On the second day of your Darjeeling Gangtok tour start driving to the popular Tiger Hill (11 km) to have a glimpse of the sunrise. The visuals will be out of this world. After seeing this magnificent sunrise, return to Darjeeling. On your way, you can stop at the Ghoom Monastery, War Memorial and Batasia Loop. As you reach the hotel, freshen up, eat your breakfast and get ready for the next set of places to visit. Firstly, visit the Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park. Afterward visit the Peace Pagoda, which is another tourist attraction in Darjeeling. Next up for the visit is the renowned Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (Closed on Thursday). Also, visit the other spots like the Tensing Gumpo Rock, Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center (Closed on Sunday) and Natural History Museum (Sunday Closed). Return to the hotel and take a walk along the mall in the evening.
Tiger Hill is most famous for its splendid sights of sunrise from where you can see the peaks of Kanchenjunga illuminate before the sun is seen at lower elevations. The splendid view of the snow-capped mountains sits amid cotton clouds which is an alluring sight to the tourists from all over the country.
Situated at a grand elevation of 8,000 feet, the Yiga Choeling or old Ghoom Monastery is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Darjeeling. You can also see several rare Buddhist manuscripts inside the monastery. Visitors are treated to a beautiful view of the majestic Kanchenjunga outside the monastery.
War Memorial was constructed in the honor of the Gorkha soldiers of the Darjeeling area. They had sacrificed their lives in several operations and wars after Indian independence. At the bottom of the monument there lies the Roll of Honor engraved with the names of those who died along with the dates.
Perhaps one of the most picturesque train routes in all of Darjeeling, the Batasia Loop is a lush green toy train pathway that is meant to minimize the elevation of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The special design of this superb site allows the track to wrap around itself through a hilltop tunnel.
The Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park is a splendid enclosure in Darjeeling housing a wide variety of animals. Also known as Darjeeling Zoo, this is a haven for animals of all kinds and a huge center of attraction for animal lovers and nature enthusiasts. The zoo is known internationally for its breeding and conservation programs and also includes an off-display breeding center for snow leopards and red pandas.
The design of the Peace Pagoda is such that it attracts people of all races and creeds and unites them in their quest for world peace. It consists of the four avatars of Buddha including Maitreya Buddha.
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is recognized as one of the best mountaineering institutes in the world. It was established to channelize the ample energy of the youth into a prolific and self-rewarding sport. Apart from being the pioneer institutes in mountaineering in the world, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is also a significant major draw for tourists because of its scenic set up in the hill station of Darjeeling. The majestic sight of the 8586-meter high peak of Kanchenjunga - the 3rd highest peak in the world, is truly mesmerizing.
Tenzing Rock, a huge natural rock in Darjeeling which is named after Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, he created history when he climbed Mount Everest for the very first time along with Edmund Hillary. Professional rock climbers and the trainees' climb from the left side of the Tenzing Rock.
Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center comprises of a Tibetan-Buddhist temple, woodcarvings, workshops producing carpets, woolen items, a kindergarten, a home for the aged and a clinic. Visitors are welcome to visit the workshops. There's also an interesting, politically charged photographic exhibition on Tibetan history.
You can learn a lot about the flora and fauna of the Darjeeling district and also of the state at the Bengal Natural History Museum. A small building in the Botanical Garden was constructed to display only the butterflies and birds of the area. The museum consists of large collections of specimens of a wide variety of birds with their nests and eggs.
Stay overnight at the hotel.