South Sikkim · Road guide
Melli to Namchi
Melli to Namchi is about 27 km and an hour, the climb from the Teesta at about 280 m to Namchi at about 1,500 m. It is the last leg of the usual drive from NJP or Bagdogra into South Sikkim, passing close to Kitam Bird Sanctuary.
Photo: Prof Ranga Sai · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Your options
How to make the trip
Shared jeep
1 h · ≈ ₹80–150 a seat
Shared jeeps from Siliguri to Namchi pass through Melli; if you are already in Melli, ask at the roadside stand for jeeps heading up to Namchi. Departures are most frequent in the morning. From Siliguri the full run is about ₹300–400 a seat. Fares are indicative; check current status before you travel.
Private car
1 h · ≈ ₹1,500–2,000 one way; NJP–Namchi ≈ ₹4,500–6,500
Most guests do this leg as part of a reserved car from NJP or Bagdogra, about 96–100 km and 3.5–4 hours in all. NH10 from Sevoke to Melli closes after monsoon slides; then drivers come via Darjeeling district to Jorethang and up to Namchi instead, which adds about an hour.
Fares are indicative. Landslides, snow and check-post timings change journeys: check current status before you travel.
On the way
Stops worth the time
- Melli bridge over the Teesta
- Manpur
- Kitam Bird Sanctuary (short detour)
Stop for tea at Melli before the climb, and keep the meal light if anyone in the car is prone to motion sickness.
Questions travellers ask
Melli to Namchi: questions
How long does it take from NJP to Namchi?
About 3.5 to 4 hours for roughly 96–100 km: around 2.5–3 hours on NH10 from NJP to Melli, then an hour climbing to Namchi. A reserved car costs about ₹4,500–6,500, indicative. If NH10 is closed, the Darjeeling–Jorethang route adds about an hour. Check current status before you travel.
Can we visit Kitam Bird Sanctuary on the way?
Yes, Kitam lies close to the Melli–Namchi road, so a short detour is easy. Birds are most active at dawn, though, so an afternoon stop on arrival day is more of a forest walk. Serious birders should sleep in Namchi and return early the next morning.
What happens if NH10 is closed?
NH10 between Sevoke and Melli closes after monsoon slides. For Namchi, drivers then go from Siliguri through Darjeeling district down to Jorethang and climb 18 km to Namchi, adding roughly an hour. Our drivers check road news each morning. Check current status before you travel.
Is the road from Melli to Namchi steep?
It climbs about 1,200 m in roughly 27 km, with many hairpin bends, but it is paved and well used by jeeps and buses. Average speed is 25–30 km/h. People prone to motion sickness should sit in front, eat lightly at Melli and ask the driver to take bends gently.
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