Darjeeling

Darjeeling, perched at 2,050 m on a narrow Himalayan ridge in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, is the most celebrated hill station in eastern India and one of the world's great tea destinations — the source of Darjeeling tea, considered the "Champagne of teas" for its unique muscatel flavour produced only by the high-altitude estates (Makaibari, Puttabong, Castleton, and Happy Valley are the most celebrated estates, all accessible for factory tours and tasting).

• The town's essential experience is the Tiger Hill sunrise — a 4 AM drive (or walk) to the 2,590 m viewpoint 13 km from the main town, where on clear mornings (most reliably in October-November and March-May) the full Kanchenjunga massif (the world's third-highest peak at 8,586 m) rises in pink-orange silhouette above the horizon, and on the clearest winter mornings even the distant triangular summit of Everest and the pyramid of Makalu are discernible beyond it.
• The UNESCO World Heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (the "Toy Train" — a 2-foot narrow-gauge steam locomotive built by British engineers in 1879-1881) still runs the heritage service from New Jalpaiguri (90 km south, at 120 m elevation) to Darjeeling over 88 km through 5,000+ feet of altitude gain, looping through tea gardens, forested ridges, and the famous Batasia Loop spiral (a spiralling retaining loop near Darjeeling station with a panoramic Himalayan view) in a journey of 7-8 hours.
• A shorter joy-ride service (Darjeeling to Ghoom and back, 2 hours) runs multiple times daily for those without 7 hours; book on IRCTC.
• The Ghoom Monastery (Yiga Choeling, 1850) is the highest Buddhist monastery accessible by the toy train, with a 5-metre Maitreya (future Buddha) statue.
• The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is India's most important snow-leopard and red-panda conservation programme with naturalistic highland enclosures.
• For vegetarian travellers, Darjeeling blends Tibetan, Nepali, and Bengali traditions: veg momos (cabbage-cheese or spiced mixed-vegetable dumplings, steamed in bamboo steamers) and thukpa (hearty noodle soup) at Kunga Restaurant and Sonam's Kitchen; tingmo (steamed Tibetan bread) with chilli chutney; and the colonial-era Glenary's Bakery (since 1935) with its legendary cheesecake, chocolate pastries, and hot chocolate.
• Nathmull's Tea House on Nehru Road is the definitive first-flush and second-flush tasting experience, guided by third-generation tea merchants.
• March-May (spring flush tea season, clearest mountain views) and October-November (post-monsoon panoramas) are ideal; avoid July-August monsoon when cloud and rain obscure views.