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Voykit pocket guide · India
Darjeeling
दार्जिलिङ
Give Darjeeling 3 nights: one for Tiger Hill at 4am, one for the tea estate and zoo, one for the Toy Train. Skip if you want flat walking.
Darjeeling is a hill town at 2,000 m in the West Bengal Himalaya, 96 km from Bagdogra airport and a 3-hour climb from Siliguri. The draw is the Kangchenjunga sunrise from Tiger Hill, the UNESCO Toy Train, tea estates and Tibetan-Nepali culture. The town is small and steep; most visitors walk it. Three nights covers the main sights without rushing.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- दार्जिलिङ
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (monsoon, leeches, closed Singalila park); Oct can still be wet — check the forecast; Jan–Feb is cold and foggy
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a Chowrasta café | ₹50–150 |
| Thukpa or momo plate | ₹100–250 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | ₹200–350 / ₹120–200 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ₹300–500 |
| Zoo and HMI entry | ₹100 foreigners, ₹50 SAARC |
| Happy Valley Tea Estate tour | ₹100 |
| Toy Train Joy ride, diesel / steam | ₹1,200 / ₹2,200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IXB · Bagdogra
- 96 km (60 mi) from Darjeeling; 3-hour drive via Siliguri. Flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok and Paro.60 mi (96 km) from Darjeeling; 3-hour drive via Siliguri. Flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok and Paro.
Typical fares
- Siliguri → Darjeeling, shared terrain vehicle
- ₹150–200, about 3 h
- NJP → Darjeeling, taxi
- ₹1,500–3,000, about 3 h
- Tiger Hill shared taxi, return
- about ₹300 per person
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk in the centre: Chowrasta to the zoo is about 25 min on a steep, winding lane. Shared terrain vehicles and taxis run to Ghum, Tiger Hill and the ropeway. No metro or local bus network worth using.
See and do
Known for
- Tiger Hill sunrise over Kangchenjunga
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy Train)
- Darjeeling tea estates
- Tibetan and Nepali culture
- Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kurseong | Shared terrain vehicle or Toy Train from Darjeeling station | 1–1.5 h |
| Mirik | Shared terrain vehicle or taxi, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Siliguri | Shared terrain vehicle or taxi, 3 h | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Chowrasta and the Mall
- Town centre, walkable to most sights, restaurants and shops. Best for a first visit.
- Gandhi Road and Laden La Road
- Main shopping street, 5–10 min walk from Chowrasta. Mid-range hotels and taxis.
- Ghum and Batasia
- 7 km (4.3 mi) south, near the Toy Train loop and monasteries. Quieter, needs a taxi to the centre.4.3 mi (7 km) south, near the Toy Train loop and monasteries. Quieter, needs a taxi to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyabad |
| How much is it? | कति हो?kati ho |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ छ?shauchalay kahan chha |
| Can I pay by card? | कार्डले तिर्न सकिन्छ?card le tirna sakinchha |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Tiger Hill taxis leave at 3–4am and wait to fill up; a solo traveller may miss the sunrise. Book a seat the night before.
- Gorkhaland strikes can close shops and roads for days. Check local news before you travel.
- The Singalila Ridge trail is closed Jul–mid-Sep.
- Steep, uneven lanes and no pavements in places; bring shoes with grip.
- Toy Train seats sell out in peak season; reserve up to a month ahead.
Darjeeling is generally calm for tourists, but Gorkhaland protests have turned violent in the past and can close shops and roads for days — check local news before and during your trip. The everyday risks are the 3-hour mountain road, steep wet lanes and cold, early starts at Tiger Hill.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Darjeeling yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tiger Hill sunrise over Kangchenjunga
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy Train)
- Darjeeling tea estates
- Tibetan and Nepali culture
- Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- West Bengal Tourism — Darjeeling: www.wbtourism.gov.in/
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway: indianrailways.gov.in/
- Wikivoyage: Darjeeling, revision 5296015 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296015
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Darjeelingदार्जिलिङ
यो ठेगानामा जानुहोस्
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All services112
No embassies in Darjeeling; the US, UK and most others have consulates in Kolkata.
Nepali and English are widely spoken; Hindi works in shops.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/darjeeling). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.