Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Darjeeling, but you have to get up early to enjoy it at its best! The hill, about 11 km from Darjeeling is at an altitude of 8,515 feet and is famous for its spectacular views at sunrise. The top of Mount Everest is visible, between the peaks of Kanchenjunga and Makalu. The trip to the summit of the hill is through Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world. Ghoom is also home to the famous Yiga Choeling Monastery and a 4.5 metre tall image of Maitreya Buddha.

Batasia loop

Batasia loop just outside Ghoom is 5km from Darjeeling. It was built to enable the train to descend the 1000ft drop in altitude between Darjeeling and Ghoom,and is a real feat of engineering . In the middle of the loop is a war memorial to Gorkha soldiers. The spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga range offer plenty of photo opportunities and you can soak up the atmosphere over a cup of tea at one of the many tea stalls



Darjeeling zoo

Darjeeling zoo is internationally famous for its conservation breeding of red pandas and snow leopards, and is the only one of its kind in India. You can also see many other types of animals including Siberian Tigers, bears and wolves and Himalayan birds. It is well worth a visit for its scenic location and peaceful atmosphere, as well as the rare species of animals.This small museum has exhibits showing the varied flora and fauna of the Eastern Himalayan region, including butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibia.

HMI

The HMI was started in 1954, as a result of the success of Tenzin Norgay? ascent of Everest with Edmund Hilary in 1953. It has two museums - mountaineering and Everest - as well as a training department that runs courses in mountaineering.







Darjeeling Ropeway

The Darjeeling ropeway is not for the faint hearted! The Ropeway has cable cars which carry up to 6 passengers from Darjeeling North Point to Bijanbari with aerial views over the lush green tea gardens of the Rangeet valley. The ropeway is a pleasant 40 minutes walk from Chowrastha along Jawahar Road. (The Ropeway is presently closed for upgrading work and will open shortly).This 40 acre garden is filled with a variety of Himalayan trees, plants and flowers. Situated below the Market Motor Stand, the gardens are laid out on the steep slopes of the hillside. There are hothouses with a range of orchids and exotic flowers.The centre was set up in 1959 to provide a place for the displaced Tibetans who followed the Dalai Lama into India. There are a wide range of Tibetan arts and crafts on display, including carpets, knitted sweaters and jackets, shawls and wooden furniture.The rock is just beyond St. Joseph? School this large rock is used by the HMI to train mountaineers

Chunnu Summer Falls

The Chunnu summer falls, locally known as the rock garden and Ganga Maya park are situated about 8 km from Darjeeling. The road drops down steeply to the park and garden, which is a popular picnic spot with tourists. There is a small waterfall and stream running through the park, and a small lake with boating facilities.




Tukvar Tea estate

Tukvar Tea estate is about 7km from Darjeeling town. Here you will see the colourful tea workers who still pluck the leaves by hand in the traditional way against the spectacular backdrop of the tea plantations & the mountains. You will also be able to see the manufacturing process (subject to opening hours) and sample some of the garden produce. For more information on Darjeeling tea go to www.darjeelingtea.com



Pashupati

Pashupati is a market town on the Nepal border, on the way from Darjeeling to Mirik. It is a great place to pick up a bargain from the wide selection of imported goods such as electronics and cameras, and many other items.





AVA art gallery

The AVA art gallery is about 2km from the town enroute to Ghoom. It houses the unique art and embroidery works of Mrs. Ava Devi






Dhirdham temple

Built on the ambitious lines of the great Pashupatinath Temple of Nepal, in 1939, the Dhirdham temple is situated below the railway station.







Lal Kothi

Lal Kothi was the summer palace of the Maharaja of Kuch Bihar. It is an interesting buliding with a panoramic view of the surrounding Himalayas.





Sandakphu
A quiet Himalayan village at an altitude of 3636 Mts, the peak of the Singalila range - Sandakphu probably offers the best views of Mt. Kanchendzonga and Mt Everest - simultaneously. It is reached in two ways.
1. By a challenging but rewarding 31km trek from Maneybhanjan. We can transport you to Maneybhanjan and collect you a few days later.
2.We can transport you by car to Maneybhanjan then transfer you to a Landrover which will take you right up to Sandakphu. To get the most from your trip we suggest you take an overnight halt in one of Sandakphu many lodges returning to Maneybhanjan the next day for the journey back to Darjeeling.
"Please Note this journey is along an untarmac-ed rough track and therefore would not be suitable for people with back problems or physical disabilities"

Lebong Race Course

Unpretentiously, the Lebong Race Course boasts of being the smallest and the highest racetrack in the world. The race course is currently closed although there are plans to reopen it.




Peace Pagoda

The building of the Peace Pagoda was intiated by Fuji Guru, the founder of the Nipponzan Myhoji Buddhist Order and a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, as a symbol for world peace. The sparkling white pagoda rises 28.5 metres from the ground level and has a diameter of 23mts. Embedded in the wall of the pagoda are four statues of Buddha in gold polish and eight carvings on sandstone depicting different stages of Gautam Buddha life. The Buddhist temple is located near the peace pagoda and is designed in traditional Japanese style. Photography is allowed inside the temple but the Japanese monks will ask you not to enter during prayers.