Darjeeling
Famous author Mark Twain visited Darjeeling in 1896 at an age of 61 years. He was so mesmerized by the beauty of Darjeeling that he wrote, “The one land all men desire to see, and having seen once by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined.”
Spectacular views of the mount Kanchendzonga towering over the city, mist filled alpine tree lined roads and rolling tea gardens make Darjeeling the queen of all hill stations.
The name 'Darjeeling'came from the Tibetan words,'dorje'meaning thunderbolt and 'ling'a place or land, hence 'the land of the thunderbolt'.
History
Darjeeling, was given to the British as a "gift" by the kingdom of Sikkim. Lying in the Himalayan foothills and entirely surrounded by snowcapped vistas, Darjeeling soon became the favorite summer resort of the British Raj during the heydays of Calcutta when Calcutta was the "second city of the British Empire and the town became the de-facto summer capital of India. It was developed as a hill station by the  Raj and gradually  the Sikkimese name of Dorje-ling was anglicised to Darjeeling.  The major idea of acquiring Darjeeling was to develop the place into a Sanatorium, a health resort for the ailing soldiers and the East India Company officials, who would be able to escape the heat and moisture of the plains of Bengal.  
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - Toy Train
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR) was opened in 1881 (it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known to generations of local school children as "The Toy Train", is the world's most famous, two feet gauge railway. It is a masterpiece of 19th century engineering. To the serious rail enthusiast, the DHR is the "Holy Grail" of narrow gauge railways. There are active DHR societies in the UK, and Australia, affiliated to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Heritage Foundation, which share the common goal of ensuring the preservation of the railway in perpetuity. Fans across the globe rejoiced, when, in 1999, UNESCO declared the DHR a World Heritage Site.

Sights :

• Tiger Hill ( for sunrise)
• Toy Train ride & Batasia Loop
• Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
• Observatory Hills
• Singalila National Park
• Monastries in Darjeeling & Ghoom

Nearby Destination sand attractions

• Kalimpong : 51 Km  2.5 hrs
• Kurseong : 30 Km / 1.5 hrs
• Neora Valley National Park : 86 km / 4 hrs
• Gangtok : 98 Km / 4 hrs

Travel Information
Connectivity :
Nearest Airport :Bagdogra (70 km / 2.5 hrs)
Best time to visit and Climate :
Darjeeling is beautiful in everyseason, but its adviseable to avoid the monsoons when there are chances of landslide.