A garden started by a king
Darjeeling had been growing tea for more than a century before Sikkim planted its first estate. Temi Tea Garden was established in 1969, during the reign of Palden Thondup Namgyal, the twelfth and last Chogyal of Sikkim. Wikipedia's article on Sikkim tea notes that one aim was to give work to the many Tibetan refugees who had settled in the kingdom in the 1960s.
The estate covers about 177 hectares (440 acres) on slopes that run down from the Tendong hill range, in today's Namchi district. Before the tea, part of the land held a Sherpa village, forest nurseries and early-20th-century missionary buildings, which the Sikkim government acquired in 1954. The old bungalow later became forest offices. After Sikkim joined India in 1975 the garden stayed in government hands, and it is run today under the state's tea board.
The choice of site was practical. Tea likes slopes that drain quickly, acid soil, mist in the growing season and cool nights, and the long shoulder of Tendong offered all four. The ground is loamy, with slopes of 30–50%, and the estate's surroundings were planted with Japanese cedar and cherry to hold the soil and line the roads.
How Temi tea is made and sold
Temi produces mostly orthodox black tea, with smaller batches of green, white and oolong made to order. Production is around 100 tonnes a year. The estate switched to organic methods from 2005, using cattle manure, neem cake and vermicompost in place of chemical fertiliser, and is certified organic under the Institute for Marketecology (IMO).
About three-quarters of the crop goes to the Kolkata tea auction, where Temi's best lots fetch high prices; Wikipedia reports that a 2023 first-flush lot sold for ₹10,250 a kilo to buyers in Italy and Korea. The rest is packed for the local market under the Temi Tea name and a few others. Unlike Darjeeling, Sikkim tea does not yet have a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, so the name on the packet is the main guarantee of origin.
The process is the classic orthodox one. Leaves are plucked by hand, usually two leaves and a bud, withered on racks to soften them, rolled to break the cells and release the juices, left to oxidise until the colour turns copper, then fired to stop the process and dry the leaf. Sorting by size gives the grades printed on packets, from whole-leaf grades at the top to broken leaf, fannings and dust at the bottom. Wikipedia puts the workforce at about 400 workers supported by a staff of around 40, many of them from families who have worked in the garden for more than one generation.
Flushes and flavour
Like Darjeeling, Temi picks in flushes. The first flush in spring gives light, floral, golden cups. The second flush in early summer is fuller. The monsoon flush is strong and mellow, good with milk. The autumn flush, from October, is rounded with a hint of warm spice. Temi tea is often described as sitting between Darjeeling and Assam: lighter and more fragrant than Assam, a touch fuller than many Darjeelings.
| Flush | Rough months | Taste | How to drink it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First flush | Mar–Apr | Light, floral, golden liquor | Plain, no milk, water just off the boil |
| Second flush | May–Jun | Fuller, fruity | Plain or with a little milk |
| Monsoon flush | Jul–Sep | Strong, mellow | With milk; good for masala chai |
| Autumn flush | Oct–Nov | Rounded, warm, slightly spicy | Plain, after meals |
Visiting the garden
Temi lies about 16–20 km from both Namchi and Ravangla, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by road, and about 60 km from Gangtok. The estate roads wind through the bushes and are open to walk; there has generally been no charge. On a clear day the snows of the Kangchenjunga range rise to the north-west and the Teesta gorge falls away to the east.
Factory visits depend on the season and the estate's rules, so ask at the gate rather than assuming you can go inside. Mornings are best: pickers are on the slopes in the flush seasons, the light is soft and the mountains are clearer. In November the Himalayan cherry trees along the approach road come into flower, an unusual autumn blossom that gives Cherry Resort its name.
Treat the garden as a workplace as well as a viewpoint. Ask before photographing pluckers, keep to the paths, and leave no litter; plastic is a real problem on tea slopes. A small purchase at the outlet is the simplest way to say thank you.
- Best months: March–May and October–November.
- Allow 1.5–2 hours for a walk and a tea stop.
- Wear shoes with grip; estate paths are steep and slippery after rain.
- Do not pick leaves or walk between rows where pluckers are working.
- Combine with Ravangla's Buddha Park or Namchi's Samdruptse in the same day.
What to buy and what to pay
Packets of Temi tea are sold at the outlet near the factory, run by the garden employees' cooperative, and in shops in Namchi, Ravangla and Gangtok. Buying at the garden is usually cheapest and freshest. Indicative 2026 prices for a 100–250 g packet run from about ₹150–300 for ordinary grades to ₹500 and more for the top whole-leaf grades; special first-flush lots cost more.
Check the packing date, choose whole-leaf grades for drinking plain, and store the tea in an airtight tin away from light once you are home. Be cautious of loose tea sold as 'Temi' in tourist markets far from the garden; without a GI tag, there is no way to be sure what is in it. Check current status before you travel.
Staying in the tea
Cherry Resort sits inside the estate, a three-storey building put up by the state tourism corporation as the Yatri Niwas and now run privately on lease. Rooms look over the bushes and the valley, and you can walk out at dawn before the day visitors arrive. Rates are about ₹4,000–7,500 per room night, indicative. For a cheaper night, stay in Ravangla or Namchi and visit as a day trip; for a better view of the mountains, Ravangla's Mt. Narsing Village Resort is a good alternative.
A night at Temi also lets you see the garden's daily rhythm. Pluckers start early in the flush seasons, baskets on their backs, and the factory hums through the day when leaf is coming in. By late afternoon the slopes empty, the light turns gold over the Teesta valley, and the estate goes quiet. Day visitors miss all of that.
Eating with your tea
In Sikkimese homes tea comes with something to chew. Look for sel roti, the ring-shaped rice bread fried at festivals; hard chhurpi, the smoked yak or cow cheese that softens slowly in the mouth; and fried or boiled potatoes with chilli. Butter tea, made with salt and butter, is still served in Bhutia and Tibetan homes, especially in winter. Gundruk, fermented leafy greens, and kinema, fermented soybean, appear in soups and pickles at lunch.
Small eateries in Namchi and Ravangla serve plates of momos and cups of milky tea for well under ₹150. If you stay in a homestay, ask your host to make sel roti in the morning; many will, especially around Maghe Sankranti in January and Tihar in the autumn.
Questions people ask
Good to know
When was Temi Tea Garden established
In 1969, during the reign of Palden Thondup Namgyal, the last Chogyal of Sikkim. It is the oldest tea garden in Sikkim and is run by the state government's tea board. The estate covers about 177 hectares on the slopes below the Tendong hill range in Namchi district.
Is Temi the only tea garden in Sikkim
It is the oldest and by far the largest, and the only one run by the government. Sikkim also has a number of small growers and at least one boutique private estate, so it is no longer strictly the only one. Most Sikkim tea in the market is still sold under the Temi name.
Can I visit the Temi tea factory
Sometimes. Walking the estate roads has generally been open and free, but factory visits depend on the season and the estate's current rules. Ask at the gate or at Cherry Resort. The tea outlet near the factory is usually open for purchases during working hours. Check current status before you travel.
How is Temi tea different from Darjeeling tea
Both are grown in the hills from similar bushes and picked in flushes. Temi is often described as slightly fuller and rounder than many Darjeelings while still floral, sitting between Darjeeling and Assam in strength. Darjeeling tea has a GI tag; Sikkim tea does not yet, so the brand name matters when you buy.
How much does Temi tea cost
At the garden outlet, ordinary grades cost roughly ₹150–300 for a 100–250 g packet, and top whole-leaf grades ₹500 or more, indicative 2026. Special first-flush lots sell at auction for far higher prices. Buying at the garden is usually cheaper and fresher than in tourist shops.
What is the best time to visit Temi Tea Garden
March to May for the first and second flush, with pickers on the slopes, and October to November for clear skies and the autumn flush. In November the Himalayan cherry blooms along the approach road. The monsoon is green but wet, misty and leechy.
Is Temi tea organic
Yes. The estate moved to organic methods from 2005, replacing chemical fertilisers with cattle manure, neem cake and vermicompost, and is certified organic under the Institute for Marketecology (IMO), which inspects it each year. That organic status is one reason its tea sells well in Europe and Japan.
How far is Temi Tea Garden from Gangtok
About 60 km, roughly 2.5 hours by road. It is closer to Namchi and Ravangla, each about 16–20 km and an hour away. Most visitors add Temi to a Ravangla–Namchi day rather than making a separate trip from Gangtok.
Can I stay inside the Temi tea estate
Yes, at Cherry Resort, a state-built hotel inside the estate now run privately on lease. Rooms overlook the tea and the valley, at about ₹4,000–7,500 per room night, indicative. Book ahead for November, when the cherry blossom draws visitors.