India · Popular · Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal
Darjeeling
Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal · 2,100 m
Wake before dawn at Tiger Hill and watch the first light ignite Kanchenjunga pink while a century-old toy train curls through emerald tea gardens below — Darjeeling earns every superlative.
Darjeeling fuses colonial-era tea culture, dramatic Himalayan panoramas stretching to four 8,000 m peaks, and a vibrant Nepali-Gorkha street scene. It rewards slow travellers — momos at a roadside stall, mist lifting off a First Flush garden, the shriek of the toy train on a hairpin loop.
Plan it with us
Want Darjeeling shaped around you?
Tell us your dates — we'll build the trip.
Go in
In season, days sit around 16° and nights near 8°.
What you'll see & do
The sights worth the trip, and how to spend the days around them.
To see
- Tiger Hill sunrise viewpoint (2,590 m) — Kanchenjunga and, on clear days, Everest
- Batasia Loop & Gorkha War Memorial — toy train spiral with mountain backdrop
- Happy Valley Tea Estate — working garden open for tours and tasting
- Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park — snow leopard and red panda breeding centre
To do
- Pre-dawn jeep to Tiger Hill for Kanchenjunga and Everest alpenglow
- Toy train joy ride Darjeeling–Ghum (UNESCO World Heritage, 8 km, 1 hr)
- Guided tea-estate tour and cupping session at Happy Valley or Glenburn
- Sandakphu trek (3,636 m) — highest point in West Bengal, four 8k peaks on the horizon
Before you go
- NH10 landslides (June–September) can close the road for 1–4 days; alternate routes (Rohini Road/Subhash Ghising Marg via Simulbari, Mirik route) add 3–5 hours and can themselves be blocked in extreme monsoon conditions — always build a buffer night in Siliguri or NJP during monsoon season.
- Tiger Hill jeep spots fill by 3:30 am; book through your hotel the prior evening or hire a dedicated vehicle — group jeeps picked up at 3:45 am frequently miss the light.
- Toy train joy-ride tickets on IRCTC sell out 30–60 days ahead in April–May and October–November; book as early as possible or expect to be waitlisted.
Days, already shaped
3-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive NJP/Bagdogra, 3-hr transfer, check in, evening stroll on Chowrasta Mall and Nehru Road food walk
- Day 2: 3:30 am jeep to Tiger Hill sunrise; Batasia Loop; Ghum Monastery; Happy Valley tea tour and cupping; toy train joy ride back
- Day 3: Observatory Hill and Mahakal Temple; Peace Pagoda; Mall Road souvenir shopping; depart NJP or Bagdogra
5-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive NJP/Bagdogra, transfer to Darjeeling, settle in, Chowrasta evening walk
- Day 2: Tiger Hill sunrise; Batasia Loop; Ghum Monastery; afternoon rest and acclimatise
- Day 3: Happy Valley tea estate tour and cupping; Padmaja Naidu Zoo (snow leopard, red panda); toy train joy ride
- Day 4: Full-day excursion to Kalimpong — Zang Dhok Palri Phodang Monastery, orchid nurseries, Delo Hill views
- Day 5: Observatory Hill; Peace Pagoda; Mall Road; depart
7-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive NJP/Bagdogra, transfer, settle, Nehru Road momo crawl
- Day 2: Tiger Hill sunrise; Batasia Loop; Ghum Monastery; tea estate tour
- Day 3: Drive to Manebhanjan (26 km); trek to Tumling (10 km, 2,970 m) via Sandakphu trailhead
- Day 4: Trek Tumling to Sandakphu summit (11 km, 3,636 m) — panoramic view of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga
- Day 5: Descend to Srikhola via Bikheybhanjyang; jeep back to Darjeeling
- Day 6: Kalimpong day trip — monastery, nurseries, Delo Park viewpoint
- Day 7: Padmaja Naidu Zoo; Observatory Hill; Peace Pagoda; depart
Getting there, permits & day trips
By air — Fly into Bagdogra Airport (IXB), 30–45 min from Kolkata or Delhi (connects via major metro); then 3 hr shared jeep (₹300) or private cab (₹2,000–2,500) to Darjeeling
By rail — Train to New Jalpaiguri (NJP) — 8–9 hrs from Kolkata (Darjeeling Mail/Padatik Express), 18–20 hrs from Delhi (NE/SE bound trains); then 3 hr road transfer (shared jeep ₹250 or prepaid taxi ₹1,800–2,200)
By road — From Siliguri 80 km via NH10, 3–3.5 hrs (congestion at Ghoom ghat); from Kolkata 700 km NH12/NH34, 13–15 hrs — only viable with an overnight drive or early start
On a Driftibo trip we handle the transfers.
Permits & entry — Indian nationals need no permit for Darjeeling town or district and no entry permit for general Sikkim (Gangtok, Pelling) — only a valid government photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, or passport) to register at Rangpo. The Sandakphu trek (Singalila National Park) requires a forest entry permit at the Manebhanjang Forest Department checkpost at approximately ₹100–200 per person per day for Indians; carry Aadhaar. For Sikkim's protected-area destinations — Tsomgo Lake, Nathula Pass, Yumthang Valley, Gurudongmar Lake, and the Zuluk Silk Route — a Protected Area Permit (PAP) is mandatory, must be arranged through a registered Sikkim tour operator before travel, and cannot be obtained via individual walk-in; Aadhaar is not accepted as citizenship proof for the PAP so clients must carry Passport or Voter ID. Nathula Pass and Gurudongmar Lake are closed to all foreign nationals regardless of permit. Foreign nationals require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for general Sikkim entry; as of January 2026, RAP (and any additional PAP for protected zones) must be obtained exclusively online via India's e-FRRO portal before reaching the Sikkim border — on-arrival issuance at Rangpo is fully discontinued; Darjeeling district itself remains open to foreign nationals with no special permit. NH10 closures due to landslides (June–September) can delay entry; alternate routes (Rohini Road via Simulbari, Mirik route, Gorubathan/Coronation Bridge) add 3–5 hours and can themselves be blocked in extreme rainfall — check Darjeeling Police Twitter/X before travel.
Day trips nearby
- Kurseong (30 km, 1.5 hrs) — 'Cloud Town'; Cochrane Place tea estate; Eagle's Craig viewpoint; quieter and cooler
- Mirik Lake (50 km, 2 hrs) — rowboating, orange orchards, Bokar Monastery; good family half-day
- Kalimpong (55 km, 2 hrs) — Zang Dhok Palri monastery, exotic orchid nurseries, Delo Hill; distinct Bhutanese flavour
- Teesta River at Gielle Khola (40 km, 1.5 hrs) — white-water rafting Grade III–IV; pair with Coronation Bridge stop
Seasons and access shift — we reconfirm every detail before we quote.