Nomad Saikat
Darjeeling the Queen of Beauty and one of the most picturesque hill stations is one of the most popular locations to visit as well. It is so popular that people from all over the world visit this quaint location to enjoy the serenity of the location. Located in West Bengal, Darjeeling offers a beautiful view of the mountain peaks and hills and offers a great ambiance too. For tourists this is like a location where people prefer visiting again and again. And then the next question that comes to mind is how to reach Darjeeling. Now if you have a fair idea about how to reach a location conveniently then the work is half done already. After knowing everything about how to reach Darjeeling from different locations it will be easier for you to plan your itinerary.
In this article I will mention everything that would help you figure out how to reach Darjeeling. If you are travelling to Darjeeling from major states like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai etc then this will be a helpful read for you. Here I will mention everything from how to go to Darjeeling through different routes, about the trains, flights and bus details as well. So keep on reading this article because it will be a helpful read if you are searching how you can reach this quaint and popular hilly location.
How to reach Darjeeling
If you are trying to figure out ways to visit Darjeeling then let me tell you that it is not a hassle at all. From major cities you will get trains, buses and flights to nearby locations. And from there visiting Darjeeling is mostly the same. However there are different options to reach there too via different routes and different modes of transport. So in this article I will mention all of it and break down the steps about reaching Darjeeling.
From Delhi
By air
If you wish to travel by air from Delhi to Darjeeling then the nearest airport is the Bagdogra airport. You will get regular flights from Delhi to reach there and it takes around 2 and a half hours to reach Bagdogra from Delhi. The average flight fares range from Rs. 4800 to Rs. 6500. After you reach there the best way to reach Darjeeling is to take a cab to reach there.
By train
You can also travel by train. However the nearest railway station to visit Darjeeling from Delhi is the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station. From Delhi you will find regular trains to reach NJP. Some of them are North East Express, Sikkim Mahananda Express, Rajdhani Express, Brahmaputra Mail etc. Some of these are weekly, bi weekly and some are daily trains. Approximately it takes about 20 hours to reach there by train. And from the NJP railway station you will find shared rides as well as buses to finally go to Darjeeling.
By road
If you wish to travel the whole distance by car it can be like an exciting road trip which is quite long too. The distance from Delhi to Darjeeling by road is 1500 km approx. And it would take about 26 hours to reach there by road. However you can opt to take breaks in between at locations like Lucknow or Patna or New Jalpaiguri. In that case the time to reach will depend on the amount and time of breaks that you are taking.
From Mumbai
By air
If you wish to travel by air then you will find flights to reach Bagdogra which is the nearest airport. The approximate fare ranges in between Rs. 7000 to Rs. 9000. From the Bagdogra airport you will have to take a cab to reach Darjeeling.
By train
You can travel by train to go to Darjeeling by train from Mumbai but the nearest railway station is NJP. There are trains like Guwahati Lokmanya Tilak Express, Kamakhya Lokmanya Tilak Express, Karmabhoomi Express to reach New Jalpaiguri. These are weekly and bi weekly trains so plan your trip accordingly. From the NJP station you will find different modes of transport to reach there conveniently.
By road
The road distance to go to Darjeeling from Mumbai is about 2300 km which is a lot. But it can definitely be an adventurous road trip if you want to opt for this. It would take approximately 44 hours to 46 hours to reach there by road from Mumbai. You can either take a route via Jhansi and Patna with major halts at these two locations. Or else you can opt for another route going via Bhopal and Varanasi with halts to reach Darjeeling.
From Kolkata
By air
There are regular flights that you can opt for to reach Bagdogra Airport from Kolkata. However the average fare ranges between Rs. 3000 to Rs. 6000. Approximately it takes around 1 hour and 25 minutes to reach the Bagdogra Airport from Kolkata. And from the airport you will have to take a cab to go to Darjeeling.
By train
There are many regular trains in Kolkata to reach New Jalpaiguri which is the nearest railway station to reach Darjeeling. You can check out trains like Kanchenjunga Express, Teesta Torsa Express, Shatabdi Express, Uttar Banga Express, Kamrup Express, Kanchankanya Express, Darjeeling Mail etc. In total it takes around 7 to 8 hours to reach there in an express train.
By road
It is also possible to visit Darjeeling by road. For that you can take buses from Esplanade in Kolkata to reach Siliguri. From Siliguri you will have to hire a taxi or you can opt for a shared ride as well to reach there. For some more adventure you can drive the whole route of approximately 618 km to reach Darjeeling by road in about 16 hours.
From Chennai
By air
The Bagdogra Airport is the nearest airport to reach Darjeeling from Chennai. However the average flight charges vary between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 7000. It would take about 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Bagdogra. Moreover, you will have to take a cab to reach Darjeeling from there.
By train
You will get trains like Aronai Express, Yesvantpur Express etc to reach New Jalpaiguri from Chennai. And from there you will have to take a car to reach Darjeeling.
By road
The road trip to Darjeeling from Chennai would be really long covering about 2675 km. Approximately, it would take around 50 hours to cover this distance via major states. So if you are adventurous enough you can pull this off with major breaks in between.
From Hyderabad
By air
You can take flights to reach the Bagdogra Airport from Hyderabad to go to Darjeeling. The flight charges however vary from Rs. 4900 to Rs. 7000. There are direct flights as well as flights with layovers in Kolkata. So you need to check that out.
By train
You can get trains like Secunderabad Superfast Express and Secunderabad Kamakhya Express to reach New Jalpaiguri Station to reach Darjeeling. From the station you will have to take a car or cab to reach Darjeeling.
By road
The total distance to reach Darjeeling from Hyderabad by road is about 2060 km and it would approximately take 42 hours to reach there. With major halts at locations like Nagpur, Dhanbad, Sambalpur or Varanasi, Muzaffarpur you can reach Darjeeling from Hyderabad.
How to reach Darjeeling from Siliguri, Gangtok, New Jalpaiguri and Bagdogra
No matter wherever you are travelling from these are the major destinations that you will be reaching to finally go to Darjeeling. From Bagdogra, Darjeeling is 68 km away and it would take 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach there. However, from Siliguri, Darjeeling is located 62.8 km away and it takes about 2 and a half hours to reach there. Furthermore, from the New Jalpaiguri railway station, Darjeeling is 88 km away. Finally, from Gangtok the distance is 97.4 km and it takes 3 and a half hours to reach there.
From Bagdogra it is most convenient to take shared cabs or pre-paid cabs and taxis till Darjeeling. Even from New Jalpaiguri it would be convenient to take shared cabs or taxis to Darjeeling. If you wish to travel by bus till Darjeeling then you will find regular buses from Siliguri. From nearby towns like Kurseong and Kalimpong also there are buses available to go to Darjeeling.
All the routes from the above mentioned locations are scenic and beautiful with greenery around and unwinding roads. So it would overall be a scenic and enjoyable journey to Darjeeling.
Wrapping Up!
So this was all about the information on how you can visit Darjeeling from major cities. Darjeeling is at present one of the most popular destinations for tourists and you cannot miss out on this too. So, no wonder that there are so many options for different modes of transport to routes and ways to go to Darjeeling. I am sure next time you plan to visit Darjeeling this article would come handy for you. I have mentioned in detail about how to reach Darjeeling and let me know if there is anything else that you would like to know. So when are you planning a trip to Darjeeling? And also let me know if this article is helpful for you in planning a trip to Darjeeling.
