Explore Darjeeling: Places to Visit in Darjeeling, How to Reach & Ideal Timing
Darjeeling is a town located in the Himalayan foothills in the state of West Bengal, and was famous as a summer resort of the British Raj and has been the centre of attraction due to its epic Kanchenjunga peak landscapes, tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is a narrow-gauge railway line in mountains and it was on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. Every year many travellers visit here to gain some memorable experience and it is one of the favourites honeymoon spots in India.
Tiger Hill is located at a distance of 13 kilometres away from Darjeeling, with an altitude of 2590 metres. It is one of the best locations in the country to enjoy the stunning view of the sunrise with the splendid view of Kanchenjunga hills under the reflection of sun rays.
The attractive beauty of snowy mountains surrounded by cloudy views just presents this location as a paradise and many tourists visit here every year to experience this splendid view. To visit the sunrise, travellers are required to climb from the parking spot and it is open from 03:30 am to reach tiger hill by 04:15 am., which is delayed in winter to 04:15 am. Cars services are also available at a reasonable cost to reach.
Batasia Loop is a toy train pathway surrounded by lush green trees, situated in Ghoom which is approximately 5 kilometres away from Darjeeling. It gives you the magnificent view of mountains ranges and snow-capped peaks of Kanchenjunga and it is the design of the track which wraps through a hilltop tunnel. Its unmatched natural beauty beholds the traveller’s attention and remains the choice of a nature lover to visit.
Nightingale Park was earlier known as ‘The Shubbery’, this slightly elevated terrain is located in the hill stations of Darjeeling. It is a public park area that gives stunning views of Kanchenjunga ranges and there is a giant statue of Lord Shiva, a musical fountain and a glimpse of great scenery. Every year many travellers visit here to enjoy the views and spend a good quality time with their loved ones.
Singalila National Park is one of the largest national parks in West Bengal and is located at an altitude of more than 7000 ft. above sea level with the covered area of 78.60 sq. kilometres land of virgin rhododendron forests, alpine valley and is a home of many rare species of orchids and animals such as red panda and Himalayan black bear.
It gives you the magnificent view of mighty Himalayan ranges from Nepal to Sikkim and a breath-taking view of Himalayan Peak as well. This park is also credited for sustaining biodiversity and the activities like hunting, poaching and grazing are strictly restricted. It is also considered the heaven for trekkers and nature lovers due to its involvement as a part of a trekking route. It got its name from the Singalila spur, followed from Mount Kanchenjunga to the northern fringes of Gangetic Plains.
Darjeeling Peace Pagoda or also known as the Japanese Peace Pagoda is located on the slopes of Jalapahar Hills in Darjeeling is one of the peace pagodas as a symbol of establishing unity, harmony and goodwill amongst people coming from different sects of society. And apart from its positive, calm and spiritual atmosphere it also gives you views of snowy mountains including the beautiful view of Kanchenjunga Peak.
It was built on 3rd November 1972 and its inauguration was held on 1st November 1992 and built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii. The Pagoda Houses are recognised as the four Avatars of Buddha including Maitreyan Buddha. It is open to tourists every day with the timings of 04:00 am to 07:00 pm.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is named after the former governor of West Bengal Padmaja Naidu who was the daughter of our female freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. This zoo is home to a wide variety and some rare species of animals in Darjeeling and it is one of the great spots to visit for animal lovers and this zoo is also credited with an off-display breeding centre for snow leopards and red pandas.
As mentioned earlier it is a place to spot some rare species such as Asiatic Black Bear, Barking Deer, Blue and Yellow Macaw, Eastern Pangolin, Himalayan Monal, Himalayan Wolf, Lady Amherst, Leopard Cat, Red Jungle Fowl, Red Panda, Royal Bengal tiger, Sambar Deer, Temminck's Tragopan and Yak. It was built in 1958 and with an average elevation of 7000 feet, it is named as the largest high-altitude zoo in India.
This zoo plays an important role to preserve Red Panda through India's Central Zoo Authority and is also a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has also been awarded the prestigious honour of "The Earth Heroes" in 2014, out of 300 zoos worldwide, for their precious efforts to preserve these rare species.
Ghoom Monastery or the Yiga Choeling is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of Darjeeling and is located at an altitude of 8000 ft. above sea level. Lama Sherab Gyatso is credited to establishing this monastery in 1850 and this shrine is part of the Gelupka, a Yellow Hat Sect who believe in the worship of 'Coming Buddha' or 'Maitreyi Buddha' and a 15-foot-high statue of Maitreyi Buddha, made of clay, is set up in the central hall and front of this statue two huge oil lamp are hung which maintain the burning throughout the year.
This gives you a calm and positive atmosphere to keep your mind relaxed and the whole shrine is decorated with the different images of Boddhisattvas and art of Tibetan Buddhism, which looks like a precious gem of Buddhist culture and outside of the monastery the beautiful view of Kanchenjunga peaks are cannot be avoided.
Summer Season in Darjeeling stays from March to June and Darjeeling temperature ranges between 11 degrees Celsius to 19 degrees Celsius and it is an ideal season to visit Darjeeling. The hill station is preferred to visit to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and Darjeeling’s weather which is not that harsh and hot and every year numbers of travellers visit this former British summer resort to make their summer pleasant.
Tea Gardens, Tiger Hill and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary are the places that are frequently one of those favourites here to visit in Summer. It is a season where you can find a little trouble to find cheaper prices on travel and accommodations, so pre-booking is suggested to tourists who are planning this beautiful natural spot in summer.
Monsoon Season in Darjeeling marks from July to September and the Darjeeling temperature can rise to 19 degrees Celsius and go down up to 13 degrees Celsius. It is a spot where you expect heavy rainfall and Darjeeling weather appears to be humid and foggy. However, it is not an ideal season to visit but still, many tourists visit here in monsoon as well and some of the good options to visit would be the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling Monasteries.
If you are planning to visit here in monsoon then you must prepare yourself to enjoy the services of hotels and resorts and have to engage in indoor activities. It is not an ideal season hence; travellers do get some good deals on accommodations and travel.
Winter Season in Darjeeling stays from October to February and Darjeeling temperature fluctuates between 2 degrees Celsius to 9 degrees Celsius. The Winter season brings chilly winds and frosty Darjeeling weather along with the freshness. This place is less crowded in this season and due to low temperature and in December and January temperature can go down to zero degrees as well. However, travellers find some good deals in this season on accommodation options.
How to Reach Darjeeling by Air- Bagdogra Airport is the nearest air base which is approximately 67 kilometres away from the main city and it is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata and the numbers of airline carriers like IndiGo, Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet offers regular flights. Once tourists reach the airport, they can avail themselves of the services of cab and taxi to reach Darjeeling which takes around a 3-hour drive which would be full of greenery landscapes and beautiful views of mountains.
How to Reach Darjeeling by Train- The nearest railway station from Darjeeling is resided at New Jalpaiguri and is already well versed connected to other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Kolkata and numbers of trains travels regularly from these mentioned major cities to reach the nearest railway station and for a further journey, the taxi and cab services are available to reach Darjeeling.
How to Reach Darjeeling by Road- Darjeeling has good connectivity via road to other cities like Gangtok which is approximately 96 kilometres away and Kalimpong which is approximately 50 kilometres away. Regular Buses is an economical but time-consuming option to reach which runs from the cities such as Gangtok, Siliguri, Kalimpong and Kurseong and apart from buses the cab option is also available to travel and from Kolkata as well the buses to Darjeeling are available. However, many travellers do like to reach Darjeeling from their vehicle as well and enjoy the journey.
Ging Tea House is located at Lebong Valley is one of the very finest accommodation options in Darjeeling and it gives you the services of a restaurant, lounge, childcare service, paid airport transfer, free parking, kids play area, activity centre and 24-hour helpdesk along with other amenities.
Mayfair Hotel is resided at Mall Road and provides you with the services of restaurant, bar, multilingual staff, tours and treks, private entrance and parking and do provide installed sanitisers, masks and contactless room services to maintain safety and hygiene.
See You Soon Homestay is located at Hill Cart Road and it is a good option at a reasonable cost and also provides the services like dining area, currency exchange, free Wi-Fi, parking and the services of sanitisers, masks and contactless room services.
Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa Darjeeling is situated at Pankhabari Road and it provides you with the services of a restaurant, coffee shop, facilities for disabled guests, childcare, concierge, gym and spa, multilingual staff, currency exchange, parking, private entrance along with other amenities as well.
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