To watch the dawn light break over a spectacular 250km stretch of Himalayan horizon, including Everest (8848m), Khangchendzonga (8598m) and two more of the world's five highest peaks, rise very early and take a jeep out to Tiger Hill (2590m), 11km south of Darjeeling, above Ghum. This daily morning spectacle (views are best in autumn and spring) is a major tourist attraction, however, so if you prefer your Himalayan views in peace you might want to try somewhere else.
Hundreds of jeeps leave Darjeeling for Tiger Hill every morning at 4am – traffic snarls en route are quite common. Sunrise trips (usually with stops at Batasia Loop and a Buddhist monastery in Ghum on the way back) can be booked through a travel agency or directly with jeep drivers at the Clubside taxi stand. Return trips cost ₹1200 for a three/four passenger car, ₹1800 for a bigger, comfier Innova, or ₹200 per seat.