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Rows of tea bushes on a sunny slope at the Temi Tea Garden with tall dark trees and blue hills behind
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Photo: Abhijit Kar Gupta · CC BY 2.0
1 night · 2 daysCouplesClassicrelaxed

Namchi in two days — the two great statues, then the Temi Tea Garden and Ravangla's Buddha

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.
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Two slow days in South Sikkim. The first is Namchi's two hills, Siddhesvara Dham and Samdruptse; the second goes out to the Temi Tea Garden, the only one in Sikkim, and on to the Buddha Park of Ravangla. End in Ravangla and you are on the road to Pelling.

Photos: Abhijit Kar Gupta (CC BY 2.0) · Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Couples and families who want the statues, a tea garden and an unhurried pace, best in spring and autumn.

Day by day

Day 1

The two hills

2 stops · 22 min on the road

Siddhesvara Dham and Samdruptse, with an easy afternoon in town.

  1. 09:30
    Siddhesvara Dham
    monument · 10 min from Namchi · about 1 h 30 min there
    The Char Dham on Solophok hill, with its 108-foot Shiva.
  2. ↓ 22 min by road · 12 km
    12:30
    Samdruptse Padmasambhava Statue
    monument · 14 min from Namchi · about 1 h there
    Guru Padmasambhava, 135 feet tall, on the hill opposite.
Day 2

The tea garden and the Buddha

2 stops

Out to Temi in the morning, on to Ravangla's Buddha Park in the afternoon.

  1. 09:30
    Temi Tea Garden
    monument · 41 min from Namchi · about 1 h 30 min there
    Sikkim's only tea garden, about 41 minutes from Namchi, set up in 1969 under the last king of Sikkim by Wikipedia's account. We have no verified visiting hours.
  2. 13:30
    Buddha Park of Ravangla
    monument · 49 min from Namchi · about 1 h 30 min there
    The 130-foot copper Buddha above Ravangla, about 49 minutes from Namchi on our routing. Stay the night in Ravangla, or drive back.

Getting there

Bagdogra airport is about 156 minutes from Namchi by road on our routing. See how to reach Namchi.

Where to stay

The first night in Namchi, the second in Ravangla or back in Namchi. We have no verified lodging or prices.

Know before you go

  • Temi is the only tea garden in Sikkim; we have no verified visiting hours, so ask in Namchi.
  • Keep a warm layer for Ravangla, which is much higher than Namchi.
  • The roads are slower in the monsoon; leave early on the second day.

Places on this route

Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
Siddhesvara Dham, Namchi — the Char Dham with its 108-foot Shiva on Solophok hill
monument · 10 min from Namchi
Samdruptse, Namchi — the 135-foot statue of Guru Padmasambhava
Samdruptse, Namchi — the 135-foot statue of Guru Padmasambhava
monument · 14 min from Namchi
Temi Tea Garden — Sikkim's only tea garden, on the slopes below Tendong
Temi Tea Garden — Sikkim's only tea garden, on the slopes below Tendong
monument · 41 min from Namchi
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
monument · 49 min from Namchi

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Namchi itineraries →
One day in Namchi — the Char Dham, the monastery and Guru Padmasambhava on Samdruptse
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 →

More places nearby

All of Namchi →
Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
town · 945 m away
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
temple · 3.3 km away
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
temple · 6.5 km away
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
ruins · 11 km away
Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
temple · 11 km away
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
park · 14 km away
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling — the school founded after Everest
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling — the school founded after Everest
museum · 14 km away
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
temple · 14 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The seated golden and dark-blue Buddha statue on a stepped, richly painted base against a forested hillside and a cloudy sky
Ravangla
16 km away · 1 itineraries · 3 places
Roofs and hotels of Darjeeling spreading down a steep ridge under distant blue mountain ranges and soft cloud
Darjeeling
18 km away · 8 itineraries · 13 places
A long snow-covered Kanchenjunga ridge in blue morning light above dark forested hills with a few wisps of cloud
Pelling
19 km away · 3 itineraries · 8 places
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
31 km away · 5 itineraries · 11 places
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Questions people ask

How far is Temi Tea Garden from Namchi?

About 21.7 km and 41 minutes by road on our routing. It lies on the way towards Ravangla, whose Buddha Park is about 49 minutes from Namchi, so the two make a natural second day. Wikipedia says Temi is the only tea garden in Sikkim, set up in 1969.

Should I stay in Namchi or Ravangla?

Either works for this plan. Namchi is the bigger town and the district headquarters, at about 1,314 m; Ravangla is higher and smaller, and closer to Pelling. Ending the second day in Ravangla saves the drive back and puts you on the road west.

What is the best season for Namchi?

Spring and autumn are the pleasant seasons in these hills, with flowers in spring and clearer views after the monsoon. Wikipedia gives no weather table for Namchi itself, so we give no monthly figures. In the monsoon, landslides can slow the mountain roads.