Luxury & Private Darjeeling Tours 2024/2025

Darjeeling is synonymous with sprawling green and picturesque tea-estates. Tea production in Darjeeling is a legacy of the British, who developed the place as a hill station to escape the summer heat. Located in the 'lesser' Himalayan area, it boasts of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

In the early 19th century, a patrol of the British East India Company was exploring an easy access to Sikkim during the Anglo-Nepal War. They came across a sleepy hamlet atop a thickly wooded ridge with a brilliant view of Mount Kangchendzonga. In its formative years, like most British Raj retreats, Darjeeling was simply a scattered village of English cottages, mainly confined to the Birch Hill and Jalapahar areas. Interestingly, Darjeeling is one of the popular educational hubs in the country because of its many British style Public schools.

Things to do in Darjeeling

Forever synonymous with the tea that bears its name and bounded by Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east, Darjeeling still carries the hallmarks of its colonial past.

Backed by the breathtaking Himalayas and surrounded by swarms of tea plantations, the hill station of Darjeeling was once the summer playground of the British Raj. The landscape is beautiful and the train journey up from the plains unforgettable. Blood-red rhododendrons and pearly white magnolias splash colour across the hills in an area ideal for trekking. Today this unique town is home to an array of beautiful Victorian mansions and churches, as well as Buddhist and Hindu temples. The surrounding treks offer fantastic viewpoints and the steep narrow streets are vibrant and bustling.

Ghoom Monastery

The Yiga Choeling Tibetan Monastery of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect, is also called the Ghoom Monastery. It probably came up in 1850 and was built by a Mongolian monk, Lama Sherpa Gyaltsho, whose faith brought him to India in the 1820s. In 1918, the 15-foot clay image of the Maitreya Buddha was unveiled.

Sunrise at Tiger Hill

The summit of Ghoom, Tiger Hill is the highest point at Darjeeling. It's also famous for is magnificent view of the Mt Everest and Mt Kanchenjunga. The first shot of sunlight at dawn shading upon the twin peaks painting the snowclad mountains in pale orange, is something one just can’t miss.

Toy Train Ride

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, fondly called the "Toy Train", is the most attractive activity in Darjeeling for tourists. The Toy Train ride is a marvelous experience that gets you closer to the Himalayas. The Darjeeling Toy Train is one of the most famous narrow (2 feet) gauge trains.

Observatory Hill

The Observatory Hill is one of the most ancient sites in Darjeeling. It is locally known as “Makal-Babu-Ko-Thaan”. Legend has it that a Red Hat Buddhist Monastery named Dorje Ling, or 'place of the Thunderbolt' once stood at this very spot. The Mahakal Temple atop the hill is a highly revered place for the locals.

Best Hotels in Darjeeling

Glenburn Tea Estate

Darjeeling

FIRST CLASS, TEA ESTATE, HERITAGE

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