Siliguri Travel Essentials

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"Gateway to the North-East"

Siliguri Tourism

Situated in the Jalpaiguri and Siliguri districts of West Bengal, Siliguri is a city known as the Gateway to North-East India. Located 560 kms from Kolkata to the north, Siliguri is the twin city of Jalpaiguri and the third largest in West Bengal. Siliguri has its own international airport which serves mainly as a base for tourists to camp in before moving out to explore nearby tourist attractions such as Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Gangtok and Bhutan. However, Siliguri itself is a perfectly good holiday destination, with sufficient things to see and do. Over the years, Siliguri has become famous for its products such as tea and timber and also an important commercial and connecting hub.

The Jaldapara National Park, situated on the banks of the Torsa river, is a prime attraction of Siliguri. Earlier known as the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, the park is spread over an area of around 215 kilometres, and is comprised of riverine forests as well as grasslands. The park is famous for its impressive population of Royal Bengal Tigers, elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, and various other species of deer. To get the best out of the park, you can go for an elephant ride, which will give you a chance to catch a glimpse of the animals up close.

Another wildlife park that nature lovers should consider visiting is the North Bengal Wild Animals Park. This park is an integral part of the Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and spread out over an area of 300 hectares; this park contains a wide variety of flora and fauna. However, unlike other wildlife parks and sanctuaries, the Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary strictly forbids visitors from feeding the animals at the park.

When visiting Siliguri, a close-by tourist attraction that most people visit is Mirik. Around 50 kilometres from Siliguri, Mirik is famed for its picturesque beauty, its pristine Sumendu Lake, and its monastery. Sumendu Lake offers fishing activities, and boat rides for tourists, which is a beautiful way to relish the breathtaking view of the hills bordering the lake on all sides.

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Bagdogra Airport

The Bagdogra airport makes for the highlight of the city. It is an International airport, almost 16 km away from the Siliguri township. The airport also serves as a major military air base. It is also responsible for combat air operations over areas including North Bengal and Sikkim. The airport is well connected to cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore. It is also the nearest airport to Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Restaurants and Local Food in Siliguri

Siliguri’s cuisine is a veritable mix of various cultures and places. Tourists can pick from cuisines such as Chinese, Bengali, Mughal and South Indian, depending on what one wants to eat. There are plenty of sweet shops scattered all over the city, so if you have a sweet tooth, don’t forget to try out the plethora of Bengali sweets available in the town.

A large Tibetan and Nepali population reside here and therefore, momos and Thukpa can be found commonly as street food.

Since it is only a transit town, there is not much to be expected in terms of quality of food but you do get a lot of variety. Non-vegetarians will find an entire host of options here as Red meat, birds, pork, fish, mutton, and seafood items are commonly eaten and therefore available in many eateries. Potoler Dorma (meat stuffed gourd), Bhapa Ilish (steamed Hilsa fish), Chital Muitha (fish koftas), Chital Kaliya ( a gravy based fish dish) give some spicy and delightful food choices to non-vegetarians.

Vegetarians options are also available in Bengali cuisine such as Pumpkin Bhujia (deep fried gram flour coated Pumpkin slices). Vegetarian Indo-Chinese dishes such as Chowmein are commonly available. Vegetarian momos, Thukpa, and common North Indian vegetables along with rice give a varied meal choice to vegetarians.
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Suggested Itinerary for Siliguri

Day 1- Arrive at Siliguri. Check into the hotel. Head straight to the ISKCON temple, also known as Sri Sri Radha Madhav Sundar Mandir. Next, visit the Coronation bridge to cherish the exquisite British style of architecture. Invest some time in shopping as well.
Day 2- Start for the next destination.

Best Time to Visit Siliguri

How to Reach Siliguri

How to Reach Overview

Siliguri is well connected by all means of transport. It has a well-developed road transport network to all the major cities of West Bengal. It houses two railheads and has an International airport, Bagdogra airport which is well connected to other major hubs across the country. Siliguri is well connected to other cities and direct buses ply from major cities like Kolkata, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Guwahati.

How to reach Siliguri by flight

Siliguri has its own airport known as the Bagdogra airport. It is almost 15 minutes away from Siliguri and one can take a cab from the airport to reach the destination. It is very well connected to cities like New Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.

How to reach Siliguri by road

Many state owned and private buses ply on a regular basis. It is well connected to many cities of West Bengal like Darjeeling, which is almost 67 km away. Taxis are also available from Siliguri to Darjeeling and Gangtok.

How to reach Siliguri by train

The city has two rail heads. One is the Siliguri Junction and the other is New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP). The NJP is the favoured railway station and is well connected to all major cities of the country.

How to reach Siliguri by bus

The bus stand in Siliguri is known as Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus and is situated on Hill Cart Road. The bus stand is 8 km away from the New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP) railway station.

Below are the fares and distances from major nearby cities.

Kolkata-Siliguri: 580 km INR 1200 (INR 245 for State Transport Buses)

Patna-Siliguri: 472 km INR 450

Muzaffarpur-Siliguri: 387 km INR 450

Guwahati-Siliguri: 474 km INR 520

Other than local Indian buses, there is a regular overnight bus service from Dhaka which drops travellers at the India-Bangladesh Border in Changrabanda and charges around INR 1500 per person. There is a regular bus service from Bhutanese town of Phuentsholing and buses ply at 7 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:15 AM and 3 PM daily. The journey takes 4.5 hours.

Local transport in Siliguri

For the economical intra-city commute, local buses are the best mode of transport. Both private and government buses ply frequently and offer the most affordable transport option.

For short distances rickshaws, autos, and newly launched battery rickshaws can be used. Autos usually charge around INR 10 per km while rickshaws charge INR 50 for a distance of 8 km. Local taxis will usually charge INR 30 per km. Battery rickshaws ply at fixed fares of INR 20 from one point to another.
To explore the entire city at your pace and convenience, rental cars are the best option and the average rental starts from INR 200 per hour and goes up to INR 250 per hour. Apart from the per hour rate, the rental services usually have a minimum bill amount which you have to pay irrespective of the hours for which you rent the car. The minimum rental starts from INR 4,200 for budget travel and goes up to INR 6,200 for luxury cars.

Most frequently searched routes to Siliguri

Route Name Distance Time
Kolkata to Siliguri 558 km 11 hours 51 mins
Darjeeling to Siliguri 62.5 kms 2 hr 34 mins
Delhi to Siliguri 1,486 km 23 hours 24 mins
Gangtok to Siliguri 116 km 3 hours 41 mins
Bangalore to Siliguri 2,411 km 1 day 17 hours
Mumbai to Siliguri 2,347 km 1 day 13 hours

Siliguri Photos

Siliguri, West Bengal
Salugara Monastery
Buddhist Monastery at Salugara
Siliguri ISKON temple

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photos

FAQs on Siliguri

Who should visit Siliguri?

It makes for a great stopover destination for people travelling to Darjeeling or Sikkim.

What is famous about Siliguri?

The 'Gateway of North East India'. Exceptional view of snow clad Himalayas. Surrounding regions have beautiful tea gardens.

What is the best way to reach Siliguri?

Siliguri is well connected by all means of transport. It has a well-developed road transport network to all the major cities of West Bengal. It houses two railheads and has an International airport-Bagdogra airport. Siliguri is well connected to other cities and direct buses ply from major cities like Kolkata, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Guwahati. 
Read More

What is the local food in Siliguri?

Siliguri’s cuisine is a veritable mix of various cultures and places. Tourists can pick from cuisines such as Chinese, Tibetan Bengali, Mughlai and South Indian, depending on what one wants to eat. There are plenty of sweet shops scattered all over the city, so if you have a sweet tooth, don’t forget to try out the plethora of Bengali sweets available in the town.

A large Tibetan and Nepali population reside here and therefore, momos and Thukpa can be found commonly as street food.

Since it is only a transit town, there is not much to be expected in terms of quality of food but you do get a lot of variety. Non-vegetarians will find an entire host of options here as Red meat, birds, pork, fish, mutton, and seafood items are commonly eaten and therefore available in many eateries. Potoler Dorma (meat stuffed gourd), Bhapa Ilish (steamed Hilsa fish), Chital Muitha (fish koftas), Chital Kaliya ( a gravy based fish dish) give some spicy and delightful food choices to non-vegetarians.

Vegetarian options are also available in Bengali cuisine such as Pumpkin Bhujia (deep fried gram flour coated Pumpkin slices). Vegetarian Indo-Chinese dishes such as Chowmein are commonly available. Vegetarian momos, Thukpa, and common North Indian vegetables along with rice give a varied meal choice to vegetarians.

Read More

What are the places near Siliguri?

The top places near to Siliguri are Gangtok which is 72 km from Siliguri, Darjeeling which is located 39 km from Siliguri, Kurseong which is located 24 km from Siliguri, Kalimpong which is located 39 km from Siliguri, Lataguri which is located 33 km from Siliguri

What is the best time to visit Siliguri?

Siliguri attracts all those who enjoy hilly areas and cold temperatures. Thus, the ideal time to visit Siliguri is when winter sets in, from October to February. The temperatures drop down to 8 - 10 degrees C and is usually accompanied by seldom light showers and thick fog in some localities, especially during early mornings.

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What are the things to do in Siliguri?

The top things to do in Siliguri are Salugara Monastery, ISKCON Temple, Siliguri, Mahananda Weir Wildlife Sanctuary, The Science City, Dudhia, Sevoke Kali Mandir. You can see all the places to visit in Siliguri here

What is not so good about Siliguri?

The city is prone to frequent earthquakes.

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Popular Questions And Answers on Siliguri

Q. I plan to visit siliguri to Darjeeling for 7days. Please give me suggestions for my trip?

Holidify

6 years ago
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Siliguri Reviews

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Dewashish Rai

5 years ago
I recently visited the park which is located in the outskirts of Siliguri.The Park has well preserved natural aesthetics along with man made amenities. "Link Hidden"
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