with the traditional designs of his monastery in Tibet. The main chaam, or religious dance, known as Tse Chu, is performed on the 10th day of the fifth lunar month (July), and depicts events in Guru Rimpoche's life. Another chaam, presenting the battle between good and evil, takes place two days before Tibetan New Year.