Darjeeling is a town which is situated in West Bengal state and in the Himalayan Foothills. It is also known as the most popular hill station in India. It is a perfect cottage of snowy and mighty Himalayan ranges, valleys, monastery, etc. The untouched beauty of this hill station attract the visitors from across the country to take a break from the busy city life.
So, here is a list of top 10 tourist places to visit in Darjeeling you must check out.
1. Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill is one of the most beautiful and famous Mountain peak in Darjeeling. It is specially known for its mountaineers for trekking routes and for the photographers who can get an panoramic view of Mt. Everest and Kanchenjunga. It is also considered as the hotspots for visitors because it is recommended to witness the first ray of sunlight on Mt. Everest. The best time to visit Tiger Hill is at the month of October to February where visitors can enjoy the foggy environment through out the day. One more interesting fact to know about the Tiger Hill is that it considered as the World Most heritage Site from UNESCO as well as the highest railway station in Darjeeling.
2. Darjeeling Rangit Valley Ropeway
The Rangit Valley Ropeway has came into existence in the year 1968 and after that it has been quite attraction for the tourists. Visitors can enjoy the best view of Darjeeling hill station through its exclusive ropeway. The visitors can also witness the Mountain peaks of Kanchenjunga and Everest which has been covered with the snow. The Ropeway which takes place at an altitude of 7,000 feet and there are 16 cable cars where at least 6 people can travel in one ride and it travel from the North Point in Singmari to the Singla Bazar.
3. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR)
The DHR is one of the most popular places to visit in Darjeeling. This historic railway construction has began in the year 1879. It is a 2 feet narrow gauge train track that covers the distance between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. It is also considered as the popular tourist spot, and this DHR has been recognized as the World Heritage Site from UNESCO in the year 1999. Whenever you visit Darjeeling don’t miss an opportunity to get a ride in the toy train.
4. Rock Garden
One of the most beautiful places to visit in Darjeeling is the Rock Garden. It is an artificial garden whose beauty is recognized by waterfalls, lots of greenery, flora and fauna. The entire place is covered with lush of green tress and vibrant flowers which can be mainly viewed at the time of Summer season. The major attraction of visitors in this rock garden is The Chunar waterfall which is a natural that attracts lots of visitors. The best time to visit this Rock Garden is in the time of Summer Season.
5. Ghum Monastery
This Monastery is situated at a height of 8,000 feet and it is one of the top places to visit in Darjeeling. Ghum Monastery was established in the year 1850 by Buddhist Monk Lama Sherab. It is also known to be as the oldest Tibet monastery of Darjeeling which is also known as Yoga Choeling. Inside the Monastery there is a 12 feet high statue of Maitreya Buddha which stands in the main hall of the Monastery. This place is also attractive because the walls of Monastery are painted with depictions of Buddhism wisdom and Tibetan Art
6. Nightingale Park
It is one of the most visited places to see in Darjeeling. This park is formerly known as The Shrubbery, Nightingale Park which used to serve as a private courtyard of Sir Thomas Tartan’s home. Nightingale Park is situated in the Richmond Hill of Darjeeling. But the main reason that maximum tourists visit this park to get the magnetic and panoramic views of the mighty Kanchenjunga. Many other attractions of the park are there which include a giant statue of Lord Shiva and a musical fountain .
7. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
This institute was established on November 4, 1954 and is situated in the Jawahar Parbat of Darjeeling district. The main aim of building this institute is for encouraging the interest of people in the mountaineering sport. It is also considered as one of the best school for mountaineering training. This institute has came out as an attraction for many of the tourists because the entire institute is surrounded with the splendid peak of Kanchenjunga and with lush of greenery. This institute has trained more than 50,000 students around the world.
8. Batasia Loop
It is situated in Ghoom which is around 5kms from Darjeeling. The main motive of creating this magnetic pathway of the Batasia Loop is that it’s gives a gigantic view of mountain vegetation and the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga. It is actually a beautiful garden with naarow gauge train line for DHR and also it built this War Memorial in the memories of Gorkha Soldiers. The main reason that tourists visit this Batasia loop to get a panoramic view of the rising sun in Tiger Hill.
9. Sandakphu Trek
It is the highest peak in West Bengal which is situated at a height of 11,929 feet in the Singalila Ridge in Darjeeling District and very close to Singalila National park. This trek is 51 km long way up the hill, starting from Manebhanjan. Sandakphu is also popularly known as “Mountain of poisonous Plants” because the huge amount of Himalayan Cobra lilies lie here. The most interesting thing is that it is probably the best trek where you can undertake the region if you are a experienced trekker. Trekkers can also witnessed the beauty of mighty Himalayan mountains from here. This trek is also famous because it has a more than 600 varieties of Orchids.
10. Mahakal Mandir
Mahakal Mandir is situated at the top of the summit of Darjeeling Observatory hill. It is only 20 minutes away from the road. This Mandir is also considered as the hotspot of tourism. There are big black signboards on the pathways that guides the travelers to reach the destination. Whenever you trek through Mahakal Mandir you would come across some beautiful cottages, splendid views of the mountain side and vibrant meadows. This temple is great and popular in every way- whether for the natural beauty of the place or for the spiritual vibes and lovely atmosphere.