Places of Tourist Interest in Darjeeling

Darjeeling is called the ‘silent hill’ and it stands true to its name. It is often considered a small town in the hills of West Bengal but it has more to offer than you know. There are several tourist spots in and around the Darjeeling hill station which you must visit while on a tour here. Some of these are worth treasuring all your life as memories unparalleled to any other. Located in the Darjeeling district you can get a full taste of the mountain air while you tread along the ‘winding’ paths of this hill town. Here are the ten best places in Darjeeling listed for you to visit on your vacation to this hill station.

Tiger Hill

This is the ‘highest point’ of the entire Darjeeling District and is famous for the glorious ‘sunrise’ view that takes place every day in the Kanchenjungha hills. If the day is a clear one you can also get a view of the highest mountain peak in the world, Everest, from this place. It is a 40-minute drive from Darjeeling town with a total distance of 11km to reach the ‘Tiger Hill’.

Darjeeling Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)

You will find both these places almost next to each other as they lie within the same premise. The zoo also called Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is home to animals belonging to high altitude, especially the upper Himalayan region. A few rare animal species that you can view in this zoo include the Tibetan wolf, snow leopard and red panda among others. The HMI stands as a pilgrimage to all those that are passionate about climbing. This place was built to honour ‘Tenzing Norgay’ post his successful expedition with Sir Edmund Hillary to the Mount Everest (1953). The institute displays almost everything related to mountaineering including artefacts of expeditions along with a ‘souvenir’ shop for collecting memories from here. This institute is situated on the Birch Hill or Jawahar Road which can be reached through the ‘Lebong Cart’ road and the famous ‘Mall’ road.

Chowrasta and Mall Road

The ‘Mall’ or popularly known as ‘Chowrasta’ happens to be the heart of Darjeeling town. The area is completely plain (no winds or slopes) and idea for basking the sun while getting a full view of the amazing Himalayas. This place has been kept open to the public and once here, you will find several tourists as well as locals hanging out and enjoying themselves. A portion of this ‘Mall’ has pine trees lined up to a great length where you can observe the beauty of nature. And, surely enough you will find numerous stalls and boutique shops offering variety of items which you can keep as souvenir. You also can catch your breath in one of the benches that are placed for relaxation of those touring this place.

Mahakal Temple and Observatory Hill

The ‘Observatory Hill’ rises behind the ‘Chowrasta’ and is perfect to view the Darjeeling town 360 degrees. The temple located in the centre of this hill town, the ‘Mahakal Temple’ lies on a hill top that once housed the ‘Dorje-ling Buddhist Monastery’.

Peace Pagoda and Japanese Temple

For a spiritual encounter you can take a 10-minute drive to reach the ‘Japanese Temple’ in Jalpahar Hill which is a symbol if tranquillity and peace. The construction of this temple is traditionally ‘Japanese’ in style and you will feel inner peace here as you pray along with the monks chanting inside the temple. At a close proximity you will find the ‘Peace Pagoda’ and it is here that you will find Lord Buddha’s four ‘huge avatars’. The top view from here is unquestionably awesome with full coverage of the Kanchenjunga.

Ganga Maya Park and Rock Garden

Darjeeling also has its fair share of parks with scenic views situated somewhere around the main town. While the ‘Ganga Maya’ park is 13km away from Darjeeling, the ‘Rock Garden’ lies a little lesser than that at 10km distance. The ‘Rock Garden’ has terraced gardens in its various levels which are cut out of the rocks with waterfall running over them. The place also offers sitting arrangements for visitors. The ‘Ganga Maya’ park covers more space than the former tourist spot and is gifted with a stream of mountain water, flower gardens and fountains among other interesting sites for visitors.

Darjeeling Ropeway

The ropeway is better termed as ‘Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car’ and offers you a unique heightened view of the natural setting of Darjeeling. You can see the valley and the tea gardens along with the dense forests, streams and waterfalls, all from a frightfully exciting height above the ground. As you reach a station lower in height you can simply get down and start strolling in the trimmed tea gardens, and take in the entire view of the place.

Batasia Loop

This is a ‘loop’ that is situated 5km away from the Darjeeling town immediately below Ghoom and is characterized by ‘narrow gauge’ railway track that is in a spiral shape for the ‘Toy Train’ to descend sharply from the highest railway station in the world, Ghoom. Manicured tea gardens, waterfalls and streams define the view in this area which makes you believe that Darjeeling is truly a natural beauty with amazing gifts in terms of landscape.

Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre

The ‘Dalai Lama’ followers were given refuge in this center built on 2nd October 1959. All Tibetans that escaped from their hometowns at the mayhem time stay here. The ‘self-help’ principle has been adopted by these inhabitants for sustaining ever since. You can reach this center using the ‘Lebong Cart Road’ and buy any of their handicraft works including carpets, wooden items, shawls and leather-based items.

Bengal Natural History Museum

This museum started to display the Darjeeling birds and butterflies in the year 1903 but today is large enough to shelter most varieties of mammals, reptiles, birds with eggs in nests, insects and fish belonging to this region. The specimens are real creatures which were captured followed by stuffing and preservation. This ‘Bengal Natural History Museum’ is a couple of minutes’ walk from ‘Chowrasta’.

Apart from these magnificent tourist places you can also in general get a view of the hilly landscape and enjoy the cold breeze as you enjoy your vacation here in Darjeeling.