A beautiful place in the State of West Bengal is Darjeeling, India. This place is located at an elevation of 7100 feet in the Lesser Himalaya.
The development of this place started from the mid 19th century and is now a very popular tourist destination in India.
There are many popular places for a holiday in India and this place is one among those beautiful places.
If you are planning to rejuvenate both body and soul, then this is the place for you.
There are many attractions to enjoy in this place like the dazzling snow peaks, the Himalayan railway of Darjeeling, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and the tea industries.
The list does not stop here, but it is important for you to reach that place in order to know more about the place.
You will be able to enjoy both colonial charm and the youthful vibe in this place Darjeeling.
Along with this you can combine your shopping, wonderful sightseeing, many exciting activities and the mouth watering food.
So, what else do you need from a place like this.
Excited about traveling to Darjeeling, then you should get some more information about this place Darjeeling like what is the best time to visit Darjeeling and what are the tourist attractions in this place.
Best time to visit Darjeeling?
A place which is also called as the Queen of hills is Darjeeling and you are going to have a real great time here.
This is not the place only for the tourists, but it is also a popular place for the film makers. There are many films shot at this place and it looks just amazing.
There are two best timings to visit this place Darjeeling and they are during the Spring and the Autumn.
The Spring season is between March to June and the Autumn is between September to December.
The temperature is normally pleasant during these months and you will have a great time.
The winter starts from the month of December and lasts till February.
December month is fine to visit Darjeeling, but post December is very cool and you may not be able to go for sightseeing even in the day time.
Actually, it is said by many visitors who have already visited this place that, it is very difficult to predict the climate of this place because you will be able to see and enjoy a beautiful weather at one minute and the next minute you may see fog.
But whatever is the climate, this place is just wonderful and you should definitely plan a trip to this place if you love enjoying nature and the snow peaks.
There can never be a wrong time to visit such wonderful place, hence now it is time to have a look at the attractions of the place and this will help in having a great time in Darjeeling.
Best things to do in Darjeeling India
These are my favorite things to do and beautiful places to visit on your next holiday to Darjeeling.
Tiger Hill
If you want to visit the highest point of Darjeeling, then you should visit Tiger Hill.
This is the most visited places in Darjeeling.
The snow covered Himalaya mountains are going to look just awesome and you will never forget the time spent here.
Have you seen a sunrise at any place? Whether your answer is YES or NO, you should visit this place and then you will be able to decide the best sunrise that you have seen till date.
You will be able to see the color changing of the sky also very clearly and this is something that you should never miss.
But if you are planning to visit the sunrise, then make sure that you are at this place by 4 am in the morning.
If you are there by 4 am, only then you can be at the front and enjoy the sunrise. This place is going to be really crowded even at 5 or 6 am in the morning and hence you should reach before that.
The view of sunrise from the top tiger hill is just breathtaking. These tiger hills are 11 kilometers away from Darjeeling and you will be able to reach the hills in 40 minutes.
If the day is very clear and there is no much fog, then you will get a chance to see the Mount Everest as well and that is going to be the best part of your trip to Darjeeling after the sunrise view.
My favorite stuff to do in Darjeeling
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
A place which is most commonly known as the Darjeeling Zoo is one of the most visited places in Darjeeling.
This place is officially called Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
The total area of this place is 65 acres and you should definitely visit this place. Your kids are going to love the place and many tourists who visited Darjeeling are very much happy with this place.
The place was opened in the year 1958 and is at an elevation of 7000 feet. You will not find any other zoo in India at such high elevation.
You will be able to see many different kinds of animals and it is a feast for your eyes if you love animals.
You can see bear, mountain cats, snakes, leopards, snow leopards, Red panda, Himalayan wolf and many other animals.
Can you guess the number visitors to this zoo every year? It is around 300,000 every year and it can be more also but not less.
Padmaja Naidu is the daughter of Sarojini Naidu and this zoo is named after her.
You will be surprised by the number of animals that you get to see in this zoo, which you will not be able to see in any other zoo in India.
The place is also maintained very well and you should be careful. Do not forget to click a lot photos at this zoo, as you will not be able to see those animals again, except in television.
Popular Darjeeling tourist attractions
Batasia Loop
This is also one of the wonderful places to visit when you are in Darjeeling. This place is in fact a spiral shaped railway track.
This place Batasia Loop was started in the year 1991 and the view from this point is just picturesque and you should not miss this place at all.
You have a garden at this place and the flowers of this garden are just awesome and colorful. You will definitely love to spend a lot of time at this place.
Many tourists who have already visited this place report that this is an ideal place for clicking the pictures.
This place looks good when the train arrives but it looks its best when the train is leaving. You will feel like having the view once again.
So it is better to enjoy one train first and then enjoy the garden by the time another train arrives at this place.
There is a small market as well at this place and you can even enjoy shopping at the same time. It would definitely be a great experience for you when you visit this place and have a lot of fun.
So, do not miss.
What else to do in Darjeeling?
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling
Another place in Darjeeling which is proven to attract many tourists every year is Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling.
This place is very easy to reach and it may take hardly 10 minutes to reach.
This place is said to be the symbol of tranquility and peace. This is basically a Japanese temple which was built on the Jalapahar hill and you will love the view from this hilltop.
The place is peaceful and when you enter into the temple, you get a serene feeling and you enjoy the humming and chants at this temple.
It is really a peaceful place to spend time with your entire family. There are four statues of Buddha different poses, and they are just awesome.
You will be able to see Kanchenjunga, when you are in this temple and even the snow peaks are visible clearly.
The building of the temple itself is an attraction which is built in Japanese style and you will love the peace.
The place is maintained very well as this is a temple and if you love to spend sometime, then you can spend. The journey of 10 minutes to this temple is also interesting.
Is Darjeeling worth visiting?
The answer is Yes. Darjeeling is worth visiting. This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventours.
Make sure you visit the following stunning place:
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is very commonly known as the “Toy Train” is a must if you are on a trip along with your kids.
Your kids are going to have a great time in this toy train. There two kinds of trains to enjoy, one of the steam train and the other is diesel train.
Both these trains are hard to see these days and hence it is good for your kids. This will help them enjoy a ride on a steam train.
The booking has to be done in advance, else you and your kids will be highly disappointed.
It may not be easy to get tickets for the same day when you reach the place. So, plan it in advance and you will able to enjoy the ride without any problems.
Kids will enjoy a lot and they are definitely going related this trip to the popular cartoon show “Thomas and Friends”.
You will go to Ghoom and then return back as part of this trip. The time that you spend on the train is less, but the thrill that you and your kids get is priceless when compared to the train ticket.
What else to see in Darjeeling?
Tea Gardens
When you are on a trip to a place where the tea is manufactured, then how can you miss the Tea Gardens.
You have many tea gardens in Darjeeling and most of them are privately owned. You will be allowed to see the gardens, but it may be only on weekends as they would whole week.
It is going to be lovely to see so much of greenery around you and you can also click a lot of pictures when you are at this place.
You can take pictures like the women who work there, typical Darjeeling style pictures. Do not forget to buy a lot of tea packet before you leave the place.
And if you are a tea lover, then you should carry a few more bags along with you, as you are going to love the taste of the tea that you buy at this place.
Popular places to visit in Darjeeling
Mirik
In between the beautiful hills of Darjeeling, you have a very interesting place to go for a day tour and that is Mirik.
The name Mirik means a place which is burnt by fire.
This place is easily accessible and the beautiful scenery of this place is making it one of the most popular tourist destinations.
The picturesque view of this place is due to the presence of the Sumendu Lake and there is also a Pine garden in this place. Do not miss this place as it is very near and you will love it for sure.
Things to do in Darjeeling with kids
Kanchenjunga Mountain
When you are on a holiday trip to Darjeeling, then how can you miss Kanchenjunga Mountain.
This is something that you cannot miss because you get a very beautiful view of these mountain when you are on the Tiger hills.
Normally, you should try booking a hotel from where you will be able see these mountains.
You will not feel like blinking your eyes even for a second when you are staring at these mountains.
Make sure you are not here during the extreme winter season, because the mountain you will be covered with mist and you will not be able to enjoy the view of the mountains.
There is no point in visiting Darjeeling if you cannot get the view of the Kanchenjunga mountains.
When you are on the Tiger hill top in the early morning to enjoy the sunrise, you will get a mesmerizing view of the Kanchenjunga mountain as well, you can see the entire mountain shining just like gold when the sun is rising.
You can never forget these moments.
Things to do around Darjeeling
Darjeeling Passenger Ropeway
This is a place which many people do not miss, but if you have not added this place to your to do list, then do it right away.
This place Darjeeling Passenger Ropeway is going to offer you many things related to nature at a single spot.
When you start your trip on the ropeway, then the view of the valley just below is going to be mind blowing.
You can see the beautiful tea gardens, mountain streams, dense forest, waterfalls and the very beautiful snow peak mountains.
Can you get so many things of nature in one place? Yes, you can get it in Darjeeling.
You can get down at the lower station and enjoy the tea gardens from a very close view and you can take a walk in the tea gardens as well.
This Passenger ropeway is definitely a place that you should not miss if you want to have a look at everything that you can enjoy in Darjeeling.
One of the best and most loved things to do in Darjeeling.
Must see places in Darjeeling
Chowrasta of Darjeeling
The Chowrasta of Darjeeling or which is also called as the Mall of Darjeeling is a place to sit and enjoy the place watching the mountains.
You have many pine trees on one side of the Mall and the other side of the Mall is having many shops and boutiques where you can shop some interesting stuff of Darjeeling.
This place is always crowded and you should not miss to visit this place even if you are not interested in shopping.
This is a great place to sit and relax, while you are enjoying the view of the mountains, you have benches to sit around the mall and you will love the place for you, especially women who love shopping.
Free things to do in Darjeeling
Trekking and Bike tours
If you like doing adventurous things, then you should not miss the Trekking and Bike tours.
This is one of the best ways to explore Darjeeling and enjoy it.
You have many private tour companies in this place and they provide you bikes on rental basis.
You will also have a guide along with you on the bike tour or trekking tours that you book with them.
You should always have a guide along with you when you are going on this kind of tours as it is not safe to go alone and the other reason is they will help you in spending the time in an effective way rather than wasting time in finding the way to a particular spot.
They also have good knowledge about the places in and around Darjeeling, hence you can gather a lot of information about this place from these guides.
So, Darjeeling is a place which is offering you many things to enjoy, and there is still a huge list of things to see and enjoy.
Do not waste your time anymore, just book your tickets and enjoy a great holiday in Indian holiday spot Darjeeling.
If you are going during peak time, then do not forget to book accommodation as well. Have a great holiday in Darjeeling, India.