Top 13 Best Places to Visit in Darjeeling

For me and as per my experience in Darjeeling, every place I visited was one of the best places to visit in Darjeeling. I will let you through all those sites and places which will remain in your memory forever. There might be an enormous list of the best places in Darjeeling but we stand out because here you will read based on real experience.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling is also called the “Queen of Hills”. When I went on my first trip to Darjeeling, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I can bet that this queen will steal your heart. One thing I can declare for sure is that no matter how many images or videos you will see in any quality, it won’t be even 1% of what it actually is.

So without further discussions let’s start listing the best places to visit in Darjeeling.

Top 13 places to visit in Darjeeling

1. Kangchenjanga View Point

This is the heart of Darjeeling and the main reason for any tourist to visit Darjeeling. The sunrise from this viewpoint is heavenly. From this viewpoint, you will get to see the sun rising from the mountains. The view of the third-highest mountain peak is no less than heaven at the time of sunrise. As the Sun goes high in the sky the colour grading of mountains is just amazing. You must have seen colour-grading videos on the internet. Experience this colour grading by nature which is at another level.

Watch this video instead to know how can you complete 3 Days Darjeeling trip for just Rs 4000 only in 5 minutes.

2. Batasia Loop

If you would ask for a place in Darjeeling which is best for exploring the art and culture of the city and also has natural beauty included is Batasia Loop. Here you can try local dresses only at a minimal cost of 50₹ that too for as long as you want and just return and pay when you are leaving the place. The clouds indulging with mountains give a picturesque view from Batasia Loop which makes it one of the best places to visit in Darjeeling. In the centre of the Batasio loop, there is a war memorial and a statue of a Gorkha Soldier. This place is best for clicking pictures and enjoying the vibe of the place.

3. Rock Garden

This garden is different from any garden you could have seen. The reason we call it Rock Garden is because it is built by cutting rocks near a waterfall. It makes the waterfall more attractive and eye-catching. There are passages built around the waterfall which are outstanding and make it very easy to explore the waterfall and the place itself.

4. Tiger Hill

It is around 21 km from the Darjeeling railway station and the Chauk bazaar. Tiger Hill is a hilly area in Darjeeling developed as a viewpoint from where the world’s third-highest mountain peak, the Kangchenjanga, is visible. Even Mount Everest is visible from tiger hill but it looks smaller compared to the Kangchenjanga as it is several miles more distant. It is a must-visit site in Darjeeling and there is no wonder if it is in the top 5 best places to visit in Darjeeling.

5. Dali Monastery or the Druk ngagsang choling Monastery

This is one of the best Monasteries in Darjeeling and a must-visit place for any tourist. It comes with a complete package for a visitor. It is a monastery and hence you will get to see a temple of Lord Buddha which is very magnificent.

A museum as well demonstrates many things and objectives related to Buddhism. The view from the top is beautiful making it picturesque. There is a lovely lord Buddha statue beside the temple as well. You can watch this video to see how beautiful it is.

6. Kurseong

Kurseong is another hill station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is popularly famous for its waterfalls, viewpoints, tea gardens, monasteries and natural attractions. Kurseong is merely 30 km from Darjeeling and is easily accessible. You can easily get a cab or bus from Chauk Bazaar in Darjeeling.

7. Happy Valley Tea Estate

This is on the Lebong Cart road and not more than 1km from the main road. This place is basically a tea garden but it is so huge that it is called a tea estate and gives you a magnificent view of the tea garden and the clouds and the mountains. Here one can also have a tour of the tea gardens and click awesome pictures and shoot videos.

8. Lloyd botanical garden

This botanical garden is a major attraction for plant lovers and researchers or students of botany. It has a collection of rare and beautiful plants of different kinds which can be a treasure for students or researchers. Even general tourists love to explore the beautiful atmosphere of the garden.

9. Peace Pagoda

It is a symbolization of peace and a Buddhist Stupa in Darjeeling. Similar to this there are Buddhist stupas in Japanese cities including Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the atomic bomb took the lives of millions of people.

10. Darjeeling Zoo

Or the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is recognized as one of the best zoos in the country. If you are someone who is attached to wildlife photography, loves animal behaviours and likes to spend time watching wildlife with a close eye. Then this Darjeeling Zoo is definitely one of the best places to visit for you.

11. Japanese Temple

This Japanese Temple is 10-12 mins driving distance from the centre of the city. It is built in the traditional Japanese style of architecture. It is just next to the Peace Pagoda and a beautiful temple in Darjeeling.

12. Mahakal Dham

Mahakal Dham is within walking distance from Mall Road and is a very beautiful and vibrant temple. It is a must visit temple in Darjeeling. The atmosphere at this temple is very alive. There is also a cave-like structure beneath this temple. Many people don’t know about it. When you enter the temple premises on the left side the first stairs going down is the way to that cave. It is a very beautiful cave but be safe as it is often slippery and very congested.

13. Tara Mata Mandir/Rajeshwari Temple

This temple is situated on the way to Chauk Bazaar from Dali Monastery. This temple is only open on Thursdays. It is a very beautiful temple and a very alive atmosphere can be felt at this temple.

14. Sangten Choling Monastery

This monastery is within walking distance from the Batasia loop on Hill Cart Road. You may also take a shared taxi for it. It is a beautiful Monastery in Darjeeling.

These places are not very far from the centre of the city and are easily accessible by cabs and bikes. One can explore the places by sharing a taxi, hiring a cab or renting a bike.