Great Homestays in Darjeeling
What to expect
A homestay in Darjeeling is typically an extension of the house of a local. The landlord and his family would stay in one part of the property while there will be separate rooms for guests. Most time the dining room and even the living room would be common so that you can interact with the owner's family when you stay there.
In several such homestays, you can also join a family member in the kitchen and lend your hand in cooking if you so want. Or learn from the family how to prepare local Nepali food which is often delicious. In the evening when you are back after sightseeing or shopping, you can sit with the family members in the living room, chat and watch TV.
So a homestay in Darjeeling is all about staying in a local home, experiencing and enjoying Darjeeling using the ways and eyes of the locals. You can dine with the local family, even participate in their day to day life to get insight into their lives and culture, and of course have delicious homemade food in a homely environment. This is an experience which is completely different from a hotel.
Do not expect professional service like of a hotel, instead you will get lots of love and caring from the family. By allowing tourists in their houses, such local families have decided on a different way of living life where they need to spend a lot of time with outsiders as part of their day-to-day life.
How to book a homestay?
Numerous homestays have come up in Darjeeling over the past few years and most of them are run by local families. While you can contact them directly and book, it is a good idea to go through the reviews of the tourists who actually stayed at such homestays and shared their experiences. You can then know about the first hand opinions, understand the pros and cons, and then choose the one that you like.
A great option is to go through the homestays listed in Booking.com by clicking/tapping on the button below... you can get to see several nice homestays in Darjeeling, their pictures, go through user reviews, check out the rates and offers, and book directly online.
Rates provided by booking.com
Some great homestays in Darjeeling
Here are some of the nice home stays within Darjeeling town. Go through the links for details of each homestay.
Located 15-minute walk from the lower town market area, this home stay takes you to a quiet and tranquil residential area where you will stay in a family home. The owner's family stays in the same house at the top floor and will welcome you like members of the family. You will get a great opportunity of staying in a local home, spend few days of your life the way the real natives do here in Darjeeling and eating delicious local homemade food. And the homestay is within walking distance of several great tourist attractions of Darjeeling such as the HMI, Zoo and Bengal Natural History Museum, giving you a great location advantage.
Located 3kms away from the town center and the crowded touristy area, this is a little gem of a homestay that offers a serene and peaceful stay. Hosted by the Syangdan family, the hospitality offered here and the quality of food served sets a very high standard among the homestay community of Darjeeling. The rooms have balconies, and are spacious, clean and have all the amenities that you can expect out of a good homestay such as TV, electric kettle, western style toilets with geysers, room heaters (provided free on request), and even electric bed warmers. There are double bedded and triple bedded rooms with balconies.
The homestay overlooks the beautiful Singtam tea gardens. The view of the valley and the vast tea gardens on the rolling hills from the balconies or the dining room is simply awesome. There are many great tourist attractions within walking distance such as the HMI, Darjeeling Zoo, Ropeway (Cable Car), Tenzing Rock etc. And there are plenty of shared taxis available to get to the town easily, you can also walk if you want.
Located 3kms from the main town of Darjeeling and on the Hill Cart Road, this homestay is run by a lady out of her passion, and offers wonderful view of Kanchenjunga snow peaks from all its rooms and the private balconies. At the same time you enjoy a quiet stay while being close to the town center which is easily accessible in 15 minutes by shared jeeps that ply all the time. The homestay offers simple homemade food and a nice peaceful environment on a hillside.
If you are okay to stay a little away from the touristy crowd of Darjeeling Mall area although within its walking distance, then you need to seriously look into this property, because it has almost all other elements that you might be longing for in a homestay in Darjeeling... Heyagriva Homestay is located about 15 minutes walk from the mall, with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the snow peaks of Mt. Kachenjunga, comfortable and plush rooms, delicious homemade local food and a very warm and loving couple as hosts.
This homestay is operated by a local couple who are extremely courteous and caring. There are three units in one building and each unit is 2-BHK with two rooms. Out of the three, two units also have fully equipped kitchen with gas oven, fridge, dining table and utensils. Each unit is good enough for a family of 4-5. The units are also fully furnished with flat-TV, attached western style toilet with geyser, etc.
The homestay is located on Hill Cart Road and about 1.7kms before Darjeeling Railway Station. It offers great views of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the township of Darjeeling from the common balcony as well as from the rooms. Location is convenient and you can get ample public transports right in front of the homestay to get to the main township of Darjeeling.
Samir, a young man and his family have built a 2-room cottage on the roof of their house to offer a great homestay to tourists. The view of Kanchenjunga from the open terrace right in front of the rooms as well as from the windows of the rooms is simply awesome.
The homestay has the advantage of facing the east and is located below the Mall road which is one of the best view locations in Darjeeling. Both rooms are nicely appointed with wood paneling, modern furnishing including wi-fi and attached western toilets giving them a very cozy feel. There is also a fully equipped kitchen in case you want to cook your own meals. The family however makes excellent homemade breakfast.
A small cozy home stay run by a local Nepali couple. There are only two rooms which are well furnished yet simple having attached bath with western style toilet, geyser and shower. Views of the mountains is great. If you are looking for a cozy budget homestay which is close to the town center (Chowrasta Mall) yet far enough from the crowd, then this can be a great choice.
It's located on Gandhi road and only few minutes walk from the Mall (or Chowrasta). The local Tibetan family stays in the property at the top floor. The rooms are simple and nice. You will be invited to the family dining room to take your breakfast. This is from where you get nice view of the snow mountains on a clear day. View from the roof-top terrace is also great.
The rooms have been renovated with Italian floor tiles, pine wood paneling on the walls etc. There is 24-hours hot water in the bathrooms having geysers. There is no restaurant in the Snowlion Homestay, neither they serve any meals other than breakfast. But being located centrally, there are plenty of restaurants within easy walk.
This small homestay with only three rooms is located in a quiet locality below the lower town area, although within walking distance from the main market as well as several great tourist attractions. The native retired couple that runs the homestay are exceedingly hospitable, warm and caring and will make you feel perfectly at home. The view of the adjoining hills and the township from the terrace is wonderful, and the homemade food is delicious.
Homestays around Darjeeling
Here are some more nice homestay options in other areas of Darjeeling district:
(Location: Kurseong, Category: Budget)
This tiny home stay is located at the Singell Tea Estate in Kurseong, on a cliff with wonderful views of the tea gardens, surrounding mountains and the valleys. The Moktan family will take care of all your needs with a smile. They are very friendly. The rooms are basic, but nice & clean and bathrooms are of western style. Food is prepared by the family members Lathika and Aruna, and served in their dining room where you can chat with the family and know about their lifestyle. You can enjoy tea garden and tea factory tours, local sightseeing etc. They will organize all that.
(Location: Kurseong, Category: Budget)
The garden workers and villagers in the tea estate have extended their own homes and have made nice clean rooms with western style attached toilets to accommodate guests. They have done so with active support of the Tea Estate management. You will be able to mix with the family, have nice homemade food and at the same time experience & enjoy the tea garden life, nature and village culture.
Lamahatta is only 21kms away from Darjeeling... it's a relatively new village that has participated in the hill tourism. One of the key attractions of the place is the roadside Eco Park which has excellent manicured gardens full of foliage and flowering plantations, benches and gazebos where you can relax and enjoy the garden, and pathways to walk around. Lamahatta also offers lovely view of the Mt. Kanchenjunga. There are trails through the forests that are great for hikes, one of which leads to a small lake.
Many villagers have extended their homes and are now offering the extensions as homestays. Although the homestays are mostly basic, they have adequate amenities such as western style toilets, geysers in the bathrooms so that you can get hot water anytime of the day, comfortable beds, TV etc.
(Location: Latpanchar, Category: Low Budget)
Padam Gurung runs his 2-storied homestay (Hornbill Nest) at Latpanchar with three rooms upstairs with attached bath. Rooms are spacious, have 3 beds but quite basic. The dining room and kitchen are located downstairs. Padam Gurung's family prepares simple yet tasty Nepali food (both veg and non-veg). About half a kilometer from here and on a hilltop, there is another property at Ahaldara - three nice cottages with balconies offering lovely views of mountain landscapes. Food is prepared by the local villagers (there is no room service though, neither TV or geysers in any of these).
(Location: Manebhanjan, Category: Budget)
Keshav Gurung and his wife run this home stay - two rooms upstairs. The family stays in the ground floor. The rooms are nice and clean with attached western style toilets. The views from the roof top terrace are wonderful. You will enjoy home made food and cordiality of the family. Keshav also runs tours and treks, so that's an added opportunity. He will arrange for all your transports and other needs.
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Visitors' Reviews/Comments
Brooks Browne (January 2023)
Dear Raj - excellent ebook - thanks. As a 73 year-old American, I have already travelled in India 6 times. For my 7th and perhaps final solo trip, I plan to tour Gangtok, Pelling and then Darjeeling. I can afford nice hotels, but for Darjeeling I would prefer a home stay, so that I can get to know some people and better understand the culture. Can you recommend a home stay where:
- there are good Mountain Views,
- close enough to town so I can walk to the Mall in maybe 10-15 minutes without a steep descent or climb,
- I can dine with the owners at least once, and
- there is not a lot of street noise, and western bathroom facilities.
Travelling in late April. Thanks, Raj,
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2023
Hello Brooks, there aren't many homestays in Darjeeling that can match all your requirements. However, there is one (Heyagriva) that can come close to what you have listed. Suggest that you go through this homestay review where I have reviewed the homestay and written down my findings. You can directly contact them and ask for further details (contact information is given at the end of the page).
Anindita (September 2021)
I stumbled upon your well researched and informative blog on my quest for budget friendly homestays to do a brief workcation from. Thank you for putting together this very helpful blog. Covid has restricted our options and the homestays you have mentioned are very ideal for working professionals looking for some peace and quiet while at the same time being able to work comfortably.
Varun Pratap Singh (June 2021)
Hi Raj, Thanks a lot for this beautiful blog on Darjeeling in Monsoon, as we all know due to Covid situation, tourism is on a hault, but by this coming July of 2021 I think the cases would be decreasing a lot. I was thinking to book an airbnb for the month of July till first week of August, so that I can work on my job there while enjoying my favourite season.
My only concern is about electricity cuts during this season, would I be able to cope and work on my laptop as well? Also do you have any cheap and well connected place in mind, I have chosen Petrichor's Backpacker Pad for now. Your response would be really helpful, thanks!
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) June 2021
Hi, I like Sweta's original Petrichor farm stay which is in Gorubathan area and I have covered that in detail on my website... but that is not exactly a low budget option. This one is in a congested area adjacent to the station... I don't quite like the location, plus the fact that the rooms are really tiny, although clean and simple. Price-wise, it's very cheap though.
You can look into Pahari Soul... a nice cosy homestay run by Sushmita (see my article)... it's located near Dali Monastery, 2kms before Darjeeling station and above the main Hill Cart Road. It has great views and the rooms are much better. You can easily take a shared taxi (Rs. 20) to go to the main town. It's a much costlier accommodation, but around July there won't be any tourists, so you can negotiate the rates and for a month's stay, you should get an attractive rate.
Another option is 'Springfield Stay'... run by a local couple, located 1km before the station and right on Hill Cart Road. They have 3 small 1BHK apartments, two with kitchens. Good view from the balcony. Shared taxi takes Rs. 15 to drop you to the town.
Power cuts do happen but prolonged electricity cuts are not common... so if you have your laptop always charged up, you should not have much problems. However, wherever you stay, check with the homestay owner about the internet connectivity... mainly which ISP is the best for the location and accordingly prepare to buy a USB dongle... you will get only 3G connection and connectivity is not quite consistent in Darjeeling, but manageable.
Subhamoy Ghosh (March 2019)
Dear Raj... while going through search for homestays in Darjeeling in your website, I found Happy Valley Homestay. Further searching in booking.com I found the Smriya Homestay also. Can you please highlight some brief review about the location advantage etc regarding the above although it is not covered in your website. Also...can you please compare briefly between Happy Valley and Samir's homestay regarding Kanchan view, distance from mall etc...
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) March 2019
Smriya Homestay is very close to Happy Valley Homestay and on the same Hooker's Road. The area or the location is the same. The host family is quite hospitable and caring. The rooms are cozy and clean. Chowrasta (Mall) is about 20-25 minute walk from the homestay. However it requires some uphill walk (about 100 meters) from the road to get to the homestay, so not quite suitable for people with reduced mobility. Homemade food served by the host is good.
Kancenhenjunga view from the terrace and one of the rooms of Samir's homestay is excellent compared to Happy Valley Homestay. Mall is also nearer to Samir's homestay (about 12 minute walk) compared to about 20 minutes from Happy Valley Homestay.
Arnab Mallick (May 2017)
Hi Raj, Congratulations for creating of such a wonderful blog. Thanks for the great effort. Few question:
1. If we are looking for view of Kangchenjunga, can you suggest any homestay (in Darjeeling)?
2. Else, any hotel from where we can expect good view of the great mountain peaks?
3. I am really happy to know about Darjeeling Tourism card. Would you recommend me to get one as we are frequent visitor to N Bengal (but not Darjeeling yet, primarily Sikkim). Many regards,
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) May 2017
Hi, you can consider Pahari Soul homestay although it's a little away from Darjeeling town center. For hotels with views... google 'Darjeeling hotels with Kanchenjunga views' and go through my page. The Tourism Card works well within Darjeeling... all establishments who accept the card are already listed on my site along with their offers. So buy only if it makes sense.
Radhika (January 2017)
Hi Raj, first of all so many thanks for such a wonderful information you have provided. We are planning a trip in mid of March 2017. My query is, do home stays have good heating systems or hotels? because that time of year might still b having cold weather. Thanks
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) January 2017
Most home stays would have no heating system at all, some may provide small room heaters or blowers at extra charge. So call them up and check before you book.
Aadil Khan (April 2016)
Hi Raj, Thanks for the immensely helpful knowledge, it really helps us travellers plan! My wife and me are going to Darjeeling for a short 4 day trip. We planned to stay at a homestay, Kumar Kothi, for a couple of nights. Just wanted to confirm, is it safe and ok to do so? Never stayed at a homestay hence the query, with all due respects to our hosts. Also, could you recommend some nice guest house in the Singalila National Park and how to book it please? Thanks in advance.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) April 2016
There is no safety issue as such. However the location is odd and requires good amount of walk. While walking downhill to the bungalow is not a big problem, walking back up can be quite strenuous for most city dwellers and takes much longer. Singalila stretches across a wide area and lodging depends on which side you like to stay. In Tumling, Shikhar Lodge and Hotel Siddharth are most popular, while in Srikhola Hotel Shovraj is the one. However do not expect luxury here like geysers, wifi etc. These are accommodations with basic amenities. Their strengths are location and views.
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