Darjeeling Sightseeing : Places to visit in destination Darjeeling

Places to visit in the city Darjeeling

OBSERVATORY HILL - Darjeeling

Strolling up the Mall, past the quaint Tibetan market, you arrive at the Observatory Hill, the popular meeting place for tourists as well as residents. It is a major tourist spot of Darjeeling, not only for its religious importance but also for the picturesque views the place offers. The view of the magnificent Mt. Kanchenjunga and the entire landscape below is a site worth seeing.

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINEERING INSTITUTE - Darjeeling

Located about two kilometres from the marketplace is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which was established after the conquest of the Everest in 1954 by the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The institute has an interesting Everest Museum and also offers some mountaineering and adventure courses. Situated on the Jawahar Parvat, the institute is famous for its unique collection of mountaineering equipment and findings.

GHOOM MONASTERY - Darjeeling

No visit to Darjeeling is complete without a visit to Ghoom, which is six kilometres away from the main town. The hillock is dominated by the famous Yiga Choeling Monastery and a 4.5-metre tall image of the Maitreya Buddha. Ghoom is at an altitude of about 2,407 metres, and offers a pectacular view of the Valley.

TIGER HILL - Darjeeling

A strategic point to watch the spectacular sunrise is Tiger Hill, located at an altitude of 2,590 metres above sea level. It offers a magnificent view of the rising sun over the snow-capped Mt. Kanchenjunga and other great Eastern Himalayan peaks. You can also witness some of the high Himalayan peaks from here on a clear day.

LEBONG RACE COURSE - Darjeeling

The Lebong Race Course, one of the world/’s highest race courses, was laid out in 1885 as a parade ground. Situated at a distance of about 8 km from the main town, the complete lap of the race course is only 480 yards long.

BHUTIA BUSTI - Darjeeling

Situated at the backdrop of the Kanchenjunga near Chowrasta on C.R. Das Road, this colourful monastery is an important attraction of Darjeeling. Originally a branch of the Nygmapa sect/’s Phodang Monastery in Sikkim, it was transferred to Darjeeling in 1879. The shrine was formerly situated on the Observatory Hill. There is an old library of Buddhist texts upstairs

DHIRDHAM TEMPLE - Darjeeling

The Dhirdham Temple is situated near the railway station and is accessible either by a lazy walk or a jeep. The temple is similar in its architecture to the famous Pashupatinath Temple of Kathmandu in Nepal.

TEA GARDENS - Darjeeling

While in Darjeeling get to know some little-known details of the cuppa that cheers by visiting the tea gardens that dot the valley. In fact, the Darjeeling tea has attained for itself a name and a flavour that can neither be matched nor duplicated. There was a time when Darjeeling tea was a brew against which all other brands of tea used to be graded. Even today, connoisseurs fondly refer to it as the /’champagne of teas/’

. Out of over seventy tea gardens in the entire area, the Happy Valley Tea Estate is the nearest one to Darjeeling. Some tour operators provide packages that take you on special /’Tea Garden Tours/’ covering some exotically named gardens