Namchi district · Theme
Photography in South Sikkim
Kangchenjunga at first light
In South Sikkim, photography works best in Borong, Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal), Char Dham, Solophok and Kitam Bird Sanctuary. We have 2 packages built around it. Sunrise on Kangchenjunga from Pelling or Tashi View Point, the Zuluk loops at dawn, prayer flags at Tsomgo, Rumtek's courtyard in morning light. We plan for the hours that matter and the weather windows that open them.
The mountain shows itself most reliably from October to December and on clear spring mornings. Afternoons cloud over in most seasons, so photography trips start early and rest in the middle of the day.
Drones need permission and are banned near border areas, monasteries and military sites. Ask before photographing people and inside prayer halls.
Places
Where to go
Borong
Farm village above the Rangeet with a winter hot spring
pilgrimage site
Buddha Pa…2,115M
Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal)
A 130 ft copper Buddha with Mount Narsing behind it
pilgrimage site
Char Dham…1,710M
Char Dham, Solophok
A 108 ft Shiva and India's four dhams on one Sikkim hilltop
Kitam Bird Sanctuary
Sikkim's low, warm sal forest, best known for wild peafowl
Namchi Rock Garden
Terraced paths, ponds and Precambrian rock on the Samdruptse road
town
Namchi1,500M
Namchi
Two giant statues, one tidy hill town, mild weather all year
pilgrimage site
Samdruptse2,200M
Samdruptse
Guru Rinpoche, 135 ft tall, on the wish-fulfilling hill
tea garden
Temi Tea …1,500M
Temi Tea Garden
The Chogyal's tea estate, organic since the 2000s, above the Teesta
Price your own route
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Trips to start from
Indicative prices per person, twin sharing. Each one can be changed.
Value
Top2,200M
Gangtok, Namchi, Ravangla and Pelling, 7N
Gangtok · Namchi · Ravangla · Pelling
Budget
Top2,150M
Namchi, Ravangla and Pelling, 6 nights
Namchi · Ravangla · Pelling
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Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
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Hours that fit the theme
Walk down to the Borong Tsachu in winter
A half-day outing from the village down to the hot spring on the Rangeet, a soak in the warm sulphur pools alongside …
Nature
Kangchenjunga at dawn from a Borong courtyard
No drive, no ticket: step out of your homestay at first light and watch the Kangchenjunga range turn from grey to gold …
Village life
A farm walk through Borong with your hosts
An easy walk along the terraces and footpaths of the village with a member of your host family, through maize and vegetable …
Monasteries and shrines
Borong to Ralang: two monasteries by afternoon light
A short drive or walk from Borong back towards Ravangla to the old Karma Rabtenling monastery of 1768 and the large Palchen …
Monasteries and shrines
Buddha Park at opening time
Be at the gate when Tathagata Tsal opens, walk the long avenue while it is still quiet, circle the 130 ft Buddha …
Culture
The Buddha's life in the spiral museum
Inside the statue's base, a museum's spiral gallery tells the Buddha's life in sequence, from birth at Lumbini to enlightenment and final …
Monasteries and shrines
Butter lamps and dusk at Tathagata Tsal
Return late in the afternoon, when the tour groups have left, to light a butter lamp, walk a last kora around the …
Adventure
Walk from Buddha Park towards Ralang
After your visit, walk downhill from Buddha Park along the quiet road towards Ralang Monastery, about 6 km, through village fields and …
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We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartStays
Where we would book
Borong village homestays
Family-run rooms scattered across upper Borong, about 5 km beyond Ralang Monastery at roughly 1,770 m. Simple, clean, home-cooked food, and a front-row view …
Value
Cherry Resort, Temi
A mid-range resort inside the Temi tea estate, on land owned by the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation and run privately. Rooms look over tea …
Comfort
Seven Hill Resort
A cottage resort on about six acres of sloping, landscaped ground at Phalidara above Namchi. Traditionally designed cottages with balconies face Samdruptse, Solophok's Char …
Premium
Sobralia Hotels Casino Resort & Spa
Namchi's largest upmarket hotel, formerly Summit Sobralia Resort & Spa, on the road up to Char Dham. A five-storey building with valley and Kangchenjunga …
Premium
The Temi Bungalow (Eco Adventure Resorts)
The restored Bada Bungalow inside the state-owned Temi tea estate, now run by Eco Adventure Resorts with newer cottages around it. Old missionary-era architecture, …
Price your own route
Tell us dates, people and budget. We send a day-by-day plan with every cost shown. StartNot sure where to start?
We match districts to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. StartAsk the Gangtok desk
An itemised quote within one working day. No payment to start. StartGet my price
Tell us your dates and your budget
Who is travelling, when, and roughly what you want to spend. The Gangtok desk replies within one working day with a day-by-day plan and an itemised price.
- No payment to start
- Permits handled through registered partners
- Every hotel, car and fee listed