Published Date: July 29, 2021
Darjeeling is one of the famous tourist spots in India, Known for the beautiful sight of the snow-capped mountains, Asia’s largest ropeway, Darjeeling’s signature tea and a toy train ride. Currently, Over 6,0,000 Indian Tourists and 30,000 Foreign Travellers visit Darjeeling yearly.
The word Darjeeling originates from the Tibetan words – Dorje(Thunderbolt) and Ling(Place or meaning), implying it as the place of a thunderbolt. The best month to visit darjeeling are summer and winter.
Since Darjeeling is popularly known for its whistling Toy train rides, Tea estates on slopes and Monasteries, We have covered the lesser-known places here.
1) Tiger hill
Tiger hill is one of the chief attractions in Darjeeling. It has an elevation of 2590m, and it takes about 1 hour to reach Tiger hill from Darjeeling town. It has a panoramic view of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. It is famous for its mesmerizing view of the snow-capped peak during sunrise and sunset, but it also offers peace at any time of the day.
Location: Tiger hill, Darjeeling
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: Dawn till sunset
Entry Fee: None
2) Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
With Proper Training, Mountaineering can be a Fine sport. Mountaineering activity is one of the chief reasons for thrill-seekers to visit Darjeeling. Himalayan Mountaineering institute functions to train people about the mountains and the climbing activity.
Location: Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 5 am to 9 pm
Entry Fee: Rs. 60 For combined ticket (HMI+ZOO+History museum)
3) Batasia Loop
Batasia Loop is a spiral railway track. This place offers a magnificent 360-degree view of the entire Darjeeling. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the Batasia loop from Darjeeling town. If you are taking a toy-train ride, The train covers this place, but there are seating areas to enjoy this view.
Location: West Point, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734102
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 6am–5 pm
Entry fee: INR 15
4) Darjeeling Ropeway
The Darjeeling -Rangit valley Ropeway is one of the longest ropeways in Asia. It passes through dense forest hills and offers an enchanting view of the town and hills.
Location: Singamari, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734104
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 9:30 am – 4 pm (Tue-Sat), 9:30 am – 4:30 pm (Sun-Mon)
Entry Fee: Rs. 200/- per person (for 5kms round trip). Child (3-8 years) is Rs. 100/-
5) Chowrasta, The Darjeeling Mall
Chowrasta in Darjeeling town is a famous place for shopping. Since Darjeeling is known for its diverse culture, be sure to shop for its unique items such as Tea, Blankets and Buddhist handicrafts.
You can enjoy street foods like momos and thukpa. You can also hang out and relax in the seats outside.
Location: N C. Goenka Rd, Chauk Bazaar, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 7 am to 8 pm
Entry Fee: None
6) Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda
Japanese temple and peace pagoda was built under the guidance of a Buddhist monk called Nichidatsu Fujii, designed to unite people of all races. It stands as a symbol to promote world peace.
Location: West Point, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734102
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 4:30 am to 7 pm
entry fee: None
7) Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park
Padmaja Naidu zoological park is also famously known as Darjeeling zoo. The Himalayan wolf and the red panda are some of the uncommon and endangered animals found here. It is India’s largest high-altitude zoo.
Location: Darjeeling – Jorethang Rd, near Birch Hill Resort, Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 8:30am–4 pm, Closed on Thursday
Entry Fee: Rs. 60 For combined ticket (HMI+ZOO+History museum)
8) Bengal Natural History museum
Bengal Natural History Museum showcases an extraordinary collection of birds with nests and eggs, reptiles, insects, and more. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling zoo are located nearby to this compound. With a combined Entry ticket, you can visit three places altogether.
Location: Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734104
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 8am–7:30 pm (Closed on Sundays)
Entry Fee: Rs. 60 For combined ticket (HMI+ZOO+History museum)
9) Tibetan Refugee Selfhelp centre
Tibetan Refugee self-help centre is the rehabilitation centre for Tibetan refugees. One can shop Tibetan handicrafts and handwoven blankets here.
Location: Havelock Villa, 119/B, Gandhi Rd, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 4:30 pm
Entry fee: Free
10) Ghoom monastery
Ghoom monastery is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling. It has an enormous sized statue of Buddha built from the clay which was brought from Tibet. There is also another monastery called samten choling monastery in ghoom, which is sometimes called ghoom monastery.so if you want to reach the original monastery, be sure to mention it as an old ghoom monastery to your cab driver.
Location: Ghoom, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734102
Best month To Visit: March to September
Timings: 12:00 am to 12:00 pm
Entry fee: Free