There is something wonderfully unhurried about a train that takes its time getting to the mountains. It rounds bends that seem drawn into the hillsides, slips through tunnels, crosses bridges suspended above valleys, and pauses at stations where the air smells of pine needles, damp earth, or freshly brewed tea. India's heritage toy trains offer precisely this kind of travel. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway winds through the tea-growing slopes of West Bengal, the Kalka–Shimla Railway climbs into the cedar and pine forests of Himachal Pradesh, and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway traverses the green highlands of Tamil Nadu. Together, they form the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India, celebrated for the engineering ingenuity that made these mountain journeys possible.
3 Heritage Toy Train Journeys In India To Experience With Mountain Stays
Wind through Darjeeling’s tea gardens, Shimla’s pine forests and the Nilgiris’ green slopes on three heritage toy train journeys, paired with stays that make the mountains worth lingering in
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway makes the journey feel like a moving portrait of the eastern Himalayas. Opened in 1881, this narrow-gauge railway connects the plains around New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling, climbing through the foothills via tea gardens, forested slopes and densely settled mountain towns. The iconic Darjeeling–Ghum stretch is particularly rewarding for travellers short on time. The train passes through Darjeeling's streets, where pedestrians and everyday town life come unexpectedly close to the tracks, before climbing towards Ghum, one of India's highest railway stations. The Batasia Loop offers a memorable view of the surrounding mountains on clear days, with Kanchenjunga rising beyond the ridgelines. The railway was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1999.
The Elgin, Darjeeling
Set inside a colonial-era manor dating to 1887, The Elgin, Darjeeling offers an old-world counterpoint to a day spent exploring the hills. Its period interiors, gardens and cosy common spaces lend themselves to slow mornings and long evenings after a ride on the toy train. The property is also well placed for exploring central Darjeeling, including its pedestrian promenades and markets.
The Information
Address: 18 H.D. Lama Road, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101.
Tariff: The current rates for the Deluxe Double Room start from INR 14,000 per night. They vary by room category, season and occupancy.
Contact: +91-33-22269878, +91-33-40646300; reservations@elginhotels.com
Website: elginhotels.com.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Check the hotel's official website for direct-booking offers, and compare the total price with other booking platforms before confirming. Ask about any seasonal packages or meal inclusions.
Things to do nearby: Walk along Chowrasta and Mall Road, visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, explore Happy Valley Tea Estate or take a short excursion to Batasia Loop and Ghum.
Ging Tea House
For a stay that takes travellers deeper into the tea country, this heritage-style retreat sits within the Ging Tea Estate in the hills near Darjeeling. The setting shifts the focus from the bustle of the town to plantation landscapes, quieter mountain roads and the daily rhythms of tea growing. It is a fitting choice for those who want to add walks through the estate and an immersive plantation experience to their railway holiday.
The Information
Address: Ging Tea Estate, Lebong Valley, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734105.
Tariff: The current rates for the Heritage Plan start from INR 12,188 per night, while those for the Colonial Plan go up to INR 20,108 per night. All-inclusive packages are offered, with inclusions varying by plan.
Contact: +91 98310 76877 / +91 99327 74750; email: stay@gingteahouse.com.
Website: gingteahouse.com.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Ask about longer-stay packages and compare the all-inclusive plan with room-only or alternative arrangements, if available. Check whether meals, transfers, tea-estate walks and factory visits are included before comparing prices.
Things to do nearby: Walk through the tea gardens, arrange a tea factory visit and tasting, explore the surrounding Lebong Valley, or plan an excursion into Darjeeling town. The property also offers guided tea-estate experiences.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway, Himachal Pradesh
The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a journey of tunnels, bridges and increasingly dense mountain forests. Built to connect the plains with the former summer capital of British India, the line opened in 1903 and travels approximately 96 kilometres towards Shimla. Its engineering is integral to its appeal: the train negotiates tight curves and an extraordinary succession of tunnels and bridges as it winds into the hills. The railway became part of the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India in 2008. As the train leaves Kalka, the surroundings gradually change from the lower foothills to pine-covered slopes and cooler mountain air. Small stations punctuate the route, offering glimpses of hillside settlements and valleys that seem to drop away beneath the tracks.
Barog is among the memorable stops, with its railway history and tunnel adding another layer to the journey. The arrival in Shimla brings a different kind of mountain atmosphere. Here, forested ridges meet the town's historic architecture, pedestrian streets and old public buildings. Rather than treating Shimla as a quick stop at the end of the line, allow a few days to explore its heritage quarters, walk beneath the deodars and experience the town beyond its busiest stretches.
The Oberoi Cecil
At Chaura Maidan, this landmark hotel brings together Shimla's colonial-era past and the comforts of a luxury stay. Its grand interiors, polished wooden floors and formal lounges evoke a time when the hill station was an important administrative centre. It makes a suitable base for exploring the town's architectural heritage before returning to the quieter atmosphere of the hotel.
The Information
Address: Chaura Maidan, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171004.
Tariff: The current rates for the Deluxe Room start from INR 26,500 per night, while those for the Luxury Room go up to INR 29,500 per night. These exclude breakfast and taxes. Rates vary by room category, season and booking dates.
Contact: Hotel: +91 177 280 4848; reservations: +91 11 6911 0606; email: reservations@oberoigroup.com.
Website: oberoihotels.com.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Check the official website for packages and advance-booking offers. Compare room-only and meal-inclusive rates, and enquire about inclusions before choosing a rate plan.
Things to do nearby: Explore Shimla's Mall Road and the Ridge, visit Christ Church, walk through the heritage quarter and discover the town's colonial-era buildings. The hotel's Chaura Maidan location also provides access to the quieter forested edges of the hill station.
Chapslee
For something more intimate, Chapslee occupies a historic house dating to the 19th century, with a strong sense of domestic history. Its period furnishings, traditional interiors and secluded garden setting offer a glimpse of another side of Shimla's architectural legacy. The property suits travellers who prefer a smaller heritage residence to a conventional hotel, with time built into the itinerary for lingering over tea and exploring the surrounding neighbourhood.
The Information
Address: Elysium Hill, Lakkar Bazar, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171001.
Tariff: The listed rates at the hotel's official site show that the Standard Suite is for INR 16,500 per night and the Luxury Suite costs up to INR 23,000 per night. The published tariff includes bed tea, breakfast, evening tea, dinner, heating and Wi-Fi.
Contact: +91 177 2658663 / +91-9816644202; chapsleesm@gmail.com.
Website: chapslee.co.in.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Contact the property directly to ask about special packages and suite availability. Since meals and other inclusions form part of the tariff, compare the overall package rather than just the room rate.
Things to do nearby: Explore Lakkar Bazar's traditional shops, walk towards the Ridge and Mall Road, visit Christ Church and discover Shimla's historic streets and buildings. Allow time to enjoy the residence itself, rather than treating it only as a place to sleep.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Tamil Nadu
In the Nilgiris, the mountains unfold in shades of green. Tea plantations pattern the slopes, eucalyptus and shola forests occupy the higher reaches, and clouds gather around ridgelines before drifting across the valleys. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway offers a front-row seat to this landscape, connecting Mettupalayam in the foothills with Udhagamandalam, better known as Ooty. Completed in 1908, the approximately 46-kilometre railway climbs from around 326 metres to 2,203 metres above sea level. Its steepest section uses a rack-and-pinion system, an ingenious mechanism that helps the train negotiate gradients that ordinary rail adhesion cannot manage as effectively. It is one of the defining engineering features of this UNESCO-listed railway.
The lower stretch of the journey begins in warmer, greener country before the train enters the steeper mountain section towards Coonoor. Tunnels, bridges and curves reveal changing views of valleys and forested slopes; farther up, tea gardens become an increasingly familiar feature of the landscape. The final approach to Ooty brings cooler air and the distinctive atmosphere of a hill station shaped by gardens, cottages and winding roads. Coonoor is worth considering as more than a stop along the way. With its tea estates and quieter pace, it offers a different base from Ooty, particularly for travellers keen to explore the Nilgiris without filling every day with sightseeing.
Savoy, Ooty – IHCL SeleQtions
Established in the 19th century, Savoy is a heritage property set amid gardens in Ooty. Its period architecture and leisurely atmosphere make it a natural fit for a railway holiday: think cool mornings, long meals and time spent enjoying the grounds between excursions. It also provides a comfortable base for exploring Ooty's botanical heritage and surrounding hills.
The Information
Address: 77, Sylks Road, Ooty, Tamil Nadu 643001.
Tariff: The rates for the Superior Room start from INR 25,000 per night. Rates vary by room category, season and occupancy.
Contact: +91 22660 11825; book.savoy@seleqtionshotels.com.
Website: seleqtionshotels.com.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Check the official website for seasonal packages and direct-booking offers. Compare rates for different room categories and check whether breakfast, dining experiences or other activities are included. Things to do nearby: Visit the Government Botanical Garden, stroll around Ooty Lake, explore the town's markets and gardens, or take a ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. The hotel's landscaped grounds are also worth setting aside time to enjoy.
Things to do nearby: Visit the Government Botanical Garden, stroll around Ooty Lake, explore the town's markets and gardens, or take a ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. The hotel's landscaped grounds are also worth setting aside time to enjoy.
Teanest by Nature Resorts
Located within the Singara tea-estate landscape near Coonoor, Teanest offers a more secluded alternative to staying in Ooty town. Its appeal lies in the surrounding plantations, quiet setting and opportunity to experience the Nilgiris at a slower pace. Tea-themed experiences and walks around the estate can turn a railway excursion into a longer exploration of the region's tea-growing culture.
The Information
Address: Singara Estate Road, Coonoor, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu 643001.
Tariff: The current rates for the Chamomile room start from INR 4,500 per night, while those for the Teanest Annexe Basil go up to INR 5,850 per night. Confirm the applicable rate for the selected property, room category and dates.
Contact: +91 – 8088855855, +91 – 7710029815; teanest@natureresorts.in.
Website: natureresorts.in/teanest.
How to get the best deal on the hotel: Contact the property directly to enquire about weekday rates, longer stays and available packages. Ask whether meals, plantation walks and tea-related experiences are included in the quoted price.
Things to do nearby: Explore the tea gardens around Coonoor, visit Sim's Park, take a scenic drive through the Nilgiri hills or arrange a tea-tasting experience. Coonoor's quieter lanes and plantation landscapes make it a good base for unhurried walks.
The enduring appeal of these journeys lies in their refusal to hurry. The engineering reasons associated with each of these railways brought in convenience, but what they also brought with them are simpler things: a hillside glimpsed between tunnels, the changing colour of the trees or the sound of a train whistle travelling across a valley. With the right stay at either end, the journey becomes not merely a way into the mountains, but a reason to spend longer in them.
FAQs
1. Which are the three most scenic toy train journeys in India?
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal, the Kalka–Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu are three of India's most scenic heritage train journeys.
2. Which toy train journeys in India are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka–Shimla Railway and Nilgiri Mountain Railway are part of the UNESCO-listed Mountain Railways of India, recognised for their historical significance and remarkable engineering.
3. What can you see on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway?
The journey features tea gardens, mountain settlements and forested slopes. The Darjeeling–Ghum stretch is known for the Batasia Loop and views of the surrounding Himalayan landscape on clear days.
4. Which places can you visit on the Kalka–Shimla toy train route?
The route passes through pine-covered hills, tunnels, bridges and small mountain stations, including Barog. At the end of the journey, Shimla offers colonial-era architecture, forest walks and historic pedestrian streets.
5. Where can you stay during a toy train holiday in India?
Options include The Elgin and Ging Tea House in the Darjeeling region, The Oberoi Cecil and Chapslee in Shimla, and Savoy, Ooty, and Teanest near Coonoor. Check current availability and railway schedules before planning your trip.
