Things to do | Darjeeling | India
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View of Kangchenjunga from Tiger Hill
  • 1 Bhutia Busty Monastery (Karmaa Dorjee Chyoling Monastery). This monastery was built in 1761 by Lama Dorje Rinzing above the Observatory Hill, where the Mahakal Temple stands now. Later it was re-located downhill to Bhutia Busty. Karma Dorje Chyoling monastery (Q4902278) on Wikidata Bhutia Busty Monastery on Wikipedia
  • 2 Dali Monastery (Druk Sangag Choling Monastery). This is the biggest monastery in this region. It was built in 1971. It is the head quarters and residence of Drukchen Rimpoche the XII, the head of the Kargyupa sect of Buddhists.
  • 3 Aloobari Monastery (Yolmowa Mak Dhog Monastery). Located in Aloobari on way from Darjeeling to Jorbunglow, this is the least visited monastery as it is located away from the main road. Established in 1914, The monastery offers some breathtaking views of the Tiger Hill region and houses some old rare Buddhist manuscripts. Mag-Dhog Yolmowa Monastery (Q6729540) on Wikidata Mag-Dhog Yolmowa Monastery on Wikipedia
  • 4 Botanical garden. The green house has quite a nice collection of flowers.
  • 5 Himalayan Zoo (Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park) (shares the premises of HMI). F-W 8:30AM-4PM. It has a good collection of the more charismatic animals found in the Himalayan region, including leopards, a rare Bengal tiger, and red pandas. ₹50 SAARC countries, ₹100 foreigners. Includes entrance to Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Q3495905) on Wikidata Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park on Wikipedia
  • 6 Japanese Peace Pagoda. This impressing building is part of a grid of around 30 pagodas spanning the whole globe. Constructed by the Japanese Buddhist Nipponzan-Myohoji Order, the one at Charlimont on the outskirts of Darjeeling was consecrated in 1992. A small temple just lies alongside. If you're woken up due to the sound of drumming in the streets of Darjeeling between 4 and 5AM: These are the monks (Theravada) of the Japanese temple having their early morning walk.
  • 7 Nightingale Park/Shrubbery Park (mid-way between Chowrasta and HMI/zoo, a 10-minute flat walk from either). Daily 9AM-5PM year-round. Cultural programme runs approximately April-Nov 2-4PM. A beautiful park with a package of cultural program performed daily during the tourist season. The park features a giant Statue of Lord Shiva, a temple, and provisions for live-interactive entertainment. The best time to visit the park is in the evenings. You may think of it as an alternative to Tiger-hill to see the sunlight magic on Kangchenjunga from this park. Good spot for photographers, as this place is not very crowded. Nice landscape is visible from this park. ₹20.
  • 8 Observatory Hill & Mahakal Temple. Observatory Hill is the oldest site in Darjeeling. This hill is also known as the “Makal-Babu-Ko-Thaan” in local area. It is said that a Red Hat Buddhist Monastery stood at this very spot. Nepal people destroyed this monastery in the 19th century. The Mahakal Temple now stands on this hill.
  • 9 Rock Garden. A beautiful place with a small waterfall. This place has varieties of flowers landscaped in the rocks. Females can also get dressed in the local dress and take pictures. Rock Garden, Darjeeling (Q7354433) on Wikidata Rock Garden, Darjeeling on Wikipedia
  • 10 Tiger Hill. Ideal to visit early morning when the first rays of the sun kiss the Kangchenjunga mountain and give it a golden colour. To visit the hill, one needs to get up at 3AM in the morning. You can taste some excellent tea on your way to the hill, which will provide much needed warmth on cold Darjeeling mornings. When getting into a taxi at 3AM, keep in mind that they are shared taxis and your driver might wait around in vain for others to join your taxi causing you to miss the sunrise! Those traveling alone or as a couple might want to squeeze into an already occupied terrain vehicle to insure full viewing pleasure. Though it has executive lounge (₹40 per person) and special lounge (₹30 per person), nothing beats having view from open area as you can have a full panoramic view from outside avoiding crowd in the lounge. The early you can reach, the best place you can find to stand inside or outside the observatory tower. If you are late, you may find yourself standing behind many people and a lot of obstructions to feel the sunrise and magic lighting Kangchenjunga. You may also need to walk a lot to reach there via a steep ascendant road. But, as of 2022, the forest department charges ₹50 per head to enter this region as it is a place inside a forest. Tiger Hill, Darjeeling (Q16901632) on Wikidata Tiger Hill, Darjeeling on Wikipedia
  • 11 Dhirdham Temple (just below Darjeeling station). This temple was built by Purna Bahadur Pradhan in 1939.
  • 12 St. Andrew's Church (near the famous mall). This church was built in 1843.
  • 13 Happy Valley Tea Estate, Pamphawati Gurungni Rd (walk north along Hill Cart Rd for 2 km, then walk down the hill at the sign), ☏ +91 80-1770-0700. Tu-Su 8AM-4PM. Quite a hike from the centre, Darjeeling's second oldest tea estate is open for visitors. An employee will guide visitors through the tea factory, showing the full process of tea production and explaining the different varieties of tea. At the end of the tour, tea samples are tested and you can buy teas produced from the estate. ₹100. Happy Valley Tea Estate (Q5653142) on Wikidata Happy Valley Tea Estate on Wikipedia
  • 14 Old Cemetery.
  • Mahakal Mandir (just behind the Mall area). A Shiva temple at a top height; it will take some hardships to be there.

Ghum[edit]

Toy Train at Batasia Loop
  • 15 Batasia Loop. A place where the legendary toy train makes a loop. There is a Gorkha martyr memorial here. There is also a landscaped park. if you go early in the morning (before 8AM) you can get the glimpse of a local crafts market here. Batasia Loop (Q4868648) on Wikidata Batasia Loop on Wikipedia
  • 16 Ghum Monastery (Yiga Choeling Monastery). This is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling. It was built in 1850. Yiga Choeling Monastery (Q3320284) on Wikidata Ghum Monastery on Wikipedia