Day Trips & Tours From Darjeeling

If you are seeking out for the hills of Darjeeling a bit away from the tourist populated town center to experience the nature, sprawling tea gardens, waterfalls, river streams, mountains & valleys, forests and villages, then Darjeeling has some great offerings.

There are some wonderful places that you can visit from Darjeeling town on a day trip and return by the end of the day. You will need to book a car from the taxi stand or use one of the Tour Operators. In case you want to save on cost, you will get buses from Chowk Bazaar and shared jeeps from the taxi stands at Chowk Bazaar and Gandhi Road.

Shared jeeps take about 10 persons. Sometimes they stuff in even more. You can however book more than one seats or even a full row if you are looking for comfort. You will need to find out the timings for both forward and return trips in order to complete your day tours in time. You may not find buses to all the destinations.

Darjeeling to Mirik

This is one of the most popular day trips from Darjeeling. Mirik is a small hill town located at an average height of 5000ft. The highlight of this place is the large central lake in a picturesque setting. The lake is popular for boating activities. Children can also go for horse riding.

On the way to Mirik from Darjeeling

On the western bank of the lake, there is a forest area having a 3.5km long walkway. You can plan for a picnic by the lake side. There are ample eateries available as well.

Day Trip to Sandakphu

There was a time when Sandakphu - the crown of Darjeeling hills, was reachable for only handful of people. The backbreaking journey on the treacherous gravel or boulder road from Manebhanjan all the way to Sandakphu deterred most tourists to take such a mission. Only the trekkers and some adventurous tourists were the only ones seen there. But no longer so.

Most part of the road from Manebhanjan (except for the last stretch from Gairibas to Sandakphu) has been converted into a concrete road. The journey from Manebhanjan (on old Land Rovers) now takes only about 2-2.5 hours with a tea break in-between. Earlier it easily took 4.5 hours. From, Darjeeling, Manebhanjan is only 1 hour 15 minutes by a cab. So, the one way journey from Darjeeling to Sandakphu can now be completed within only 3.5 hours.

Kanchenjunga view from Sandakphu

(See the sleeping Buddha, head on the left)

But why visit Sandakphu after all? Where else can you see such a Himalayan range that includes four out of the 5 highest peaks of the world including Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu and even Mt. Everest? The route goes through Singalila National Park which is home to exotic animals like Red Panda, Pangolins, Black Himalayan Bears, Snow Leopards and more. And the flora includes numerous varieties of flowering plantations such as rhododendrons, orchids, magnolia and spruce.

You should start early from Darjeeling. Note that from Manebhanjan, only old British Land Rovers (Jeep type vehicles) are allowed to ply on this route. So, you will need to change over to such a vehicle. The rates are fixed. There is a counter at Manebhanjan to avail a Land Rover. If you want a hassle free trip, then use one of the Darjeeling based tour operators... they can arrange the trip end to end.

Go through The Trip to Sandakphu by a vehicle to get all details including the route, fares etc.

Go through Sandakphu - the crown of Darjeeling to know about what Sandakphu itself offers.

Cinchona & Orchid Tour of Mongpu

Mongpu (also known as Mungpoo) is a quiet mountain village and located about 35kms from Darjeeling town. You will see lovely tea gardens along the way, Cinchona plantations which Mongpu was once well known for, Orchids, flower nurseries and of course lovely view of the hills and valleys. You will also visit Rabindranath Tagore Museum at Mongpu which was the poet's summer residence. You will see his original paintings here, verses and several original household belongings.

On the way to Mongpu - A mountain stream ahead

Day tour of Takdah, Tinchuley and Lamahatta

This is an excellent circuit which covers several mountain villages including Takdah, Tinchuley and Lamahatta. Other than getting stunning views of the mountains, you will visit lovely tea gardens, orchid center, wonderful manicured garden etc.

Rungli Runliot Tea Esate, Takdah

Kalimpong Day Sightseeing

Kalimpong is a district of Bengal and has wonderful sightseeing places. While many tourists plan overnight stays in Kalimpong which has its own charm, a day trip from Darjeeling is also easy and popular. It takes about 2 hours one way. Take a private car from Darjeeling, come up to Jorebunglow and take a left turn into Peshoke road. The road goes all the way up to Teesta, crosses over the bridge and then from the opposite side another road rises up to Kalimpong.

Army Golf Course, Kalimpong

You should selectively visit East and West Kalimpong. Some of the must see places are the picturesque army golf club, Durpin monastery and viewpoint, Cactus & Orchid centers etc in west Kalimpong, and Dr Graham's home, Mangal Dham and Dello Hills GTA tourist complex etc in east Kalimpong. Budget some 7 hours including lunch.

Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

This is a sprawling and one of the best sanctuaries of north Bengal comprising several forest areas. Spreading across 158 sq. km area on varying elevation levels, the sanctuary has Royal Bengal Tigers, Elephants, Himalayan Black Bear, rare mountain goats, porcupines and many other exotic animal life.

Dirt trail through Mahananda WLS

The sanctuary is home to many resident and migratory birds. There are regular morning and afternoon safaris that operate from the Sukna gate of the sanctuary. It's about 2 & 1/2 hours drive from Darjeeling town center.

Namchi - Full day tour

You can plan a wonderful full day trip to Namchi of south-Sikkim from Darjeeling. It takes about 2 & half hours one way. Along the way you can see the tourist spot Jamuni by river Rangeet and then go past Jorthang to reach Namchi which is known as the hub of culture and religious tourism in Sikkim. Some of the highlights of the day trip include Char Dham which is a huge temple complex on Solophok hill with a giant statue of Shiva along with replica of the four famous dhams of India and twelve Jyotirlingas, Shirdi Shai Baba Temple, Namchi Rock Gardens, great monasteries, Helipad etc.

Char Dham complex, Namchi

Jorpokhri

Jorpokhri is a wonderful tiny village on a hill top that offers natural water tank, forest area which is part of a nature reserve and wonderful views of Kanchenjunga. Not many tourists know about this tiny gem. It's only about 19kms from Darjeeling town. The route is via ghoom and Sukhia Pokhri. You can either take a private taxi to complete the day trip.

Jorpokhri Lake & Lodge

Bijanbari Day Trip

Bijanbari is a small town in a picturesque valley located some 30kms away from Darjeeling town. If you are looking for a wonderful scenic drive that leads to a sleepy town, walk around to experience the simple life that people live there, spend some leisure time by the side of the river Little Rangeet that flows through a bed of boulders, and take a short light trek to scenic spots, Bijanbari can be a mind blowing experience. The scenic winding road from Ghoom drops by over 4000 feet in a stretch of 22kms passing through lovely tea gardens, waterfalls and valley area.

Triveni - Confluence of Rivers Teesta and Rangeet

You must see it to believe it. I have seen several river confluences, but this one is special. It forms a torrent at the meeting point and a white sandy delta. You can either go down to Triveni (which can be approached via Melli) or see the confluence from Peshoke View Point (also known as Lovers' Meet Viewpoint). The round trip from Darjeeling takes about 3-4 hours.

Triveni from Peshoke View Point

Jamuni Tourist Complex

This is a newly developed tourism complex which is located about 15kms from Darjeeling town at a lower altitude level. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the place from Chouk Bazaar area of Darjeeling lower town. With the river Rangeet flowing through the valley, surrounding mountains and forests, lovely children's park, a round lake with boating facility, manicured gardens and paved pathways, Jamuni is an attractive and scenic place to spend a day with your family or to join a picnic.

Jamuni, River Rangeet and the central round lake

There is also a hotel here (privately leased out) and four river-side cottages that are run by GTA (Gorkha Territorial Administration).

The Chrysanthemum Tour

Chrysanthemums are colorful flowering plants. So the tour is through the places in Darjeeling where such flowers bloom in abundance. You will take the road via Ghoom for Sukhiapokhri (or Sukhia in short). There are several tea gardens and villages here. Within 2 kms from Sukhia you will reach Jorpokhri which is so named because of two natural lakes (jor means two and pokhri stands for lake). This is the abode of Salamanders, small lizard like amphibians that were once considered to be extinct. Jorpokhri offers sweeping views of Darjeeling on one side and majestic Kanchenjunga on the other. A great place to spend an hour or so during a day tour.

Passing through Sukhiapokhri Market Area

You will then drive towards Maneybhanjang, a little border town between India and Nepal. It's famous for the Friday haat (country market). This is the place from where all the fascinating treks to Sandakphu and Singalila region take place. You will see the steep uphill route that the trekkers take.

Next you will visit Pokhriabong - a small village in Sukhia block, and Nagri Farm - now a sprawling tea estate on Rongbong valley owned by the Chamong group. Nagri Farm tea estate lies between an elevation of 2500 to 6400 ft on mountain slopes. You get breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys at various scenic spots. You will pass through some of the best tea gardens of Darjeeling.

Both Pokhriabong and Nagri Farm offer wonderful flower nurseries, centuries old monasteries and great picnic areas like Tiffin Dara and Sangary Tar. By the way the name Nagri Farm originated when a British man Mr. Greenhill had set up a dairy farm here in mid-1800s, named it Nagri Farm, but later converted it into a tea estate, but the original name still remains.

You can take the tour by booking a private cab from a taxi stand in Darjeeling or booking car through an operator.

1) Darjeeling Tour Operators

2) Visit Darjeeling Tours & Sightseeing for many other great tours and rides in Darjeeling.

Visitors' Reviews/Comments

Goutam Guha Mazumder (February 2021)

Dear Raj, It's nice to read your page on Darjeeling and Sikkim. You have suggested to take at least one night halt while visiting Sandakhphu for better enjoyment and acclimatization. I will be visiting Darjeeling during mid March'21 and wish to take a day trip to Sandakhphu from Darjeeling. Can it be possible? Your suggestion in this regard.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2021

Hello, it's possible and many are making day trips from Darjeeling to Sandakphu these days. Most part of the boulder road between Manebhanjan and Sandakphu (except the last section) has been converted into a concrete road paving way to such day trips which was not possible earlier. Plan to halt for at least 30-40 minutes at Tumling.

Arka Bose (January 2021)

Hi Raj, Many thanks for preparing this informational website. Since, I am planning to visit Darjeeling in the month of March, a question from my end regarding day trips from Darjeeling. Since, as a destination Sittong/ Ahaldara/ Latpanchar area is quite happening due to natural beauty and views of Mt Kanchenjunga, is it possible to make a day trip from Darjeeling to Sittong, Ahaldara and Latpanchar using a reserved car. Thanks in advance for your answer.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2021

Hi, although it is possible to visit the places in a day, it is not quite practical to make a day trip covering all three. Latpanchar being part of Mahananda WLS, you will likely spend some time to explore the forests and its flora & fauna. On the way back you can visit the Ahaldara top (it's a viewpoint with a few cottages).

If you start early in the morning, you can also visit Sittong on your return and see a few orange orchards and perhaps the Sittong church and monastery before proceeding to Darjeeling. From Darjeeling, you should take the route through Dilaram (near Kurseong) and Bagora to get to these places. You will need a sturdy vehicle due to the road conditions (particularly to approach Sittong). A diversion to the left along a narrow road about 9kms before Latpanchar leads to Sittong village.

Shivam (December 2020)

Hey Raj, this is Shivam from Delhi, am an advocate at Supreme Court of India. I know and as you said it's quite embarrassing to ask you to make me an itinerary but my question is can I make it from Darjeeling to Sandakphu in one day or from Darjeeling to Jhandi Dhara in a day like if I leave at 8-9 am, can I come back by 7 pm.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2020

Hi, yes, you can make a day trip from Darjeeling to Sandakphu or Jhandi Dara (Lolegaon)... start by 8am. For Jhandi Dara, vehicles can go up to a point (the last stretch is extremely bad... you ideally need a large vehicle with good ground clearance) and then you need to hike up along a boulder road to get to the viewpoint... it's actually a sunrise point and not very well maintained.

Arnab (December 2020)

Hi Sir. I want to to visit Lamhatta , Takdah and Tinchuley for sightseeing from Darjeeling . Due to packed schedule, I need to move to Kalimpong the very same day. Is it possible to cover all these places while moving from Darjeeling to Kalimpong ? If yes , then what will be the expected car fare for that ? From where can I book the car ? And also how much time do you think it will take for this whole journey ?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2020

Yes, it is possible, but you need to be selective about the attractions you want to visit. You won't get time to see everything everywhere. From Lamahatta, the Peshok road goes down towards Teesta bazaar area and then you can follow the route to Kalimpong. The time it will take will depend on how much time you will spend at each place and what you want to see. You should plan for a full day. Car fare can also vary accordingly.... a rough budget would be about Rs. 4,500 for a small car. You can take a taxi from a taxi stand but should arrange the tour in advance. A better option is to use a reputed tour operator, but that will be costlier.

Nilabja Chakraborty (September 2020)

Hello Raj. It was simply outstanding to visit your website and go through it. I bet no other site is as informative as yours. It would be very kind of you if you could provide me with details (Cab Fare, Sightseeing Points, etc.) regarding a Day Trip to Tinchuley and Lamahatta from Darjeeling. Thank You!

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) September 2020

Hello, this is not a standard or regular day trip and you need to work out the plan with the tour or taxi operator. The fare will depend on the sightseeing points you want to cover and total hours you spend. As a gross estimate for a day trip on a small car taking 7-8 hours for the entire round trip and covering Tinchuey and Lamahatta, it would be around Rs. 2,700 - 3,000.

In Tinchuley you will probably like to visit the Tinchuley Monastery (or Gumba), Peshok Tea Garden (there is also a Peshok Tea Garden viewpoint here along the way). In Lamahatta, other than the Eco Park, you can go down to Lovers Meet View Point to see the confluence of river Teesta with river Rangeet (known as Triveni) in a spectacular setting. This viewpoint is about 10kms from Lamahatta towards Teesta Bazaar.

There are several other sightseeing points in both these places. I suggest you go through the links on Tinchuley tour and Lamahatta tour to know more about the attractions there, and you can accordingly plan the day trip... do not try to cover too many points, you will likely run out of time.

Paromita (February 2020)

Hi Sir, I am loving your site as much as I love planning for short trips! I want to plan for a day trip to Pashupati market through Lepcha Jagat and Manebhanjan (not very hectic as my 6 yrs old daughter has motion sickness). How is the road condition? Is it too curvy or moderate up and down? I am a bit concerned as I have to plan accordingly. Thanks in advance.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2020

Hi, if you are planning the day trip from Darjeeling, I suggest you drop Manebhanjan because there is nothing much to see & do there... it's a small and quite congested village, plus you need to go in a different direction. Pashupati Market via Lepcha Jagat is okay... the road has sharp bends at several places, so you need to take care of that.

Krishna Kumar (May 2018)

Can a jeep safari from Darjeeling - Singalila National Park and Sandakphu done in a day ? If yes can you please share any recommended operators.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) May 2018

No it can not be done in a day. Darjeeling to Manebhanjan takes over an hour by car, then you need to change the vehicle (will take a while here). Manebhanjan to Sandakphu takes about 4.5 hours one-way with a small break in between. So it's impractical to plan a day trip to Sandakphu from Manebhanjan.

Atreyi Guha (April 2018)

Hi, Can you give a rough idea of the rate for the Day tour of Takdah, Tinchuley and Lamahatta in the month of April?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2018

Hi, a small reserved cab fare would be around Rs. 3,000 - 3,500 during high season for a full day trip, i.e. 9am to 5pm (April-end would fall into high season). If you go through a Tour Operator, the cost could be higher.

Sangu (March 2018)

Hi Raj, Nice Article this. I just had one question though; How feasible is planning one day visit to Lepchajagat from Darjeeling?, that is, staying night back in Darjeeling after a full day visit in Lepchajagat. I mean, Are there taxis available from Lepchajagat to Darjeeling and if yes then till when should we cover all to not miss the last one?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) March 2018

Hi, Lepchajagat is about 19kms from Darjeeling via Ghum and will take about 45-50 minutes by taxi. So you can easily make a day trip to Lepchajagat from Darjeeling. You will usually find passing shared-taxis at Lepchajagat to get back to Ghum (some return all the way to Darjeeling). From Ghum you can get a shared or private taxi to Darjeeling. Taxis ply on this route until around 5pm (however after 4pm the frequency reduces).

Munmun Dey (October 2017)

I am attending a course in NBU. I have a Sunday off. Can I travel to darjeeling and back the same day? If not , I can spend 1 night in Darjeeling but have to be back by 10am at the university on Monday. What options are available early morning for returning from Darjeeling?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) October 2017

Yes you can make a day trip to Darjeeling. Start early and preferably take a private taxi. You can also take a shared jeep from Siliguri.

Anusha (February 2017)

Hi Raj, I am planning to come in Oct 1st week 2017, pls confirm if we can cover Tsomgo lake & Nathula pass in oneday starting from darjeeling and return back to NJP/Darjeeling. Thanks in advance for taking out your time to respond.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) February 2017

Hi, if you start very early in the morning (around 5am) and arrange it through a Sikkim tour operator, it is possible. A vehicle from Darjeeling can not go beyond Gangtok. If you visit Nathula, by the time you get back to Darjeeling/NJP, it may be late in the evening. Such day trip is not recommended.

Imteyaz (October 2016)

Dear Raj, First of all, thank you for such a splendid and informative site. It is really helpful for tourists to plan their trip. Actually, I am planning to visit Darjeeling on a short trip with my family in first week of December and wanted to get your expert opinion regarding the selection of day trips. I wanted to know which one amongst the day trip to 'West Kalimpong', 'Mirik Lake' and 'Takdah, Tinchulley and Lamhatta' is best to take. I can choose only 2 day trips. Please suggest.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) October 2016

You can choose any two. Mirik will give you a different flavor of great tea gardens along the way and the lake. You can also cover Jorpokhri (another beautiful mountain lake) on the way to Mirik.

Tanmoy Paul (August 2016)

Is Lepchajagat suitable for day around trip from darjeeling?How much the taxi fare for this trip?

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) August 2016

Lepchajagat is close to Darjeeling, will take about 45 minutes one way. But it's not suitable for day trip as there are hardly any public facilities and nothing much to see in a short day trip other than being in a forested area. A rough return fare by reserved taxi would be around Rs. 1500. Better to take a shared Jeep/taxi via Ghum.

Indira Roy (December 2015)

Hi Raj, Would like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt gratitude for providing us with such an informative travel portal on Darjeeling. I happen to frequently visit Darjeeling because the place simply fascinates me. This time we are planning our trip to Darjeeling from 24th December to 28th December with friends and family. It would really help us if you can suggest a couple of places which could be covered as a day trip from Darjeeling. Also would you suggest a trip to Sandakphu (overnight stay) during this time, keeping into consideration that we will be having children and elderly people travelling with us. Eagerly waiting for your valuable suggestion. Thanks.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) December 2015

Hi, for day trips you can consider 1) Takdah (Orchid Center, Rungli Rungliot tea garden), Tinchuley, Peshoke Tea garden and Lamahatta... this is a full circuit. Start early. 2) Namchi in South Sikkim. You can read articles in my site. Skip Sandakphu... will be too cold and tiring for seniors and kids.

Harbinder S Braich (November 2015)

Re-visiting Darjeeling after almost 3 decades. Born and raised in Siliguri and went to North Point in the 80's. I would love to know if the tea estates offer a day trip where you can learn all the process that goes into making tea. while I know most of the process, I have a girl friend who I would love to show. Love Darjeeling !!! Thank you so much for answering everyone's questions. Thank you so much in advance.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) November 2015

You can visit the factory of Happy Valley tea estate in Darjeeling (during tea plucking season). The local workers offer guided tour of the factory and explain the different stages of tea processing.

Poushali Saha (April 2015)

Hi, 1st of all amazing content put together and so resourceful, very inspiring indeed. I am visiting Darjeeling towards the end of april and would like to know places that i can visit like a day trip. Will Gangtok be a feasible option? Also wanted to know if the divers of the private car that i may hire are safe enough. we are a group of girls. Thanks so much and once again amazing work. best wishes

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2015

Hi, Gangtok is not suitable for day trip from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Mirik are. While private taxis from the stand are usually okay, day time drinking among the drivers is not rare either. I would suggest you take a car and a driver from a well known local operator like Ashmita. They offer discounts on Darjeeling Tourism Card as well.

Uttam Tekriwal (October 2014)

Is it possible or worth for a day trip to Singalila National Park. If not, can you suggest any off-beat day trip from Darjeeling.

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) October 2014

Something worth for me may not be worth for you. Singalila Day Trip from Darjeeling may not be doable unless you start very early in the morning. It'll take about 3.5 hours one way. You can however alternatively make a day trip to Takdah (visit Rungli Rungliot tea estate, Orchid Center), Tinchuley (view of Teesta, Peshoke Tea Gargen ... take the new road through Peshoke tea estate) and Lamahatta (roadside manicured garden on hill slope with pine forest).

Saurav Ganguli (May 2013)

First of all I would like to thank you for sharing and guiding us through your valuable information. I will visit Darjeeling with my father (64 yrs) and mother (58 yrs) on 20th June and will return on 23rd.

I am planning sightseeing on 20th and 21st in Darjeeling and 22nd I was thinking of visiting Gangtok. Is it possible to visit Gangtok and return on the same day? If I want to start a bit early then by what time can I avail a shared jeep? which are the places to visit there? Or if I only opt to visit the tsango Lake! will it be feasible? If there is any possibility then what will be the approximate fare in a shared jeep. will it be too tiring as the lake is quite distant from Gangtok ?

Is there any shared jeep available to Jorpokhri? what will be the fare or else what a private cab will charge for a to n fro journey? I want to utilize all the 3 days there hence quite confused what to do .. your suggestion will be valuable to me. I have already seen Mirik so doesn't want to go there.

Awaiting your reply. Have a nice day ahead. Thanks and Regards

Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) May 2013

From Darjeeling drive to Gangtok takes about 4 hours. So a day trip is not possible. You won't be able to see anything there plus it'll be a long tiring journey back to Darjeeling. Tsango lake is another 3 hours from Gangtok. I have described several places under day trips (in Sightseeing Tours menu option) and also under offbeat stays. Choose one from there. You can only solve your own confusion because only you know what you like and what you don't.

Saurav Ganguli (May 2013)

Thank You so much sir !! Your Website has helped me a lot regarding taking decisions and hence I have planned to enjoy all the 3 days in Darjeeling itself. since I have shortage of time that's why I will plan a separate trip to Gangtok next time. :) I will be booking a deluxe triple bedded room in Hotel Fairmont. Your reviews are excellent and extremely informative. Thanks a lot for guiding me. :) Warm Regards

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