Temi Tea Garden — Sikkim's only tea garden, on the slopes below Tendong
Temi Tea Garden, the only tea garden in Sikkim: set up in 1969 under the last Chogyal, 177 hectares on the slopes of the Tendong range, 41 minutes from Namchi.
Sikkim⛰ 1,314 m2 itineraries
Namchi
Namchi, South Sikkim's headquarters at 1,314 m: the 135-foot Padmasambhava on Samdruptse, Siddhesvara Dham (Char Dham), the Temi Tea Garden and Kitam.
Namchi, whose name is read as sky high, is the headquarters of South Sikkim, a small town at about 1,314 m on the hills between Gangtok, Ravangla and the Teesta valley. Two great statues face each other across it: on Samdruptse hill sits Guru Padmasambhava, 135 feet tall, completed in February 2004, and on Solophok hill Siddhesvara Dham raises a 108-foot Shiva over models of the Char Dham shrines and the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Out of town, the Temi Tea Garden, Sikkim's only tea garden, lies about 41 minutes away on our routing, and the Kitam Bird Sanctuary about 31 minutes. Ravangla and its Buddha Park are about 46 minutes away, so the two towns go well together. Bagdogra airport is about 156 minutes away by road. Copy the one-day plan or two days with Temi, and read how to reach Namchi and things to do in Namchi.
Photos: Ankit Darsi (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Abhijit Kar Gupta (CC BY 2.0) · Prof Ranga Sai (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Plans that include this
All Namchi itineraries →
One day in Namchi — the Char Dham, the monastery and Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse
Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage
A one-day Namchi plan: Siddhesvara Dham's 108-foot Shiva, Namchi Monastery, and the 135-foot Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse, all close to the town. Copy it.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Namchi in two days — the two great statues, then the Temi Tea Garden and Ravangla's Buddha
1 night · 2 days · Couples · Classic
A two-day Namchi plan: Siddhesvara Dham and the Samdruptse statue, then the Temi Tea Garden, Sikkim's only one, and the Buddha Park at Ravangla. Free to copy.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →Going together
No one has started a group going to Namchi yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Places worth the drive
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
Siddhesvara Dham (Char Dham), Namchi: a 108-foot Shiva, an 18-foot Kirateshwar, models of the Char Dham shrines and twelve Jyotirlingas on Solophok hill.
Samdruptse, Namchi — the 135-foot statue of Guru Padmasambhava
Samdruptse hill, Namchi: a 135-foot (41 m) statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Sikkim, completed in February 2004, 14 minutes from the town.
On the map
Open the Namchi map →The places a Namchi day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
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Things to do in Namchi — two great statues, a monastery, Sikkim's only tea garden and Kitam
Things to do in Namchi: Siddhesvara Dham's Shiva, the Samdruptse Padmasambhava, Namchi Monastery, the Temi Tea Garden, Kitam and the Mamley stromatolites.
How to reach Namchi — Bagdogra, New Jalpaiguri, Gangtok, Ravangla and Darjeeling
How to reach Namchi, South Sikkim: Bagdogra 101 km, New Jalpaiguri 93 km, Gangtok 71 km, Ravangla 26 km and Darjeeling 44 km by road, with measured times.
Best time to visit Namchi — spring and autumn, the October festival, and the monsoon roads
When to visit Namchi, South Sikkim: pleasant spring and autumn, the Namchi Mohatsav festival each October, the monsoon on the mountain roads, and cool winters.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
What is Namchi famous for?
For its two great statues: Guru Padmasambhava, 135 feet tall, on Samdruptse hill, completed in February 2004, and a 108-foot Shiva at Siddhesvara Dham on Solophok hill, with models of the Char Dham shrines. The Temi Tea Garden, Sikkim's only tea garden, is about 41 minutes away on our routing.
How far is Namchi from Gangtok?
About 71 km and 134 minutes by road on our routing; Wikipedia gives about 78 km. Ravangla is closer, about 26 km and 46 minutes, and Bagdogra airport about 101 km and 156 minutes. These are mountain roads; leave in the morning and keep spare time in the monsoon.
Is Namchi worth a visit?
Yes, for a day or two: the statues on the two hills face each other across the town, the Temi Tea Garden is close, and Ravangla's Buddha Park is about 49 minutes away. It is quieter than Gangtok or Pelling, and a good stop between them and Darjeeling.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.