10 Best Things To Do In Darjeeling, India

things to do in darjeeling india
Davinderpal
Davinderpal 
Published
| 4 min read

There are many things to see in Darjeeling, India including the lush Kanchenjunga Mountain, Tiger Hill, Japanese Peace Pagoda, passenger ropeway, and tea garden. You can also marvel at the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Everest Museum, Darjeeling Toy Train, Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo.

The nearest airport is Bagdogra, which is 59 km (36.6 mi) away from Darjeeling. The nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri and it’s 72.3 km (45 mi) away from Darjeeling. The best way to reach Darjeeling from Badogra and New Jalpaiguri Station is to hire a taxi. Both New Jalpaiguri Railway Station and Bagdogra are well connected to metro cities like New Delhi, Calcutta, and Mumbai.

1. Kanchenjunga Mountain

Kangch-Goechala
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ashinpt used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Kanchenjunga Mountain is the highest peak in India and also the third tallest mountain in the world. The postcard view from Darjeeling is always of Mountain Kanchenjunga. The Darjeeling War Memorial is one of the most visited places to view Mount Kanchenjunga from afar. The best visibility is in April and May, but in June and July, monsoon season brings heavy clouds that block the mountain from view. December and January is considered too cold to visit Darjeeling.

Kanchenjunga Mountain

Address: Taplejung District, Mechi Zone, Nepal; Sikkim, India

Visited this place?

2. Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user [Unknown] used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

After Kanchenjunga Mountain, Tiger Hill is another beautiful, natural view that can be enjoyed in Darjeeling. The view of Tiger Hill is very beautiful during the sunrise because you can beautiful rays of sun on the snow. To watch the sunrise over Tiger Hill, it is best to arrive around 4:00 AM for a magical view. This is a very romantic view and a person can also enjoy the sunrise. So, I recommend that when the forecast is clear, you should try to go early in morning and see the sunrise.

Tiger Hill

Address: Tiger Hill (2,590 m / 8,497.37 ft) is located in Darjeeling, in the Indian State of West Bengal.

Visited this place?

3. Japanese Peace Pagoda

Japanese peace pagoda
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Chaitanya khemani used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Japanese Peace Pagoda is located in town and is easy to reach. The Peace Pagoda was designed to focus on unity and meant to teach people of all races live together in peace. The Japanese Peace Pagoda was built by the Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fuji, who was from Japan. This place is located in the city and has very scenic views. The Peace Pagoda is very well maintained and very clean. It is surrounded with tall trees and flowers you will love to see. Watching a prayer at the Peace Pagoda is very beautiful. All visitors are given drums and they need to bang the drum following the leader’s example. So, I recommend visiting the Japanese Peace Pagoda to find your own inner peace.

Japanese Peace Pagoda

Address: Darjeeling, West Bengal

Visited this place?

4. Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway

India 2008 904
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Andrew Rocks used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway is a very beautiful and very long passage to reach on nearby mountain. This ropeway starts from the town of Darjeeling and shows people beautiful scenic views of the surrounding hills before returning directly back to Darjeeling. Along the way, visitors can see many tea plantations. During the peak the season in the months of April and May, the ticket queue can be every long. To avoid the long queue I recommend visiting in morning, so you will get tickets very easily. The total ride on the ropeway takes approximately 40 minutes.

Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway

Address: Singamari, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734104

Visited this place?

5. Tea plantations

Tea garden
Source: Pixabay

Darjeeling is famous for its numerous Darjeeling black tea plantations. Many tea plantations can be seen here, providing scenic views and the best tea around. The view of the valley is very beautiful and visitors can even bring binoculars to see the beautiful views easily. The climate changes very fast. The possibility of rain or clouds are frequent, so be prepared with rain gear.

Local shops might ask to take photos by wearing traditional clothes and baskets used for tea picking. However, I recommend not buying tea here because the tea leaves will be unprocessed and the price will be too high. In some tea plantations and gardens, tea tastings will be available. I recommend you visit this place to see where tea is grown and enjoy marvelous views.

Tea Garden

Address: Lebong Cart Rd, Chauk Bazaar, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

Visited this place?

6. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

A train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway at Ghoom Station
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Pramanick used under CC BY-SA 3.0

A Darjeeling Himalayan railway is very popular in India. This train is called a ‘toy train’ because this runs slowly on the hills. The view from the train is very beautiful when curving around one hill to another.

If you are coming from another destination in India, we recommend taking the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from New Jalpaiguri to reach Darjeeling. This is an adventurous experience while traveling and it takes 6 hours to reach Darjeeling. Along the way, visitors will see tea plantations and local people cultivating tea on the way. The train ticket can be booked 3 months in advance online through Indian railway sites.

Visited this place?

7. Everest Museum

Statue of Tenzing Norgay at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Colin Ashe used under CC BY 2.5

The Everest Museum was made to exhibit clothes from climbers and other gear that were used while climbing Mt. Everest. The collection holds items from 1900 to 2012. Visitors to the museum can feel the difficulties experienced by the climbers. Local guides can help you learn everything about the museum, or you can read the informative boards placed near the exhibits for more details.

Everest Museum

Address: Jawahar Parvat, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

Visited this place?

8. Barbotey Rock Garden

Barbotey Rock Garden Darjeeling West Bengal
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Csheik used under CC BY-SA 4.0

The Barbotey Rock Garden is very beautiful rock garden in Darjeeling. It has very nice waterfall that is nicely decorated and maintained. Visitors can take beautiful pictures here. There are also many statues and benches to sit and enjoy the nature. Food kiosks are also available to enjoy an afternoon meal or snack.

Barbotey Rock Garden

Address: Rock Garden Rd, Bloomfield Tea Garden, West Bengal 734102

Visited this place?

9. Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

Buddhist Nunnery gate, Byalakuppe
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Cristopher J. Fynn used under CC BY-SA 4.0

The Tibetan Buddhist Monastery is located 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) away from Darjeeling. The peaceful surrounding is attractive, and the temple consists of a five storey building holding many paintings and religious statues.

Tibet Buddhist Monastery

Address: West Point, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734102

Visited this place?

10. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Senorita786 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Another suggested sight to see in Darjeeling is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, which is especially recommended for those traveling with children. Many animals are kept in this zoo including Bengal tigers. It also features a breeding center for red pandas. Do note that the terrain here is rather hilly and requires a bit of fitness to visit.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo

Address: Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

Website: Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo

Visited this place?

Enjoy the mountainous Darjeeling

Darjeeling is a very beautiful hill station in India. The best time to visit Darjeeling is April and May since other months might be too cold, but June and July bring the monsoon season. I recommend visiting Gangtok with Darjeeling. This hill station is also very beautiful and well maintained. So, plan for a trip to both places to have enjoyable vacation.

Traveler's tips

Sunrise from Sansaridara Viewpoint

Sharing a sunrise photo from Sansaridara Viewpoint in Latpanchar village near Darjeeling, West Bengal. Despite the mist, the experience was surreal

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Darjeeling
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.