Darjeeling, the quaint hill station located in the northern part of West Bengal is undoubtedly one of our favourite destinations of all times. To be honest, we can never get enough of Darjeeling. A land of breathtaking beauty surrounded by rolling green tea plantations along with the majestic Kanchenjunga ranges towering above the skyline has earned it the moniker of Queen of Hills.

What is the Best Time to Visit Darjeeling?

Usually, Darjeeling has two main peak seasons for tourists – March to May and October to November. This is the time when Darjeeling gets the maximum footfall of tourists. When you want to plan your Darjeeling trip, entirely depends on what you want to experience at Darjeeling. Here I would mention briefly about the seasons in Darjeeling.

How to Reach Darjeeling?

The nearest airport is the Bagdogra Airport and the nearest broad gauge railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP). I have mentioned broad-gauge railways because you can reach Darjeeling from NJP by the famous toy train.

From NJP, you will get both shared jeeps as well as rented vehicles to reach Darjeeling. From Bagdogra Airport, you will get rented cabs to reach Darjeeling. Shared jeeps are also available from Siliguri Main Bus Stand towards Darjeeling. Buses are also available from Siliguri towards Darjeeling, but I would recommend you to travel by the shared sumos instead of buses.

Best Places to visit in Darjeeling

1. Tiger Hill
2. Batasia Loop and War Memorial
3. Darjeeling Mall or Chowrasta
4. The Darjeeling Zoo and HMI
5. Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park
6. Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda
7. Happy Valley Tea Estate
8. Observatory Hill and the Mahakal Temple
9. Ghum Monastery
10. Tenzing and Gombu Rocks
11. Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre

Where to Stay in Darjeeling?

With time, Darjeeling town has faced a lot of constructions, many of which are unplanned. Quite obviously, these constructions include mainly hotel. Darjeeling has a number of hotels catering to all types of budgets and travellers. These include century-old heritage stays, homestays, hostels and hotels as well. Here I will name a few hotels in Darjeeling of various categories.

Luxury Hotels in Darjeeling

• Windermere (Best views of Kanchenjunga)
• Cedar Inn (Best views of Kanchenjunga)
• Mayfair Darjeeling
• Sinclairs Darjeeling

Mid Budget Hotels

• Little Tibet
• Central Nirvana (Best views of Kanchenjunga)
• Central Gleneagles Heritage Resort
• Hotel Shangrila
• Darjeeling Tourist Lodge (Best views of Kanchenjunga)

Budget Hotels in Darjeeling

• Classic Guest House (Best views of Kanchenjunga)
• Revolver
• Broadway Annexe
• Dekeling Hotel
• Hotel Capital
• Old Bellevue Hotel

Homestays

• Pahari Soul Homestay (Best views of Kanchenjunga)
• Happy Valley Homestay
• Himalayan Inn