Darjeeling: Darjeeling’s iconic toy train ride has found a place among Lonely Planet’s 50 Best in Travel selections for 2027, also featuring separately as one of the global travel guide’s 25 recommended experiences. Darjeeling has been selected among the top 25 destinations, with the hill town described as “best for a toy train journey”.Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel 2027 selection comprises 50 entries — 25 destinations and 25 experiences — chosen by its global network of travel writers and experts. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway features in the experiences category, while Darjeeling and Gujarat are the destinations selected from India. Gujarat has been featured as “best for salt flats and wild lions”.Highlighting the appeal of the heritage railway, Lonely Planet said tourists visiting Darjeeling may find it unusual to spend about two hours travelling just around 14 km between Darjeeling and Ghum, but on Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — fondly known as the toy train — “the journey is the whole point”.The 88-km DHR, built between 1879 and 1881, connects New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling and is among India’s most prominent railway heritage attractions. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 as part of Mountain Railways of India.Its steam and diesel-hauled services, particularly the Darjeeling-Ghum section, along with landmarks such as Batasia Loop and Ghum, continue to remain major attractions for tourists visiting the hills.“This is a significant achievement for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and shows that all the hard work put into preserving and promoting this heritage railway is paying off. We will continue to strive for greater recognition and do more to showcase the DHR on the global tourism map,” DHR director Rishav Choudhary said.Lonely Planet’s Darjeeling recommendation also points travellers towards experiences beyond the toy train, including watching the sunrise from Tiger Hill, exploring the town’s tea heritage, Tibetan culture and religious sites.
