Tinchuley

Tinchuley is a small village in the snow peaks of Mount Kanchenjunga, at an altitude of 5,800 feet,  in Darjeeling district, West Bengal state, India. It is slowly gaining popularity as a village tourism destination. Three ridges meet at Tinchuley.

View from Durpin Dara near Tinchuley

17 families are involved in the village tourism program. Some of their homes have been converted into homestays or guest houses.  They also indulge in organic farming.

Orange orchard farms, Tea Gardens, etc, are the main tourist attractions here at Tinchuley. Orange Orchards of Nirmal is around eight kilometers from here. Rungli Rungliot and Peshoke Tea Estate are two well-known tea estates here. Darjeeling Tea is a Geo-protected tea from this district.

Tinchuley Monastery is another tourist destination here.

Tinchuley View Point offers a 180-degree view of the Eastern Himalayas. The view of the sunrise from here, with the snow peaks of Kanchenjunga as the backdrop, is excellent.

Gumbadara viewpoint offers a magnificent view of the river Rangeet and parts of Sikkim. There are many caves and rocks which can be explored/trekked from here.

River Teesta & River Rangeet confluence at a nearby place called Triveni. It is one of the most beautiful sights. You can see both rivers in different colors at the confluence as Rangeet waters are crystal clear, whereas Teesta with its mountain stream waters has a different color. Sikkim mountains can be seen on one side.

Takdah

Takdah is another beautiful village near Tinchulay at a distance of around 3 kilometers.  Takdah Monastery, a small monastery,  is situated here.

During World War I, Takdah was one of the most strategic locations for the British. Army camps were set up here, now known as Takdah Cantonment, a military cantonment of the Indian army.

Durpin Dara Viewpoint (Dara means hills) is around ten kilometers from Takdah, within the Cantonment. The sight of the river Teesta flowing through the picturesque landscapes makes you spellbound.

Zang Dhok Palri Monastery alias Durpin Monastery or Durpin Gompa is situated here. Consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 1976, this new monastery is on the Durphin hills.  Durpin Gompa has 108 volumes of Kangyur (sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism), other holy books, and scrolls that were taken out of Tibet, after the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese in 1959.

Mongpu

Mongpu is another nearby village where the summer residence of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore is situated. It’s now converted into a museum.

How Do I Go to Tinchuley?

Tinchuley is at a distance of around 28 kilometers from Darjeeling and takes approximately 1.5 hours by car.  New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station and Siliguri Junction railway station are the two nearby railway stations at a distance of around 73 and 68 kilometers, respectively. Kalimpong Hills, another nearby tourist destination, is about 35 kilometers distance.

There are direct buses to Takdah from Darjeeling. If you are coming from Siliguri, Jeeps and shared taxis are available. They ply up to Takdah. From Takdah, you can hire a cab to reach Tinchuley, which is at a distance of around three kilometers.

Tinchuley Resorts

There are a few resorts here. Rai resort Tinchuley is a leading one. Guesthouses and homestays are also available.