Things to Do in Darjeeling: Kanchenjunga Sunrise, Toy Train & Tea Gardens

Watch sunrise from Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill, about 11 km from Darjeeling, is the classic viewpoint for sunrise over Kanchenjunga and the eastern Himalaya. On clear mornings, the snow peaks turn pink and gold, and Everest may be visible in the distance. Jeeps leave town around 4 a.m. It gets very crowded in season; a viewing gallery charges a fee.

Views depend entirely on the weather. If the morning is cloudy, try again the next day.

Time needed

3–4 hours including travel

Best time

October to December, March to April

Good to know

Leave around 4 a.m.

Ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, opened in 1881 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, climbs from the plains to Darjeeling on a narrow two-foot gauge, with loops and zigzags. The popular joy ride runs from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back, often with steam locomotives, stopping at Batasia Loop. Book in advance, especially in peak season.

Time needed

2 hours for the joy ride

Good for

Families, rail lovers

Good to know

Book ahead

See Batasia Loop

Batasia Loop is a spiral where the toy train turns a full circle to gain height. The garden inside the loop has a Gorkha war memorial and, on clear days, a fine view of Kanchenjunga and Darjeeling.

Time needed

30 minutes

Tour a tea estate

Darjeeling has dozens of tea estates on its slopes. Happy Valley, close to town, is one of the easiest to visit, and several estates offer factory tours and tastings. The first flush, picked in spring, is the most prized. Some estates have bungalow stays for a night among the bushes.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Best time

March to May and October for plucking

Good to know

Factories may close on some days

Visit Ghoom Monastery

Yiga Choeling Monastery at Ghoom, founded in 1850, is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area. It houses a large statue of the Maitreya Buddha. Ghoom itself is the highest station on the toy train line.

Time needed

45 minutes

See the Peace Pagoda and Observatory Hill

The Japanese Peace Pagoda, built by the Nipponzan Myohoji order, is a white stupa with views of the ranges. Observatory Hill, above Chowrasta, has the Mahakal Temple, where Hindu and Buddhist worship take place side by side under prayer flags.

Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was founded in 1954 after the first ascent of Everest, with Tenzing Norgay as its first director of field training. Its museum displays equipment and stories from Himalayan expeditions, and Tenzing's memorial is nearby.

Time needed

1–1.5 hours

Good for

Adventure lovers, families

See red pandas at the zoo

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, next to the HMI, specialises in high-altitude animals and runs breeding programmes for the red panda and snow leopard. It is closed on Thursdays.

Good to know

Closed on Thursdays

Good for

Families

Walk the Mall and Chowrasta

Chowrasta is the open square at the top of the Mall, the heart of Darjeeling, with views on clear days and pony rides for children. The Mall and the lanes below have old bakeries, tea shops, bookshops and restaurants serving momos and thukpa.

Best time

Evening

Ride the ropeway and visit the Tibetan centre

The Darjeeling Ropeway descends from North Point into the Rangeet valley over tea gardens. Nearby, the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre, set up in 1959, sells carpets and crafts made by the community. Check ropeway operation, as it closes at times.

Eat in Darjeeling's old cafés and bakeries

Darjeeling's century-old bakeries and tea rooms on the Mall and Nehru Road are part of the experience: tea with a view, cakes and breakfasts. For local food, try momos, thukpa, shaphaley (fried meat-filled bread), sel roti and churpi, a hard cheese made from yak or cow milk.

Good for

Food lovers

Buy tea properly

Darjeeling tea is graded by flush (first flush in spring, second flush in early summer, autumnal) and by leaf grade. Buy from estate outlets or established tea shops, where you can taste before buying. Look for the Darjeeling logo, which marks tea grown in the region under its Geographical Indication.

Good to know

Taste before you buy

Walk through Lloyd's Botanical Garden

Lloyd's Botanical Garden, laid out in the 19th century on land donated by a banker, has Himalayan plants, orchids and a cactus house on terraced slopes below the town. It is a quiet walk away from the Mall.

Time needed

1 hour

See St Andrew's Church and the old town

St Andrew's Church, near Observatory Hill, dates from the 1840s (rebuilt later) and is one of several colonial buildings that give the ridge its character. The town's old schools, such as St Paul's, and the Raj Bhavan are seen from outside.

Trek to Sandakphu

Sandakphu, at about 3,630 metres on the Singalila Ridge along the Nepal border, is the highest point in West Bengal. From the top, four of the world's five highest peaks, Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu, can be seen on clear days. The trek from Manebhanjan takes four to six days with a guide; jeeps also go to the top.

Best time

October to December, March to May

Sandakphu guide

Visit Mirik and Kurseong

Mirik, about 50 km away, has a lake with boating and tea gardens around it. Kurseong, lower down the toy train line, is quieter than Darjeeling, with tea estates and old schools.

Go on to Kalimpong or Gangtok

Kalimpong, about three hours away, has monasteries and nurseries; Gangtok, in Sikkim, is about four hours.

Things to do in Kalimpong · Things to do in Gangtok

What are the best things to do in Darjeeling?

Watch sunrise from Tiger Hill, ride the toy train, visit a tea estate, see Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop, visit the HMI and the zoo, walk the Mall and ride the ropeway.

What is the best time to see Kanchenjunga from Darjeeling?

October to December, and March to April, on clear early mornings.

How many days are enough for Darjeeling?

Three days covers the essentials; add more for Mirik, Kalimpong or the Sandakphu trek.

Is the Darjeeling toy train worth it?

Yes. The joy ride to Ghoom and back, via Batasia Loop, is a short way to experience a UNESCO-listed mountain railway.