Best time to visit Darjeeling — month by month, from the rain figures
The best time to visit Darjeeling, month by month from the IMD normals: clear autumn, a mild spring, a very wet monsoon, and a cold dry winter with frost.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-14
How to reach Darjeeling — Bagdogra, New Jalpaiguri and the toy train
How to reach Darjeeling: Bagdogra airport, New Jalpaiguri station, the road from Siliguri, the toy train from the plains and the monsoon landslide risk.
Darjeeling is reached from the plains of West Bengal by one long climb, by road or by the narrow-gauge railway. The measured road times below are our routing; the rain and landslides add much more.
By air
Bagdogra airport, near Siliguri, is the nearest working airport: about 70 km and 127 minutes by road on our routing, with 90 km in Wikipedia's figure. Taxis and share-jeeps run up from there; Wikipedia says that as of 2018 the town had no bus system of its own.
By train
New Jalpaiguri Junction in Siliguri is the main railhead, about 69 km and 134 minutes by road. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs from there on a route of about 88 km at 20 to 25 km an hour; Wikipedia calls its main clients today tourists.
By road
National Highway 110 climbs to Darjeeling from Siliguri, 77 km away by Wikipedia's figure. Darjeeling has road links to Bagdogra, Gangtok and Kathmandu, and to the neighbouring towns of Kurseong and Kalimpong. On our routing Kalimpong is about 107 minutes away and Gangtok about 173 minutes. From Delhi it is about 1,399 km, with 17 hours of free-flow driving.
In the rains
Wikipedia says landslides often disrupt road and rail in the monsoon. Allow a spare day if you have a connection to make.
Next reads
Read things to do in Darjeeling and when to visit Darjeeling. Then copy the one-day plan or the two days with the toy train.
Places around Darjeeling
The Darjeeling guide →
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
Batasia Loop, Darjeeling — the spiral of the toy train and the Gorkha memorial
More stories to read
All stories →
Things to do in Darjeeling — sunrise, the toy train, monasteries and tea
Things to do in Darjeeling: Tiger Hill at sunrise, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Batasia Loop, monasteries, Chowrasta, the zoo and a tea estate.
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Questions people ask
What is the nearest airport to Darjeeling?
Bagdogra, in West Bengal near Siliguri, about 70 km and 127 minutes by road on our routing. Wikipedia gives the distance as 90 km, which is a longer way round. There is no airport in the town. Taxis and share-jeeps run up from the airport and from Siliguri, and the road climbs steeply on the last stretch.
Can you reach Darjeeling by train?
The main railhead is New Jalpaiguri, about 69 km and 134 minutes by road from Darjeeling. From there the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs a route of about 88 km, at 20 to 25 km an hour, mostly for tourists by Wikipedia's account. We have no verified timetable, so ask at the station.
How far is Darjeeling from Delhi?
About 1,399 km by road, and free-flow routing says 17 hours, so most people fly or take a train to the Siliguri area first. Wikipedia gives 77 km for the road from Siliguri on National Highway 110, and says landslides in the monsoon often disrupt both the road and the railway.