Top 10 Things to Do Darjeeling Located in West Bengal’s Indian state, Darjeeling is renowned for their tea industry. The city lies in the midst of the lower Himalayas also known as the Mahabharat Range. The town was established by the British in the mid-19th century, and the town soon became known for its large tea estates supplying the country’s best Tea. The city was till the time ruled by the Sikkim kingdom It was taken from the Gorkhas, and later from the British. The city is situated at an average elevation of 2050 metres and falls under the geographic region of the eastern Himalayan Zoo. The town has a rich cultural history and natural resources, and is a popular tourist spot due to its nice climate throughout the year. Below is a list of the best places in Darjeeling that one can visit.
Stay at a Tea Garden
Sprawling Tea Gardens are the Darjeeling’s main attraction, as this place is renowned for its tea varieties and popular around the world. The green pruned bushes that should be in to go to Darjeeling ‘s locations. This is the best weekend destination to stay and relax with aroma of tea leaves in the greenery. You’ll see the women working in their traditional tea garden and colorful dresses with huge basket at their back.
Drive up to Tiger Hill
This is to Darjeeling‘s highest point. This point is renowned for the sparkling sunrise view of the Kanchenjunga and the eastern Himalayan range which looks huge and fabulous. You can get lucky if the weather is clear, and you can see Mount Everest. This beautiful place is only 11 kilometres from Darjeeling and it would take 40 minutes to get here by car. This is Darjeeling ‘s loveliest and best weekend destination. You can go from trekking to campaigning for various things to do in Darjeeling.
Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
HMI is a destination by itself and is like mountain pilgrimage. It was established to Tenzing Norgay ‘s honour. In 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay ascended the Everest. This museum is well developed and well equipped including displays of mountaineering and other artefacts. It also has boarding school for the student climber, houses for trainers, restaurants , shops and more. This beautiful place is located on Jawahar Road, and can be accessed from Mall Road. Trekking learners and mountaineering students are best off for this weekend getaway.
All aboard the Joy Ride ‘Toy Train’
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the Toy Train, is a 2-foot narrow gauge railway based on zig-zag and loop line technology running between Siliguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal Indian state. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first and most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway, and one of the top Darjeeling Tourist Places.
The narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, built between 1879 & 1881, was designed as an extension of the North Bengal State Railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs to a height of more than 7,000 feet and is one of the oldest and highest railway lines in the world. The Toy Train starts its journey from Siliguri, after covering a distance of 78 km and crossing Darjeeling 13 stations on its way, including Ghoom, the highest station in India.
Discover roots of Tibet
This centre was established on 2 October 1959 for the healing of Tibetans who in the havoc period pursued Dalai Lama and runaway out of their motherland. To continue to live their self-help beliefs accepted. This place is on the Hilltop, where you can walk along the Lebong Cart Road. Here you will find Tibetans who craft exquisite handmade items like Shawls, Woolen carpets, leather goods, wooden carvings and much more. You’ll find a place in the middle from where you can buy these products at the best price. If you’re in Darjeeling you have to visit destination for sure this weekend.
A thrilling ride on Darjeeling Ropeway
Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway is a passenger ropeway located in Darjeeling town of West Bengal, at a distance of 4 km from Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Also known as Darjeeling Ropeway, it is one of the longest Passenger Ropeways in Asia, and also India’s first Passenger Ropeway.
In 1968 the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation started Darjeeling Ropeway. Initially it was set up to cater for the tea gardens in the valleys below which otherwise had no easy access. Starting from a single cable car, it has now been upgraded to 16 cable cars with a capacity of six people each. It was closed in 2003 after the death of four tourists when the cable broke that caused two cars to fall down the hill. It was later re-opened in 2012 with many safety measures.
Darjeeling Ropeway operates between the North Point in the town of Darjeeling and Singla on the banks of the Ramman River.
Sit on Darjeeling Chowrasta
You can enjoy the beauty of The Mall just like the Sunset. Darjeeling’s Mall or Chowrasta is the downtown area in Darjeeling. People love lounging here and having sunbath here. You ‘d love to sit here and enjoy the time with family and friends while watching the mountain view and feeling the cool zephyr. Pine tree and the magnificent view of the Mountain will surely hypnotise you with its beauty And you’ll find shops , restaurants and local food joints on the other side, offering different things. Take the bench, and relax with some local street food. This place is the best gateway to the weekend for people wanting to enjoy their weekends.
Visit the Peace Pagoda
Darjeeling Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa located on the slopes of Jalapahar Hill in Darjeeling, at a distance of 2.5 km from Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. It is one of more than 70 pagodas built by the Japanese Buddhist Nipponzan Myohoji organisation around the world, and among Darjeeling’s most popular attractions.
Nichidatsu Fuj laid the foundation stone for the pagoda in 1972, A Japanese Buddhist monk and member of the Nipponzan-Myohoji Buddhist Order. The pagoda, which opened in 1992, was designed by M. Ohka … Ohka. Being Darjeeling’s tallest structure with a height of 28.5 metres, it is open to people of all faith and purposefully made to propagate peace and prosperity in the world.
Peace Pagoda houses four bright, gold-polished Buddha statues. The temple walls also have eight sandstone carvings that depict various storeys from the various stages of Gautama Buddha’s life.
Fresh air of mountains at the Batasia Loop
Batasia loop is a loop or twist of a slender railway gauge track where Ghoom’s Toy train offers a quick spiky tumble. Here you can see beautiful manicured gardens, waterfalls and streams and see large ranges of Darjeeling Mountains and landscapes, as well as other Eastern Himalayan peaks. This place is just 5 kilometres from Darjeeling, near the Ghoom which makes it Most popular destination for the weekend. This place is also known as Gorkha War Memorial, where you can get a 360 degree view of Darjeeling in a toy train. Nearby is the nearby craft market which is a must-visit spot.
River Rafting in the Teesta River
Darjeeling is one of India’s most frequented and loved Hill stations. All kinds of visitors can be found here. One of the best places for adventurous tourists is Teesta River for rafting as this river flowing in the gleaming mountain surroundings has rugged white water in its course. This is one of Darjeeling’s most popular tourist spots. Rafting in the White Water River at Teesta It’s one of those exciting moments you can never miss. This is the perfect vacation spot for adventure lovers on the weekend.