The Tharpa Choeling Gompa was established in 1922 band is a 40-minute walk uphill from the town. Lower down is the Tongsa Gompa, the oldest Bhutanese monastery founded in 1692. South of the town, 5 km away is Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa consecrated by the Dalai Lama. On a clear day you may be able to spot Siliguri and Nathu-la Pass from here. Deolo Hills and Durbin Dara ridges command excellent views of the Kanchenjunga range. Take a drive to Durbin Dara - the road is a gently winding uphill road through Rinkinpong Road, guaranteed to remind you of the colonial days as you pass by old English cottages with gardens. The views are even better from Deolo Hill in the north south side of town. Right below is Dr. Graham’s Home a school established in 1900 to educate children of tea garden workers. It has an old chapel with magnificient stained glass windows.

There are numerous nurseries as Kalimpong produces 80 % of India’s gladioli and orchids. Check out the town during the Flower Festival held in October. There is a Sericulture Research Institute where silkworms are bred and silk is produced.

Set aside a day for city getaways Lava and Loleygaon. The drive to Lava is a 35km stretch through enchanting virgin forests broken by small grassy clearings where butterflies dance with the sunlight. The brick and concrete monastery in Lava doesn't qite fit in with its natural ambience. There is also a natural flora and fauna museum here worth visiting. Loleygaon is 20km downhill with the most stunning view of the Kanchenjunga range. Take the "canopy walk" - it is a suspended walkway between trees. Walk gingerly in suspended animation on steel wires spanning tree tops - it is an exhilarating experience, not too long though.  

Ride the rapids with a spot of white water rafting at Teesta Bazaar, 16 km away from Kalimpong. The best time to do this is between mid November and February.

Getting There: Bagdogra (80 km from Kalimpong) is the nearest airport, which has direct flights to Kolkata, Delhi, and Guwahati. Kalimpong can also be accesssed by road from Siliguri (65km). The distance can be covered in 3 hours by a bus or in a private taxi. New Jalpaiguri is the nearest railhead with connections to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Madras, Bombay, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Tirupati, Trivandrum and Cochin. One can reach Kalimpong from the rail station by a bus or a taxicab. The road distances are Kolkata 651 km, Gangtok 100 km and Darjeeling 51 km which can be covered in a bus, a shared taxi, a hired cab or your own vehicle. In the town, jeeps are available on hire. Its best to see the sights on foot though.

Accommodation: There are two great hotels to stay at in Kalimpong, both with gardens of camellias, azaleas, orchids, poinsettias and views of the Kanchenjunga peak. In fact all the hotels have panoramic views of the hills, vales and the snow laden Himalayas. The difference would only be of the facilities accessible in the hotels, like the availability of hot water, room service, maintenance etc. The Central Bank is located on the Main road. The post office and the email facilities are situated opposite each other on Rishi road.