darz
6 friends · Bhubaneswar → Darjeeling

Darjeeling, December

Everything for the trip in one place: the train, getting up the hill, where we're staying, the plan for each day, what to see and what to eat.

20–25 Dec 2026 16597 · 11:10 from BBS Bubble Beds 2–10°C
Six of us · five days

The plan

Times come from our tickets and booking. The days are grouped by area, so each one is a single loop with little backtracking. See the map.

Before we go

0 of 6 done

Ticks are saved on your phone only.

Sun 20 Dec · Travel day

On the train

  1. Meet at Bhubaneswar station (BBS).
  2. Train 16597 Amrit Bharat leaves. Five of us board here: three in S5, two in S6.
  3. Ashutosh K. boards at Kharagpur, coach S8.
  4. Overnight on the train.

Carry lunch and dinner, or order food on the train through IRCTC e-catering. Sleeper class has no bedding, so bring a shawl or light blanket. Lock bags to the berth at night.

Mon 21 Dec · Day 1 · Easy day

Up the hill, then the Mall

  1. Reach NJP. Washrooms, chai, and a breather in the station. Check the live status, since trains often run late.
  2. Toto to Tenzing Norgay bus stand in Siliguri. 25 min
  3. NBSTC bus to Darjeeling. The 8:00 AM bus is the backup.
  4. Reach the Darjeeling bus stand, then a taxi to Bubble Beds. taxi 10 min Leave bags at reception and have brunch at Bubble Cafe.
  5. Check in, shower, nap.
  6. Walk up to Mahakal Temple on Observatory Hill for sunset at 4:48. 2.2 km uphill: walk 30–35 min, or taxi 10 min
  7. Mall Road and Chowrasta, right below the temple. walk 5 min
  8. At the hostel tour desk or a Chowrasta taxi stand, book the Tiger Hill cab for Wed: 3:30 AM pick-up, with Ghoom, Batasia and Rock Garden added. Dinner in town.

Keep your photo ID handy for check-in (not PAN). Dawn at NJP and the bus ride are cold, so keep your jacket in your day bag, not the big bag. Coming back down to the hostel is a steep walk after dark, so a taxi is easier.

Tue 22 Dec · Day 2 · Our side of town

Ropeway, zoo, tea garden, pagoda sunset

Everything today is within about 4 km of the hostel. Two short taxis and some walking cover it, so we don't need a full-day sightseeing cab.

  1. Taxi to the Ropeway at Singamari and join the queue before the counter opens at about 10. taxi 10 min
  2. Ropeway over the Rangeet valley tea gardens. Queue plus ride takes about 2 hours.
  3. Same taxi back, with a stop at Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rock on the way. Lunch near the hostel. taxi 20 min with the stop
  4. Zoo, with HMI and its museum inside, on one ticket. Last entry is about 3:30. 400 m uphill, walk 8 min
  5. Happy Valley Tea Estate. A walk among the tea bushes, since the factory is closed in winter. 1.5 km downhill, walk 20 min
  6. Peace Pagoda for the 4:48 sunset, then the Japanese Temple next door, where the evening drum prayer runs from 4:30 to 6:30 and visitors can drum along. taxi 20 min
  7. Dinner at Chowrasta or on the Mall. 2.5 km, walk 35 min or taxi 15 min Then back to the hostel. 1.8 km, walk 25 min Early night: tomorrow starts at 3:30 AM.

Carry cash. Ropeway is about ₹200–260 each, zoo about ₹110. The zoo is closed on Thursdays, which is why it's today. The Ropeway stops selling tickets around midday in season, so don't move it later.

Wed 23 Dec · Day 3 · The southern loop

Tiger Hill, Ghoom, Batasia, Rock Garden

One cab does a single loop through all four. Rock Garden is near Batasia, so it fits here rather than on the town day.

  1. Cab picks us up at the hostel. December brings long queues of jeeps, and the driver arranges the Tiger Hill permit. 14 km, 45–90 min
  2. Sunrise. Kanchenjunga turns pink a little before that, so be in place by about 5:45.
  3. Ghoom Monastery. Some guides say it opens at 9, so if it's shut, do Batasia first and come back. 6 km, 20–30 min
  4. Batasia Loop: the toy train spiral, war memorial and mountain view. 2.4 km, 10 min
  5. Rock Garden: terraced falls in the valley, opens around 8. 6 km downhill, 25–30 min
  6. Back at the hostel for breakfast and a long nap. 9 km, 35–45 min
  7. Free. Cafés, shopping, or the Mall again.

Wear every warm layer you have. Tiger Hill is around freezing before sunrise. Check the sky the night before, since cloud can hide the view. Agree with the driver beforehand that Rock Garden is included in the fare.

Thu 24 Dec · Day 4 · Christmas Eve

Toy train joyride and a slow day

  1. Taxi to Darjeeling station. taxi 10 min
  2. Toy train joyride to Ghum and back, with a 10-minute stop at Batasia Loop. About 2 hours. Book on IRCTC
  3. Breakfast at Glenary's or Keventer's, then shopping on the Mall and at Chowk Bazaar. walk 10 min from the station
  4. Christmas Eve on the Mall. Dinner place to fill

Prefer a day trip? Swap this day for Lamahatta and Tinchuley (about 1.5 h each way) or Mirik Lake (about 2 h each way), and take the 11:25 joyride straight after Rock Garden on Day 3.

Joyride tickets cost about ₹800–1,000 for diesel and ₹1,300–1,500 for steam, and they include Batasia entry. Pack tonight: check-out is 11 AM tomorrow.

Fri 25 Dec · Going home

Down the hill

  1. Check out and collect the GST invoice.
  2. Shared jeep or cab down to NJP. 3–4 h
  3. Home to Bhubaneswar. Train & time to fill
Sun 20 Dec · 17 h 40 min

The train

BBSBhubaneswar
NJPNew Jalpaiguri
Train
16597 Amrit Bharat
Class
Sleeper (SL)
Leaves
Sun 20 Dec · 11:10
Arrives
Mon 21 Dec · 04:50
Tickets
3 PNRs
Status
CNF

Who's where

S5Boards at BBS · PNR ending 9787
  • Arpan36 · Lower
  • Ashutosh S.32 · Side upper
  • Ayush37 · Middle
S6Boards at BBS
  • Anubhav40 · Side upper
  • 6th personTo fill

Anubhav's PNR ends 9868.

S8Boards at Kharagpur, 16:43 · PNR ending 1905
  • Ashutosh K.14 · Upper
NJPFri 25 Dec
BBSReturn
Train
To fill
Leaves
Time
Status
Not booked
On the day Keep the ticket on your phone offline and carry the ID it was booked with. We're spread over three coaches, so meet up at a long halt. Ashutosh K. joins at Kharagpur. The train reaches NJP before 5 AM, so set an alarm.
21 Dec · about 70 km, 2,000 m up

NJP → Darjeeling

Our train reaches NJP at 04:50, so there's time before the 7:00 AM bus. Budget: ₹2,000–2,500 for all six.

NJP114 m Siliguri Kurseong1,458 m Ghum2,258 m Darjeeling2,042 m

The road climbs almost 2,000 m in hairpin bends. Ghum, just before Darjeeling, is the highest point of the ride.

Government bus via Siliguri ₹1,050–1,700 Our pick₹175–285 eachabout 4 h
  • The bus leaves from Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Stand in Siliguri, not NJP. Take a toto from the station first: about 25 min and ₹200–500 for 6, maybe two totos.
  • 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM buses, arriving about 10:00 and 11:00. Non-AC seater via Rohini.
  • ₹105 a seat, checked on redBus and MakeMyTrip in Oct 2026. Only 4–5 seats per bus showed online, so book all 6 as soon as December opens.
  • It stops at Chowk Bazaar. Then 1–2 taxis to the hostel, about ₹200–500.
Shared jeep from NJP ₹2,000–2,900 Just about₹335–480 each3.5–5 h
  • Jeeps wait at the main taxi stand outside the station. Ask for "Darjeeling shared". The prepaid booth only sells whole cars.
  • About ₹300–400 a seat, up to ₹500 in peak December. Our limit is about ₹330 a seat. Agree the fare before bags go on the roof.
  • It leaves when full. Buying a 7th seat gives more room and gets us moving sooner.
  • Few jeeps run at 6 AM, so we may wait until about 7–7:30. Drops at the motor stand, not the hostel.
Reserved Sumo or Bolero ₹2,800–3,500 Over₹470–585 each3.5–4.5 h
  • A whole 8–10 seater, door to door, leaving right away. The prepaid booth charges about ₹3,500. Drivers outside sometimes go lower.
  • Tight with big bags.
Prepaid Innova ₹4,000–5,000 Over₹670–835 each3.5–4.5 h
  • The comfortable option, booked at the prepaid booth opposite the station exit. Keep the slip and check it says "Lebong Cart Road, below Zoo".
Pickup by Bubble Beds Ask Ask them3.5–4.5 h
  • Their tour package includes NJP pickup. If it's close to the Sumo fare, a driver waits for us when the train gets in.
Toy train – Not for arrivalabout 7.5 h
  • Leaves NJP at 10:00 AM and takes about 7.5 hours. Do the short Darjeeling–Ghum joyride (about ₹800) during the trip instead.

Totals are for all 6, door to door. Bus fares and times were checked on redBus and MakeMyTrip on 20 Oct 2026. Other prices are estimates from travel forums and 2025–26 guides.

The morning, if we take the bus

  1. Arrive at NJP. Washrooms and chai. Ignore touts inside the station.
  2. Head out once it's light.
  3. Toto or auto to Tenzing Norgay bus stand. Agree the fare first.
  4. NBSTC bus to Darjeeling. The 8:00 AM bus is the backup.
  5. Reach Chowk Bazaar. Taxi to Bubble Beds, below the zoo.
  6. Check in. Until then, leave bags at reception and go eat.
Mon 21 – Fri 25 Dec · 4 nights

Bubble Beds

A backpacker hostel below Darjeeling Zoo, a short walk from the zoo, the ropeway and Happy Valley Tea Estate.

Room 3C

Triple private room, mountain view

1 double bed for 3 of us. Who to fill

Dorm 1E

8-bed mixed dorm

3 bunk beds for the other 3. Who to fill

Check-in
Mon 21 Dec, after 1 PM
Check-out
Fri 25 Dec, before 11 AM
Address
32 Lebong Cart Road, below Darjeeling Zoo, Darjeeling 734101
Phone (booking)
+91 97488 72090
Phone (website)
+91 81000 94453
Email
contact@bubblebeds.in
Booked on
Goibibo, under Ashutosh Singh
Total
₹13,429 · about ₹2,238 each
Paid
₹0 · due by Sun 13 Dec, 11:59 PM
Cancellation
Free until Mon 14 Dec, 12:59 PM

Bring

  • Photo ID for all 6: passport, Aadhaar, driving licence or another government ID. PAN isn't accepted.
  • Ask for the GST invoice at check-in and collect it at check-out.

Meals

  • No meals are included. Bubble Cafe serves breakfast (8–10:30 AM), lunch and dinner. Order at reception.

Dorm rules

  • No smoking, alcohol, food or loud talk in the dorm. Quiet after 11 PM.
  • Visitors: max 2, 9 AM–7 PM, common area only.

Good to know

  • Little or no power backup during cuts. Keep phones charged.
  • Terrace, common room with board games, lockers, laundry and a tour desk.
What to see

Places to cover

Everything on the plan, on one map and in the order we'll see it.

Ropeway Tenzing Rock Zoo · HMI Happy Valley Mahakal Temple Chowrasta · Mall Station Peace Pagoda Japanese Temple Rock Garden Batasia Loop Ghoom Monastery Ghum Tiger Hill 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Bubble Beds 1 km N
Tap a day to see its route. Numbers show the order of stops.

Positions and roads come from OpenStreetMap. Day 4's line is the toy train track.

Mahakal Temple

A hilltop shrine on Observatory Hill, just above Chowrasta, strung with prayer flags.

Mon 21 Dec · sunset

Mall and Chowrasta

The town square for evening walks, shopping and people-watching.

Mon 21 Dec, and any evening

Ropeway

Cable car down over the tea gardens of the Rangeet valley. Counter opens about 10 AM.

Tue 22 Dec · first stop, 9:30 AM

Tenzing Rock

A huge boulder named after Tenzing Norgay, where climbers practise.

Tue 22 Dec · on the way back from the Ropeway

Zoo and HMI

Red pandas and snow leopards, plus the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute museum, on one ticket.

Tue 22 Dec · closed Thursdays

Happy Valley Tea Estate

Walk the tea slopes. The factory is closed from November to February.

Tue 22 Dec · 20 min walk from the zoo

Peace Pagoda

A white pagoda with wide views over town.

Tue 22 Dec · sunset 4:48 PM

Japanese Temple

A quiet Buddhist temple next to the pagoda. Join the evening drum prayer.

Tue 22 Dec · prayer 4:30–6:30 PM

Tiger Hill

Sunrise over Kanchenjunga. Leave at 3:30 AM in your warmest layers.

Wed 23 Dec · sunrise 6:22 AM

Ghoom Monastery

One of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the hills.

Wed 23 Dec · after Tiger Hill

Batasia Loop

The toy train's spiral loop, with a war memorial and mountain views.

Wed 23 Dec · on the way back

Rock Garden

Terraced gardens and a waterfall in a valley below Batasia.

Wed 23 Dec · after Batasia

Toy train joyride

A heritage diesel or steam ride from Darjeeling to Ghum and back, via Batasia.

Thu 24 Dec · 9:20 AM, book on IRCTC

Lamahatta and Tinchuley

Pine forest, a small sacred lake, tea gardens and big valley views.

Optional day trip · 1.5 h each way

Mirik Lake

A lake ringed by forest, with boating and an easy walk around it.

Optional day trip · 2 h each way
What to eat

Food

Ideas to start with. Add your own finds. Draft

Momos

Steamed or fried, with fiery tomato chutney. Best on a cold evening.

Around Chowk Bazaar and the Mall

Thukpa

A hot Tibetan noodle soup that warms you right up.

Small Tibetan places in town

Darjeeling tea

Try a first-flush or a winter blend, and buy some to take home.

Tea shops near Chowrasta

Old bakery breakfast

Pastries, sandwiches and hot chocolate in a heritage café.

Glenary's or Keventer's, Nehru Road

Laphing and sha phaley

Cold spicy noodles and Tibetan fried meat bread.

Ask locals for their favourite stall

Christmas Eve dinner

Somewhere warm in town for the 24th.

Place to fill
Mid-December · 2–10°C

What to pack

Tick things off as you pack. Ticks are saved on your phone only.

Your checklist0 of 11 packed
Trip photos We'll put everyone's photos in one Google Photos shared album. Link to add