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Major city · India

Darjeelingदार्जिलिङ

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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
INR
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
Airport
IXB
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6
  • South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
  • South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
  • India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
  • India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
  • India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
  • India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Darjeeling, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea at a Chowrasta café₹50–150 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a shop₹200–350 (≈ US$3–4)₹120–200 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxiShared terrain vehicles are cheaper per seat.₹300–500 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Museum or sight ticketZoo and HMI entry₹100 (≈ US$2) foreigners, ₹50 (≈ under US$1) SAARC
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person₹500 (≈ US$6)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room₹3,000 (≈ US$35)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room₹8,000 (≈ US$95)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₹1,500 (≈ US$18) · Mid ₹3,000 (≈ US$35) · High ₹6,000 (≈ US$70)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Tiger Hill sunrise over KangchenjungaDarjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy Train)Darjeeling tea estatesTibetan and Nepali culturePadmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Airports
IXB Bagdogra (96 km from Darjeeling; 3-hour drive via Siliguri. Flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok and Paro.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Darjeeling: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

11°C

2°C

3 rd

Feb

12°C

3°C

3 rd

Mar

16°C

6°C

5 rd

Apr

19°C

9°C

8 rd

May

19°C

11°C

13 rd

Jun

20°C

13°C

18 rd

Jul

20°C

13°C

22 rd

Aug

20°C

14°C

20 rd

Sep

20°C

13°C

16 rd

Oct

19°C

10°C

6 rd

Nov

17°C

6°C

3 rd

Dec

14°C

4°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Kurseong

go

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Shared terrain vehicle or Toy Train from Darjeeling station

Tea town on the way down; the daily school train runs here.

Mirik

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Shared terrain vehicle or taxi, about 1.5 h

Lake and orange orchards; a half-day at most.

Siliguri

skip

Door to door: About 3 h

Shared terrain vehicle or taxi, 3 h

Transport hub only; no reason to day-trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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 south, near the Toy Train loop and monasteries. Quieter, needs a taxi to the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₹1,500–2,500 (≈ US$18–30) excl. bed
Mid
₹2,500–5,000 (≈ US$30–60) excl. bed
High
₹5,000 (≈ US$60)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 3 nights × ₹3,000₹9,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × ₹3,000₹18,000
Shared terrain vehicle Siliguri → Darjeeling, one way2 × ₹200₹400
Tiger Hill shared taxi, return2 × ₹300₹600
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₹800₹1,600
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₹2,960
Trip total≈ ₹5,430 per person per day, bed included₹32,560≈ US$400

2026 estimate in rupees; flights and the Toy Train excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea at a Chowrasta café₹50–150 (≈ US$1–2)
Thukpa or momo plate₹100–250 (≈ US$2–3)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop₹200–350 (≈ US$3–4) / ₹120–200 (≈ US$2–3)
5 km taxiShared terrain vehicles are cheaper per seat.₹300–500 (≈ US$4–6)
Zoo and HMI entry₹100 (≈ US$2) foreigners, ₹50 (≈ under US$1) SAARC
Happy Valley Tea Estate tour₹100 (≈ US$2)
Toy Train Joy ride, diesel / steam₹1,200 (≈ US$14) / ₹2,200 (≈ US$25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

All services
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Darjeelingदार्जिलिङ

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

यो ठेगानामा जानुहोस्To this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112

Embassy

No embassies in Darjeeling; the US, UK and most others have consulates in Kolkata.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Siliguri → Darjeeling, shared terrain vehicle: ₹150–200 (≈ US$2–3), about 3 h
  • NJP → Darjeeling, taxi: ₹1,500–3,000 (≈ US$18–35), about 3 h
  • Tiger Hill shared taxi, return: about ₹300 (≈ US$4) per person

Say or show

  • नमस्ते — Hello / Namaste (namaste)
  • धन्यवाद — Thank you (dhanyabad)
  • कति हो? — How much is it? (kati ho)
  • शौचालय कहाँ छ? — Where is the toilet? (shauchalay kahan chha)
  • कार्डले तिर्न सकिन्छ? — Can I pay by card? (card le tirna sakinchha)

Nepali and English are widely spoken; Hindi works in shops.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Darjeeling. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. 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 · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for IXB: last shared terrain vehicle times, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Chowrasta and the Mall, Gandhi Road, the zoo and HMI, Ghum and Batasia.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Tiger Hill, zoo, Happy Valley Tea Estate, Peace Pagoda) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Strike and monsoon fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to India

Sources