Things to Do in Mirik

Mirik is a small lake town at about 1,500 metres in the Darjeeling hills, surrounded by tea gardens, pine forest and orange orchards. It is lower and milder than Darjeeling, a lot quieter, and less than two hours from Siliguri. Here is how to spend a day or two, from people who have lived and kept a hotel here since 1980.

1. Walk around Mirik Lake (Sumendu Lake)

The lake is the heart of town. A paved path of roughly 3.5 km runs all the way round it, through the pine trees on one side and the garden on the other, and it is flat enough for children and older travellers. Cross the arched footbridge (the "Rainbow Bridge") for the classic photo, then take a rowing boat out or let the kids ride a pony along the bank. Go early in the morning: the water is still, the mist lifts off the hills and you will have the path almost to yourself.

2. Bokar Monastery

Up the hill from the lake, Bokar Ngedon Chokhor Ling is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery founded in the 1980s by Bokar Rinpoche. Young monks study here, and the prayer hall and the view down over the town and lake make the short drive or steep walk worth it. Dress modestly, walk clockwise around the stupa and ask before photographing anyone.

3. Tea gardens

The road into Mirik winds through estates such as Soureni, Thurbo and Gopaldhara, where the slopes are covered in tea bushes. Stop at a roadside viewpoint, watch the pluckers at work in season (spring to autumn), and buy a packet of fresh first or second flush tea to take home. Ask us at the front desk which estates are open for visits when you are here.

4. Orange orchards

Mirik is known across Bengal for its small, sweet oranges. Between November and January the orchards around town are heavy with fruit and you can buy straight from the growers. It is one of the best reasons to visit in winter.

5. Viewpoints: Tingling and Rameetey

On a clear morning the ridges above Mirik look across rolling tea gardens to the plains, and to the Kanchenjunga range in the north. Tingling viewpoint, on the way in from Siliguri, is famous for its terraced tea slopes. Rameetey Dhura, above town, is a quieter spot for sunrise. October to early December gives the clearest skies.

6. Pashupati Market on the Nepal border

A drive through tea country brings you to Pashupatinagar, a busy market just across the border in Nepal, popular for jackets, blankets and imported goods. Indian citizens usually cross on foot with photo ID (carry an Aadhaar card, voter ID or passport). Foreign nationals need a Nepal visa. Rules can change, so check before you set out.

7. Bunkulung and the surrounding villages

If you have a car for the day, drive down to Bunkulung and the small villages below Mirik, where cardamom, oranges and vegetables grow on the terraces. It is a peaceful half day, with homestay lunches and a river at the bottom of the valley.

A one-day Mirik plan

• Early morning: sunrise from a viewpoint, then a walk around the lake before the day-trippers arrive.
• Mid-morning: Bokar Monastery, then boating on the lake.
• Lunch: momos, thukpa or a full Indian meal at the hotel restaurant.
• Afternoon: a tea-garden drive towards Tingling, or the Pashupati border market.
• Evening: the lakeside market for tea, oranges and warm clothes.

Tips

• Mirik is cooler than Siliguri all year. Carry a jacket even in summer, and warm layers from November to February.
• There are ATMs in town, but carry some cash for boats, ponies and the market.
• Mirik works well paired with Darjeeling: see our Mirik vs Darjeeling guide and how to get there.