Nesting in grandeur and beauty of towering snow crapped mountains with Indra's adobe, mighty Kanchenjungha, the king of the mountains, dominating the sombre, snowy sentinels, plus a jewel of a town, elegant, sophisticated, and incredibly beautiful; the name of Tibetans origin, means where Indra's thunderbolt or scepter rested, (Dorji - thunderbolt, Ling - Place); In Sanskrit, the name derived from the word 'Durjay Ling' means' Siva of invincible powers, who rules the Himalayas'. The town, itself, laid out by Lord Napier of Royal Engineers, is at an altitude of 2,134m (7,000 ft.), moving up the hills, one is greeted by smiling tea   gardens, changing  to firs,  pines  and fast
moving torrents, while around about 4,000 types of flowering plants and 300 varieties of ferns, including the rare tree fern. Darjeeling the dream land of the East, it has been a popular hill station since the British period. Darjeeling is surrounded by lofty mountains. Except for the monsoon months and if weather is clear then the Kanchenjunga peak can be seen. Down below in the valley flow the rivers swollen by rain water or melting snow. Darjeeling is a fascinating tourism place rich in natural beauty and surrounded by the Buddhist monasteries. Its beauty surpasses any other hill station of India. Darjeeling has some of the lovely tea plantations (estates) in the country. One can travel these plantations and watch tea being processed. Darjeeling is a place where one feels as if being in the lap of mother nature.Due to the vast and abundance of natural splendour Darjeeling is called queens of hills. Darjeeling is also a trekkers paradise and the Gorkha hill council has provided ample trekking facilities for the adventure loving people. The Darjeeling toy train coming from Siliguri is some thing which is liked by the elders and the children equally. The real fun in coming to Darjeeling is on the toy train. Darjeeling toy train takes six to seven hours to cover a distance of 82 kms and the slow speed gives you enough time to watch and appreciate the beauty which nature has provided it. This toy train passes through the Forests, waterfalls, over deep valleys and through the mountains and tunnels. Darjeeling town (elevation 2,134 m) is located on a spur with houses hugging the hillside. Bounded on the north by Sikkim, it is flanked by Bhutan on the east and Nepal on the west. Standing on a narrow ridge jutting out in a vast basin in the heart of the Himalayas, and enclosed by mountains, the view is more open to the to the north and north-east as where the eye traverses range after ascending range of hills behind the cultivated slopes of closer hills till the rising waves mingle with the distant snowy girdle of rugged peaks. Obscure in the early dawn, the peak begin to inch towards pinkness, then slowly, mauve, orange, till the sun pierces the horizon, they finally burst aflame. Places to visit: Chowrasta, a wide promenade atop a ridge lined with shops and restaurants; Mall Road, starting and splendid views; Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park which has the Siberian tiger, Himalayan black bear, red panda, snow leopard and many other animal and bird species, and the nearby snow leopard breeding centre Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, a training centre for mountaineers which also houses the Everest museum; Natural History Museum, with its fine display of Himalayan wildlife. Observatory Hill which has Hindu and Buddhist shrine Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre, a major center for the production of Tibetan carpets, woodwork and leather goods Thupten Sangag Choling (Dali) and Yiga - Choling(Ghoom) - the Buddhist monasteries of Bhutan Busty Batasia Loop, a marvelous feat of railway engineering Tiger Hill for its renowned sunrise view over Kanchenjunga and the eastern Himalayan. Japanese Peace Pagoda, established by the Japanese Buddhist order, Nipponzan Myohoji; Lloy's Botanical Garden which has a varied collection of Himalayan flora.   Visitors can also stake a ride in the Darjeeling - Rangit valley passenger cable car or hop on the toy train which wheezes and winds all the way from Siliguri to Darjeeling town via Kurseong.

ACCESS
By Flight : Darjeeling town is 90 km from Bagdogra, the nearest Indian airport, where scheduled flights operate from New Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati. You can also fly from Kathmandu and take the one-hour flight to Bhadrapur (the nearest Nepalese airport to Darjeeling ). From Bhadrapur a 34 km drive will take you to Kakarbhitta (Nepal - India border, ) and then after covering 36 km you will reach Siliguri, the gateway city to the tourist destinations of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan.

By Road : From Siliguri buses and taxis leave for Darjeeling ( 2 hours 30 minutes) which is at a distance of 77 km. Darjeeling is also connected by road with Sikkim (120 km) and Bhutan (about 200 km).

By Rail : The nearest railheads are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri (88 km) which are connected to Calcutta, New Delhi, Guwahati and other major Indian cities. From Siliguri you can take the famous toy train (8 hours) to Darjeeling.

BEST SEASON TO VISIT
march-may and September November are the best times to visit. Bring light woolen clothing during summer (maximum temperature 16 degrees Celsius) and heavy woolens in winter (minimum 1.6 degrees)

ADVENTURE SPORTS
Trekking, white water rafting, Kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking and rock climbing.

ACCOMMODATION
There are modern hotels and restaurants in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and comfortable lodges in Kurseong and Mirik.

TRANSPORT
is provided by buses. Vehicles are also available on hire.Darjeeling is a hill top town overlooking hills and valleys below.

PERMITS
Foreigners visiting Darjeeling must possess and Indian visa. No permits is required for those coming to Darjeeling by air through Bagdogra airport, and proposing to stay in Darjeeling town for not more than 15 days. However, they need to repot to the Foreigners Registration Office at Bagdogra airport on arrival and at the time of departure and get their passports endorsed.
Those travelling by rail or road are required to obtain Restricted Area Permit before entering Darjeeling . To visit Kalimpong, this permit has to be endorsed at the Foreigners Registration Office in Darjeeling or, alternatively, at the office which issued it.
No permits is required for trekking trip to Sandakphu and Phalut provided trekkers inform the Foreigners Registration Office in Darjeeling at least 24 hours in advance and also report on arrival at Sandakphu and Phalut checkposts.