The DARJEELING hill station in West Bengal is beloved for its lush green tea plantations, awe-inspiring snow-capped peaks (including Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain), and serene Buddhist monasteries. One of the most popular things to do in Darjeeling is taking a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Powered by an antique steam locomotive, the 140-year-old "Toy Train" takes tourists on two-hour fun rides from Darjeeling to Ghum—a journey that's regularly counted as one of the most scenic train rides in the world.
Day 1 - Darjeeling Sightseeing
We took a flight from Mumbai to the Bagdogra Airport with a plan for 3 days. We took a cab from the Airport to our hotel in Darjeeling which took us around three hours. We checked in to our hotel and relaxed a bit. Since it was just afternoon, we planned to make the most of the day and went out for some sightseeing. We did a local tour of Darjeeling's famous points covering Japanese Temple, Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling Zoo and Tibetan Refugee center.
Day 2 - More Sightseeing
We started the day by visiting famous Tiger Hills early morning. Here you can have one of a kind experience of beautiful sights of sunrise where you witness illuminating peaks of Kanchenjunga by golden sun rays before the sun elevates up the horizon. We went to the Ghoom Monastery, one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling famous for the tall statue of Maitreya Buddha. We came back to the Hotel and after a refreshing breakfast. We then went to Batasia Loop, which is a spiral railway surrounded by beautifully decorated garden lush green hills and lovely flowers. UNESCO has declared the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway a World Heritage Site. After that, we went to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which is a famous institute to impart skills to all those who want to pursue their career in climbing activities. We then went to visit the highest altitude of Zoological Park to watch a variety of Himalayan species animals and birds and the Tenzing Rock and famous tea gardens.
Day 3 - Darjeeling Ropeway
Before you say goodbye to dazzling Darjeeling, you should enjoy the final day by embarking on the Darjeeling Ropeway. It is a typical cable car ride which will be the perfect end to your Darjeeling trip. You will experience the true beauty of a hill station as you go on this cable car ride and witness the states and mountain peaks as you ride along. It was one of the earliest cable car ride systems to have been established in India and sees visitors from across the globe. As you spot different picturesque locations along the cable car ride, make sure you click some great photographs along with your loved ones. We head back to our hotel with a bucket full of memories.
I'd love to explore more of India, I've only been to Goa which was phenomenal but love to experience more. Great itinerary!!
I've never been to India, I'd love to explore. I didn't realise most of the famous teas are named after towns and cities they come from. Great itinerary!