The home is a good starting point for exploring the Darjeeling and Kalimpong region. Drive to Tiger Hill before dawn to see Kanchenjunga at first light, an 11km trip from Darjeeling town. You can spend a day visiting working tea gardens like Happy Valley or Glenburn, which offer tours and tastings.
For a classic Darjeeling experience, take the two-hour joyride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage toy train that runs on the Ghum loop. For serious trekkers, the Singalila ridge trek starts from nearby and leads to Sandakphu, famous for its view of five of the world's tallest peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, and Kabru. In Darjeeling town, you can visit the Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which was once home to Tenzing Norgay.
The nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB), about 90km away from Darjeeling, which is a 3-hour drive via the scenic routes of Mirik or Kurseong. The main broad-gauge railhead for the region is New Jalpaiguri (NJP), 88km from Darjeeling. The plains hub of Siliguri is 75km away, and from there you can find shared jeeps to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Mirik. The historic Darjeeling toy train also connects to the main rail network, offering a slow but scenic journey up the hills.
The best time to visit is from October to mid-June, when the skies are clear and the views are sharp. The monsoon season, from late June to September, brings heavy rain, which can cause landslides and road closures on the main highways like NH10 and the Pankhabari road. Travel during these months can be unpredictable.