Darjeeling Ropeway

Darjeeling Ropeway, also known as the Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car, is a scenic aerial ropeway in Singamari, Darjeeling, West Bengal. Established in 1968 as India's first ropeway, it connects North Point in Darjeeling with Singla Bazaar in the Rangeet Valley. The ropeway offers panoramic views of Darjeeling town, tea gardens, forests, the Rangeet River, and on clear days, Kanchenjunga. It is a major tourist attraction for sightseeing and photography.

Visitors can expect a scenic cable car ride from the Singamari station descending over dense forests, tea gardens, mountain ridges and the Rangeet Valley. The ropeway has enclosed cabins that offer panoramic views of Darjeeling town, Happy Valley and Tukvar tea estates, the Rangeet River and, in clear weather, the Kanchenjunga range. The experience includes queuing at the ticket counter, a waiting hall, and a round-trip joy ride of about 2 km with a brief stop at the lower station for views and photography.

The Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car was established in 1968 and was the first passenger ropeway in India. Originally 5 km long connecting North Point, Darjeeling with Singla Bazaar in the Rangeet Valley, it was built to provide connectivity and promote tourism. After an incident in 2003 it remained closed for several years and was reopened in 2012 as a shorter joy ride of about 2 km for tourists, now operated with modern safety upgrades.

The ropeway is a significant tourist landmark of Darjeeling hill station, showcasing the region's tea garden landscape and Himalayan valley culture. It connects the hill town with the lower valley settlements and offers visitors an aerial perspective of the tea cultivation and forested slopes that define Darjeeling's cultural landscape.