DARJEELING

HILL STATION 

AT

DARJEELING

Darjeeling, the queen of hills, is not just a huge rage among the tourists but also holds great interest for the filmmakers who love to infuse the lovely backdrop of Darjeeling in their movies.

The word Darjeeling is a combination of two words 'dorje' meaning 'thunderbolt' and 'ling' meaning 'place' hence the word Darjeeling means 'the Land of Thunderbolt'. At a height of 2050 meters, Darjeeling is one of the most visited destinations in the state of West Bengal and Darjeeling tourism is one of the mainstays of the tourism industry in this state.

Darjeeling isn't your typical tourism spot imbibed with same old visiting attractions or shopping streets. Every nook and corner of Darjeeling reflects uniqueness and echoes diversity in all aspects.

 It plays a perfect host to Buddhist monasteries, tea plantations, and the very rare Himalayan Red Panda. This tourism spot draws travelers from all around the globe throughout the year and is one of the favorite hill destinations in the country.

 If you are lucky enough to land up in Darjeeling, don't miss to seize the golden opportunity of digging into its culinary delights, discovering the wonderful steep lanes, witnessing the colorful festivals and lastly, traveling around in a toy train. Find out more on the best time to visit Darjeeling by scrolling down the article.

These months constitute the summer season in Darjeeling which is quite pleasant and not harsh. The maximum temperature is around 25 degree Celsius. Bright sunlight packed with windy air in the evenings make for a great vacation in Darjeeling amidst the picturesque surroundings. This time is also good for sightseeing and other tourist activities.

Summer starts in May and lasts until July. The average temperature during summer varies between 11°C to 19°C. While May remains a popular tourist month in Darjeeling, there are good chances of showers and hails during this time. The Monsoon in Darjeeling starts in June and it starts getting misty quite frequently. So, by June most of the tourists would have left.

By Air

Bagdogra Airport is the nearest air connection which is 96 kilometres away from Darjeeling. Many carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Indigo, Go Air run direct flights from Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata to Darjeeling. Delhi and Kolkata airports are well-connected with international cities across

the globe. Now, few international cities like Bangkok and Paro also have direct flights via Druk Air airlines. Once you reach at the airport, you can hire a taxi or share a cab to get to Darjeeling, which will take you around 3 hours.

By Bus

The regular bus service from Siliguri (which is approximately 70 kilometres away) to Darjeeling is quite slow but economical. Similar bus services are also available from neighbouring towns like Kurseong and Kalimpong which is 31 and 50 kilometres away respectively. Even Gangtok city runs daily buses to Darjeeling; however, we suggest taking a shared cab instead.

By Train

The Darjeeling railway station is administered by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR). The nearest railway station in Darjeeling is at New Jalpaiguri (62 kilometres from the main town) which connects major Indian cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar and Cochin. The DHR Toy Train service starts at New Jalpaiguri and will get you to Darjeeling at a speed no faster than 30 miles per hour. It takes 7 hours and halts at Batasia Loop from where passengers can take photographic shots of Mt. Kanchenjunga.