Fair
Darjeeling in December
West Bengal, India
December Darjeeling is winter locked in. Night temperatures hit 1-3°C, and frost is a daily feature. The town is quiet â Christmas and New Year bring a small bump in visitors, especially to the heritage hotels that decorate beautifully, but overall this is deep off-season. Kanchenjunga visibility is superb on clear days, though increased winter haze from the plains can sometimes drift up. Tea gardens are completely dormant â brown bushes, empty hillsides, no workers. The toy train runs its reduced winter schedule. Mall Road shops close early. You'll want a down jacket, thermals, and gloves â this is not optional.
The December story
December Darjeeling is a specific taste: you come for the silence, the cold-sharpened views, and the feeling of having a world-famous hill station almost to yourself. Christmas Eve at the old churches â St. Andrew's, St. Columba's â has genuine warmth, with carol services attended mostly by local families. The Windamere Hotel does a proper Christmas dinner that's been running since the Raj era. New Year's Eve on Mall Road is low-key but friendly â locals and the few tourists mixing over momos and hot tea. Tiger Hill on a December morning, with the Milky Way still visible as Kanchenjunga catches first light, is transcendent â and you might share it with ten people instead of a hundred. Hotel prices are at their annual low outside Christmas week. The cold is real, though. If your hotel doesn't have a room heater, you won't sleep.
Why December scores 3/5
Weather
Cold 2-10°C. Christmas charm in colonial-era hotels. Glenary's and Keventer's cozy. Mountain views excellent on clear mornings. Carry heavy woolens.
Roads & Access
self drive: Manageable for experienced hill drivers. Parking scarce in town. road condition: Good tarmac, steep hairpin bends on Hill Cart Road. public transport: Shared jeeps and taxis from NJP/Siliguri. Local share taxis within town. from nearest city: Bagdogra Airport/NJP Station â 70km, 3hr drive. last km difficulty: easy
Safety & Emergency
Safety: 4/5. rescue: District disaster management â local admin. helpline: 100 (police), 108 (ambulance). ambulance: 108 ambulance service available. police station: Darjeeling Sadar PS â Mall Road. nearest hospital: Darjeeling District Hospital â in town
Network
VI: Yes, JIO: Yes, BSNL: Yes, NOTE: Yes, AIRTEL: Yes. Full 4G coverage in town. Patchy on outskirts near Tiger Hill
Kids
Kid-friendly (4/5) â Toy train ride is magical for kids, Tea garden walks are easy, Pleasant weather year-round, Zoo and botanical gardens available
Elevation
2,042m â Moderate altitude
Who should go
- âFirst-time travelers
- âSenior citizens
- âChristmas and New Year travellers wanting a unique, quiet mountain celebration
- âAstrophotography enthusiasts â winter skies over Darjeeling are exceptional
- âSolo travellers who find empty hill stations meditative rather than lonely
- âHeritage hotel lovers â Windamere and Elgin are at their atmospheric peak in winter
Who should think twice
- âAnyone without proper winter clothing â Darjeeling has no tolerance for cotton jackets at 2°C
- âVisitors wanting a lively holiday atmosphere â this is not Shimla or Manali in December
- âTea tourists â nothing is growing, nothing is processing
- âFamilies with young children â cold, limited activities, early shop closures
All 12 Months
| Month | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2/5 | Cold 2-10°C. Morning fog blankets town but clears by 10am. Kanchenjunga visible on clear days. Toy train atmospheric in mist. Few tourists. |
| February | 3/5 | Cold 3-12°C. More clear days than Jan. Tiger Hill sunrise views improving. Tea gardens dormant. Good for monastery visits and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. |
| March | 4/5 | Spring 8-18°C. Magnolias blooming, town colours returning. First flush tea season begins. Kanchenjunga more visible. Orchid season starting. |
| April | 4/5 | Peak spring, 10-20°C. Rhododendrons on Singalila Ridge. First flush Darjeeling tea at its finest. Tiger Hill clear mornings. Moderate crowds. |
| May | 3/5 | Warm 14-22°C. Pre-monsoon humidity building. Haze reduces mountain views. Plains tourists arrive for summer. Crowded but tea gardens lush. |
| June | 1/5 | Monsoon hits hard. Darjeeling gets 500mm+ this month. Landslides close NH-10 regularly. Toy train disrupted. Zero mountain views. Avoid. |
| July | 1/5 | Peak monsoon, 300-600mm rain. Town perpetually damp. Landslides strand tourists regularly. Mould in hotels. Toy train suspended. Do not visit. |
| August | 1/5 | Monsoon continues relentlessly. All outdoor activities cancelled. Roads treacherous. Tea gardens close for monsoon break. Miserable conditions. |
| September | 2/5 | Monsoon fading, 12-20°C. Occasional clear windows reveal Kanchenjunga in dramatic cloud breaks. Lush green but still wet. Unpredictable weather. |
| October | 5/5 | Best month, 10-18°C. Crystal clear post-monsoon air. Kanchenjunga sunrise at Tiger Hill unforgettable. Toy train running. Second flush tea. Perfect. |
| November | 5/5 | Excellent 5-15°C. Clear skies continue. Autumn flush tea season. Singalila Ridge trek at its best. Few crowds, great visibility. Highly recommended. |
| Decemberviewing | 3/5 | Cold 2-10°C. Christmas charm in colonial-era hotels. Glenary's and Keventer's cozy. Mountain views excellent on clear mornings. Carry heavy woolens. |
Practical Details
How to reach
Bagdogra Airport/NJP Station â 70km, 3hr drive. Roads: Good tarmac, steep hairpin bends on Hill Cart Road. Self-drive: Manageable for experienced hill drivers. Parking scarce in town. Public transport: Shared jeeps and taxis from NJP/Siliguri. Local share taxis within town. Last stretch: easy
Elevation
2,042m
Difficulty
easy
Budget tier
mid-range
Nearby in West Bengal scoring high in December
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