How to Reach Lamahatta: Distances & Routes from NJP, Bagdogra, Siliguri and Darjeeling

By The Oak Hospitality team

Lamahatta is a small eco-tourism village at about 5,700 ft in the Darjeeling hills, on the road that branches off at Jorebungalow (near Ghoom) towards Peshok and Kalimpong. The nearest railhead is NJP (New Jalpaiguri Junction) and the nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB), both on the edge of Siliguri, and the village is about 22 km from Darjeeling town. From the plains, most travellers do the last stretch by hired taxi or shared jeep in roughly three to four hours.

Below are the distances and routes from each common starting point, each linked to its source. Hill-road distances and times are approximate and vary with season, traffic and landslides.

Lamahatta distances at a glance

Published distances to Lamahatta differ by a few kilometres between sources, mostly because people measure from different points in a town (a station, a bus stand, the Mall). Where sources disagree, we give a range.

From NJP and Siliguri

NJP, or New Jalpaiguri Junction, is the main long-distance railway station for the Darjeeling hills. The Darjeeling district administration names Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri as the two closest stations, with trains from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati and other major cities. It also notes that prepaid taxis can be booked at NJP station and Bagdogra airport, and that shared or hired smaller vehicles leave from the station, the airport and local motor stands.

From Siliguri, Lamahatta is about 75 km by Outlook Traveller’s count, and about 72 km, or roughly 3.5 hours, according to a Darjeeling travel guide. Drivers normally use one of two approaches:

• Up through the hills to Jorebungalow. You climb towards Darjeeling by Hill Cart Road (the Kurseong route) or the steeper Rohini Road, which has several hairpin bends. Near Ghoom, at Jorebungalow, you leave the Darjeeling road and take the Peshok road down to Lamahatta. The district administration lists four Siliguri–Darjeeling routes in all: Tindharia–Kurseong, Dudhiya–Mirik, Rohini and Pankhabari.
• Along the Teesta valley. You take NH-10 (the Sevoke road) through mostly flat country along the Teesta, then make a shorter uphill drive on the Peshok road. The same guide warns that this stretch is often congested.

NJP lies at the southern end of Siliguri, so plan on roughly the Siliguri distance plus the time it takes to get through town traffic. We could not verify a separate NJP-to-Lamahatta figure, so we do not give one.

Shared jeep is the local name for the shared SUVs, often Boleros or Sumos, that run fixed routes between the plains and hill towns and leave when they are full. For Lamahatta, the usual pattern is a shared jeep from Siliguri to Jorebungalow, then onward transport to Lamahatta. Outlook Traveller also notes that local buses and shared jeeps connect the villages in this area. Fares change often and we have not found an official fare chart, so agree the fare before you set off.

Step by step: NJP to Lamahatta

This is the route most of our guests take:

1. Arrive at NJP (New Jalpaiguri Junction). Check that your train is on time so the driver can plan to reach the hills in daylight.
2. Book a prepaid taxi at the station counter, or hire one at the stand. Prepaid taxis are available at NJP according to the district administration. If you are on a tight budget, take a shared jeep towards Darjeeling and get off at Jorebungalow.
3. Drive through Siliguri and up into the hills by Hill Cart Road, Rohini Road or the NH-10/Teesta route. Your driver will pick the route that is clear that day.
4. Near Ghoom, at Jorebungalow, turn off the Darjeeling road onto the Peshok road. If you came up the Teesta valley, you climb the Peshok road from below instead.
5. Follow the road to Lamahatta. The Oak Retreat is on 9th Mile Road, directly opposite the Lamahatta Eco Park entrance.
6. Allow about 3.5 hours from Siliguri in normal conditions, and more in the monsoon or on busy holiday weekends.

Send us your train or flight details on WhatsApp and we can tell you which route is running smoothly that week. Our numbers are on the contact page.

From Bagdogra airport (IXB)

Bagdogra Airport (IATA code IXB) is the airport for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the surrounding hills. The Airports Authority of India runs it as a civil enclave at the Indian Air Force station, about 12 km south-west of Siliguri city centre. The Darjeeling district administration notes direct flights from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati, and a prepaid taxi counter at the airport.

The road from Bagdogra goes through or around Siliguri. A fair estimate is the Siliguri distance of about 72–75 km plus roughly 12 km to reach Siliguri from the airport, with the same choice of hill routes described above. For comparison, the district administration puts Bagdogra about 90 km from Darjeeling via NH 110. Lamahatta is a little closer because you turn off at Jorebungalow, before you reach Darjeeling town.

From Darjeeling

This is the shortest leg and the one most searched for. Lamahatta is about 23 km from Darjeeling. A 2024 account on eSamskriti gives the same distance and puts the drive at about an hour. Our own site lists the hotel as about 22 km from Darjeeling town. The small difference comes from where in Darjeeling you start counting.

The route is simple. From Darjeeling you drive to Ghoom, which has the highest station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway at about 2,260 m. Continue to Jorebungalow, then take the Peshok road down through pine and dhupi forest to Lamahatta.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the “toy train”, is a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. If you want to ride it as part of your trip, the practical plan is to spend a night or two in Darjeeling and then make the short road transfer to Lamahatta. You can also visit Darjeeling as a day trip from the hotel, which is one of the outings on our things to do page.

From Kalimpong

Kalimpong to Lamahatta is about 41 km, roughly two hours by road. The road drops from Kalimpong to the Teesta at Teesta Bazar, then climbs the Peshok road through tea country to Lamahatta.

The Teesta valley section can be disrupted after heavy rain. In July 2025, for example, the swollen Teesta breached its embankment and submerged NH-10, and officials asked travellers to use alternative routes and avoid NH-10 until restoration work was over. If you are travelling between June and September, check road conditions on the morning you leave.

From Kurseong and Mirik

Kurseong lies on the Hill Cart Road, about 32 km from Darjeeling and 34 km from Siliguri. To reach Lamahatta from Kurseong, continue up towards Ghoom and turn off at Jorebungalow onto the Peshok road. Because Jorebungalow comes before Darjeeling town on this road, the trip is shorter than driving to Darjeeling and then on to Lamahatta. We have not found a published Kurseong-to-Lamahatta figure we can verify, so ask your driver for the current distance and time.

Mirik is the lake town to the west, about 49 km from Darjeeling town and 52 km from Siliguri. Coming to Lamahatta from Mirik, you drive towards Ghoom and then follow the same Jorebungalow–Peshok road turn-off. Mirik works well as a stop on the way up from Siliguri using the Dudhiya–Mirik route, which is one of the four Siliguri–Darjeeling routes listed by the district administration.

From Tinchuley and Takdah

Tinchuley is about 6 km from Lamahatta by a road that passes the Peshok tea gardens. Takdah, a former cantonment, is linked to Lamahatta by a motorable road. Outlook Traveller suggests visiting Tinchuley as a day trip from Lamahatta, or making a loop from Takdah through Tinchuley that ends at Lamahatta. Day trips to Tinchuley and Takdah are on our things to do list.

From Kolkata

There is no direct road or rail link from Kolkata to Lamahatta, so the trip has two parts.

• By train: Howrah to NJP is about 564 km. When the Howrah–NJP Vande Bharat Express was launched in December 2022, it was scheduled to cover that distance in 7 hours 45 minutes, with stops at Bolpur, Malda and Barsoi. Overnight trains also run on this corridor. Timetables change, so check the current schedule with Indian Railways or IRCTC before you book.
• By air: Kolkata to Bagdogra is a short flight. The district administration lists Kolkata among the cities with flights to Bagdogra.

After that, follow the NJP or Bagdogra route above. An overnight train that reaches NJP in the morning lets you be in Lamahatta by early afternoon, which fits our check-in time of 12 noon.

Practical tips for the drive

• Hire a local driver. Outlook Traveller’s advice is that mountain roads can be tricky and that it is best to hire a local driver if you want your own transport.
• Build in a buffer in the monsoon. NH-10 along the Teesta can close after heavy rain, as it did in July 2025, and other hill roads can also be slowed by slips. If you are travelling in that season, read our piece on rainy days at Lamahatta.
• Agree fares first. Shared-jeep and taxi fares vary with season and demand, and we have not found an official published fare chart. Settle the price before loading your bags.
• Use the Eco Park as your landmark. The Oak Retreat is on 9th Mile Road, opposite the Lamahatta Eco Park. Every local driver knows the park, and our Google Maps pin is at 27.05409, 88.35227.

Where you will be staying

Lamahatta – The Oak Retreat is a three-room boutique hotel at about 5,700 ft. The rooms are Juniper, Pine and Spruce, and they look out over the Kanchenjunga range, the pine forest and, from Spruce, Darjeeling town. Room rates include breakfast and dinner for two adults. Check-in is at 12 noon and check-out is at 11 am. You can read more about the property and the village on our Lamahatta page. If you are still deciding when to travel, see why winter and April are good times to visit, and what to fill your days with in our guide to things to do in Lamahatta.

For help planning your journey, call or WhatsApp us on +91 93823 42597 or +91 93308 34776. You can also write to theoakhospitality.resv@gmail.com or use the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the distance from Darjeeling to Lamahatta?

About 22–23 km by road, via Ghoom and Jorebungalow and then the Peshok road. In normal conditions the drive takes about an hour.

Which is the nearest railway station to Lamahatta?

NJP (New Jalpaiguri Junction), at the southern edge of Siliguri. Lamahatta is about 72–75 km from Siliguri by road, roughly 3.5 hours. The toy train goes to Darjeeling, not to Lamahatta.

Which is the nearest airport to Lamahatta?

Bagdogra Airport (IXB), about 12 km south-west of Siliguri. From there, allow the Siliguri-to-Lamahatta drive plus the short run from the airport into Siliguri.

How far is Lamahatta from Kalimpong?

About 41 km, roughly two hours, by way of Teesta Bazar and the Peshok road. During the monsoon, check the state of NH-10 before you set off.

Can I reach Lamahatta by shared jeep?

Yes. A common way is to take a shared jeep from Siliguri to Jorebungalow and then onward transport to Lamahatta. Fares vary, so agree the price before you set off.

How far is Tinchuley from Lamahatta?

About 6 km by a road that passes the Peshok tea gardens.

Sources

• Darjeeling District Administration – How to Reach
• Airports Authority of India – Bagdogra Airport
• Bagdogra Airport (IXB) – location and operator
• Outlook Traveller – A Road Trip Through Three Lesser-Known Himalayan Hamlets Near Darjeeling
• eSamskriti – Lamahatta near Darjeeling is a must visit (2024)
• Darjeeling Tourism guide – Lamahatta
• Outlook India (PTI) – Howrah–NJP Vande Bharat Express
• The Week (PTI) – Swollen Teesta submerges NH-10, July 2025
• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – route, gauge and UNESCO status
• Kurseong – distances from Darjeeling and Siliguri
• Mirik – distances from Darjeeling and Siliguri