11 Best places to visit at Darjeeling in 2023 (updated)

Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal. If you visit Darjeeling, the beauty of this place will fascinate you. Darjeeling is a located about 700 km from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal,It is a district located in the north of West Bengal, here we talk about the best places to visit at Darjeeling.

Located at an altitude of about 6,700 feet above sea level, the city was built by the British in the 19th century. And soon it is famous for producing the highest quality tea in the country,Darjeeling tea is world famous.

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The hilly terrain here is excellent for tea production, which is why it is famous all over the world. It is one of the most famous summer attractions for all Bengalis. There are many sights in Darjeeling but I will mainly practice 11 sights here so that you can actually benefit a lot here. So let’s find out 11 of most beautiful places for visit in darjeeling.

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Best places for visit in darjeeling:

Darjeeling was established as a hill station by the British in the 19th century and was a popular summer retreat for colonial officials. Today, it remains a popular tourist destination and is renowned for its tea, which is grown on the surrounding hills and is considered some of the finest tea in the world.

In addition to tea, Darjeeling is also known for its scenic beauty, with panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks and lush green hills. It is a popular destination for trekking and outdoor activities, and there are several trekking routes that lead to the nearby peaks, such as Tiger Hill and Sandakphu.

Darjeeling is also home to several cultural and historical attractions, including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also known as the “Toy Train.” The town is also home to several Buddhist monasteries, such as the Ghoom Monastery, which is one of the oldest and most famous in the region. there are lots of places to visit in darjeeling here is some of them.

1) Darjeeling Himalayan Railway:

This railway was built from 1879 to 1881,The highest railway service in India is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway,This toy train journey is an indescribable experience for tourists so this experience should never be missed,Because it is carrying the UNESCO World Heritage Award In 1989.

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It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can’t see anywhere else a Steam-powered locomotive run in the mountains, like here.This toy train run through different villages in the hills,This steam locomotive runs at a very slow speed,If you are coming to visit Darjeeling then you must book the train you like very much.

TICKET FARE: You can book tickets for this train from IRCTC or from any computerized ticket counter,This toy train will cost Rs.1000 for a diesel engine and Rs.600 for a steam engine.Children under the age of five do not need a ticket.

2) Darjeeling zoo, the best places to visit at Darjeeling:

The real name of this zoo is padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Garden,It takes a lot of time to visit the because there is so much to see I sure you have take more than 3 hours to visit here,Darjeeling Zoo is now one of the best zoo in the world,Here you will see some rare and some endangered animals in the Himalayas Like the Tibetan wolf, Red Panda, Snow Leopard, clouded leopard, Siberian tiger yaks etc.The main attraction, however, is the three Snow Leopard, Red Panda, and black Panther.

ENTRY FEE: The entrance fee to this zoo is Rs 60 per head for Indians and foreigner 100 rupees,and it costs no money for children below six years

TIMING: The zoo is open every day except Thursday, it is Open in summer from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and in winter from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

HOW TO REACH: Located about 10 km from Darjeeling, you can reach here by private car or cab.

3) Tiger hill beautiful peak of darjeeling:

The highest point of Darjeeling is this Tiger Hill, It is famous all over the world for its extraordinary sunrise scene,Kanchenjunga, and Mount Everest the third or first highest mountain peak in the world, can be seen from here.This place is located at an altitude of about 8442 feet above sea level.

If you want to see Sunrise from Tiger Hill then you have to wake up at 4 am in the morning,Otherwise you will not be able to see the sunrise and you will have to stand in traffic for a long time. Arriving at Tiger Hill you will see a lot of people gathering so you have to go out early in the morning, Then you can really enjoy the view very much, this is the most beautiful places for visit in darjeeling.

HOW TO REACH: Located about 10 km from Darjeeling, you can reach here by private car or cab.

4) Batasia loop:

The Batasia Loop is located in the middle of the way from Darjeeling to Tiger Hill, Darjeeling’s famous Toy train is located in this wonderful place,Troy train turns 360 degrees from here to the world’s highest railway station GHUM.

There is a market for various goods sitting in line till the train arrives,The shops were removed just before the train arrived and the sale of goods resumed when the train left.There is seating on the side of the railway station and the whole garden is decorated with beautiful flowers. This is the best places to visit at Darjeeling.

This market of Batasia Loop is one of the attractions of the world, Many types of Hindi and Bengali movies have been shot in this great place. 360 view of Darjeeling city can be seen from here,This place is also known as Gorkha Wall Memorial,Right in the middle of the Batasia Loop is the Gurkha War Memorial. It was built for Gurkha soldiers Those who have been martyred in the meny Indian war.

TIMING: The train timetable may change. You should check the timetable once before coming here.And if you are coming to tour Batasia Loop, you can come anytime between 7 am and 6 pm.

HOW TO REACH: If you ride toy train from Darjeeling then you will become Batasia Loop,It is located on Hillcart Road You can get here by private car or cab. You can also get here by taxi, It takes 20 minutes to get here from Darjeeling city.

5) Darjeeling ropeway:

In this way, along with the valley below, one can see the beautiful tea gardens located in the hills, fast flowing river, waterfalls,forests etc. And above all to see the beautiful view of the eastern Himalayan mountain range,and a magnificent view of the snow-capped Kanchenjunga also one of the best places to visit at Darjeeling.

The Darjeeling Ropeway is the first ropeway in India, It was built in 1968, It descends from a height of 7,000 feet to an altitude of 6,000 feet and then returns to altitude. due to covid-19 it has been closed for so long, it was reopened in January 2021.

TIMING: In the off season it is open from 10 am to 4 pm, and in the high season it is open from 10 am to 2 pm. It is closed for maintenance on the 19th of every month.

ENTRY FEE : The ticket price of Darjeeling Ropeway is For a round trip of five kilometers you have to pay 200 rupees for per person,Children from 3 to 8 years will be rented for 100 rupees,A cable car can carry 6 people. If you want to go by a single cable, you have to buy six tickets.

HOW TO REACH: The Darjeeling Ropeway is located at Shingmari, three kilometers from Chawkbazar,You can come here by private car or cab from Chawkbazar.

6) Japanese temple:

This Japanese temple or Peace Pagoda is one of the tallest buildings in Darjeeling.Located on a 10-minute driving distances from the city of Darjeeling,This two-story white Buddhist temple was built in the Japanese style in 1972,The Peace Pagoda is a short distance from the temple, Here are four special forms of the Gautam Buddha. From here you can see the beautiful panoramic view of Darjeeling hill range or Kanchanjangha.

ENTRY FEE: There is no entrance fee for any person

Timing: It is open from 4:30 am to 7:00 pm.

HOW TO REACH: It is a 10 minute drive from Darjeeling city. You can come here by private car or cab.

7) Dali Monastery:

It is the largest and most beautiful monastery in Darjeeling,It is better known as Dali Monastery but you will see its actual name is the Druk Sangag Choling monestry.Going up to the monastery you can see that there is a very beautiful school here and many Buddhist students study here,And next to it you can see a cafe where you can find a variety of vegetarian food like Maggie, Momo, Idli, Dhosa etc.

ENTRY FEE: there is no entrance fee for everyone.

TIMING: You can come anytime from 5am to 6pm.

HOW TO REACH: It is located 5 km away from Darjeeling you can come here by private car or cab.

8) Barbatia rock garden:

This garden has been made by cutting the huge stones of the hill make it one of the best places to visit at Darjeeling, and That’s why it is called the Rock Garden.Here you can see many fountains where some are made in natural and some in artificial way.There is a wonderful natural spring that has come down from a great height, Standing at the bottom you will not know exactly where it is coming from.

You have to climb a lot to see it. It can be very tiring for you, But you will be surprised to see this scene.There is a beautiful garden upstairs,very nice place to sit. Many people come here and take pictures.

And more beautiful than that is the road from Darjeeling to get here,The road to get here is through the hills and the tea garden,If you like hills you can ask the driver to stop more than once here.

TIMING: The garden and park is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ENTRY FEE: The entrance fee for the garden and the park is only twenty rupees.

HOW TO REACH: It is located in a low lying area 10 km from Darjeeling city. You can reach here by private car or cab.

9) Happy valley tea estate:

When you visit Darjeeling, you will definitely see the famous tea gardens here,Your Darjeeling trip will be incomplete without seeing the tea garden up close, And the ideal place for this is Happy valley tea estate.

Walking down the hillside in this beautiful tea garden as seen in the picture and going to the factory to see the process of making tea will be a wonderful experience for you.

Covering an area of ​​440 acres, this tea garden is the second largest in Darjeeling,Introduced in 1854, some of the tea trees here are more than 100 years old, More than 1500 workers work here. From a distance you can see the tea factory.

When you come here, one of the employees will show you around the whole factory and explain to you the whole process of tea.For this they charge some money.When you come to this tea garden there are many tea shops in front where you can have tea or buy authentic Darjeeling tea for home.

TIMING: You can come here anytime but it is very good to come in the morning

ENTRY FEE: There is no charge for visiting the tea garden from a distance but if you want to visit the factory they can charge 150 rupees.

HOW TO REACH: This tea garden is located just three kilometers from Darjeeling Chawkbazar. You can come here by cap or by private car.

10) Dargeeling mall:

Here you see each other Hotels, shops, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, Darjeeling mall is the highest tourist destination of Darjeeling,This area is always full of visitors. You can see some foreign nationals here,

On one side of the mall there is a huge stage and below it there are many seats and in front of it there is a Nepali literature Bhanu bhakt’s idol who translating Ramayana into Nepali.

Darjeeling travelers no matter where they are during the day They all come here in the afternoon and participate in the fair.Lots of Bengali and Hindi films have been shot in this place,This place is ideal for shopping in Darjeeling.

Here you can buy different types of clothing,bags etc.If you wish, you can wear traditional hill clothes here.If you want, you can visit the entire mall on horseback. It will cost only 100 rupees to visit And if you want to visit some of the view points near tha mall, they charge 200 rupees only.

TIMING: It is a public place you can come here anytime but everyone is here in the afternoon.

HOW TO REACH: This is your main tourist destination in Darjeeling city so whenever you are here you will be the first to come here from here you will start to visit other places.

11) Mahakal dham temple:

Mahakal Dham is located just behind Darjeeling mall. It is located on Observatory Hells,You will actually feel very peaceful here. I personally like this place very much, Mahakal Dham is actually the temple of Lord Shiva. It was established in 1782 AD on observatory hills by the great Lama.

very careful of the monkeys they can snatch the things and run away,This temple can be called unique because you can see the gathering of Buddhism and Hinduism here, Along with the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses,

you can see the religious circles of Buddhism here, It is sach a beauty and union of the two religions. There is a Shiva temple inside a cave, you must enter there.

TIMING: It is open any time from morning to afternoon,Come here only when you visit mall in the morning or in the afternoon.

HOW TO REACH: You will reach the temple at the top right of the mall.The temple is located on the Observatory Hills.

NOTE: Apart from these 11 places, there are some more places to visit in Darjeeling like singalila National park, Tenzing Rock, Nightangel park, Saint Andrews Church, botanical garden, ghum monastery, Abha art gallery, Bengal National history museum, sencher lake etc.

Best time to visit darjeeling:

The best time to visit Darjeeling is during the months of March to June and September to November. During these months, the weather is pleasant and ideal for outdoor activities such as trekking, sightseeing, and tea plantation visits. The temperature during these months ranges from 10°C to 20°C, making it comfortable for exploring the town.

From June to September, Darjeeling experiences monsoon season with heavy rainfall, making it difficult for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Winter months (December to February) can be quite chilly, with temperatures dropping to below 5°C at night. However, this is the best time to witness the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas and to enjoy a warm cup of tea in one of Darjeeling’s famous tea plantations.

March to June : March to June is considered a good time to visit Darjeeling. During this time, the weather is pleasant with clear skies and comfortable temperatures ranging from 10°C to 20°C, making it ideal for outdoor activities such as trekking, sightseeing, and tea plantation visits. The town is surrounded by lush green hills and the tea plantations are in full bloom, adding to the scenic beauty of the place. It is also the best time to try the famous Darjeeling tea, which is harvested during this period. Overall, March to June is a great time to visit Darjeeling if you’re looking for a combination of good weather, scenic beauty, and outdoor activities.

September to November : September to November is also considered a good time to visit Darjeeling. During this time, the monsoon season has ended and the weather is pleasant, with clear skies and comfortable temperatures ranging from 10°C to 20°C. The town and its surrounding hills are lush and green, making it a perfect time for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Additionally, the tea plantations are in full swing, and you can witness the tea-picking process and sample some of the fresh Darjeeling tea. September to November is also a popular time for trekking, as the trails are clear and the views of the Himalayan peaks are unobstructed.

December to February : December to February can be a good time to visit Darjeeling, depending on what you’re looking for. During this time, the temperature can drop to below 5°C at night, making it quite chilly. However, if you don’t mind the cold, this is the best time to witness the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, and to enjoy a warm cup of tea in one of Darjeeling’s famous tea plantations.

During the winter months, Darjeeling experiences less tourist traffic, making it a peaceful and quiet time to visit. The town is also decorated with festive lights, making it a charming and cozy place to spend the holidays.

Things to do in darjeeling :