The town is located on a spur with houses hugging the hillside. The places to visit are Chowrasta, a wide promenade atop a ridge lined with shops and restaurants, and the Mall Road. Observatory Hill has Hindu and Buddhist Shrines; Dhirdham, a pagoda style Hindu temple; and the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Center, a major center for the production of Tibetan carpets, woodwork and leather goods.
Toy Train
A visit to Darjeeling is incomplete without a ride on the toy-train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). This toy train has been awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, and covers the distance of 88 km between New Jalpaiguri station and Darjeeling. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first and remains the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway.
Tiger Hill
Standing at a height of 2590m, Tiger Hill is 11 km from Darjeeling. The place is famous for its magnificent view of Kanchenjunga, Mt. Everest and other eastern Himalayan peaks especially at the time of sunrise.
Zoological Park
Well known for its successful snow leopard breeding program, the Darjeeling zoo has Siberian tigers and the rare red panda.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) & Museum
HMI runs courses on mountaineering. The Everest Museum here exhibits the history of attempts on the great peak. The museum also exhibits equipment used by Tenzing Norgay (who was a resident of Darjeeling) and Edmund Hillary for their ascent of Mt. Everest.
Ghoom Monastery
The most famous monastery around Darjeeling, also known as Yogachoeling Gompa, enshrines an image of Maitrey Buddha (the coming Buddha). It is about 10 km from Darjeeling town.
