Places To Visit In South Sikkim

Sikkim is a beautiful state in India. Sikkim is still very much unexplored like any other North-East state of India. Most tourists do not venture beyond the capital city, Gangtok, and miss the real beauty of Sikkim. One such beauty is South Sikkim.

While there is no dearth of natural beauty elsewhere in Sikkim, South Sikkim has one of the best man-made structures not just in Sikkim but the whole of India. Here are some of the top places to visit in South Sikkim.

Table of Contents
1 Buddha Park, Ravangala
2 Char Dham, Namchi
3 Samdruptse Hill, Namchi
4 Temi Tea Garden, Temi

Buddha Park, Ravangala

Buddha Park is situated in Ravangla and features a massive 130-feet high Buddha statue. The park is massive with ample walkways and greenery all around.

One needs to climb 150-odd easy steps to reach the Buddha statue. The platform which mounts the Buddha statue houses the monastery. The exquisite murals depicting the life of Buddha adorn the monastery. One can spend hours amidst the tranquil atmosphere appreciating the park’s beauty.

There is also a Buddhist conclave and a meditation centre. There are many eateries and souvenir shops inside the park complex.

Opening Hours – 9 AM to 6 PM 
Suggested Duration – 1 to 2 hours
Ticket Cost – 50 INR (Indians), 200 INR (Foreigners)

Char Dham, Namchi

Also known as Siddheshwar Dham, Char Dham is a vast pilgrimage complex built in Namchi. As you enter the park and walk towards the central area, you will be awestruck to see the gigantic 87-feet tall Lord Shiva statue sitting on top of the Shiva temple. 

The park has replicas of Char Dhams – Badrinath Dham, Jagannath Dham, Dwarka Dham, and Rameshwar Dham. The Rameshwar Dham is dedicated to Lord Shiva while all other Dhams are dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are also replicas of 12 jyotirlingas and Sai temple. All the replicas are live temples where devotees can also offer prayers.

The complex is massive and photogenic. Give yourselves a couple of hours to fully explore the park and click many pictures.

Opening Hours – 6 AM to 8 PM (April to September), 7 AM to 7:30 PM (October to March)
Suggested Duration – 2 hours
Ticket Cost – 50 INR

Also Read: OUR SIKKIM 11 DAY ITINERARY

Samdruptse Hill, Namchi

Samdruptse Hill is just 9 kilometres from Namchi and situated at an altitude of 7000 feet.

The main attraction here is the copper and gold coloured 135 feet gigantic high statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Sikkim. The spectacular views of Mount Kanchenjunga are visible from the hill. 

Many eatery shops in the car parking area sell hot snacks like momos and Maggi noodles.

Opening Hours – 9 AM to 5:30 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes
Ticket Cost – 50 INR 

Temi Tea Garden, Temi

Temi Tea Garden is located about 20 kilometres from Namchi. It is the only tea garden in Sikkim and produces one of the top-quality organic tea in the world.

Take a walk through the Temi tea garden and click many photos amidst the tea bushes or with the ‘I LOVE TEMI’ sign. 

There is a tea factory a few metres away, where you can get a guided tour for INR 100. The guide will tell you about all the different stages of tea processing from withering to packaging. If you go before lunch, you can see all the stages. Post lunch, there is a possibility that the tea processing is finished for the day and you will have to be content with commentary only. 

If you are looking to buy Temi tea to take back home, there is a stall next to the factory gate selling packets of different grades of tea. Higher the grade, expensive the tea. If you want to have a taste of Temi tea, there are a few roadside tea stalls selling a cup of tea using low-grade Temi tea for INR 20.

Opening Hours – 10 AM to 5 PM
Suggested Duration – 30 minutes to 1 hour
Ticket Cost – 10 INR (Garden entry fee)