Teesta Bazaar — the Teesta and Rangeet confluence below Kalimpong
Teesta Bazaar, the river village below Kalimpong at about 90 m: where the Rangeet joins the Teesta at Triveni, rafting on the rapids, and the road down.
West Bengal⛰ 1,250 m2 itineraries
Kalimpong
Kalimpong, West Bengal: the Durpin monastery, Deolo Hill, Dr. Graham's Homes, the Teesta river, the road from Siliguri and Bagdogra, and when to go.
Kalimpong is a quiet hill town of West Bengal at about 1,250 m, on a ridge between two hills, Deolo and Durpin, above the Teesta river. It began as a trading post on the old route to Tibet and grew under the British into a town of missionary schools. After 1959 Tibetan monks settled here and brought rare Buddhist scriptures with them.
The best of it is small and walkable. Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, the Durpin monastery, holds the 108 volumes of the Kangyur. Deolo Hill, the higher of the two hills, gives a wide view of the town and, on a clear morning, of the Kanchenjunga range. Dr. Graham's Homes is the Scottish school below it. Far below, at the bottom of the valley, Teesta Bazaar is where the Rangeet joins the Teesta, with rafting on offer.
Kalimpong is about 1,423 km from Delhi by road, and most people come by air or train to the Siliguri area and go up from there, about 72 km from New Jalpaiguri and about 78 km from Bagdogra. Read how to reach Kalimpong, the best time to go and things to do in Kalimpong, and copy the one day in Kalimpong or the two days with Teesta and Pedong.
Photos: Biswajit Majumdar (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Pinakpani (CC BY 4.0) · Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Plans that include this
All Kalimpong itineraries →
One day in Kalimpong — the Durpin monastery, Dr. Graham's Homes and Deolo Hill
Day plan · First visit · monasteries and views
A relaxed one-day plan for Kalimpong: the Durpin monastery on its hill, Dr. Graham's Homes below Deolo, and the 1,704 m hilltop park with its wide view.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Two days in Kalimpong — monasteries and Deolo, then the Teesta and Pedong
1 night · 2 days · couples and friends · monasteries and river
A two-day plan for Kalimpong: the Gaden Tharpa Choling and Durpin monasteries and Deolo Hill, then Teesta Bazaar and the ridge town of Pedong, with drive times.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →Going together
No one has started a group going to Kalimpong yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Places worth the drive
Dr. Graham's Homes — the Scottish school below Deolo Hill
Dr. Graham's Homes, the Scottish-founded school below Deolo Hill in Kalimpong: John Anderson Graham, the 1900 opening, the stone chapel and how to visit.
Deolo Hill — the 1,704 m viewpoint above Kalimpong
Deolo Hill, the 1,704 m viewpoint above Kalimpong: the hilltop park, the panorama of the town and the Teesta valley, the Science Centre and how to get there.
Zang Dhok Palri Phodang — the Durpin monastery above Kalimpong
Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, the Nyingma monastery on Durpin Hill above Kalimpong: its 1957 founding, the 108 volumes of the Kangyur, the view and the drive.
On the map
Open the Kalimpong map →The places a Kalimpong day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Kalimpong — monasteries, hill views, orchids and the Teesta river
The best things to do in Kalimpong: the Durpin monastery, Deolo Hill, Dr. Graham's Homes, the orchid nurseries and the Haat Bazar, with times from the town.
How to reach Kalimpong — from New Jalpaiguri, Bagdogra, Darjeeling and Gangtok
How to reach Kalimpong: New Jalpaiguri 72 km and Bagdogra 78 km by road on our routing, Pakyong airport, the road from Darjeeling and Gangtok, and from Delhi.
Best time to visit Kalimpong — the five seasons, the monsoon and the Kanchenjunga view
When to go to Kalimpong: the spring and summer season visitors prefer, the severe monsoon of June to September, the cold of December to February, and fog.
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Been here?Help the next traveller — our team checks every contribution.
Questions people ask
How far is Kalimpong from Siliguri and Bagdogra?
On our routing, New Jalpaiguri Junction is about 72 km and 120 minutes away, Bagdogra Airport about 78 km and 122 minutes, and Siliguri Junction about 67 km and 114 minutes. Wikipedia gives 75 km for New Jalpaiguri, 66 km for Siliguri and about 80 km for Bagdogra. Rain and landslides in the monsoon add hours.
What is there to see in Kalimpong?
The Durpin monastery, Zang Dhok Palri Phodang, which holds the 108 volumes of the Kangyur; Deolo Hill, with its park and its view of the Kanchenjunga range; Dr. Graham's Homes, the Scottish school; and the Teesta river far below. Wikipedia also notes the town's flower market, orchids and nurseries.
When is the best time to visit Kalimpong?
Wikipedia says spring and summer are the most popular seasons, and describes a severe monsoon from June to September, when landslides often cut the town off. Winter, from December to February, has minimum temperatures around 8 °C. Fog is common in the monsoon and in winter, so clear mornings for the Kanchenjunga view are not guaranteed.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.