Indian Visa Sightseeing at Majestic Darjeeling, Queen of Himalayas
You cannot really claim to have seen Eastern Indian till you visit Darjeeling. Indian Visa visitors will take delight in our guide which covers Darjeeling Railway, Tiger Hill, Darjeeling Ropeway, Japanese Peace Pagoda and Sandakphu Trek by our world class travel editors.
Known as the Queen of the Himalayas, Darjeeling is a popular hill station in North East India, a little distance away from Kolkata. It’s one of the most breathtaking of all Indian hill stations and used to be a summer retreat for the British during the colonial era on account of its pleasant weather throughout the year. Spread over a steep hill, full of verdant tea plantations on rolling hills, today it is a popular tourist destination for its scenic beauty and cool climate. Everyone who has been to Darjeeling would attest to the fact that it is one of the most beautiful places in all of India and quite unforgettable too. If you want to visit the mighty Himalayas Darjeeling would be one of the best choices for you as the vista that it offers of the Himalayas is just unmatchable. Here’s a guide for Darjeeling Sightseeing for Tourists for you if you are planning a holiday in Darjeeling.
Indian Visa Online (eVisa India) – A Pre-requisite to visiting Darjeeling
Government of India has provided a modern method of Indian Visa Online application. All visitors can take heart that now this process is quite simple, easy, fast and can be done from the comfort of your home. This is indeed good for the applicants as the visitors to India are no longer required to make an appointment for a physical visit to the High Commission of India or Indian Embassy in your home country.
Government of India allows visit to India by apply for Indian Visa online on this website for several purposes. For example of your intention for travelling to India relates to a commercial or business purpose, then you are eligible to apply for Indian Business Visa Online (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Business). If you are planning to go to India as a medical visitor for medical reason, consulting doctor or for surgery or for your health, Government of India has made Indian Medical Visa Online available for your needs (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Medical purposes). Indian Tourist Visa Online (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India for Tourist) can be utilised for meeting friends, meeting relatives in India, attending courses like Yoga, or for sight-seeing and tourism.
You can do any activity in India except visiting military cantonment areas on an Indian Tourist Visa or for visiting the National Parks in India which is covered in this post. Government of India has allowed for you to apply for Indian Visa Online (eVisa India) for Tourist purposes (Indian Visa Online or eVisa India Tourism) from the Government of India. The Indian Visa Application Form is now online which can be completed in couple of minutes.
Indian Visa for Tourists – Other Scenic and Sightseeing places
If you are reading this post, then you are likely interested in other sight-seeing places. Our travel guides and experts have picked other places for your convenience if you arriving on Indian electronic Visa (India Visa Online). You may want to look at the following posts, Kerala, Luxury Trains, Indian Tourist Top 5 Places, India Yoga institutes, Tamil Nadu, Andaman Nicobar Islands, New Delhi, Goa, Rajasthan and National Parks in India.
India Visa Guidance
Indian Visa is now Online (eVisa India) and Indian Visa Application is available online that can be filled in 2-3 minutes online. British Citizens, USA citizens amongst 180 plus other nationalities are Eligible for Indian Visa.
Most India Visa Applications get rejected because of bad passport photo quality, check the guidance on Indian Visa Photo Requirements and Indian Visa Passport Scan Requirements. There are four Types of Indian Visa . Everything you ever want to know about Indian Visa and how to avoid rejection is covered in Indian Visa Rejection and how to avoid.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the Darjeeling Toy Train is one of the most famous attractions of the hill station. Still running on a steam engine (although the option of a diesel engine is also available for passengers who may not want to travel in a train hauled by a steam engine) and covering only 88 kilometers, this is an old timey train and there’s nothing like the charm of traveling in a train like that while you get to see the mesmerizing scenes of the Himalayas pass you by outside. Because it is significant to Darjeeling and India’s heritage, UNESCO declared it to be a World Heritage Site. You can either take the Toy Train Joyride from Darjeeling to Ghum, the highest altitude station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway track, and where you’ll get to go through the Batasia Loop where the train takes a 360 degree turn, or the Toy Train Jungle Safari which goes from Silliguri to Rangtong and back, while going through the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Tiger Hill
This summit in Ghum is the sunrise spot of Darjeeling where tourists flock to see the magnificent sunrise every morning. Seeing the sun rise from here and the view of the Kanchenjunga peaks is truly an otherworldly experience. You won’t ever get to see a sunrise like this in a city and the majestic mountains of India, reaching up to the blue cloudy skies, make the view one that you’ll remember forever. If you are going to be in Darjeeling in the summer then you should make sure to reach the Hill by 4.15 AM for which you’d have to leave by 3.30 AM, but in winter you can leave by 4.15 AM since the sunrise would be delayed. Make sure to be ready for a short climb to reach the spot from where you’ll get the best view of the sunset.
Darjeeling Ropeway
Darjeeling Ropeway is the perfect way to peacefully gaze at the entirety of the panoramic vista of the place with its lush valley and snow capped mountains. Situated 7000 feet above ground, it’s a cable car system – in fact, India’s first cable car system – with 16 cable cars that can accommodate 6 people each and which travel from the North Point in Singamari to the Singla Bazaar near the Ramman river. You’ll get to see Darjeeling’s tea plantations, waterfalls, mountains, including Kanchenjunga, all while moving slowly in the cable cars. At the end you will get to explore the plantations before making the journey back.
Japanese Peace Pagoda
Built by a Buddhist monk from Japan, Nichidatsu Fujii , who built all the Peace Stupas in India, Darjeeling’s Peace Pagoda, like all Peace Pagodas, is a stupa built to inspire peace among people of all races, castes, and religions. Japanese Budhhist monks started building Peace Pagodas all over the world after World War II in order to promote the message of world peace and harmony. Of the 80 such Peace Pagodas built in the world, Darjeeling’s Peace Pagoda is one of them. It was designed by M Okha, with gold avatars of Buddha and artwork depicting his life etched on the sandstones. There is also a Japanese temple nearby that you could visit while visiting the Pagoda.
Sandakphu Trek
If you are up for and in the shape for a demanding trek then you should definitely go on one in Darjeeling. You can trek the Sandakphu Peak, which is the highest peak in West Bengal. It will be a tough trek but it should prove to be rewarding when you get to the top and get to see the excellent view. You’ll also enjoy the way to the top if you appreciate lush greenery and fresh flowers, which you would find plenty of on this trek. You are recommended to carry your own camps although you might find guest houses at some campsites, and also to carry proper trekking gear as well as a medical kit just in case. You would also need to obtain a trekking permit before you are allowed to go trekking here.
Citizens of many countries including United States, Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Singapore, United Kingdom, are eligible for Indian Visa Online (eVisa India) including visiting beaches of India on tourist visa. Resident of over 180 countries quality for Indian Visa Online (eVisa India) as per Indian Visa Eligibility and apply the Indian Visa Online offered by the Government of India.
Should you have any doubts or require assistance for your trip to India or Visa for India (eVisa India), you can apply for the Indian Visa Online right here and if you need any need any help or require any clarifications you should contact Indian Visa Help Desk for support and guidance.