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Darjeeling hills

10 fascinating things to do in Darjeeling

Author: Mohammed Amaan
Date: 2020-09-11

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The Queen of Hills, Darjeeling is located in the northern part of West Bengal. Darjeeling was one of the preferred Summer destinations for Britishers due to its amazing scenic beauty. Darjeeling is located at an altitude of 2050 meters with the majestic Khangchendzonga Range at its backdrop. It’s a major attraction for tourists in the North-Eastern part of India. 

Darjeeling has everything a tourist needs to have a great time. From delicious food to a variety of clothing and from sky kissing peaks view to mesmerizing Toy Train Ride, everything is available in Darjeeling.


Below are the top 10 things to do in Darjeeling:

1. Tiger Hill Sunrise View: Wake up early and visit Tiger Hill from Darjeeling to see the sunrise view of the gigantic Himalayas. Anyone will be amazed to see the beauty from here. For trekkers, there is a trail from Darjeeling to Tiger Hill of about 12 km via Aloobari Monastery. This could be on the list of things to do here.

Distance from Darjeeling to Tiger Hill: 27 km 

View of Khangchendzonga from Tiger Hill

View of Khangchendzonga from Tiger Hill

2. Monastic Visit: You may visit monasteries of Darjeeling to see Buddhist culture, architect, and beliefs. Yiga Choeling Monastery, situated 8 km from Darjeeling town is one of the major Buddhist sites near Darjeeling. It is also known as Old Ghoom Monastery. Other such sites are Dali Gompa, Samten Choeling (New Ghoom Monastery), and Tashi Dargyaling Monastery.
Yiga Choeling Monastery, Darjeeling

Yiga Choeling Monastery, Darjeeling

3. Toy Train Ride: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Site and taking a ride in it is itself an experience. It’s a 2 feet gauge railway that was built in 1881. It should be a major point in things to do in Darjeeling. This joyride will take you through the local culture of Darjeeling along with a short tour of Batasia Loop. Here, the track spirals around over itself through a tunnel and over a hilltop.

Distance from Darjeeling to Batasia Loop: 9 km

Darjeeling Toy Train

Darjeeling Toy Train

4. Rejuvenate at Japanese Peace Pagoda: Inaugurated on 1st November 1992, in Darjeeling, Peace Pagoda houses four avatars of Buddha including Maitreya Buddha. It was designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds to help unite them in their search for world peace. The temple is also known as the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple. From the top of the Pagoda, you get a panoramic view of the Darjeeling landscape including the Khangchendzonga Range. The prayer timings are from 4:30 am to 6:00 am in the morning and again from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the evening. If you can time it right, you can also join the prayers and get an opportunity for introspection and feel the divine peace the temple offers. It could be in the things to do list of Darjeeling for peace lovers.

Distance from Darjeeling to Peace Pagoda Temple: 2 km

Japanese Peace Pagoda Temple, Darjeeling

Japanese Peace Pagoda Temple, Darjeeling

5. Climb like mountaineers: If you have an interest in mountaineering, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling is a must-visit place for you. HMI was established on 4th November 1954 in Darjeeling to encourage mountaineering as an organized sport in India. Tenzing Norgay was the first director of field training for HMI. It regularly conducts various mountaineering courses. They are also highly subsidized to encourage mountaineering as a sport. 

Tenzing Rock nearby can also be on your to-do list of Darjeeling. It is a gigantic rock used for practice by HMI volunteers. The right face of the Tenzing Rock is used by amateur climbers and even tourists to experience a climb with the help of guides. 

Distance from Darjeeling to Tenzing Rock: 4 km

Tenzing Rock, Darjeeling

Tenzing Rock, Darjeeling

 6. Cable Car Adventure: Darjeeling ropeway started in 1968 and is the first cable car system in India. From the cable car you can get a breathtaking view of the valley below, Darjeeling town, see the spread of lush green tea gardens on the hill slopes, flowing rivers, waterfalls, forests, and to top it all the magnificent view of the Great Himalayas. It is also called Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car of Darjeeling.

Distance from Darjeeling to Ropeway: 14 km

Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car, Darjeeling

Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car, Darjeeling

7. Teesta Rafting Experience: About a 50 km distance from Darjeeling, river rafting in Teesta River is a must of things to do in Darjeeling. If you are looking for a lifetime experience, this could be an option. As you raft down Teesta, the amazing view of the dense forests along the slope of the mountains, vegetation, birds, fishes, combined with the excitement of rafting through the torrents and foaming waters create an unforgettable experience. Overall an awesome feeling.

There are 6 grades or levels of difficulty depending on the rapids or the current in the river. Grade-1 (with flat calm water) is the easiest and Grade-6 is the most difficult.

Rafting in Teesta River

Rafting in Teesta River

8. Take a walk in Tea Estate: Darjeeling produces one of the best teas in the world. There are a lot of Tea Estates in Darjeeling and taking a walk in those trails is altogether a different experience. You may visit Darjeeling Happy Valley Tea Estate which is the nearest to town. Nearby areas like Lamahatta, Kurseong, and Mirik also have a good number of Tea Estates.

Distance from Darjeeling to Happy Valley Tea Garden: 3 km