West Bengal Darjeeling

Darjeeling is a picture perfect hill station sitting atop a ridge at 2134m is replete with Buddhist monasteries, trekking trails and awesome mountain views. People flock to this lovely hill station to escape the heat and humidity of the plains and beat the stress of city life.

Some important questions arise when we choose a destination.

Most important places to Visit in Darjeeling.

Which all places I can visit along with Darjeeling  ?

Tour itineraries along with Darjeeling

Best time to visit Darjeeling

How to reach Darjeeling ?

Most important places to Visit in Darjeeling.

Tiger Hill which is the highest point in Darjeeling to see the sun rise amidst the majestic Kanchenjunga and her entourage of lesser peaks. If you are lucky, on a clear day you may even see the mighty Everest.

Close by, at a height of 2448 m is the SenchalLake , which is a popular picnic spot. The Observatory Hill is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists for there is a Kali temple here and a multitude of prayer flags.

The majestic Kanchenjunga serves as a backdrop for the Bhutia Busty Gompa, a branch of Nyingmapa sect from Sikkim. Its library holds the original copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The YogachoelingGompa popularly called Ghoom is usually shrouded under a cloud of mist and enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha.

The Monasteries are the Samdenchoeling, Sakyachoeling, PhinSotholing, Aloobari, ThuptenSangachoeling and SonadaGompas. The Dhirdham Temple is the most prominent Hindu temple here. The Bengal Natural History Museum has a large collection of Himalayan flora and fauna.

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park established in 1958 houses rare species like Siberian tigers, red pandas and the Tibetan wolf. It also has a Snow Leopard breeding programme. The world famous Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) is based in Darjeeling. The "Samadhi" (memorial) of Tenzing Norgay, who conquered Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, lies in the grounds of the HMI.

About 3 kms north of Darjeeling is India’s oldest passenger ropeway, 5 km in length over the Rangeet River. There is Lloyd Botanical Gardens with an impressive collection of plants, flowers and orchids near the market. One can always take pony rides in Chowrasta.

Tea has for long been Darjeeling's major claim to fame. The steep slopes are intricately patterned with a maze of tea plantations.

Which all places I can visit along with Darjeeling ?

Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights

Destinations Covered: Kolkata - Darjeeling - Gangtok

Duration:3 Days / 2 Nights

Destinations Covered:Kolkata - Darjeeling - Kolkata

Best time to visit Darjeeling

The best time to visit this hill station is between April to June and from September to December. The summer temperature hovers between 14° C and 8°Celsius and the winter temperatures fall to a freezing 6°C to 1°Celsius. Monsoons are rather heavy and should be avoided as they frequently cause landslides.

How to reach Darjeeling ?

How to Reach Darjeeling by Air

Bagdogra, 96 km away, is the nearest airport, connected to Kolkata, Delhi, and Guwahati. From here a bus or private taxi can get you to Darjeeling in 3 hours.

How to Reach Darjeeling by Rail

New Jalpaiguri is the nearest railhead with connections to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Madras, Bombay, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Tirupati, Trivandrum and Cochin. From Jalpaiguri the "toy train" to Darjeeling takes a picturesque route lasting about 7 hours. The route passes through some extraordinarily beautiful sites and stops at a place called Batasia Loop to enable passengers to shoot the magnificent Mt. Kanchenjunga.

How to Reach Darjeeling by Road

The road distances are Kolkata 651 km, Gangtok 100 km and Kalimpong 51 km. If you plan to drive in from Kolkata you will face certain stretches where the road condition is not very favourable. But after you hit the hill stretch, it is a joy to drive. Journey time is 14 hours.