Darjeeling, known as the queen of the Himalayas is situated in the Northern Part of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located in the Siwalik Range of the lesser Himalayas and is famous for its tea industry. The city is also famous for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways which is one among the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There are a large number of tourist destinations in Darjeeling making this place a wonderful holidaying experience. Touristplacesinindia.com offers you complete guidance on all that you want to know about Darjeeling. To the east, a dull orange sun emerged painting the sky with brilliant strokes of magenta, gold, orange and fuchsia. The snow capped Everest, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Jannu and other peaks slowly emerge from slumber to start a new day. The sun worshippers gasp at the magnificent sight.

As the fog lifts in the slowly penetrating sun, the town gradually comes alive. Amidst brewing of tea, the sing-song Gorkhali which is the local dialect, rises and falls like music.

There are a large number of Star, Heritage and Budget hotels which provide wonderful accommodation facilities in the city. The most important among them include the Windamere Hotel, Hotel Ivanhoe, Fortune Hotel Central, Himalayan Resort, Sinclairs, Anand Palace, and Bellevue Hotel to name a few.

The city has also a very good transportation network with Bagdogra being the nearest airport and New Jalpaiguri being the nearest railway station. National Highway No. 55 passes through the city connecting Darjeeling with other parts of the Country. Touristplacesinindia.com is an international travel site and a repository of useful information about Darjeeling and on other related information about the city.

Places of tourist importance in Darjeeling
Darjeeling has plenty of tourist spots in and around the city. Some of the most important are listed here.The Japanese peace pagoda depicts the various stages of the Buddha's life.Another attraction is the nation's oldest passenger ropeway which connects North Point to Singla Bazar. A visit to the Tiger Hills before dawn is a must for all Darjeeling visitors who want to see sunrise over the Mt Kanchenjungha. Tiger Hill is 2590 m above sea level and 11 kms from town (45 min).

Two kilometers from Darjeeling is the town of Ghoom which is the highest railway station in the world. It also has a monastery. The Batasia loop (5 kms from Darjeeling) on the Darjeeling Himalayan railway is an engineering marvel and is another attraction even if someone doesn't want to take the slow train ride. The Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute trains mountaineers. It has a small museum as well. Adjacent to it is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

The Dhirdham Temple, built in the style of Katmandu's Pashupatinath temple adds to the varied religious architectural styles of Darjeeling. It is near the railway station. Senchal Lake : A favorite Picnic Spot about 10 k.m. from the town. The lake provides water supply to the Darjeeling town.

Toy Train & Tea Gardens
Although one can reach Darjeeling after-hour drive up a steep and winding road from Siliguri, the most exciting and nostalgic form of transportation is the Toy Train. This ' marvel of engineering' was inaugurated in 1881 and is the world's highest track railway. The miniature steam train huffs, puffs and toots as it wrestles its way up a vertical track of blind curves and loops in nine hours.

Tea gardens blanket the lower slopes. To the world's tea fanciers, Darjeeling is a name synonymous with prized perfection. Introduction in the 1840s, there are now 84 gardens of which Happy Valley and Lopchu are instantly recognisable to the connoisseur for their special fragrance. As the train nears Kurseong, the mid-point of the journey, it parallels the road, which is lined with tiny shop-houses, and tea stalls. Most, leach-infested forests of Oak, Ilex and Magnolia trees, dripping moss and brilliantly hued Orchids, encroach at every turn.

The Trans-Himalayan Backdrop
Ghoom, as the town's name seems to suggest, is gloomy and dank with perpetual fog. At this Tibetan village, which is at an altitude of 2,276 m (7,470 ft), one can hear the foghorn-like sounds of Buddhist monks blowing their giant Gyeling pipes from the rooftops of the nearby Yiga-Choling ' Yellow Hat' Buddhist Temple.

Ghoom is the jumping off point for an excursion to Tiger Hill, which should not be missed if the weather co-operates. For a truly magnificent view of the Himalayas, one must arrive before the sun rises and the clouds roll in. Inky darkness gives way to a gauzy mauve dawn and the peaks are unveiled in all their glory. Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makaly, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Siniolchu and Chomolhari can all be seen with the forbidden peaks of the Tibetan Trans-Himalayan as a backdrop.

Places of Interest in Darjeeling
The Mall:
The Mall is Darjeeling's popular commercial street. It is lined with Tibetans selling hand-knitted sweaters and souvenir shops chock-full of Himalayan artifacts and both real and imitation antiques. Photo shops carry turn-of-the-century photos as well as specialising in hand-painted black and white prints with glowing oil colours. The Mall leads to Chaurasta, a square, which doubles as a bandstand, a pony riding arena for children and a haven for lovers.

Chowrasta:
The Chowrasta, meaning crossroad, is a hive of commercial activity. The Mall Road originates and culminates at the Chowrasta. This is the heart of Victorian Darjeeling. Here hotels, restaurants and shops brush against each other. The shops and stalls are a veritable paradise for souvenir collectors. The Bhutanese sellers display their wares. Woollen garments, tribal ornaments, Thankas, rosaries, brass statuettes and Gorkha daggers are kept on display for sale. Foreign goods are also available in some shops. Local handicrafts are much in demand.

How to reach there
By Air:
The nearest airport to Darjeeling in Bagdogra, 100-km south. ADGHC bus leaves the tourist lodge and club side around 8 am each day to connect with flights; tickets for the bus can be booked at the tourist bureau.

By Rail:
The toy train runs to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri, weather and landslides permitting, but takes an angst-inducing nine hours. Railway reservations for selected mainline trains out of NJP can be made at Darjeeling’s station a couple of days before departure. They have tourist quotas for trains to Delhi, Kolkataa, Bangalore, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram.

By Road:
Buses and minibuses run every thirty minutes or so to Siliguri from the bus stand at the bazaar. Buses leave for Mirik every thirty minutes. Two minibuses run each day run to Gangtok and one minibus leaves every day for Kalimpong. Although it’s possible to buy bus tickets for Kathmandu, tourists still have to change buses at Siliguri.