The new trail runs from Chowrasta to Darjeeling Railway Station and forms part of the festival's low-carbon programme
Darjeeling, 29 September 2026: The Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival (KTF) 2026 launched The Queen's Trail at dawn on 26 September, a heritage walk new to this edition that traces Darjeeling's colonial legacy on foot. The trail begins at Chowrasta and passes through the town's landmarks to Darjeeling Railway Station, with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at its heart.
The Trail was conceived as part of the festival's low-carbon programme: a town seen at walking pace rather than through a windscreen. Content creators and tour operators hosted by KTF 2026 joined the walk.
Shri Raj Basu, Convenor, Association for Conservation & Tourism, said: "The Queen's Trail asks visitors to do something simple: slow down and look. Darjeeling reveals itself at walking pace, and a walk like this brings its history, its railway and its people into view in a way no drive-through can."
Shri Rishav Chaudhary, Director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, said: "The Queen's Trail ends at Darjeeling Railway Station, where the DHR has welcomed visitors for generations. It is fitting that a walk through the town's heritage arrives at the railway that shaped it."
What the creators saw
Arbaz Khan (@arbazykhan) said: "I've seen Darjeeling in a hundred photographs, but walking the Queen's Trail at dawn made it feel new. The mist, the old buildings and the sound of the railway station waking up made the whole town come alive."
Girish Kabadi (@travelgiri_) said: "This is the kind of experience I love to share with my followers, one that isn't about ticking off viewpoints. You learn the story of the town step by step, and you end at the station feeling you've actually been somewhere."
From the trade
MD Nayaz Ahmad, owner of Easy Trip Tour & Travel, said: "As a travel professional, I'm always looking for experiences that help visitors connect with the destination beyond the usual sightseeing. The Queen's Trail offers travellers a different way to experience Darjeeling, bringing its heritage, railway and streets together in one memorable walk."
About the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival
Running for over two decades, the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival is North Bengal's longest-standing tourism platform. An initiative of the Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT), organised in collaboration with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), KTF 2026 was held from 25 to 27 September across Siliguri, Darjeeling, Sonada and Sukna.
