While strolling in the streets of Darjeeling, you will be allured by the colourful souvenir shops, hanging winter wears, little tea corners and heritage shops that are almost synonymous with this charming hill station. After visiting all the sightseeing places in and around the town when it is the time to spend the evening in the famous Darjeeling Mall or one of the cosy eateries or vintage bakeries, there is hardly any travellers who do not visit and explore the local stores and markets. Even a penny-pincher buys a pack of Darjeeling Tea before leaving the town. Literally, you will not find one person who does not feel the shopping urge in Darjeeling. So it would not be exaggerating to say that a trip to Darjeeling is incomplete without a visit to the bustling local markets in Darjeeling.
What to buy in Darjeeling?
Darjeeling tea and tea accessories
It does not matter whether you are a tea connoisseur or not, but you can not help buying a packet of Darjeeling tea while in the town. Its been nearly 200 years since the Camelia Sinensis variety was first experimentally planted for the first time in Darjeeling by Archibald Campbell, who was working for East India Company. Since then, with time, Darjeeling gradually became flooded with tea estates. Makaibari Tea Estate became the first estate to had a factory inside the estate so that tea leaves could be processed by withering and oxidation to survive for months.
Read more: Why You Should Actually Visit Darjeeling in Monsoon
At present, there are 87 tea estates in Darjeeling and the adjacent district of Kalimpong that the Tea Board of India recognises as producers of trademarked Darjeeling Tea. Like Happy Valley Tea Estate, a few of them also have a retail shop inside the estate for purchasing tea. Tourists can also buy from authentic tea stores like Nathmull’s in Chowrasta or House of Tea on Nehru Road, an exclusive outlet of Goodricke Tea Estate. You can select from different flushes of orthodox black tea or the differently processed teas like green tea, white tea and oolong tea.
You can also select from different types of designer tea accessories like tea-pots, tea-sets, cups, saucers and strainers available in Nathmull’s Tea Lounge beside Darjeeling Mall.
Hand-knitted woollen items
Hand-knitted winter garments are always in high demand in any hill station in India because of Bengali families like us. So, my mother always carries an extra bag whenever she goes to any hill station to carry all the sweaters and shawls back that she would buy. And, Darjeeling is on the top of the list for winter wear shopping just because of Bengali tourists like my mother.
The best place to buy hand-knitted sweaters and shawls in Darjeeling is the New Mahakal Market beside Chowrasta Mall, where the Bhutia sellers set temporary stalls in the evening. You can also find a large range of collections for leather jackets, and other winter wears like woollen caps, mufflers, gloves, woollen socks etc.
Tibetan artefacts and khukris
Another interesting thing that you could buy in Darjeeling is a Tibetian artefact. The Tibetans are settled in Darjeeling since 1950, when many of them came to India and lived in different parts of the country. As a result, you will encounter many roadside stalls and emporiums in Darjeeling full of attractive Tibetan artefacts. You will see things like masks, thangkas (painted scrolls), prayer wheels, prayer beads, Buddha statues etc. It’s too hard to resist buying one of these items for decorating your home. You can also buy from an attractive collection of junk pieces of jewellery.
Gorkhas are another group of people that contribute to the bulk of Darjeeling people. They are one of the ethnic groups of Nepalese. They are popularly called the “martial race”, as many found in the Indian Army. Gorkhas are identified by the possession of Khukri – a curved knife with a decorated handle. You can buy a beautifully decorated khukri in one of the Art and Crafts shops in Darjeeling.
There are many stores near Mall and Nehru Road that sell Tibetan handicraft items. There is a large store beside CCD at the Mall. You will find Nepal Curio House on Nehru Road for all kinds of Nepalese curios and khukri collections. A new Biswa Bangla Store came up at old Manjusha Emporium, where you can find all kinds of local art and crafts items apart from many other crafted products that belong to other parts of West Bengal. And finally, you can always find many Tibetan crafts and woollen products in the Tibetan Self-Help Refugee Centre.
Books
If you are a bibliophile and always look for a book store whenever you go to a new place, do not forget to check the Oxford Book and Stationery at Darjeeling Mall below the Chalet Hotel. An old store on the ground floor of a heritage hotel where you will find many books written on places from the eastern part of the Himalayas like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.
Photoprints
If you want to see photographs of the old Darjeeling town and the old DHR engines running across the hill or the old Hill Cart Road, head to one of the photo studios in Darjeeling. You can also see large framed photo prints of the Kanchenjungha range and Everest range hanging from the wall. You can always collect photo prints in different sizes from one of these old photo studios.
Das Studio, Darjeeling Photo Studio and Elite Studio are three such stores on Nehru Road that you can explore to collect a couple of amazing picture postcards of Darjeeling town and the toy trains.
Shopping hours in Darjeeling
The stores and markets in Darjeeling open late and closes early. The shops start opening after 10 in the morning and usually start closing from 7:30 pm. After 8 pm, you will hardly find any shop other than the cafes, restaurants and a few pharmacies, even in the peak tourist season.
Popular markets in Darjeeling
Nehru Road Market
Nehru Road market comes on the way to the upper Taxi stand from Darjeeling Mall. The shops are located on both sides of the road. Stores like Das Studio, Biswa Bangla, and Nepal Curio House are on this road apart from many other popular garment shops, branded stores, souvenir shops, cafes, and bakeries. Glenary’s and Keventer’s are also located on this road.
Chowrasta Mall
Chowrasta Mall, popularly known as Darjeeling Mall, is a circular space lined by a few shops and eateries on two sides. On the other two sides, there is a large open theatre for performances on one side and Bellevue Hotel on the other side. Among the shops, you will find two outlets of Nathmull’s Tea Lounge, Golden Tips Tea Lounge, Cafe Coffee Day outlet, a restaurant, and a few other stores, including the old Oxford Book Store Habeen Mullick and Son souvenir shop.
Bhutia Market or New Mahakal Market
Apart from the four main roads that open on Darjeeling Mall, a few narrow streets go down from Darjeeling Mall. One is the CR Das Road on which the new Nathmull’s Tea Lounge and CCD outlet are located, and the other passes on the west side across Hotel Sunflower, which will eventually take you down to Chowk Bazar. The Bhutia Market or the New Mahakal Market begins this road on the Mall end. You will find many temporary stalls with a large collection of hand-knitted woollen products like sweaters, caps, mufflers, gloves etc. You will also find umbrellas, jeans and jackets at reasonable prices here.
Chowk Bazar Market
Chowk Bazar market is near the lower taxi stand and is usually avoided by tourists. Instead, this place is more frequently visited by locals to buy things at wholesale rates. There are all kinds of shops, including bakeries right beside the street with heavy traffic.
Read more: Darjeeling Toy Train: My First Experience of the Famous “Joy Ride”
Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre
Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre is a large complex where the Tibetans fled from Tibet and settled for more than 60 years now. They have their residential houses inside this complex with arts and handicrafts workshops and a showroom. There are small single storied shacks in the workshops lined along the periphery named as different sections like leather works, knitting and carving, painting, etc.
The showroom or the retail outlet is on one side where visitors can see the completed works and buy things from sweaters, carpets, paintings, small statues, bags, curios etc. Remember, the prices are fixed and without any scope of bargaining. The photographic room is on the opposite side of this retail outlet. There are black and white photographs of the old days when the centre was just established, along with photos of dignitaries who visited this place like ex-prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and Greek royal family members. This Tibetan Self-Help Centre is 20 minutes drive from Darjeeling town.
Shopping malls in Darjeeling
If you search for a Shopping Mall even on a holiday vacation, then be assured that you will get one in Darjeeling. No, it’s not Darjeeling Mall or Chowrasta Mall. Though it’s called a Mall, it is an open space at the confluence of four lanes where people like to relax and chill out.
Rink Mall
Rink Mall is the only shopping mall in Darjeeling where you can find many branded stores, cafes and restaurants, Big Bazar and Inox movie hall. It is located on Laden La Road opposite Darjeeling post office.
Best winter wear shops in Darjeeling
Bhutia Market
Bhutia Market or New Mahakal Market is the best place to shop woollen items in Darjeeling, provided you are not very particular about branded things. You will get hand-knitted woollen products here. There is a huge range of products in a large number of shops from where you can choose your pick. These are temporary stalls on the road, where the sellers bring their items in a large bag and spread them over a low platform, like a hawkers market in Kolkata. You have to choose from it standing among large crowds and check your fittings by trying them open in public.
Shops on Nehru Road
There are many stores on both sides of Nehru Road where you can find authentic, woollen products. Although the prices are a bit higher than the Bhutia market, you can find a good deal here if you have good bargaining skills. These stores are also gets crowded in the evening, particularly during peak season. You will find stores like Biswa Bangla, Weekender, Chandulal’s, Radhaswamy Store, Liliput Bazar, Tirupati Handloom Emporium, where you will find a good range of products for your family and relatives.
Read more: 6 Pubs You Can Visit in Darjeeling Before Calling It A Night
Dragon Market and old Mahakal Market
Dragon Market and old Mahakal Market are opposite each other, close to Rink Mall on Laden La Road further down from Nehru Road towards GPO. Here you will find a less touristy and more local crowd and the prices are also a tad lower than Nehru Road stores. The old Mahakal Market is popular for woollen shops while Dragon Market is popular among the young generation for fashion products.
Best tea shops in Darjeeling
Nathmull’s Tea Store and Sunset Lounge
Nathmull’s is probably the most reputed tea merchant in Darjeeling. Since 1931when the first store was opened by Late Mr Nathmull Sarda, with a history of 90 years in this business, they have reached tea connoisseurs in almost every corner of this globe. The flagship store is located at the Rink Mall in Laden La Road. Now they have two more stores at the Mall that sell packaged teas and tea accessories. They have a lounge inside where you can sip a cup of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea. One store is on the same line as Oxford Book Store, and Golden Tips Tea Lounge and the other one is on the opposite side of it beside Cafe Coffee day.
You can get all kinds of teas here – black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, organic tea. Apart from Darjeeling tea, you can also get Assam Tea, Sikkim Tea, and Nilgiri Tea. They source their teas from tea auctions and direct from the tea gardens.
Flagship Store
Address: The Rink Mall (Opp. GPO) 19 Laden La Road, Darjeeling 734101
Contact: +91 354 2257 309
Location: Google Map
Golden Tips Tea Lounge
Another prominent tea store cum lounge at the Chowrasta Mall is Golden Tips Tea Lounge. Established by the same Sarda family in 1933, Golden Tips also is a renowned tea merchant in Darjeeling. They have another store on Laden La Road at the Rink Mall. It has a total of 16 tea counters across India apart from the stores in Darjeeling. You can buy a packet of Darjeeling tea from here after tasting the best 2nd flush of the season.
Flagship Store
Address: Chowrasta, Darjeeling – 734101
Contact: +91 354 2253 251
Location: Google Map
House of Tea
House of tea is an exclusive store of Goodricke’s Tea located on Nehru Road beside the Bata shoe store. You will get some of the best first and second flush Darjeeling teas from estates like Castleton, Thurbo, Badamtam etc. Goodricke is now the largest tea producer in the world.
Address: Nehru Road Opposite Darjeeling Planter Club, Darjeeling 734101 India
Location: Google Map
Happy Valley Tea Estate Factory Outlet
If you want to buy a tea that is not available anywhere else in India, then buy it from the Happy Valley Tea Estate factory outlet, where tourists often visit to witness the method of tea processing. The entire production of this tea estate is exported to Harrods London. So the only way to buy a packet is to buy it from the factory outlet. And if you want to taste a cup of first flush organic tea of this tea estate, then head to the small roadside shack of Kusum Rai called Happy Golden Cafe near the factory gate.
Address: Lebong Cart Road (Near Darjeeling Zoo), Darjeeling 734101
Contact: +91 8017700700
Location: Google Map
Best cake and bakery shops in Darjeeling
Glenary’s
Glenary’s bakery is located in the middle of Nehru Road. It is the oldest bakery in the town. Runs by the Edwards family, this bakery also has a restaurant and a pub in the same building. The bakery is on the ground floor. You will get various kinds of pastries, cakes, cookies and loaves here. They also have a small outlet in Chowk Bazar where you can get most of the bakery items.
Address: Nehru Road, Darjeeling
Contact: +91 354 2258 408
Location: Google Map
Read more: 8 Best Places to Eat in Darjeeling
Keventer’s
Keventer’s, another century-old bakery in Darjeeling, is located at the start of Nehru Road with its landmark terrace that you can see in the Bollywood movie Barfi. The bakery is on the ground floor, where you can get fresh loaves of bread and pastries.
Address: Shop No. 1, Club Side, Nehru Rd, Darjeeling
Contact: +91 354 2256 542
Location: Google Map
Best souvenir shops in Darjeeling
Habeeb Mullick And Son
Habeeb Mullick And Son is one of the oldest stores in Darjeeling. Well, now it is not one, in fact, two stores with the same name, one beside the other with separate entrances located on Chowrasta Mall. They belong to two Mullick brothers who are often found together in one of the stores. In both the stores, you will find a range of souvenir items and curios. Tibetan masks, necklaces and pendants, pieces of jewellery decorated with colourful gems, copper and brass items, pashmina shawls, carpets etc.
Address: Chowrasta Darjeeling – 734101
Contact: +91 354 2254 109
Location: Google Map
Arts Crafts and Curios
Another souvenir store in Chowrasta Mall is located beside Nathmull’s Sunset Tea Lounge. You will find many handicraft items like thangkas, masks, gems studded jewellery pieces, Laughing Buddha statues, brass and silver decorative pieces. This store was established by Late Abdul Aziz Butt, who came to Darjeeling from Kashmir to sell handicraft items.
Address: Chowrasta Darjeeling – 734101
Location: Google Map
Nepal Curio House
Nepal Curio House is located on Nehru Road with items that reflect the life and culture of the Gorkha people in Darjeeling. They have a good collection of khukris. You can also get Tibetan handicraft items here. But if you are a Feluda fan, the only reason to visit this store could be its reference in the story “Feludar Goendagiri ( ফেলুদার গোয়েন্দগিরি)”, the first-ever private investigation case in Feluda’s life.
Address: 16, Nehru Road, Darjeeling
Location: Google Map
Biswa Bangla Store
Biswa Bangla Store, an initiative of the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles, West Bengal, opened its outlet in Darjeeling in 2015 at the place of old Manjusha Emporium on Nehru Road. Here, you will find items that are exclusive of Darjeeling and a wide array of products that reflect the art, craft, and culture of West Bengal. The products are authentic, and most of them are handcrafted items.
Address: 17, Nehru Rd, Darjeeling
Contact: +91 8336996173
Location: Google Map
Few more notable stores in Darjeeling
Das Studio
Das Studio is a landmark photo and photo accessories store on Nehru Road in Darjeeling. It was established by Thakur Das Pradhan, a renowned photographer and businessman, in 1927. The original store was on Mount Pleasant Road. Then it moved to its present location beside Glenary’s bakery in 1950. Inside the store, you will notice large framed photos of Darjeeling and adjacent hill stations like Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik.
The old black and white photos of Darjeeling town and Darjeeling Himalayan Railways are a treat to watch. There is also a range of photography equipment like cameras, tripods and camera bags. The prints are mostly from the images taken by the Das Studio family members. You can buy picture postcards, photoprints and engraved pens here. If you do not buy anything, you will also be amazed by the collection of photographs they have inside their studio.
Address: 15 Nehru Road, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101
Contact: +91 354 2254 004
Location: Google Map
Hayden Hall
Hayden Hall is a private non-profit organization in Darjeeling that works for women empowerment. It is named after Irish Jesuit Father Edward Hayden, who first supported this project. The building is located on Laden La Road with a shop on the ground floor. The products made by women in Hayden Hall are sold in this shop. Everything you buy here will help to support the cause. You can buy from a wide range of items like carpets, sweaters, scarves, caps, mittens etc.
Address: 42, Laden La Road, Darjeeling – 734101
Contact: +91 354 2253 166
Location: Google Map
Oxford Book and Stationery
Oxford Book and Stationery are situated at Chowrasta Mall with the Chalet Hotel upstairs. You will find a good collection of books on Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. The store is owned by Mrs Maya Primlani, who is running it successfully over the years. There is a Children Books section and a section for Darjeeling Tea outsourced from Nathmull’s if you are in a hurry to buy it on your last evening in Darjeeling.
Address: The Mall, Chowrasta, Darjeeling – 734101
Contact: +91 354 2254 325
Location: Google Map
Book your trip: Resources
- Flight
Use Skyscanner or Google Flights to book your flight.
- Accommodation
Tripadvisor and Agoda are perfect for booking your hotel. If you want to stay in a hostel, then Hostelworld would greatly help you find one at your convenience.
- Travel Insurance
World Nomads is perfect for travel insurance. You can get comprehensive protection from them. Let them take care of unexpected situations while you concentrate on your trip.
- Package Tour and Activities
You can book a package tour from G-Adventures and Viator. They are a reputed company arranging small group tours and customising them per your requirements. You can also use Get Your Guide to book your private transport, city tours, heritage walks, food walks and other experiences like a cooking lesson or a Yoga session.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. You will be directed to another third-party website when you click those links. If you purchase anything via those links, I will earn a referral bonus without any extra cost to you.
