Darjeeling Town

The ‘Queen of Hills’, Darjeeling is arguably the most popular tourist destination in northeast India. Situated at an altitude of 2134m, this hill town, with its exquisite scenic beauty, attracts travelers of varied interest.
It is the Abode of Lord Shiva and offers spectacular views of Kanchenjunga and the hospitality of colorful Himalayan people. Darjeeling and all her tea plantations lie under the shadow of this snowy Himalayan giant. The town is just 78 km from Siliguri (the major rail and road head) and is well connected by Bus and jeep.

If you are planning a tour to Darjeeling, we recommend spending two to three nights in the town to capture all its beauty. Many tourists like to combine Sikkim with a tour to Darjeeling town. The most common tourist destinations around are Kalimpong, Mirik, Kurseong in the Darjeeling hills and Gangtok, Pelling or North Sikkim area.

You can check the different hotel options available at Darjeeling or also take one of our leisure packages or you can simply fill the form at the bottom of this page for any specific requirement that you might have.

Sightseeing

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR): A visit to the region is incomplete without a ride in the toy-train of DHR. The miniature train, given heritage status by UNESCO, covers the distance of 88 km between New Jalpaiguri station and Darjeeling. More about the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Tiger hill: Standing at a height of 2590m, Tiger Hill is 11 km from the main town. The place is famous for its magnificent view of Kanchenjunga, Mt. Everest and other eastern Himalayan peaks especially at the time of sunrise.

Zoological Park: About 2 km. from the town, this zoo houses a wide collection of high-altitude birds and animals, India’s only collection of Siberian tigers and some rare species such as the red panda. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is famous for its success in the snow leopard breeding program.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) & Museum: Adjacent to the Zoological Park, HMI runs courses on mountaineering. It has a mountaineering museum containing mountaineering gears and the specimens of Himalayan flora & fauna. The Everest Museum at HMI exhibits the history of attempts on the great peak. The museum also exhibits equipment used by Tenzing Norgay (who lived most of his life here) and Edmund Hillary on their way to Mt. Everest and a letter written by George Mallory, the British climber who was lost while climbing Mt. Everest and whose body was found just a few years back.

Lloyd Botanical Garden: The garden, located below the bus stand, is worth a dekko for its representative collection of Himalayan plants, flowers, and orchids. The serenity of the sylvan atmosphere that the garden offers is another reason for its attraction.

Ghoom Monastery: The most famous monastery around, also known as Yogachoeling Gompa, enshrines an image of Maitreya Buddha (the coming Buddha), it is about 10 km from town.

Senchal Lake: – The source of domestic water of the town, located near the Tiger Hill.
Passenger Ropeway: – At North Point, it is ready to offer you a joy ride. About 4 km from Darjeeling town. There was an accident in this ropeway and because of this, the ropeway remained closed for several years.
Dhirdham Temple / Mahakal: – A Hindu temple, it is modeled on the famous Pashupati Temple of Kathmandu.
Nehru Park: – Offers you the most unperturbed view of the mountain ranges of this region.
Ava Art Gallery
Darjeeling Gymkhana Club
Observatory Hill
Bengal Natural History Museum
Rock Garden
Batasia Loop

Climate: Average temperature varies between 20•C and 25•C near the foothills and goes down sharply as the altitude increases. In the town of Darjeeling or Kalimpong temperature may range from 8•C to 15•C in summer and from 1•C to 6•C in winter. It can get very cold in winter.

An umbrella is a must throughout the year since rain in the area is quite unpredictable; however the same is available cheaply in the local markets.

N.B. Light woolen clothes in summer & warm clothes in winter, a foldable handy umbrella may be useful.

The best time to visit Darjeeling is from mid-September to mid-December, although it gets quite cold by December. The season resumes around mid-March and continues till mid-June but as the haze builds up the views become less clear. During the monsoon months (June to September), clouds obscure the mountains and the rain is often so heavy that whole sections of the road from the plains are washed away, though the major towns are rarely cut off for more than a few days at a time.