Early Morning (at 04:00 am) drive to Tiger hill (8,400 ft.) to watch the spectacular sunrise over Mt. Khangchendzongha (28,208 ft. Worlds 3rd highest peak), After breakfast relax for a while and then continue your tour visit to Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop.
PLACES INCLUDE
Tiger Hill: Who doesn't know about the magnificent view of sunrise from Tiger Hill. You will need to wake up by 3:30am and take a vehicle. But the rewards are awesome. You can see the changing colours of thecolossalKanchenjunga snow peaks as the light strikes,it's a place where you can soak yourself with Himalayan beauty. On a clear day you can also get a glimpse of Mount Everest, Mount Makalu and one of the most beautiful peaks of the world, Tibet's ChomolHari. Tiger Hill is 11kms away and at an altitude of more than 8,400ft. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the top where there is a view tower for watching the sunrise. There is an entry fee.
Ghoom Monastery: You will visit one of the oldestBuddhist monasteries of Darjeeling located at a scenic location in Ghoom area. It houses a12-foot tall statue of Mayetriya Buddha which represents the Buddha of the future.This one of the biggest and oldest statues of Buddha in Darjeeling area. This statue was created with clay that was all brought from Tibet. In front of the Buddha's statue there are two huge oil lamps that keep burning all the time and all through the year.no is parked entry fee but donation required for taking photos inside.
Batasia Loop and the War Memorial: Batasia Loop is an engineering marvel located in Ghoom area. This is where the toy train makes a double spiral loop to negotiate a drop of 1000 ft as it moves towards Darjeeling town. Amidst the beautiful garden where the railway track is laid in the form of a loop, there is also a War Memorial. You can walk along the track and complete the loop yourself. I do it every time I am there. Or take the many pathways in the garden and walk around, enjoying the many flowers and the surroundings. It was constructed in honour of the Gurkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of the nation. There is a nominal entry fee. Don't miss the Samosas (fried vegetable pastries) that are sold near the entrance of Batasia Loop in the morning.
Open Timings : - 06:00am - 05:00 pm
Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda: Close to the Darjeeling town and in a scenic setting there is a temple built in a traditional Japanese style. About 100 yards away and in the same complex, there is a large Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Buddha. The view of the mountain range and Darjeeling town from the top of the pagoda is spectacular. No entry fee. Caution: In order to save time, some drivers try to treat these two attractions as separate ones and count 2 instead of one. Don't be deceived or you will miss out on one of the following.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute - Darjeeling Zoo - Natural History Museum CLOSED ON THURSDAY: These are three attractions co-located in the same large compound. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built to honor Tenzing Norgay's triumph to Everest and is dedicated to provide mountaineering and rock climbing lessons to students from all over the world. There is a mountaineering museum as well. The highlights of this museum include the artifacts from various Himalayan expeditions, the Everest section showcasing Tenzing's personal belongings, an eagle found dead at 26,000 feet during the 1960 Everest expedition, a high power telescope that once belonged to Hitler and was used by the Institute etc. Darjeeling Zoo has many high altitude Himalayan animals including Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Panda, yaks etc.
Open Timings : - 08:00am - 05:30pm
Darjeeling Ropeway: You will board the cable car from Singamari located 3km away from the town center. The 45 minutes ride takes you from an altitude of 7,000ft to 800ft with wonderful vista of a valley around Rangeetriver, tea estates and sweeping views of the snow peaks of Himalayan range including Kanchenjunga. Tickets need to be purchased. During the high season, there may be long queues. So try to book in advance.
Open Timings :- Wed-Sat: 09:30am-4:00pm , Tue: 10:00am-4:00pm
:- Sun-Mon: 09:30am-4:30pm
Tea Garden: An old tea estate that exports all its produce to Harrods in London and few other countries. You can see the delicate tea processing in the factory with the help of a guide and buy tea packets from its outlet. You won't get this tea anywhere else in the country. There is no entry fee.
Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center: A center and a factory established by the Tibetan refugees who fled Tibet and took refuge in Darjeeling. They not only live here, but also produce varieties of exquisite handicraft items to make their living. The hand crafted items include jackets, carpets, gloves, aprons, bags, curios, cards, pouches, carved wooden items, Tibetan paintings etc. This is a great place to buy a gift or a souvenir for your friends and relatives. There is no entry fee.
Overnight stay at Darjeeling .