Is It Monsoon?
Darjeeling, India JANUARY
6°
Peak season
2° to 11°
Cold & Clear
The coldest month of the year, dry and often clear, with a real chance of snow at higher elevations nearby.
🧥 Heavy layers❄️ Snow possible nearby
8°
Shoulder season
3° to 12°
Still Cold
Nearly as cold as January, dry, and one of the better months for spotting snow on nearby peaks.
🧥 Heavy layers❄️ Snow possible nearby
11°
Shoulder season
6° to 16°
Driest Month
The least humid month of the year, mild and increasingly clear as spring begins.
🧥 Warm layers☀️ Clearest views
14°
Shoulder season
9° to 18°
Mild Spring
Pleasantly mild, though rain and thunderstorms start becoming more frequent.
🧥 Light layers☔ Light rain jacket
15°
Shoulder season
11° to 19°
Rains Build
Still mild, but rain grows noticeably more frequent as the monsoon approaches.
🧥 Light layers☔ Umbrella handy
16°
Off-peak season
13° to 20°
Monsoon Breaks
Cool, cloudy, and wet, with rain becoming a near-daily event.
☔ Umbrella essential🌫️ Fog likely
16°
Off-peak season
13° to 19°
Peak Monsoon
The wettest month of the year, overcast and rainy, with the least sunshine of the whole year.
☔ Heavy rain gear🌫️ Fog likely
17°
Off-peak season
13° to 20°
Deep Monsoon
Nearly as wet as July, cool and heavily clouded most days.
☔ Heavy rain gear⚠️ Landslide risk
16°
Shoulder season
13° to 19°
Monsoon Lingers
Rain remains frequent, though it starts easing as the month goes on.
☔ Umbrella handy🌫️ Fog likely
15°
Shoulder season
10° to 19°
Rains Clear
The last of the monsoon rain usually clears by mid-month, giving way to dry, mild weather.
🧥 Light layers☀️ Clear mountain views
12°
Peak season
6° to 17°
The Best Month
Dry, clear, and milder than the winter months, widely considered the single best time to visit.
🧥 Warm layers✨ Best sightseeing weather
9°
Peak season
3° to 14°
Cold & Dry
Cold and dry, with genuinely good odds of catching snow on a clear day at higher elevations.
🧥 Heavy layers❄️ Snow possible nearby
Drag through the year Jan
⭐️
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
⭐️
Nov
⭐️
Dec
This month
Rainfall
15 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
5.5 hrs/day
42% of daylight hours
Humidity
60%
Comfortably humid
Wind
11 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
15 mm
2 rainy days this month
Sunshine
5 hrs/day
38% of daylight hours
Humidity
50%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
13 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
30 mm
3 rainy days this month
Sunshine
4.5 hrs/day
35% of daylight hours
Humidity
43%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
14 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
76 mm
7 rainy days this month
Sunshine
5 hrs/day
38% of daylight hours
Humidity
55%
Comfortably humid
Wind
14 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
137 mm
10 rainy days this month
Sunshine
5 hrs/day
38% of daylight hours
Humidity
68%
Comfortably humid
Wind
13 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
465 mm
19 rainy days this month
Sunshine
2.5 hrs/day
19% of daylight hours
Humidity
93%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
13 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
658 mm
23 rainy days this month
Sunshine
2.5 hrs/day
19% of daylight hours
Humidity
94%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
14 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
528 mm
22 rainy days this month
Sunshine
3.5 hrs/day
27% of daylight hours
Humidity
93%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
13 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
381 mm
15 rainy days this month
Sunshine
3 hrs/day
23% of daylight hours
Humidity
90%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
12 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
58 mm
3 rainy days this month
Sunshine
5.5 hrs/day
42% of daylight hours
Humidity
72%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
11 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
15 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
6.5 hrs/day
50% of daylight hours
Humidity
62%
Comfortably humid
Wind
10 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
3 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
6 hrs/day
46% of daylight hours
Humidity
58%
Comfortably humid
Wind
10 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
★★★ peak season, ★★☆ decent shoulder months, ★☆☆ true off-peak, based on rain frequency, heat, and haze.
Seasons at a glance
🌟
Peak season: Jan, Nov, Dec
Darjeeling's driest, clearest stretch, dominated by cold but stable weather. November is the single best month, dry and milder than the depths of winter, while December and January bring the best odds of a rare Himalayan snowfall, alongside genuinely cold nights that can dip below freezing.
🌤️
Shoulder season: Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
This tier spans real variety. February and March are still fairly dry and cool, with March the least humid month of the whole year. April and May are mild, but rain becomes steadily more frequent as the monsoon approaches. September is still deep in the rains, while October usually sees the last of the monsoon clear by mid-month, becoming one of the more pleasant shoulder months.
Off-peak season: Jun, Jul, Aug
The heart of the monsoon, cool, cloudy, and wet, with July alone averaging over 650mm of rain. Landslides can occasionally cut off road access to the town during the heaviest spells.
Good to know
✈️
No airport in Darjeeling itself
The nearest airport is Bagdogra, about 90km and three hours away by road; the New Jalpaiguri railway station serves as the other main gateway into town.
🚂
A UNESCO World Heritage railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, better known as the Toy Train, is a narrow-gauge line that winds through the hills and tea gardens on its way into town.
🍵
Home to some of the world's most prized tea
The hills around Darjeeling are covered in tea estates, several of which, like Happy Valley and Glenburn, offer tours of the picking and processing process.
🌫️
Fog can hide the mountains year-round
Cloud cover can obscure Himalayan views at any time of year, especially during the rainy season, so it is worth budgeting extra days for a clear sunrise at a viewpoint like Tiger Hill.
⚠️
Landslide risk during the monsoon
Heavy rain from June to September can trigger landslides that temporarily cut off road access to the town.
Top attractions
1
Tiger Hill
A popular sunrise viewpoint reached before dawn through old tea estates, with views of Kanchenjunga and, on exceptionally clear days, Everest in the distance.
2
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
A UNESCO World Heritage narrow-gauge railway, nicknamed the Toy Train, that winds through the hills and tea gardens on scenic short rides from the town.
3
Tea Gardens
Estates like Happy Valley and Makaibari offer guided tours through the tea-making process, from plucking to drying, in the hills surrounding the town.