Siliguri and NJP
The gateway: about 581 km from Kolkata by road, and where the trains and flights land. All hill cars start from here.
travel guide
Kolkata to Darjeeling: distance, and the honest way to go
Kolkata to Darjeeling is about 639 km by road, 620 km from Barrackpore, which is twelve to fifteen hours of driving. It can be done and we do run it, but for most people the sensible plan is a night train to New Jalpaiguri or a flight to Bagdogra, then a car for the three to four hour climb to Darjeeling. We will tell you that even though the long drive is the bigger booking.
travel guide
The short version
- Road distance from Kolkata
- 639 km
- From Barrackpore side
- 620 km
- Usual drive time
- 12 to 15 hours by road, or 3 to 4 hours up from Bagdogra or NJP
- Best time to go
- March to May and October to December. Skip the peak monsoon for landslides
travel guide
Stops on the way
Kurseong and Mirik
Two ways up, both worth a stop. Mirik adds an hour but gives you the lake and the tea gardens on the way.
Darjeeling
Tiger Hill, the Mall, the toy train and the monasteries. Three nights is the comfortable length; two feels short after the journey.
What we actually suggest
Take the night train from Sealdah to New Jalpaiguri or a morning flight to Bagdogra. We drop you at the station or airport from your gate, and a car meets you at the other end for the hill drive, the sightseeing days and the drop back. If you still want to drive the whole way, we do it with two drivers and a night halt at Siliguri, never in one non-stop run.
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What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
Book trains and hill hotels early for April, May, October and the Christmas week.
Hill roads close for landslides in heavy rain. Keep a spare day in the monsoon and listen to the driver.
Carry warm clothes even in April. Nights at that height are cold.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
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Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
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We pick up from these areas
A day trip works best when the car reaches you early, from your own side of town.
questions
Questions about Kolkata to Darjeeling: distance, and the honest way to go
How far is Darjeeling from Kolkata by road?
About 639 km, twelve to fifteen hours of driving. From Barrackpore about 620 km.
Can we go to Darjeeling and come back in two days?
Not sensibly. Two days would be almost thirty hours in the car. Four days with the train, or five days driving, is the shortest version that is actually a holiday.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
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want a car for it
Tell us the date and we plan the day
Send the date and how many people are going. We tell you which car fits, when the car should start, and the full price in writing before you decide.