Tourist Places To Visit In Siliguri

Lying at the foothills of the Himalayas, Siliguri is one of the most important cities in North Bengal and serves as a stopover for tourists traveling to Darjeeling, Dooars, Kalimpong etc. While passing through the city it is recommended that travellers take out some time to explore the city. There are a number of places of interest for the tourists in Siliguri and they should not be missed.

Salugara Monastery is a Buddhist place of worship that is located about 6 km from the city. It has tranquil and peaceful surrounding that has a soothing effect on the people. It is great for spending some quality time with one’s own self and for meditation. It has a 100 foot stupa which dominates the surrounding landscape and was founded by lama Kalu Rinpoche. Devotees come here to pay their reverence to five relics that the stupa houses.

Lying between rivers Teesta and Mahananda, the wildlife sanctuary is a vast expanse of forest area that houses a species of rare mountain goat. Apart from mountain goat, tourists can also spot other animals like fishing cat, tiger, elephant, barking deer, cheetal, sambar etc. interest tourists can also trek here as there are great trekking trails starting at Golaghat Mana, Deorali and Latpancher.

For wildlife enthusiasts, there is no better place to be than the Bengal Safari Park. One will come across a large number of birds as well as wild animals like gharials, leopards, tigers and Himalayan black bears. Though the park offers both jeep and elephant safaris, jeeps are preferred as they are safer particularly if traveling with kids.

The biggest attraction of Siliguri is undoubtedly the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. This is 200 years old and still functioning and was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site few years back. It is one of the few mountain railways in the country that is still operational. Running between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, the train journey is a fascinating one allowing glimpse of the gorgeous mountain ranges, tea estate and the greenery all around.

When you are visiting Darjeeling or Siliguri a visit to the magnificent tea estates is highly recommended. The Sepoy Dhura Tea Garden is one of the tea gardens here located near the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. The drive to the plantations is a vivid experience in tea fragrance and peace, while a leisurely stroll through the gardens is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating.

Located between Siliguri and Mirik, near the banks of Balason River is a little hamlet called Dudhia. It is surrounded by the lovely tea gardens. A day’s trip and a picnic by the river side is terrific experience. In winter when water levels tend to be low it gets really crowded. The best way to avoid crowd is visiting on a weekday to enjoy the scenic beauty.

This is another famous tourist attraction in Siliguri. About 25 km from Siliguri in Sevoke, this bridge was constructed during the British era to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth and King George VI. The design and engineering are the high points of the bridge as it had to be constructed keeping in mind the force and depth of River Teesta over which it was built.