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The seated golden and dark-blue Buddha statue on a stepped, richly painted base against a forested hillside and a cloudy sky
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Photo: Joydeep · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day planFirst visitTemples & heritagerelaxed

One day in Ravangla — the Buddha Park, Ralang Monastery and the town with its views

A one-day Ravangla plan: the 130-foot Buddha at the Buddha Park, Ralang Monastery, and the town and Tibetan settlement with views of Kanchenjunga. Free to copy.
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A full, easy day in Ravangla, the South Sikkim town at about 8,000 feet between Namchi, Pelling and Gangtok. Start at the Buddha Park with its 130-foot statue, go on to Ralang Monastery, and spend the afternoon in the town, where Wikipedia says Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru can be seen. Read things to do in Ravangla.

Photos: Joydeep (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Joydeep (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Masum Ibn Musa (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

First-time visitors to South Sikkim, families and anyone on the way between Gangtok and Pelling who wants one quiet day.

Day by day

Day 1

The Buddha, the monastery and the mountains

3 stops · 47 min on the road

The park in the morning light, Ralang before lunch, and the town and its views in the afternoon.

  1. 09:00
    Buddha Park of Ravangla
    monument · 3 min from Ravangla · about 1 h 30 min there
    About 3 minutes from the town on our routing. The 130-foot copper statue of the Buddha, built between 2006 and 2013, sits above the park.
  2. ↓ 22 min by road · 10 km
    11:30
    Ralang Monastery
    temple · 24 min from Ravangla · about 1 h there
    About 24 minutes from the town: a large monastery of the Kagyu school, rebuilt between 1975 and 1981, with a newer monastery built in 1995. We have no verified opening hours.
  3. ↓ 25 min by road · 11 km
    15:00
    Ravangla
    town · 1 min from Ravangla · about 1 h there
    The town on its pass at about 8,000 feet. Walk out towards the Tibetan settlement, about 1 km from the market, and look north for Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru on a clear afternoon.

Getting there

Bagdogra airport is about 201 minutes and Gangtok about 128 minutes away by road on our routing. See how to reach Ravangla.

Where to stay

Ravangla. We have no verified lodging or prices.

Know before you go

  • The mountains show best on a clear morning or late afternoon; clouds often build by midday.
  • Ralang is a working monastery: dress modestly, walk clockwise and ask before photographing inside.
  • Wikipedia says the upper parts of Ravangla sometimes get snow in winter; carry warm layers.

Places on this route

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 · 1 min from Ravangla
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
monument · 3 min from Ravangla
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
temple · 24 min from Ravangla

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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More places nearby

All of Ravangla →
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
Tashiding Monastery — the holiest hilltop monastery in Sikkim
temple · 4.3 km away
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
Rabdentse Ruins, Pelling — the second capital of Sikkim's kings
ruins · 8.3 km away
Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
Pemayangtse Monastery, Pelling — the old Nyingma seat on the ridge
temple · 8.5 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
A long snow-covered Kanchenjunga ridge in blue morning light above dark forested hills with a few wisps of cloud
Pelling
12 km away · 3 itineraries · 8 places
The huge copper-coloured seated statue of Guru Padmasambhava on its painted base on Samdruptse hill under a grey sky
Namchi
16 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
Pastel-coloured buildings of Gangtok climbing a steep, forested hillside, seen from a viewpoint across the valley
Gangtok
26 km away · 5 itineraries · 11 places
Roofs and hotels of Darjeeling spreading down a steep ridge under distant blue mountain ranges and soft cloud
Darjeeling
32 km away · 8 itineraries · 13 places
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Questions people ask

What is there to do in Ravangla in one day?

See the Buddha Park, about 3 minutes from the town on our routing, with its 130-foot copper statue, and Ralang Monastery, about 24 minutes away. Then walk the town itself, with the Tibetan settlement about 1 km from the market and, on a clear day, Kanchenjunga and its neighbours to the north.

Can you see Kanchenjunga from Ravangla?

Yes, on a clear day. Wikipedia lists Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru among the peaks visible from Ravangla. Clouds often build during the day, so look early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and in the clearer months of autumn and spring.

How far is Ralang Monastery from Ravangla?

About 10.9 km and 24 minutes by road on our routing; Wikipedia gives about 6 km. It is a large Kagyu monastery, rebuilt between 1975 and 1981, with a newer monastery added in 1995. We have no verified opening hours.