Are you crazy about hill stations? If yes, then it is high time for you to plan a short trip to one of the most beautiful hill stations of Kurseong.
Kurseong is a small town located 32 kilometers away from Darjeeling. The place has got an elevation of 1500 meters above sea level, which is a perfect altitude to provide you with the most comfortable and pleasant weather throughout the year. Kurseong, the beautiful and quaint hill station on the lap of the Himalayas, is one of the major tourist attractions of North Bengal. Tucked in between the folds of the mighty Shiwalik Himalayan Ranges, Kurseong is much popular among nature lovers for its aesthetic view and pleasant climate.
Top Attractions of Kurseong
The hill city will never fail to mesmerize you with its tranquillity and picturesque beauty. Kurseong tourism has a lot of things to offer, which may be a lifetime experience for mountain lovers.
1. Tea Gardens
Kurseong is famous for the tea estates around as the world-famous Darjeeling tea is produced here. It is widely known as the Mecca of Tea. Makaibari and Ambotia are the two major tea estates here. But a guided tour is recommended to the tourists which costs around Rs. 500. The guided tours offer opportunities to meet the workers.
Added to it, a guided tour nourishes the tourists with knowledge about tea processing and its historic significance. You can also take part in the tea-tasting session conducted by the tea estates. Staying arrangements are also available there if you want to spend the night amidst the tea garden.
2. Ambotia Shiva Mandir
Ambotia Shiva Mandir is the most famous temple in Kurseong. It is located in the Ambotia tea estate. The local tea workers rest thereafter working. Apart from the religious significance, the place is widely popular for its location with spectacular scenic beauty. Also, you can enjoy the beauty of orange orchards around the temple. The majestic landscape of the location injects aesthetic feelings and tranquillity inside the visitors. It is considered the major spiritual place for the locals.
3. Eagle’s Crag
It is the most popular viewpoint of Kurseong City. To reach the viewpoint, you have to cover steep and narrow roads with water linings, which is quite exciting for mountain lovers. The viewpoint offers a spellbound view of sunrise and sunset behind the Kanchenjunga. Kurseong Tourism offers a seating area also there for visitors with a statue of a Gorkha warrior.
The watchtower with a winding staircase reminds visitors of colonial architecture. The astonishing view of the green valleys and hilly terrains with the backdrop of the Himalayan mountains will leave an unforgettable memory with you.
4. Deer Park
Kurseong deer park, also known as Dow Hill Park or Satellite Park, is one of the major tourist attractions in Kurseong. The fauna lovers always keep the spot at the top of their bucket list while planning for Kurseong tourism. The place falls under the Dow Hill area which is well known for its soothing tranquillity.
You may reach there by hiring a cab from the Kurseong railway station. But if you are a trek-loving person then you must reach there by trekking. It will save your pocket also. Apart from deer, rabbits, guinea pigs and various types of flora can be found here.
5. Forest Museum
For nature lovers, Kurseong tourism offers another mesmerizing treat, the forest museum. Here you will get to know about the creatures that inhabited the forest. It is another major tourist attraction in the Dow Hill area. The museum is maintained by the forest department.
The place is around 6.2 km away from Kurseong City. It takes around 25 minutes to reach there. This spot is considered one of the most important spots of ecotourism in Darjeeling. Kurseong tourism made this museum free from any entry fee to flourish ecotourism there.
6. Churches of Kurseong
Kurseong, the old colonial hill city is known for its old churches around. St. Paul’s Church, St. Andrew’s Church, and St. Mary’s Hill Church are the most renowned churches in the hill city. St. Paul’s church is half a kilometer away from Kurseong Railway Station. It was founded in 1904 by Fr Bernard. It is dedicated to St. Paul, who is considered the saint of the former Archbishop Paul Goethals.
On the other hand, St. Andrew’s Church and St. Mary’s Hill Church are one of the oldest churches in the hill station. The colonial architecture in the location of the spellbound landscape always adds an aesthetic vibe to Kurseong tourism.
7. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum carries the essence of the evolution of DHR and its glorious heritage. There are three Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Museum. One is in Darjeeling, one is in Sukna, and another one is in Kurseong. Original exhibits, photographs, and sketches are kept there. Also, you can enjoy the miniatures of steam engines of the glorious toy trains there.
Starting from the colonial period, every steam engine used therefore toy trains are described there well along with the engineering facts. It is located right at the Kurseong Railway Station. Kurseong tourism has showcased there every existing fact about DHR.
8. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum
Originally it was the house of Sarat Chandra Bose, an important activist of Indian independence and elder brother of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This museum in the hill city is a museum with historic memoirs of these two greatest freedom fighters. From Mr. Rowley Lascelles Ward, Sarat Bose bought this mansion in 1922.
While going through a session of house arrest, Subhash Bose spent 7 months in this house by the British Government. Sarat Bose and his wife Bibhabati Devi used to visit this place frequently for spending holidays. Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das also visited the place. This 4 room-house was re-innovated and decorated as a museum in 2005. It was inaugurated by Sri Gopal Krishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal.
9. Shopping in Kurseong
Kurseong tourism remains incomplete without buying different types of tea leaves. Darjeeling tea is renowned around the world due to its special flavor and aroma. Also, here authentic Tibetan artworks are available at cheap prices in the local market. Shawls and hand-woven carpets with dragon motives are much popular among visitors here.
So, hurry up and pack your bag to have a wonderful visit to this small hill station.
The Best Time to Visit Kurseong
You can be a part of Kurseong tourism at any time of the year. The choice of time to visit the beautiful district of Kurseong depends on what sites you want to visit, what kind of weather conditions you prefer, how many days of trip planning you have, etc.
Summers in Kurseong are quite pleasant and non-humid. The temperature ranges from 10 to 25 degrees during the summer. One of the best times to enjoy the scenic beauty of Kurseong is between March to June. Kurseong starts experiencing mild-warm weather at the beginning of March when the winter forbids a goodbye to the place.
The warm and pleasant climate continues till the end of June. The summer season in Kurseong tourism is the most appropriate time to have an enjoyable holiday trip along with your family’s elder members and children. Also that the most popular Dow Hills of Kurseong is famous for its horror stories, you can visit the forest for some mysteriously memorable experiences during the summer.
Kurseong tourism might not show its true beautiful colors during the monsoon season. Kuseong receives heavy rainfall during June, July, August, and September. Monsoon sets in Kurseong by the end of June and continues till the start of September making Kurseong all set for the winters. It might not be an excellent idea to visit the place during the monsoon season as you might not be able to enjoy sightseeing or exploring Kurseong.
The best part of Kurseong is visible during the winter. If you are a snow lover, then you can visit Kurseong tourism during the winter months of September, October, and November. The temperatures drop down to a certain level to surprise the tourists with light snowfall. The harsh cold weather during the winter might not be very pleasurable to the elders and babies. But the overall climate remains cool and also lets you enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills.
You can avoid the months of December, January, and February as most of the hilltops get covered with snow, and also the pleasurable cold becomes unbearable in these months.
How to Reach Kurseong?
If you are searching for the best routes to reach Kurseong, then you have come to the right page. You can read the article further to find out the best routes to Kurseong:
Roadways
Although Kurseong is not that well-connected to any of the vital roads in India, you can still travel to the place, by taking buses from anywhere in India. The journey might take you a long time to reach Kurseong. You might exhaust half of your energy already before reaching Kurseong on a bus. However, you can take your private car or hire or rent a car for traveling to Kurseong via road. In that way, you can enjoy the road trip to Kurseong filled with various trees and plantations on the way.
Railways
If you are planning for Kurseong by taking the railways as the mode of transport, then you might not be wrong in decision-making. The railway is the second-fastest mean of transport to reach Kurseong. You can book a railway ticket from any part of India to New Jalpaiguri which is the nearest railway station from Kurseong. Outside the railway station, you can easily hire any cab, jeep, shuttle, bus, or even a private car to reach Kurseong in no time. Whatever you take from New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong, the cost would not differ much.
Airways
The best and most comfortable route to Kurseong tourism is the airways. It is the fastest mode of transport which can help you reach Kurseong in no time. You can reach Kurseong via flight by booking tickets from your city to Bagdogra Airport, which is the nearest airport to Kurseong. You would have to travel more than 44 kilometers even after taking a flight to Bagdogra, Siliguri. There are cabs, shuttles, jeeps, and even public buses available from Bagdogra Airport to direct Kurseong.
The above modes of transport can help you quickly reach Kurseong in no time. Kurseong waits for your visit eagerly at a reasonable travel expense!