Darjeeling - A Complete Guide

"The one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once-by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined."- Mark Twain 

That’s the exact thought that comes to my mind when I reached Darjeeling. The view of glistening white Kanchenjunga standing facing toward the azure sky or the mountain air, lush tea gardens of Darjeeling provides a perfect gateway for those seeking to be in harmony with nature. 

Thousands of Indian and foreign tourists flock annually to the region to taste world-class Darjeeling tea, soak up the colonial nostalgia, and feel the Himalayan mystique. This "Queen of the Hills" is also known for the world heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. One of the most beautiful states of West Bengal, located within the Lesser and Sub - Himalayan belts of the Eastern Himalayas.

It is a place where you can spend your day in peace and relaxation. A mystic mountain town that is surrounded by clouds and fog and stands silently as a bridge between today and the old days of colonial Darjeeling. A strange thrill works around this city for Bengalis and this is a dream destination for more or less all Bengalis.

Let’s take a look at ALL THE 10 THINGS you need to know before you pack your bag to go there.

Contents

• 1. How To Go
• 2. Where To Stay
• 3. What To Eat And From Where
• 4. Best Time To Visit
• 5. Ride-In The Toy Train
• 6. What To See
• 6.1 Sunrise At The Tiger Hill
• 6.2 Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
• 6.3 Ghum Monastery
• 6.4 Batasia Loop And The War Memorial 
• 6.5 Japanese Temple And Peace Pagoda
• 6.6 Tour A Tea Plantation  
• 6.7 Mahakal Temple And Observatory Hill
• 6.8 Rangit Valley Passenger Cable Car Ride
• 7.  Souvenir And Shopping
• 8.  Adventure Activities
• 8.1 White Water Rafting
• 8.2 Trekking 
• 9. Offbeat Destinations from Darjeeling
• 10. Itinerary for Darjeeling Trip

How To Go

Darjeeling is a budget-friendly travel destination, you just need to take care of proper information.

First of all, the nearest town to Darjeeling is Siliguri. If you want to come by plane from any part of the country, you have to get off at Bagdogra Airport or you need to get off at New Jalpaiguri station if choose the rail route.

NJP Station

There are many options to reach Darjeeling from NJP station such as Bus, Ola/Uber, Shared taxis, etc. The road journey is very enjoyable after leaving Siliguri town. The more the car climbs up the hill, the more the beauty of the hill town becomes unprecedented.

*Tips: If you are a budget traveler and there are fewer people (for1-2 person) with you then I would suggest share taxis (Jeep) can be the best option. They charge around Rs. 180-250 per head and are available all the time.

Where To Stay

There are many types of hotels and homestays in Darjeeling. However, it is important to choose a place keeping in view the cleanliness and various other services. In that case, it is better to monitor the hotel booking websites and then book. All kinds of hotels are available.  Personally, I like the Airbnb website, all the places booked from there so far were pretty good. We stayed at Lama Residency from upper Toong Soong Road, just a minute walk away from Chowrasta Mall.

 

View from Lama Residency

What To Eat And From Where

Darjeeling is not only an eye-soothing mountain town or has a UNESCO heritage site but also one of the best places to try Tibetan culinary as well as Nepali thali, English breakfast, and other cuisines. For the Tibetan foods must go to Kunga Restaurant one of the best places to enjoy the fresh and tasty momos or Thukpa.

From Glenary's

If you wanna try something new then must try Nepali cuisine from Penang Restaurant or just search other local restaurants where they serve Nepali Thali.

It is a wonderful experience while to come to Darjeeling and have an English breakfast while enjoying the beauty of the mountains sitting on the open roof of the Keventers.

Take a stroll through the Mall in the afternoon and visit Glenary's, try some delicious cake or pastries with a cup of tea and enjoy the atmosphere of an iconic restaurant of Darjeeling.

And if you feel most comfortable with Bengali food, you will find several Bengali restaurants around Chowrasta. However, since I have eaten at Hotel Mahakal near Chauk Bazar, I can say that the quality of the food is quite good.

Best Time To Visit

Darjeeling is a place that does not require any special time to visit because its beauty is different and incomparable in every season. Luckily, I have seen the foggy misty monsoon view of the mountain and as well as the beautiful clear view too in the winter. Both are equally scenic and charming. 

A view of a rainy day

If you want to see floating clouds around you and walk in the rain-soaked green hills, then come in the rain (June – September). Or if you want a clean glimpse of Kanchenjunga and the cool refreshing breeze of Darjeeling then must come in winter (December – March) and those who are restless in the sweltering heat of the plains and want to take a few days off to get rid of the fatigue can come to Darjeeling to enjoy nice windy mountain weather (April-May).

Ride in the Toy Train

Whenever someone says something about Darjeeling, only one picture comes to my mind! A twisting mountain road, dense forest and a small but wonderful train moving somewhere and breaking the silence of the mountain with occasional whistles. 

Batasia loop wrapped in dense fog within moments.

Even Mark Twain was impressed by the engineering and wonder of this Himalayan railway. He said:

"The railway journey up the mountain is forty miles, and it takes eight hours to make it. It is so wild and interesting and exciting and enchanting that it ought to take a week."

Accordingly, UNESCO’S World Heritage Committee inscribed DHR as a World Heritage Site on 2nd December 1999. It is also known as the Toy-train ride.

Darjeeling station

You can try it from NJP to Darjeeling station that will take almost 8 hours to cover the distance of 84kms or you can take the joy ride, a round trip operated from Darjeeling station. It takes roughly 2 hours from Darjeeling up to Batasia loop and back via Ghum Station, covering almost 14 km distance

Toy Train Joyride Fare :

Diesel Engine ride: Rs. 1000

Steam Engine ride: Rs. 1600

*Tips: If you take the Steam Engine ride must watch how coal is loaded in the engine and how the burning coal creates enough heat which water vapor for the engine to start. Then the train will play the famous whistle again and make its way forward.

What To See

Sunrise At The Tiger Hill

Tiger hill is the highest point of Darjeeling from where one can get some unforgettable sunrise moment of her/ his life. So if you are planning to visit Darjeeling, just put it on top of your list. It will never go in vain to wake up before the sun to see the gorgeous panoramic view of the everlasting snow. As the day dawned you can see the lower hills were covered in clouds, but the white and spotted crest of the snow-capped Kanchenjunga peak, which stands with its head held high above them, is shining with the first soothing pink ray of the morning sun, which creates an unreal romantic memory for any tourist. Then, as the day progresses, the veil of clouds below move away and a beautiful mountain scene catches the eye.

Kanchenjunga

This picture of ours was taken from the roof of our homestay. Although we could not see Kanchenjunga from there, we saw a mesmerizing sunrise that day.

 

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

The two most notable reasons for visiting Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, commonly known as Darjeeling Zoo, are firstly it is the highest altitude zoo in the world and secondly, it preserves variously vulnerable and endangered Himalayan animals, e.g. the red panda and the snow leopard, etc.

Red Panda at Darjeeling Zoo

Ghum Monastery

Basically, there are two monasteries called Ghoom Monastery. The original one is the oldest monastery in Darjeeling but another one, basically Samten Choling Monastery has a large statue of Lord Buddha. Photography inside the Samten Choling Monastery is prohibited. 

The beautifully decorated colorful temples and the pleasant Buddha statues as well as the strangely beautiful rituals and the sound of drums echos in the mountains and the whole atmosphere takes your mind to another world.

Samten Choling Monastery

Batasia Loop and The War Memorial

 Batasia Loop is historically and scenically an important place in Darjeeling. Those who will take Joy-ride can come here eventually because the train stops here for some time. 

Batasia Loop

You can also come on foot. Batasia Loop is another best place in Darjeeling to enjoy the 360°view of the town and snow-capped mountain range. A beautiful garden where you can spend some moments enjoying the beautiful scenery. At the center of the Batasia Loop is the War memorial which commemorates the soldiers of Darjeeling who sacrificed their lives in various wars for their motherland.

 

War Memorial at Batasia Loop

Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda

The Japanese Peace Pagoda can be a great place if you want to get rid of all the tiredness of the mind through meditation amid nature. They carry forward the Buddha's message of peace and action. Visit this beautiful pagoda to feel the serene and tranquil experience.

Peace Pagoda

Tour A Tea Plantation

 Darjeeling is the land of tea. The whole world loves Darjeeling Tea. So not visiting the tea plantations here means depriving yourself of a wonderful experience. The most notable and second oldest tea estate in town is the Happy Valley Tea Estate. A little away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the beautiful surroundings of this place will give peace of mind and eyes. Try to take the guided tours where the employees take you through the factory and explain the process of drying, rolling, and packaging tea leaves, and the difference between various tea.

CTC Tea Estate

Mahakal Temple and Observatory Hill

In the heart of this city, there is a strangely beautiful interconnection of different religions. Just like Ghum monastery and Peace pagoda this Mahakal temple is also very popular with tourists. The temple and observatory hill is located just behind the mall.

Rangit Valley Passenger Cable Car Ride

Rangit Valley Passenger Cable Car is popularly known as the Ropeway and most interestingly this one is the oldest passenger ropeway in India. This ropeway ride can be a lifelong experience because travels through the clouds to see the aerial view of the green tea garden below and the magnificent mountain range in front of your eyes.

Rangit Valley

Souvenir and Shopping

                                

You can buy a variety of souvenirs from Darjeeling. There are several places in which the first name that comes to mind is the Chowrasta or mall area. This is the heart of the town, a lot of interesting shops and restaurants lined up here. Many shops offer antiques and woolen clothes or different kinds of handicraft items. The shopping street meets an open space free from vehicles where you can spend your evening with your family or friends.

There is another place where you can shop is the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre. During the unrest period in Lhasa in 1959, many Tibetan refugees moved to India following in the footsteps of the 14th Dalai Lama. Darjeeling is one of the places where they took shelter. This center is being built in the same year for the livelihood of these people. Here you can find excellent carpets, woolen goods, woodwork, etc which are famous across the globe.

Bhutia Market

Not only the things are extraordinary but also you will have an opportunity to keep a piece of memory of this historically important place in your collection. The people here will benefit from that as well. Or You can buy woolen clothes or winter clothes from Bhutia Market at a very reasonable price.

One thing that no one forgets to buy before returning from Darjeeling is the famous Darjeeling tea. There are several famous shops in the mall area as well as Happy Valley Tea Estate has its own stalls from where you can buy tea.

Adventure Activities

Those who love an adrenaline rush can enjoy the outdoor activities here.

 White Water Rafting

Darjeeling may be offered one of the best river rafting in the country, those who love this kind of adventure sports should definitely try it. It takes one and a half-hour drives down to Teesta Bazar. If you want to know more details, it is better to visit their official webpage.

 Trekking 

Darjeeling can be called the trekkers' paradise. It is a place where nature is still in its prime glory and helps us to stand face to face with the vast Himalayas. From here you can take four different routes.

A)     Darjeeling-Maneybhanjyang-Tonglu-Sandakphu and return by the same route-118 km (4 days)

B)     Darjeeling-Maneybhanjyang-Tonglu-Sandakphu-Phalut and return-160 km. (6 days)

C)     Darjeeling to Rimbick  (5 hours)

D)     Darjeeling-Tonglu or Gairibas-Sandakphu-Srikhola via Gurdum to Rimbick.

*Tips: For those who can't trek at the moment or don't have the opportunity to go, I would like to recommend them to visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.

On November 4th, 1954, this world-class mountaineering institute was founded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, to commemorate the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by late Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. From the Museum, you will get all the details about the first climb, you will also have an idea about how much mountaineering has changed since then.

Offbeat Destinations from Darjeeling

There are several places in the vicinity of Darjeeling that very few people know about except a handful of tourists. Those places are not behind in terms of beauty. Here are some of the places where you can spend a night before the end of your Darjeeling trip.

Lepchajagat, Mirik, Takdah, Lamahatta, Tinchuley, Latpanchar, Srikhola, Jorpokhri, Chatakpur, Rishyap etc.

Way to Lepchajagat

 

Itinerary for Darjeeling Trip

 I am giving a 3-day plan (Which I followed) to visit Darjeeling without including any offbeat location.

Day 1: If you travel by night train, you will reach New Jalpaiguri station very early in the morning. From there, you can hire a car and go straight to Darjeeling which can take three to three and a half hours to reach there.
Arrive at the hotel, finish your meal and go straight to Darjeeling station and buy a ticket for Joy Ride.

*Tips: Although the last time we went and got a ticket, the demand for boarding this special train is high and tickets are not always available, so I would recommend reserving tickets in advance from the official website.

This train ride will cover the Ghum station as well as DHR Railway Museum and Batasia Loop. Then stroll around the mall after that return to the hotel after having your dinner.
 
Day 2: Start the day by watching the sunrise from Tiger Hill. Then come back to the hotel, finish breakfast and go to Rangeet Valley first, from there one by one to the Zoo, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and then to the Happy Valley Tea Estate.
In the evening, you can eat local food and complete your shopping.

Day 3: Let's start the day with a peaceful mind. First of all, visit the Mahakal temple then the Japanese Peace Pagoda and after that, you can visit Ghum Monastery. Since the train had to be caught at night, nothing else is put in the second half of the day.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions.