Visit Mirik – Unwrap Darjeeling’s Unexplored Side of Serenity

Why visit Mirik? 

Unwrap Darjeeling with Mirik, a small hill town and part of Kurseong subdivision and within Darjeeling district lies almost halfway between Siliguri/NJP and Darjeeling. If you are planning a vacation in the Darjeeling area, visit Mirik, a great idea to spend a couple of days in Mirik and then make an onward journey to Darjeeling or other places. Reasons are plenty to spend a couple of days since it is about halfway to Darjeeling around 52kms from Siliguri and another 49 km from Darjeeling, it makes sense to break the journey and keep it more relaxing. Although this alternative route takes 1 hour longer to reach Darjeeling, it is less steep and much more scenic.

Mirik’s mild temperature is another great reason to visit. Unlike Darjeeling, it never gets too cold. 5,000ft is Mirik’s average altitude and the highest point is at 5,800ft (at Boker Monastery), the climate and the temperature is more gentle and comfortable as the altitude is much lower than Darjeeling. During the summer, the maximum temperature reaches around 30°C and the minimum comes down to around 15°C. The temperature comes down to around 2°C, during winter. 

But the greatest reason to visit Mirik is its scenic views, Mirik is a tranquil laid back hill station, with the central attraction as the 1.25kms long lovely lake. There are vantage points where you can get lovely sights and the entire area is surrounded by many rolling tea estates.

Also Read: Best Time to Visit Darjeeling

Route to reach Mirik from Bagdogra 

Many would vouch that the road from the plains to reach Mirik is one of the most scenic in the country. This is also an alternative route for Darjeeling. You can find lovely tea gardens on the mountain slopes and beautiful orange orchards along the way.

Tourist Sites & Sightseeing Tours 

Mirik actually has several tourist places from the landscape, tea gardens, monasteries & temples, orange orchards and more. Some popular activities at the lake area include boating, horse riding, fish feeding etc.  

Best Hotels in Mirik: Budget & Luxury 

In Mirik and near the lake there are several affordable and mid-priced hotels. Some of them have nice views of the lake as well. You will also find accommodations in places like Mirik Bazaar area, Mirik Busti, Thana line etc. 

Also read: Unique HomeStay experience in Darjeeling must not be missed

Best Restaurants & Bars in Mirik 

In Krishnanagar and Mirik Bazaar areas, there are several eateries offering north Indian and Chinese dishes, and there are few restaurants offering homemade Bengali food while some also offer South Indian food. 

Shopping Scene in Mirik 

The Mirik Market is the main shopping area with stores selling gifts & souvenirs and also few stores in Krishnanagar area selling mainly packaged Darjeeling tea. The Floating Market was inaugurated in 2018 and remodelled in February 2020 offering various types of handcrafted items. 

Transport & Fares to Visit Mirik 

Between Siliguri and Mirik: Distance between Siliguri and Mirik is 52 Kms and between NJP and Mirik is 57kms. Private taxis and shared jeeps are available. It takes about 1.5 hours of travel. Shared jeeps are available from 7 Am to 3 Pm. Private taxis are available from NJP prepaid taxi stands outside the station as well as several Siliguri taxi stands. The taxi fare between NJP and Mirik is about Rs. 1,600/- in a small car (the fare during peak season can almost double). Shared jeep fare is Rs. 100/- per person.

Between Mirik and Bagdogra Airport: Small taxi fare from the prepaid booth at the airport or at the taxi booking kiosk at Mirik is about Rs. 1,500. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach with a Distance of about 55kms.

Between Mirik and Darjeeling: It takes about 2.5 hours by car with a distance of about 49kms and private taxis and shared jeeps are available. Usually between 7 am till 3 pm, the shared jeeps are available. Shared jeep fare is Rs. 100/- per person. Rates for large vehicles like Sumo will be higher by Rs. 300/-. 

Suggested Read: Hill Stations Near Kolkata For Breathtaking Weekend Getaway

Weather & Best Time to Visit Mirik 

The temperature varies between a maximum of 30°C in summer to a minimum of 2°C during peak winter. This makes the climate generally pleasant. A unique and amazing phenomenon is the clouds entering through the windows and you get engulfed in it, and it happens quite often. 

Between Mid March to End May, and Mid September to December is the best time to visit. From April onwards the summer starts and the temperature warms up. You won’t need any woollens during the day time in summer. However, the evenings are pleasantly cool and a light sweater is good enough. June onwards the monsoon begins and usually lasts till September. The climate again starts becoming great for tourism from mid-September onwards. October is the real rush period. From November onwards it starts getting cold and you will need to wear woollens even during the day time. 

Mirik is full of nature. The main attraction is it’s on the way beauty. So everyone who is visiting Darjeeling can also visit Mirik. Oh now that you might be interested to plan a vacation, head on to Pickyourtrail. Check some of the best Darjeeling holiday packages and book your getaway now. Do “leave a Whatsapp inquiry  for more options.” Install the best travel app from Play store and IOS.