West Bengal
If you like tea, you should visit this celebrated organic and biodynamic Darjeeling tea estate. Walk-in visits to the processing factory, with huge…
Must-see attractions in West Bengal
Darjeeling
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known affectionately as the toy train, made its first journey along its precipice-topping, 2ft-wide tracks in 1881 and…
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Darjeeling
Singalila National Park covers the Indian side of the scenic Singalila Ridge, the Darjeeling region's finest trekking area, along the India–Nepal border…
Darjeeling
To watch the dawn light break over a spectacular 250km stretch of Himalayan horizon, including Everest (8848m), Khangchendzonga (8598m) and two more of…
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Darjeeling
The hill rising above Chowrasta is home to several much-visited temples, approached through a flurry of colourful prayer flags and hanging bells. The main…
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Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Darjeeling
Within the zoo precinct, the prestigious HMI was founded in 1954 and has provided training for some of India’s leading mountaineers. Its fascinating…
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Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre
Darjeeling
Established in 1959, this refugee centre includes a Tibetan Buddhist temple, workshops producing carpets, woodcarvings, wool and woollen items, plus a…
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Darjeeling
This 1854 estate on the northwest edge of town is a good place to learn about tea, especially when plucking and processing are in progress (March to…
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West Bengal
The 2585-sq-km Sundarbans Tiger Reserve has 100-plus Royal Bengal tigers lurking in its impenetrable mangrove forests and sometimes swimming its delta…
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West Bengal
Literally meaning 'house of 1000 doors', the Hazarduari was built in very English Neoclassical style for Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah in 1829–37. Not all of…
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West Bengal
The chief reminder of the Portuguese presence on the Hooghly River is the Bandel Basilica, Bengal's oldest and perhaps most loved church, built in 1599…
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Darjeeling
Perched on a hillside 2km south of the town centre, the gleaming white, 28m-high Peace Pagoda is one of more than 70 pagodas built around the world by the…
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West Bengal
This tree-shaded complex on the northern edge of the tiger reserve acts as the reserve's official gateway and contains the forest range office (where park…
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Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Darjeeling
This zoo, one of India’s better ones, was established in 1958 to study, conserve and preserve Himalayan fauna. Housed within its rocky and forested…
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Darjeeling
Yiga Choeling Gompa, the Darjeeling area's most famous monastery, founded in 1850, houses up to 40 monks of the Gelugpa school. The serene temple has…
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Darjeeling
This temple originally stood on Observatory Hill, but was rebuilt in its present location in the 19th century. It houses fine murals depicting the life of…
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Darjeeling
The scenic Rangit Valley cable car was out of action at research time due to maintenance and an administrative/legal hiatus. Ask at your accommodation…
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Darjeeling
This well-thought-out museum (one large room) is a good, colourful introduction to Tibet and its culture. The attractive displays introduce the Dalai Lama…
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West Bengal
About 6km north of Bandel, Bansberia is home to the imposing Hanseswari Temple, devoted to an avatar of the goddess Kali. With 13 pinnacled sikharas …
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Darjeeling
If you’re travelling on the toy train, look out for this famous railway loop that goes around an open-air war memorial, erected in honour of the brave…
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Darjeeling
This century-old Nyingma-school monastery is run by people from Yolmo in Langtang, Nepal, who emigrated here 150 years ago. The atmospheric upper-floor…
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West Bengal
The large, beautiful Eklakhi Mausoleum at Pandua gets its name from the reputed ₹1 lakh (₹100,000) cost of building it back in 1431. It's a domed brick…
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West Bengal
Between Chinsurah and Bandel, you can climb the lofty clock tower of the romantically crumbling Imambara, which has breathtaking views of the Hooghly…
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Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri
About 7km north of central Siliguri, this brightly coloured Tibetan-style monastery is crowned with an imposing 30m tall chorten (Tibetan-style stupa).
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Darjeeling
This museum inside Ghum station has a collection of memorabilia and photos from the bygone days of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. In an outer courtyard…
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Darjeeling
About half way along the road between Darjeeling and Ghum is the huge Druk Sangak Choeling Gompa, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1993. Known for its…
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West Bengal
Covering 216 sq km of lush forests and grassland on the western floodplain of the Torsa River, Jaldapara National Park is a refuge for about 200 Indian…
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West Bengal
On the east side of Murshidabad, the handsome, pink-brick Katra Mosque features two tall corner towers and multiple domes (some now fallen in)…
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West Bengal
Within the tree-shaded Kathgola Gardens are the interesting mansion of a Jain trading family originally hailing from Murshidabad, dating back to 1873; an…
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Darjeeling
These half-hidden gardens contain an impressive collection of Himalayan plants, most famously orchids and rhododendrons. Follow the signs down Loch Nagar…
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West Bengal
In the old French governor's mansion on Chandannagar's riverfront road, the Institut has an interesting museum telling the story of colonial history on…
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West Bengal
The vast Adina Masjid, just west off NH12 (old NH34), 19km north of Malda, was India’s largest mosque when constructed by Sikandar Shah in the 14th…
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Darjeeling
This fortress-style Sakya-school monastery, established in 1909 and with a big new temple consecrated in 2015, conducts prayer sessions between 5.30am and…
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Darjeeling
Darjeeling's most conspicuous Hindu temple is a replica of the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. It’s easy to find – just below Darjeeling train…
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West Bengal
The extensive mansion of a Jain family that achieved high influence under both the nawabs and the British, the House of Jagat Seth is home to an eclectic…
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Darjeeling
The active Tibetan-style Samten Choeling Gompa has the largest Buddha statue in West Bengal, a chorten containing the ashes of the German Buddhist mystic…
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West Bengal
The organic and biodynamic Ambootia Tea Estate, down in the valley on Kurseong's west side, welcomes visitors to its aromatic factory and is a good…
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West Bengal
This palace of a 19th-century tax collector for the British is in a state of quaint dilapidation. The pillared hall in front of the temple at the rear is…
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West Bengal
Built by Sultan Nasrat Shah in 1526, the Baradwari Mosque once had 44 golden domes. The dignified stone arcade of its eastern corridor is still intact.
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West Bengal
Bishnupur's small museum is worth a look for its collection of painted manuscript covers, stone friezes, musical instruments and folk art.
