Darjeeling weather is shaped by three facts: the town sits at 2,128 metres (6,982 feet), it has a temperate subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), and 80 per cent of its 2,373 mm of annual rainfall falls in the four monsoon months of June through September. The remaining eight months are surprisingly dry — December alone averages just 2.8 mm of rain across 0.7 rainy days. This guide goes month by month with India Meteorological Department temperature and rainfall norms (1991–2020) and the on-the-ground observations from 14 years of running trips through every season.
Darjeeling climate at a glance
- Elevation: 2,128 m (6,982 ft) — high enough for genuinely cool summers and proper cold nights in winter
- Köppen classification: Cwb (subtropical highland) — same family as Shimla and parts of Mexico City
- Annual rainfall: 2,373 mm spread over 106 rainy days, with 80% concentrated in June–September
- Mean annual humidity (17:30 IST): 86% — but ranges from 78% in Feb/Nov to 95% in July
- Annual sunshine hours: 1,645 — December and November are the sunniest months at 189 hours each; June is the gloomiest at 72
- Highest recorded temperature: 28.5°C (August). Lowest: -7.2°C (January)
The four practical seasons
Darjeeling has four functional seasons that matter for travellers. Spring (mid-February to mid-May) brings rhododendron bloom, first-flush tea harvest, and the clearest mountain views before the monsoon haze. Monsoon (mid-June to mid-September) is wet, green and dramatic — and roughly half-price on hotels. Post-monsoon autumn (late September to November) is the peak — clear air, full Kanchenjunga visibility, festivals, but highest prices. Winter (December to mid-February) is dry, cold and surprisingly sunny — the photographer's season for those who can handle 2°C nights.
Month by month
January in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 11.1°C, low 1.7°C, with overnight lows occasionally dropping below zero (the record low for January is -7.2°C). Rainfall is just 10.8 mm across 0.9 rainy days — effectively a dry month. Humidity 82% in the afternoon, sunshine 167 hours. Snow is rare in Darjeeling town itself; you need to drive to Sandakphu (3,636 m) or wait for an exceptional cold snap. Kanchenjunga visibility is excellent on clear mornings — perhaps 75 per cent of January dawns from Tiger Hill produce a clean view. Tea gardens are dormant; no flush is being harvested. The town is at its quietest. Pack a down jacket, gloves and a beanie. Festivals: Maghe Sankranti (mid-January) is celebrated by the Nepali community with sweets and rituals at the Mahakal Mandir.
February in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 12.4°C, low 3.1°C. Rainfall ticks up slightly to 11.4 mm over 1.2 days but still effectively dry. Humidity drops to its annual low of 78 per cent in the afternoon — this is why February afternoons feel cleaner and less hazy than May. Sunshine 139 hours. The first rhododendrons appear in the lower valleys around Tonglu and Lamahatta by the last week. Tea gardens prepare for the first flush, which begins around 25 February in a normal year. Tiger Hill clear-view probability is similar to January, around 70 to 75 per cent. Pack winter layers; a single down jacket plus thermal base layer is sufficient.
March in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 15.9°C, low 6.0°C — the warming starts. Rainfall climbs to 26.4 mm over 2.6 days, still light. Humidity 79 per cent, sunshine 145 hours. The first flush tea harvest is in full swing through late March and April — Happy Valley, Glenburn, Makaibari are at their busiest. Rhododendron bloom moves up-altitude into Singalila ridge. The Singalila trek (Sandakphu) reopens. Kanchenjunga views remain reliable on clear mornings but afternoon clouds start to build. Holi (usually mid-March) is celebrated more by the migrant population than locally; less colour than in plains India. A medium-weight jacket and one warm layer suffice.
April in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 18.6°C, low 9.0°C — comfortable, the most temperate month of the year. Rainfall jumps to 89 mm over 6.7 days; the pre-monsoon thunderstorms have started. Humidity 82%, sunshine 147 hours. Most rain in April falls as evening thunderstorms after warm afternoons; mornings are typically clear. First flush tea harvest peaks. Singalila ridge is at peak rhododendron bloom — 40+ species across the trek. School holidays start in the last week and prices begin climbing. Tiger Hill mornings are 60 per cent clear; the haze begins to thicken. A light jacket for mornings and evenings is enough.
May in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 19.3°C, low 10.8°C — the warmest the town gets. Rainfall doubles again to 160 mm over 10.2 days. The "June-May ratio" — by which June rain is 260 per cent of May rain — illustrates how sharply the monsoon transitions. Humidity rises to 90 per cent. Sunshine 152 hours. The first flush is over, second flush begins late May. Indian summer school holidays make this the most-crowded month in Darjeeling town. Hotel rates peak at 1.5x to 2x the November rate. The pre-monsoon haze is thick — Tiger Hill clear-view drops to about 35 per cent. Buddha Jayanti (May full moon) is observed at monasteries with prayer flag renewals. Pack rain protection; the afternoon thunderstorms are real.
June in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 19.8°C, low 12.8°C — temperatures plateau. Rainfall jumps to 419 mm over 17.9 days. Monsoon arrives in earnest around the 15th to 20th, with the previous week of June often still dry. Humidity reaches 94 per cent, sunshine collapses to 72 hours (the year's low). Tiger Hill is effectively closed for clear-view purposes — perhaps 1 in 10 mornings produce anything visible. Second flush tea harvest continues — and this is the famous "Darjeeling second flush" with its muscatel character. Hotel rates drop 20 to 30 per cent compared to May. The first two weeks are still bookable as a normal trip; the second half is committed monsoon. Quick-dry layers, full rain gear, waterproof shoes are non-negotiable.
July in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 19.5°C, low 13.4°C. Rainfall peaks at 648 mm over 23.4 days — the wettest month of the year. Humidity hits its annual high of 95 per cent. Sunshine just 77 hours across the month. Tea gardens look unreal: deep green, mist-wrapped, leech-heavy on the trails. The Toy Train runs but with possible service disruptions from landslides on the lower hill route. Hotel rates at their annual low — Mayfair Darjeeling, Glenburn and other top-end properties drop to shoulder pricing. For photographers who love the saturation, July light, and the empty hill — this is a hidden gem. For anyone wanting mountain views or dry trails, skip it. Pack full waterproof kit and leech socks.
August in Darjeeling
Mean daily high 19.9°C (the year's warmest, technically), low 13.5°C. Rainfall 530 mm over 22 days — slightly drier than July but still in the heart of monsoon. Humidity 94 per cent, sunshine recovers slightly to 102 hours. The Singalila ridge trek is officially closed through August. Tea gardens remain photogenic; second flush harvest continues. Independence Day weekend (15 August) sees a small uptick in domestic tourism. Janai Purnima (full moon, August) is observed by the Newar community. Leech populations on monastery trails are at their highest in August.
September in Darjeeling
The pivot month. Mean daily high 19.5°C, low 12.7°C. Rainfall halves to 385 mm but still over 16 rainy days. The monsoon withdraws in stages between roughly 10 and 25 September. The first two weeks are usually still wet; the last week often turns gloriously clear with the cleanest post-monsoon air. Humidity drops to 92 per cent. Sunshine 96 hours. By the third week, Tiger Hill clear-view probability climbs back to 60 per cent. The last week of September is a hidden travel-pricing window — hotels are still on shoulder rates, weather has turned, and the rush has not started. We sell more trips for the last week of September than the first week of October for exactly this reason.
October in Darjeeling
The famous month. Mean daily high 19.4°C, low 9.9°C — perfect daytime temperatures with cool nights. Rainfall collapses to 78.8 mm over 3.9 days; the monsoon has cleanly withdrawn. Humidity drops to 84 per cent. Sunshine doubles to 167 hours from September's 96. Tiger Hill clear-view probability peaks at 80 per cent in mid- to late October. The festival season — Dasain (Dussehra) in the first half, Tihar/Diwali in the second — brings the town to life. Tea gardens are at their visual peak; the autumn flush is on. Hotel rates are at the annual peak; Glenburn, Mayfair, the better Mall-area properties book out 3 to 4 months ahead. Pack mid-weight layers — a light down or fleece jacket, plus a wind-resistant outer.
November in Darjeeling
The most underrated month. Mean daily high 17.2°C, low 6.2°C. Rainfall just 11.2 mm over 0.6 days — effectively dry. Humidity drops to its annual low alongside February at 78 per cent. Sunshine soars to 189 hours — November is the sunniest month of the year, tied with December. Air quality is exceptional. Tiger Hill clear-view probability stays at 75 to 80 per cent. By the third week, the late-November haze begins to roll in across the plains, marginally reducing distant clarity. October crowds have left; hotel rates drop 20 to 30 per cent. This is the photographer's month and the repeat-visitor's month. Pack layers — mornings near freezing, afternoons mild.
December in Darjeeling
Properly cold. Mean daily high 13.7°C, low 3.5°C. Rainfall just 2.8 mm over 0.7 days — the driest month of the year by a wide margin. Humidity 80 per cent. Sunshine 189 hours, tied with November for the year's sunniest. Tiger Hill mornings remain reliably clear (70 to 75 per cent success rate). Christmas week (22 to 31 December) brings a domestic-tourist rush and the only meaningful pricing spike of winter. Snow can occasionally fall on Sandakphu and Tiger Hill ridges but is rare in Darjeeling town itself. Tea gardens are dormant. Pack winter — down jacket, thermal base, gloves, beanie. Hot water bottles at most Mall-area hotels in December are appreciated and provided.
Best months by what you want to do
- Kanchenjunga views from Tiger Hill — late October to mid-December, with November the single best month at ~80% clear-morning probability
- First-flush tea garden experience — late February through April (peak: mid-March to mid-April)
- Second-flush "muscatel" tea harvest — mid-May to mid-July (visit-restricted by monsoon access)
- Rhododendron bloom in Singalila / Sandakphu trek — late March to mid-May
- Toy Train at its most reliable — October, November, December, January, February — basically the dry half of the year
- Festivals (Dasain, Tihar/Diwali) — October and first week of November
- Empty town, cheap hotels, photographers' dream — July and August, with full acceptance of rain
- Snow chasers — late December to mid-February at Sandakphu and Phalut, not Darjeeling town itself
- Honeymooners — first three weeks of November (quiet, clear, affordable) or last two weeks of March (warming, rhododendrons starting)
Months we quietly steer guests away from
Peak May (the 10th to 30th) — overcrowded with domestic school-holiday traffic, peak prices, and the pre-monsoon haze obscures distant views. If a guest can flex by ten days to mid-April or first week of June, we always push for it. The last week of December — Christmas/New Year rush brings hotel rates up 40 to 60 per cent for a week, while January 1 onwards drops cleanly back to off-season pricing. The third and fourth weeks of July — the wettest stretch of the year. The Toy Train runs only intermittently. Landslides on the road from NJP can close access for hours. We will still run trips in this window for guests who specifically want monsoon Darjeeling — but with full insurance, written cancellation policy, and a buffer day at Glenburn or in town.
A condensed packing matrix
- Dec / Jan / Feb — down jacket, thermal base layer, fleece mid-layer, gloves, beanie, warm socks, sturdy walking shoes. Sub-zero possible at dawn.
- Mar / Apr — light down or heavy fleece, long sleeves, light gloves. Layers come off by 11 a.m.
- May — light fleece for evenings, otherwise summer clothes. Carry rain shell — afternoon thunderstorms.
- Jun / Jul / Aug — full waterproof rain shell, quick-dry trousers, waterproof shoes or boots, leech socks for trail walks. Quick-dry t-shirts under the rain shell.
- Sep — like May early in the month, like October late in the month. Carry both rain shell and light fleece.
- Oct / Nov — light to mid-weight jacket, fleece, long sleeves. Wind shell useful at Tiger Hill dawn. Layers off by mid-morning.
“I came in mid-November after Ajay's advice to skip October. November was perfect — clear, quiet, half the people, two-thirds the hotel rate. Tiger Hill at 5 a.m. was just me and four other photographers. I am coming back next November with my parents.”
