Best time to visit: March-May or September-November
STD Code: 0354
Population: 107,530 (2001)
Weather: In winter there is a drastic fall in temperature from the summer's 15 to 25 degrees centigrade to 2 to 10 degrees in winter. The rains which start by May end are heavy downpours making living conditions cold and dreary.
About Darjeeling
Darjeeling - a picture perfect hill station sitting atop a ridge at 2134m is replete with Buddhist monasteries, trekking trails and awesome mountain views. People flock here to escape the heat and humidity of the plains and beat the stress of city life.
Darjeeling originally belonged to the independent state of Sikkim. Later in the eighteenth century, it was taken over by the Bhutanese and the Gurkhas. The British East India Company in its many annexes finally gained control of the town and developed its potential as a sanatorium, and a "rest and recreation" centre for the troops and a pass to Nepal and Tibet. Even today, the place is full of Sherpas, Gurkhas, Bhutias and Nepalis. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first, and still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. It was inscribed on the list of World Heritage sites.
Tourist Places
Observatory Hill A few minutes walk from the mall road leads to the observatory hill offering a magnificent view point for the twin peaks of kanchenjunga. the sac ...more
You can easily get around "downtown" Darjeeling by foot. For longer trips, catch one of the numerous share-jeeps which cost just a fraction of what you'd pay for a private taxi.
How to reach
By Air: The nearest airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra about 94-96 kms away from Darjeeling. There are direct flight connections with Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati.
By Rail: The closest Railway Station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) about 88 kms away from Darjeeling. It has direct railway connections with Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati, Varanasi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and other major cities of India.
By Road: Darjeeling is connected to Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and all of its surrounding hills. The major access to Darjeeling is via Siliguri which is connected to all the major cities.
