Darjeeling is in the same West Bengal state of India as Kolkata, but it’s a world of difference.

It’s much calmer, cool, and surrounded by the gorgeous Himalayas. Darjeeling is one of the most famous places in the world for tea, the rolling foothills and elevation creating prime conditions.

One of my favorite things to do in Darjeeling was to leisurely walk around the Chowrasta public square area in the evening and then walk on some of the side trails. Great air, peaceful, and amazing views!

I stayed at a guest house right in the center of town where there’s a small crossroads. At times it feels more like you’re in the mountains of Europe than in India.

Darjeeling is famous for having a railroad station and being home to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railroad, a small gauge rail that makes use of a steam powered locomotive known as the Toy Train.

A short touristy roundtrip ride on the train is known as the “Joy Ride,” and you get to ride the steam powered locomotive along the mountain track.

Here’s a photo of St. Andrew’s church, built in the mid 1800’s, one of the landmarks of the hill station.

Walking around I found a number of Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling that included nice detail and painting.

A popular attraction in Darjeeling is the Himalayan zoo which includes many high elevation animals such as this Himalayan mountain goat and many red pandas.

The center of Darjeeling is a bustling little town full of businesses and people waiting around to take jeeps to other villages in the mountains.

Businesses in Darjeeling, like in all of India, set up wherever there’s space – and it doesn’t take much space to operate a business!

While Indian food is widely available in Darjeeling, local Tibetan and Nepali food is also quite popular. Here’s a bowl of beef thukpa noodles, a comforting bowl of soup on a cold day.

Many places I travel, I’m amazed and respectful of construction workers – they do some tough jobs. Here they were carrying pans full of concrete on their heads up and down a flight of bamboo steps, many of them wearing slippery flip flops.

Waking up for sunrise presents a breathtaking view of the Himalayan range in the background of Darjeeling!