The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is one of the most charming journeys in India: a narrow-gauge line laid in the 1880s that zig-zags and loops its way up through the bazaars and forests to Ghum, at more than 2,200 metres one of the highest railway stations in the country.
How we do the day
We drive you up to Darjeeling after an early breakfast, in time for the morning steam service. The train puffs out of the station, through the Batasia Loop with its view of Kanchenjunga, and on to Ghum, where the monastery and its great seated Maitreya are a short walk from the platform.
Lunch is at one of the old tea rooms on the Mall, with time to browse the bookshops and the curio shops before our driver brings you back to the estate in time for tea on the verandah.
Good to know
Tickets on the steam service are limited and sell out in the busy months, so tell us your dates when you book and we will arrange them. The ride itself takes about two hours; wrap up, because it is cold at the top even in summer.