QUEEN OF HILLS - DARJEELING So fancying a trip to Darjeeling? You must be lured by the dazzling snow peaks of Kanchenjunga overlooking the hill town? And the beautiful tea gardens on the slopes of rolling hills, the orchids, pines & rhododendrons, the cute Himalayan toy train whistling its way through the mountains? And you want to combine all that with great sightseeing tours, food, shopping and other exciting activities. Right? Yes, it's all possible in Darjeeling, a gem of a place known for its youthful vibe combined with modern as well as colonial charm. Excited? But perfectly planning & designing a tour here in the hills is tricky. So excited to design your own vacation in Darjeeling? Then read on... Just to give you a head start about the place, Darjeeling hill town is located at an altitude of 6,710ft in north east India and is part of the state of West Bengal. The nearest airport is Bagdogra and the nearest major railway junction is New Jalpaiguri (NJP). It takes about 3 hours to reach Darjeeling from both these locations by car. Private taxis (available at NJP and Bagdogra), shared taxis (available at NJP) and bus (available at Siliguri bus stand which is 8kms from NJP) are the main public transports to get to Darjeeling from NJP station or Bagdogra airport. Alternatively, you can take the fascinating toy train ride from NJP or Siliguri all the way up to Darjeeling soaking in the scenic sights of Himalayas in a 7-hour lazy journey. Presently around 6,00,000 Indian tourists and 30,000 foreign nationals visit Darjeeling annually. Darjeeling hill town was originally set up as a sanitarium or health resort by the British in mid 1800s. But over the years, it earned its name for its world famous aromatic tea and then with opening up of roads and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, for tourism. You will see numerous sprawling tea estates in Darjeeling that produce world's best tea, as well as the amazing narrow gauge Toy Train - an engineering marvel of 1880s which could overcome the steep gradients and curves of the mountains and provided a scenic railway transportation in the hills. Residents are mostly immigrant Nepalese (predominantly Gorkhas), Tibetans, as well as some Lepchas and Bhutias from Sikkim. It's an amazing world out there. But they are warm and tourist friendly. The town centre of Darjeeling is known as Mall or Chowrasta, which is a flat open public square, a pedestrian only zone free of vehicular traffic and surrounded by colorful stores with backdrop of mountains and valleys. Mall or Chowrasta is the main town center. Most tourists try to stay near the Mall area to be close to hub of all activities, restaurants and shops. So due to high demand, numerous hotels of all types have mushroomed near the Mall area. Alternatively you can stay a bit away, enjoy nature & views, and a location relatively free of crowd. During spring, summer and autumn, the weather in Darjeeling is pleasantly cool and perfect for city dwellers who flock in volumes during such time. Many come to enjoy the rains in monsoon and chill in the winter as well. And when such visits are combined with wonderful views of snow peaks and valleys, tea gardens, forests & flowering plantations, amazing sightseeing tours & activities, great food & stays, and all at affordable prices.... won't you love a vacation like that? There is much more to Darjeeling than just a few days of fun and frolic. Won't you like to know why the name Darjeeling in the first place? It's location & terrain, about its rich colonial history, how a land that once had only 10 people living in it became a world known tourist destination? Great Attractions & Places to Visit There are countless tourist places here including great viewpoints offering magnificent views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks, Buddhist monasteries, historical churches, temples, rolling tea estates on mountain slopes, museums, art galleries, parks & gardens, waterfalls, cable car ride offering you stunning views of the mountain landscapes and tea gardens below, and more. Great Tours & Sightseeing You will need to take a private or a shared vehicle or in some cases a walking tour to visit some of the great tourist places I mentioned above. While most tourists go for the 3-Point, 7-point or Mixed-Point sightseeing tours offered by the local taxi drivers and tour operators, there are some great tours and hikes like heritage tours, tea garden walks, village tours and others that are hardly known to tourists. Day trips to places like Mirik, Kalimpong and even Lamahatta and Mongpu will keep you engrossed in marvelous scenic views & sights. You can even make a Jeep safari to Singalila (high altitude national park) and beyond to Sandakphu, a place known for offering one of the best views of four of the world's highest five peaks, all in one stretch of snow. You will find them all in the link above. Shopping Starting from handmade crafts & jewelry to many different types of curios, woolen clothes, jackets and kashminas, Darjeeling can be a shoppers paradise. There are some shops that are known for collections of some of the greatest pictures of Darjeeling's life and landscapes. And what about taking back home the "Champaign of Tea" from the place where it is produced? During the peak season, most of the shops in Darjeeling remain open until 8pm. Nightlife, Bars & Pubs The fun and entertainment in this mesmerizing hill town can continue through the evening if you have the will to pursue. There are some great pubs and bars in Darjeeling where many locals and tourists gather in the late evenings. Some of the pub owners are now my great friends. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train The Toy Train as it is fondly called, has been the romantic heart of Darjeeling that has touched everybody who has been to this hill paradise. It was introduced in 1881 by the British connecting Siliguri with Darjeeling with a narrow gauge line. It helped cut down the enormous time it took to transport passengers by bullock cart and horse carriages along the Hill Cart Road. It also allowed the less affluent Europeans living at the lower plains to visit the health resort. Trekking in Darjeeling If you love to trek and enjoy the nature, don't miss out on one of the many unbelievable treks in Darjeeling hills. There are routes offering stunning views of the mountains, forests and wildlife. There can be light treks over few days with 4-5 hours of walk a day that even casual walkers can undertake, or heavier treks for several days over mountain landscapes that offer fabulous experience. Where else in the world can you get a vista of four out of five highest peaks of the world in one stretch of snow, or get to see exotic rare animals like Red Panda, or view flowering plants like rhododendrons, magnolia, carpets of primula and over 600 varieties of orchids? I have been to such fascinating treks and shared my experience in the link above. Mark Twain said about Darjeeling: "The one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined". Well honestly, Darjeeling then and now are quite different, because time takes its toll. But if you come with passionate eyes and mind to look for the beauty, Darjeeling is still as amazing as it had always been. Voyegars Tours & Travels offers you Darjeeling Tour package, Darjeeling/Kalimpong / Gangtok Tour, Darjeeling /Pemayangtse (Pelling) / Kalimpong / Gangtok Tour, Darjeeling / Gangtok / Lachung - Yumthang Tour, Darjeeling / Pelling / Kalimpong / Gangtok tour Package, Attraction: Tiger Hill, Batasia Loop, War memorial, Japanese Peace Pagoda, Dhirdham Temple, The Mall and Chowrasta, Ava Art Gallery; Tea Gardens in Darjeeling; Buddhist Monasteries in Darjeeling like Yiga Chilling Monastery, Samten Cholling Monastery, Drukpa Kargyud Monastery, Bhutia Busty Monastery; Museums and Parks in Darjeeling like Museum of Natural History, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Himalayan Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Centre, Lloyds Botanical; Adventure Tourism in Darjeeling as Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway, Singalila Range Trek, Train trip in Darjeeling and much more to explore. .