South Sikkim from Gangtok: Tickets, Timings, What to Expect
How the South Sikkim day from Gangtok runs: Temi Tea Garden, Char Dham at Namchi and Buddha Park at Ravangla, in order, with what each stop is, what to carry and when to go.
The short answer
Namchi (76 km) and Ravangla (77 km) fit into one long day from Gangtok, with Temi Tea Garden, Char Dham and Buddha Park, back the same day.
- The order is Temi Tea Garden, then Char Dham outside Namchi, then Buddha Park at Ravangla, all in one private car from your Gangtok hotel.
- Lunch and entry tickets are not included, so carry cash for both.
- Indian travellers need no permit; foreign nationals need only Sikkim’s entry permit (RAP).
- Going on to Pelling? The two-night Pelling trip stops at Buddha Park and Char Dham on its first day.
Trips you can book for this
Clear mountain views are likeliest from October to December; June to September is wetter, and slower on the roads.
Quick facts
Checked Oct 2026
- Pickup
- 07:30–08:00
- Back by
- 16:15
- From
- from $43 per vehicle
- Stops
- Temi Tea Garden, Char Dham, Buddha Park
- From Gangtok
- Namchi 76 km · Ravangla 77 km
- Permit
- None for Indians; RAP for foreign nationals
from the listing, always current
Can you see Namchi and Ravangla in one day from Gangtok?
Yes. Namchi is 76 km and Ravangla 77 km from Gangtok, 2–3 hours each by road, and one long day by private car covers both, with Temi Tea Garden.
Much of the day is spent on the road, through tea country and forest in Namchi district, which many people still call South Sikkim.
Temi Tea Garden is 55 km from Gangtok, about 2 hours. From Temi to Namchi is about an hour, Namchi to Ravangla another hour, and then the day heads back to Gangtok.
The South Sikkim day is a private car for your own group: a Wagon-R for up to 3 people, or an Innova for up to 6. Pickup is from your hotel in Gangtok.
How does the South Sikkim day run, stop by stop?
Three stops in this order: Temi Tea Garden, Char Dham at Namchi, and Buddha Park at Ravangla, then the drive back to Gangtok.
Here is the day in the order its listing gives. The live pickup and drop-off times sit under the timeline, and each stop’s time is on the day’s own page.
Stop 1
Temi Tea Garden
The state’s one tea estate. Walk between the rows of tea on the hillside below Tendong Hill, and look out over the farms and villages around it.
Stop 2
Char Dham, Namchi
Siddheshwar Dham on Solophok hill, 5 km from Namchi town: a tall statue of Shiva circled by the twelve Jyotirlingas, with copies of the four Char Dham shrines. The longest stop of the day.
Stop 3
Buddha Park, Ravangla
Tathagata Tsal, near Ravangla town: a 130-ft statue of the Buddha, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2013. The last stop before the drive back.
Pickup 07:30–08:00 · back by 16:15 — from the day’s listing
What will you see at Char Dham in Namchi?
A hilltop pilgrimage site: a Shiva statue the Namchi district gives as 108 feet tall, circled by the twelve Jyotirlingas, beside copies of the four Char Dham shrines.
The four are Jagannath Puri in the east, Dwarka in the west, Rameswaram in the south and Badrinath in the north. The district notes that devotees believe a visit here clears away their sins.
Its full name is Siddheshwar Dham, and it stands on Solophok hill, about 5 km from Namchi town. On this day it is the longest stop, with time to walk round all the shrines.
It is a working place of worship. The listing asks you to dress modestly, not to smoke or speak loudly near sacred places, and to expect photos to be restricted in some areas.
What is Buddha Park in Ravangla?
Tathagata Tsal, a park built from 2006 to 2013 around a 130-ft statue of the Buddha, consecrated by the 14th Dalai Lama on 25 March 2013.
The statue marks the 2,550th birth anniversary of the Buddha, and the Namchi district counts the park as a stop on the Himalayan Buddhist Circuit.
Ravangla is a small town at the foot of Maenam Hill, on the way between South and West Sikkim. Trekkers set off from here for Maenam Hill and Borong.
On a clear morning from October to December, Kanchenjunga rises behind the park, operators say.
Can you visit the tea factory at Temi Tea Garden?
Not on this day: you walk in the tea garden, but the factory isn’t part of the visit, operators say. The Namchi district does suggest a factory visit for anyone curious about how tea is made.
Temi is the only tea estate in Sikkim, and its tea is made for the international market. On this day, the stop is a walk in the garden and the view over the valley.
The district also mentions an old British-era bungalow at the garden where visitors can stay, if you would like a night among the tea.
When is the clearest time of year for this day?
October to December, when skies are usually clearest; March to May is mild with more haze, and June to September is wet.
Operators say Kanchenjunga is clearest from October to December. In the monsoon, cloud and landslides can slow the roads, so leave room in your plans.
Pack for sun as much as for cool air: the listing’s own list starts with sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
Bring
- Sunscreen, a sun hat and sunglasses
- A water bottle
- Comfortable shoes
- Cash for lunch and entry tickets
- A valid government ID
Keep in mind
- Dress modestly at Char Dham and Buddha Park
- No smoking or loud talk near sacred places
- Photos may be restricted in some areas
- Lunch is not included
How can you make the day your own?
Add a stop near Namchi, or see the two statues on the way to Pelling instead of on a day out.
Add Samdruptse
Samdruptse is the hill facing Namchi, below Tendong Hill, with a 135-ft statue of Guru Padmasambhava. The district says the top looks out over Namchi to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kanchenjunga.
It is not in this day’s plan, and operators say it is hard to fit into a day out from Gangtok: whether there is time depends on the day. If you would like to try, say so in the note box at checkout.
Going on to Pelling?
The two-night Pelling trip from Gangtok stops at Buddha Park and then Char Dham on its first day, without Temi, and reaches Pelling that afternoon. You see both statues without driving the same road twice.
How the Pelling trips compare, from every start point, is in our Pelling guide. Both days are on the Namchi page, and every road is in the distances guide.
A trip you can book
Gangtok, SikkimGangtok to Pelling 2N3D via Namchi & RavanglaMulti-dayHotel pickupFull refund up to 24 hours beforefrom $159per vehicleSee the trip →Questions travellers ask
Is lunch included on the South Sikkim day?
Are entry tickets included?
Do you need a permit for Namchi and Ravangla?
Is the day suitable for children and older travellers?
How far is Namchi from Ravangla?
Sources & checks
- Char Dham (Siddheshwar Dham): Solophok hill, 5 km from Namchi; the 108-ft Shiva statue, the twelve Jyotirlingas and the four dhams — Namchi District, Government of Sikkim · checked Oct 2026
- Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal): built 2006–2013, the 130-ft Buddha, consecrated on 25 March 2013, the Buddhist Circuit; Ravangla below Maenam Hill — Namchi District, Government of Sikkim · checked Oct 2026
- Samdruptse: the 135-ft Guru Padmasambhava statue, below Tendong Hill, and the view from the top — Namchi District, Government of Sikkim · checked Oct 2026
- Temi Tea Garden: the state’s only tea estate, the factory visit and the old bungalow — Namchi District, Government of Sikkim · checked Oct 2026
- Road distances from Gangtok to Temi, Namchi and Ravangla, and between them — OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) · checked Oct 2026
- The stops and their order, pickup, the cars, what is not included, what to bring, the rules at sacred places and who the day suits; the Pelling trip’s first day — The days' own listings on Day Trio · checked Oct 2026
- Kanchenjunga clearest from October to December, and seen from Buddha Park on clear mornings then; small tickets at Char Dham and Buddha Park; shoes off in the Char Dham shrines; the Temi tea garden, not the factory; Samdruptse hard to fit in; the lunch stop; permits for Indian and foreign travellers — First-hand: the author and local operators who run these days · checked Oct 2026
