Tour To Darjeeling

3-Point Tour of Darjeeling

Usual timing: 4am-7:30am

Tiger Hill is located 11kms (6.8 miles) from Darjeeling town and above Ghum. It's the highest point in Darjeeling hills at an altitude of 8482 feet (or 2590 meters). The best season to see the dazzling snow covered peaks as the sun rises is between Mid October to December. March to April is also a good time.

For sunrise, you will need to start by 3:30am in the morning so that you reach by 4.15am

Ghoom Monastry On the way back from Tiger Hill, you will visit one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries of Darjeeling located at a scenic location in Ghoom area. It houses a 12-foot tall statue of Mayetriya Buddha which represents the Buddha of the future. No entry fee but donation required for taking photos inside.

Batasia Loop and theWar Memorial Batasia Loop is an engineering marvel located in Ghoom area. This is where the toy train makes a double spiral loop to negotiate a drop of 1000 ft as it moves towards Darjeeling town. Amidst the beautiful garden where the railway track is laid in form of a loop, there is also a War Memorial. It was constructed in honor of the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. There is a nominal entry fee. Don't miss the Samosas (fried vegetable pastries) that are sold near the entrance of Batasia Loop in the morning.

5-Point Tour of Darjeeling

Usual timing: Half Day, 9am-12noon / 2pm-5pm

There are five points or sightseeing attractions covered in about three hours. All the sites are within short driving distance.

Japanese Temple and peace pagoda Close to the Darjeeling town and in a scenic setting there is a temple built in a traditional Japanese style. About 100 yards away and in the same complex, there is large Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Buddha. The view of the mountain range and Darjeeling town from the top of the pagoda is spectacular

Dhirdham Temple This is a Hindu temple of Lord Shiva located close to the Darjeeling Toy Train Railway station. It's a close lookalike of the Pashupatinath temple of Katmandu, Nepal. There is no entry fee. Donations accepted.

Ava Art Gallery This art gallery has exquisite artwork of late Ava Devi who was a specialist in embroidery art. It's located on Hill Cart Road and about 4km from the town center. No entry fee.

Bengal Natural History Museum: A museum rich with the fauna of Bengal and particularly of the Himalayan region. It has many preserved specimens of birds, reptiles and fishes, mammals, insects and more. There is an entry fee. Update: In 2018 the museum has moved to the compound where Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling Zoo are located. So it is no longer part of 5-point tour

7-Point Tour of Darjeeling

Usual timing: Half Day, 9am-12:30pm / 2pm-5:30pm Himalayan Natural Institute- Darjeeling Zoo - Natural History Museum

These are three attractions co-located in the same large compound. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built to honor Tenzing Norgay's triumph to the Everest and is dedicated to provide mountaineering and rock climbing lessons to students from all over the world.

Darjeeling Rope Way You will board the cable car from Singamari located 3km away from the town center. The 45 minutes ride takes you from an altitude of 7,000ft to 800ft with wonderful vista of a valley around Rangeet river, tea estates and sweeping views of the snow peaks of Himalayan range including Kanchenjunga. Ticket needs to be purchased. During high season, there may be long queues. So try to book in advance.

Tenzing Gombu Rock: These huge rocks are located on Lebong Cart Road where rock climbing is practiced. At the Tenzing Rock, Tenzing Norgay used to practice rock climbing. Look at it from the left side where you can see the bottom of this gigantic rock. During a visit of former Prime Minister Late Jawaharlal Nehru, Tenzing demonstrated a climb on this rock without any safety equipment. No entry fee.

happy Valley Tea Estate An old tea estate that exports all its produce to Harrods in London and few other countries. You can see the delicate tea processing in the factory with the help of a guide and buy tea packets from its outlet. You won't get this tea anywhere else in the country. There is no entry fee, however there is fee for the guide.

Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center A center and a factory established by the Tibetan refugees who fled Tibet and took refuge in Darjeeling. They not only live here, but also produce varieties of exquisite handicraft items to make their livings. The hand crafted items include jackets, carpets, gloves, aprons, bags, curios, cards, pouches, carved wooden items, Tibetan paintings etc. This is a great place to buy a gift or a souvenir for your friends and relatives

Rock Garden & Gangamaya Park Tour

Usual timing: Half Day, 9am-12noon / 2pm-5pm

Cost: Given at the last section of this page

Rock Garden, also known as Barbotey Rock Garden is a lovely picnic area located some 10kms from Darjeeling Town. The road is steep and winding and descends by several thousand feet. However the garden with natural water streams flowing through it over the rocks and seating areas with flower gardens at different levels, is great place to picnic and spend few hours.