Ghoom to Teesta Bazar by the Peshok road

Ghoom stands on a saddle at about 2,258 m where the roads of the Darjeeling hills divide. One of them heads east through Jorebunglow and drops towards the Teesta. On the way down it passes conifer forest and village terraces, the dhupi trees and prayer flags of Lamahatta, the tea of Lopchu and Peshok, and the Lovers' Meet viewpoint, before reaching the river at Teesta Bazar, a few hundred metres above sea level.

It is the main road between Darjeeling and Kalimpong, so you can ride it by shared jeep for about ₹200–250, or hire a car and stop wherever you like. Sit on the valley side. Take a sweater for the top and a T-shirt for the bottom; the change in temperature is striking. Lunch at Teesta Bazar, where simple eating houses serve rice meals and momos, before you carry on or turn back up the hill.

Teesta Bazar and the valley roads below it have suffered from landslides and the October 2023 Teesta flood, with long closures on NH10 between Sevoke and Rangpo. Before you plan to continue to Kalimpong, Gangtok or Siliguri this way, check current status before you travel. The climb from Teesta Bazar back up to Darjeeling is slow in the afternoon, when jeeps and trucks stack up on the hairpins, so leave time. In the monsoon, add buffer hours to any plan, and avoid driving the valley roads after dark.

Cost: Shared jeep ₹200–250 a seat · car ₹2,500–3,500