Some of you may have thought of Owen Wilson or Adrien Brody, a train, and India, when you read the title of the guide. Ok, yes, I confess, I did discover this place watching the film “The Darjeeling Limited” when, a few years ago, Toni came home with a DVD and said to me “let’s watch this film, it’s from India”.
Since then, the name of Darjeeling was on our minds until, during one of our trips through the Asian subcontinent, we had the opportunity to visit it.
Located in the northeast of India, at 2,134 meters above sea level and still belonging to the state of West Bengal, Darjeeling is found.
Surrounded by tea plantations, with spectacular views of the Himalayas and especially Kanchenjunga, this hill station seemed to us a border that separates the chaotic, disorderly and overpopulated India from the calmer state we saw during our trip through India: Sikkim. At least that’s how we perceived it.
There is a different atmosphere in Darjeeling, and not only because the cold can catch you off guard if, like us, you come from the south with 4 items of summer clothing.
The cultural mix is common in this city. The people’s features are varied, so one sometimes has the feeling of having traveled to Tibet or Nepal, especially when walking through the market streets with stalls selling Nepalese hats. Although there are always elements that remind you that you are still in India.
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Darjeeling, because of the pleasant temperatures, clear views and little rain. However, here is some information about the different seasons:
We know that the subject of visas can be somewhat confusing, especially for India, where obtaining one is an essential requirement for entry. In the article on how to obtain an Indian visa step by step (coming soon) you have information on how to apply for one online for up to 5 years.
It’s essential to travel to India with comprehensive insurance. We were among the first to offer the popular IATI discount, and you can now get it with Heymondo Travel Insurance as well.
You can find more information about both companies through the links provided above, or you can access the discount directly using the buttons below (in both cases, you’ll see the reduced final price on their website):
While many hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants in India offer free Wi-Fi, some travelers prefer or need a constant connection. We’ve included details on obtaining a eSIM India card with unlimited data (from Holafly) or with fixed data but cheaper (from Saily).
If you want to get it directly, here’s the link (with a discount) for both companies:
The famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway departs from New Jalpaiguri railway station in Siliguri to Darjeeling and you can take the famous steam-powered Toy Train, a World Heritage Site.
To get to Siliguri, you have train connections from the major cities in India. You can also buy a train ticket in one of the sleeper classes (sleeper or 3rd class).
If you want to avoid the train, you can hire a shared jeep to get to Darjeeling from Siliguri. This is the quickest way to get there, but not the most comfortable due to the state of the roads and the zigzagging route. The jeeps leave once they are full, so some people buy more than one seat to make themselves more comfortable.
The nearest airport is Bagdogra, about 100 km from Darjeeling, with daily flights from Delhi and on some days from Kolkata. Once at the airport, you can hire a jeep to take you to Darjeeling. You can search for flight deals to Bagdora at the link above.
Built in 1881 by the British settlement in Darjeeling to facilitate and reduce the costs of transporting both goods and people between the hill station and the plain, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or Toy Train is today a World Heritage Site.
To get to Kurseong or Darjeeling, you can go from Siliguri to the New Jalpaiguri station and enjoy the impressive view of the mountains and the progress of the old train to the heights.
In a small village at an altitude of 2000 meters, we find this colorful monastery also known as Yiga Choeling. Ghoom Monastery, about 8 km from Darjeeling, was built in 1850 by a Mongolian monk and astronomer, who ran the temple for several decades.
It also became home to many religious people who took refuge here in 1959 after the occupation of Tibet by China. Inside, we find a figure of Buddha over four meters high, Maitreya Buddha.
A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa built to inspire peace, without focusing on race or belief, just to unite people. They were built in the wake of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to spread world peace and today there are about eighty white pagodas spread around the world.
The Darjeeling Pagoda, about 28 meters high, was built under the Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fuiji in 1972 and was inaugurated 20 years later.
One of the valleys in Darjeeling, where you can visit one of the oldest tea plantations in the area. The Happy Valley Tea Estate is located about 3 km from Darjeeling. Between March and May, the months of greatest tea harvesting activity, you can see the fields in all their splendor.
You can reach them by walking up a narrow road, and, on the way, you can always look back and admire the mountains that surround you. Once at the top, you can try what is said to be one of the best teas in the world, the one grown in Darjeeling.
The spectacular views of the sunrise with Everest and Kanchenjunga in the background make Tiger Hill a very special place. It is also known for being home to the highest point of the entire Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Ghum station. This mountain also witnessed the Kargil war between Pakistan and India not long ago.
The best way to reach Darjeeling can be by train or jeep in the early morning as it is only 11 km from the city. Even trekking from Chowrasta can be a good option.
Declared a sanctuary in 1986 to protect its flora and fauna, what we now know as Singalila National Park is a park in the eastern Himalayas known for hosting two trekking routes on the way to the Sandakphu and Phalut peaks. Small mammals such as pangolins, red pandas, wild boars and Bengal cats live in its coniferous forests.
During spring you can enjoy its varied flora and during winter, after the monsoon, there are clearer days to observe the surrounding mountains.
Chowrasta Square, “where the 4 roads meet”, at the top of the city, offers wonderful views over Kanchenjunga and the Himalayas on clear days. Built as a meeting place during the 18th century, it has evolved into what we see today, a place where locals and tourists alike walk around the square or rest at one of its cafes or benches.
Some shops have been around for decades and one of them, the Oxford Bookshop, was opened in the late 1800s. You can’t say you’ve visited Darjeeling if you haven’t passed by its famous square.
Days in Darjeeling are usually slow and relaxing, but you can take a stroll around the area to make them a little more active. About 15-20 minutes walk from Chowrasta Square and on the other side of the mountain you can go to the Bhutia Busty Monastery.
This Buddhist monastery, with spectacular views, was originally located on Observatory Hill, but after it was destroyed by Nepalese troops in 1788, it had to be moved and rebuilt on a couple of occasions. It is worth taking a look inside and seeing all the colour; it is a shame that they did not allow photos of that area.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva and nestled on Observatory Hill, very close to Chowrasta Square, the Mahakal Temple or Mahakal Mandir was built in the 17th century by a lama with a vision that both religions, Buddhism and Hinduism, could be accommodated in the temple. It stands on the same site where the Bhutia Busty Monastery was originally built until it was shifted to its present location.
Bells and colorful flags lead us up the hill to find small shrines dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Rama and Hanuman.
Perched on a mountain, surrounded by tea plantations and overlooking the icy Himalayan mountains, the Tibetan Refugee Centre is a refuge for a few Tibetans who have put down roots in this area since 1959 and where they make scarves and other textiles typical of their place of origin. Some of them are quite elderly and very much appreciate the visit of foreigners.
There is a temple with images of the Dalai Lama where they gather to say their prayers and a museum-like room where the origin of this place is explained as well as part of the history of Tibet.
Observatory Hill is located very close to Chowrasta Square and is the original site of the Bhutia Busty Monastery. Today, on this hill, we find the Mahakal Temple, dedicated to Shiva, and very close to here, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
Home to dozens of monkeys, it is worth reaching this hill to reach its viewpoint and observe, once again, the most impressive mountains of the Himalayan mountain range, such as Kanchenjunga.
Mountaineering was a sport that gained some fame after the ascent of Everest by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in the mid-20th century. Following this feat, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute or HMI was established at Tiger Hill to promote the sport under the leadership of Norgay, who was one of its main promoters.
Today, mountaineering and rescue courses are offered, as well as a museum with various artifacts from the expeditions carried out and souvenirs from other mountain clubs around the world.
A spiral of railway tracks built in 1919 to facilitate the ascent of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to the top of the station, that is Batasia Loop. It is located on a hill called Hill Cart Road, about 20 minutes by taxi from the center. Gardens and benches in the center of the spiral invite us to relax and once again look at all the mountains around us.
You can even complete the climb on foot along the train tracks or enjoy food from one of the street stalls.
If there is one thing we remember about our visit to Sikkim, it is for being the state “least like the rest of India”. This mountainous state is full of Buddhist monasteries and was annexed to India in 1975.
From Darjeeling we can reach Gangtok by road, just 125 km away, which becomes a 5-hour journey given the curves of the road.
Located in East Bengal, Kalimpong is a town about 50 km from Darjeeling, which you can reach by sharing a jeep. This small town has a few temples and is perfect if you find yourself saturated with the tourism of its more famous neighbor.
You can visit Deolo Hill for a peaceful time or Dr Graham’s School, founded over 100 years ago by a Scottish missionary to ensure education for the children of Kalimpong.
About 40 km from Darjeeling, on the way to Siliguri, we find Kurseong, also called “The land of the white orchid”, since thanks to the rains that fall during the monsoon, the mountain slopes are covered with these beautiful flowers.
Tea plantations, some of the most famous and expensive in the world, green forests, waterfalls and buildings from the British era, as well as some temples, make this quiet town well worth a visit.
Hotel Abhi Satya: Small and pleasant, this accommodation near Chowrasta was cheap and quiet, two of the requirements we were looking for. It is located on a hill, like most streets in Darjeeling, and the views are so spectacular that you will forget that hot water is served in buckets.
Here’s a list of recommended (and updated) accommodations:
Thanks to its cool, dry climate and despite the city’s ups and downs, the best way to get around Darjeeling is on foot. If you want to visit the surrounding areas or are going trekking, you can hire a shared jeep or taxi.
There are also numerous agencies with which you can book tours to visit places of interest.
Click on the image and it will take you to a new Google Maps window with all the points of interest to travel around Darjeeling.
