• The Mall: Essentially a market place, it is one of the most defining areas of this town. It has shops that sell Tibetan hand-knitted sweaters and souvenirs, Himalayan artifacts and antiques.

• Chowrasta: It means crossroad, and true to its name, is the center of all commercial activities. In fact the Mall Road originates and ends at the Chowrasta.

• Observatory Hill: The oldest site in Darjeeling is the Observatory Hill. Legend has it that a Red Hat Buddhist Monastery called Dorje Ling, or 'Place of the Thunderbolt', stood at this spot, which was later destroyed by the Nepalis.

• Himalayan Mountaineering Institute: This Institute was founded and managed by the late Tenzing Norgay who conquered Mt Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953. Today, it has on display records of some major expeditions undertaken. Next to this is the Everest Museum, which traces the history of different attempts on the world’s highest peak. You may also contact the institute for mountaineering courses for all levels. And a one-off rock-climbing session can be taken at the Tenzing Norgay Rock, located on the northern fringes of Darjeeling.

• Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway: Located at North Point about 3-km from the town, this is the first passenger ropeway in India.

• Ghoom Monastery: One of the renowned monasteries of Darjeeling, Ghoom houses the 15 ft high statue of the Maitreya Buddha. Painted in gold, the statue is said to be coated with precious stones. Also check out the several thangkas on the walls. The monastery is also home to the Tibetan translations of some of the most famous Sanskrit works by literary geniuses.

• Bhutia Basti Gompa: Situated 1 km out of town, this monastery is built against the spectacular backdrop of the Kanchenjunga Mountains. The shrine located here, earlier stood on the Observatory Hill. It is built in Tibeto-Nepalese architecture and is a storehouse of ancient Buddhist texts and artifacts.

• Tiger Hill: This is the highest point in the area and is located about 14 kms from Darjeeling. Catch some of the most panoramic sights of the magnificent landscape of Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan peaks.

• Toy Train:Built in the late 19th century, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is today a World Heritage sight. Built through a zigzag of tracks, it is worth taking a short joyride to the Ghoom Monastery or to the Batasia loop.

• Tea Estates: A trip to Darjeeling definitely is incomplete without a walk through its lush tea gardens. There are over 85 tea estates, which produce different varieties of tea, collectively called Darjeeling Tea. The best time to visit these are in the summer when you can watch tea-pickers at work and probably get lesson or two in tea-plucking!

Heaven for all non-veg food lovers is Keventer’s. With its own piggery, their pork items are a must-haves here. A delight for kids would be Glenary’s for its most tempting chocolate rolls, cinnamon buns, croissants, quiches and jam tarts. To beat the chill of the weather walk down to Stardust, which serves the best hot chocolate in the world and an amazing vegetable stew. Also, check out the food stalls at the Lower Bazaar, which sell everything from chowmein to momos. For some of the most heavenly tea, head out Nathumull’s, which has all possible varieties.

It’s tea, no doubt! Pick up some of the most exotic varieties from Nathumull Tea Merchants on Laden La Road. And if it’s curios and trendy souvenirs you’re looking for, rummage through brass statuettes, tinkling wind chimes, leather artifacts and silver jewellery in the shops that line the Chowrasta and Mall. The Tibetan Refugee Centre also offers options to pick up Tibetan wool, silk and thangka paintings.