Hills may get white start to new year, tourists flock to Darjeeling
Times of India | 29 December 2025
Darjeeling: As tourists prepare to bid farewell to 2025, Darjeeling is poised to offer a magical finale — a white New Year. The mercury in Darjeeling, which was 4.5°C on Saturday, dipped to 4.2°C on Sunday, and weather officials have forecast snowfall in the upper reaches from Dec 30. The sharp decline in temperature over the last seven days has intensified the town's allure, adding to one of its strongest tourist seasons in recent years.
Darjeeling opened its winter tourism on an exceptionally high note, with hotels across the town fully booked until the first week of Jan. A similar booking rush is being reported from Sandakphu, where homestays, trekkers' huts, and other accommodations are packed for the same period.
According to tour operators, the steady rise in enquiries and advance bookings extending up to Jan 15 signals a highly positive winter season. Industry stakeholders believe the strong inflow of tourists could significantly help revive the region's tourism sector, which faced setbacks following the Oct 4 landslides.
"Most hotels are booked till the first week of Jan, and we are making efforts to accommodate visitors across hotels, homestays, and tea-garden properties. We expect the season to extend till Jan 15," said Samrat Sanyal, general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network, the apex body of tourism stakeholders in the Hills.
Sanyal added that the current booking trend has restored confidence among tourism operators. "Looking at the present surge in bookings, we are hopeful of recovering a significant portion of losses incurred after the Oct landslides," he said.
Meanwhile, Sandakphu — the highest point in Bengal — is witnessing heavy tourist footfall too. Chandan Pradhan, president of Singalila Land Rovers' Owners Association (SLROA), said nearly 35 vehicles are heading to Sandakphu every day. "We are fully booked till the first week of Jan. Our only concern is the weather — if conditions worsen, road closures for safety could lead to cancellations," he said.
G N Raha, head of IMD Gangtok, said night temperatures are expected to drop by 2°C–3°C across most parts of Sikkim and nearby north Bengal over the next three days while dense fog may prevail in the plains. "From Dec 30, a western disturbance is likely to affect the region, bringing rain to Sikkim and hill areas of north Bengal. Snowfall is also likely in the higher regions of Sikkim and adjoining hills of north Bengal," Raha said.