WildlifeClosed Thursday

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

#4of 10 places to visit in DarjeelingDarjeeling, West Bengal

Also known as Darjeeling Zoo

Quick answer

Opening hours: 08:30 – 16:00 daily (closed Thursday). Entry: ₹110 Indian · ₹180 foreign. Allow 2 hrs. Best time: 09:00 – 11:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · By Traveliac Editorial Team · 5 min read

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Photo: Balajijagadesh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 08:30 – 16:00 daily; Closed Thursday
Entry fee: ₹110 Indian; Ticket from
Time needed: 2 hrs
Best time of day: 09:00 – 11:00
Best months: Oct – Apr
Address: Birch Hill, Jawahar Parbat (West), Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

About Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park spans 67.56 acres on Birch Hill at an average elevation of 2,134 metres, making it the largest high-altitude zoo in India. Founded on 14 August 1958 by Indian Forest Service officer Dilip Kumar Dey, the park was purpose-built to hold species that cannot survive at lowland zoo altitudes — snow leopards, red pandas, Himalayan wolves, and the Siberian tiger among them — rather than functioning as a general-purpose menagerie. The zoo draws roughly 300,000 visitors a year, a scale that positions it as one of West Bengal's most-visited single attractions outside Kolkata. The park's reputation rests substantially on two captive-breeding programmes run under Central Zoo Authority coordination: snow leopards, bred here since 1983 using founder animals from Zurich, the United States, and Leh-Ladakh; and red pandas, bred since 1994 with stock from Cologne, Madrid, and Rotterdam zoos. Both programmes have contributed animals to reintroduction and exchange schemes elsewhere in India, and the red panda enclosure in particular functions as a live conservation display rather than a static exhibit — information panels along the enclosure route explain the breeding programme's methodology in some detail.

Best time of day: 09:00 – 11:00. Shortly after opening, when animals are more active in the cooler morning air and before the largest tour groups arrive.

Photography

₹10 camera fee

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park timings

Opening hours: 08:30 – 16:00 daily
Closed on: Thursday

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park ticket price

Entry fees for Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	₹110
Foreign visitors	₹180
Children	Free
Camera	₹10

Fee as of 2026 per the official zoo administration: ₹110 for Indian and SAARC nationals, ₹180 for other foreign nationals, plus a ₹10 still-camera charge. Children below 6 years enter free. The same ticket grants access to the adjoining Himalayan Mountaineering Institute compound and Bengal Natural History Museum, since all three share the Birch Hill gate — confirm current inclusions at the counter.

Prices last checked 18 September 2026. Confirm on the official website before you go.

Best time to visit Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

08:30 – 10:00
Morning OpeningBest time to go
Gates have just opened; animals are most active in the cooler air and the walkways are uncrowded, particularly on weekdays.
Quiet
10:00 – 13:00
Tour Group Peak
School groups and package tours from Darjeeling and Siliguri arrive in volume; the red panda and snow leopard enclosures see the heaviest footfall of the day.
Very busy
13:00 – 15:00
Midday Lull
Many groups break for lunch in town; animals are less active in the warmer midday hours and crowds thin noticeably.
Moderate
15:00 – 16:00
Last Entry Window
Final visitors before the 16:00 close; staff begin ushering remaining groups toward the exit gate.
Quiet

History of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Dilip Kumar Dey, an Indian Forest Service officer, founded the park on 14 August 1958 with a specific mandate: build a zoological garden that could actually hold high-altitude Himalayan species, which lowland Indian zoos of the period could not keep alive for long. The site on Birch Hill was chosen for its elevation and existing tree cover, both suited to species adapted to cold, oxygen-thin conditions.

In January 1972, the park was formally registered as a society, with maintenance costs shared between the central and state governments — a structure that gave it more stable, dedicated funding than a typical municipal zoo. It was renamed in 1975 in memory of Padmaja Naidu, the fourth Governor of West Bengal, following a visit by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who dedicated the park to Naidu's memory. Administrative control passed to the West Bengal Department of Forests in May 1993, and the zoo has since become the lead institution for red panda conservation breeding programmes coordinated through India's Central Zoo Authority, alongside its long-running snow leopard programme.

Rules & etiquette at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Feeding any animal, including through enclosure mesh, is prohibited and enforced by zoo staff patrolling the walkways; visitors caught doing so are asked to move on immediately rather than fined on the spot. Tapping on glass enclosures — used for the red panda and snow leopard viewing areas — draws the same immediate correction, since keepers consider it a genuine stressor for animals already living at the edge of their preferred range in captivity.

The walking route through the park is uphill in sections and takes a minimum of 90 minutes to cover properly; visitors with mobility concerns should ask at the entrance gate about the shorter loop option, which skips the furthest enclosures. The shared compound gate with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute means visitors continuing on to the Everest Museum should keep their zoo ticket, since it is checked again at the HMI turnstile.

Tips for visiting Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

1
Visiting soon after the 08:30 opening gives the best chance of seeing the red pandas active, since they retreat to shaded resting spots as the day warms even at this altitude. The snow leopard enclosure is elevated and shaded on its far side — worth circling to the back viewing point rather than settling for the first vantage, where the cats often rest out of direct sightline.
2
Combining the zoo visit with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute immediately afterward makes practical sense, since both share the Birch Hill entrance and a single approach road; budgeting a half-day for the pair rather than treating them as separate outings avoids a second trip up the hill. Thursday closure catches a fair number of first-time visitors off guard — checking the day of the week before planning a Darjeeling itinerary around this stop is worth the ten seconds it takes.

How to reach Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

The red star is Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park; the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Birch Hill, Jawahar Parbat (West), Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101Directions in Google Maps

From Darjeeling Chowk Bazaar
₹80–₹150
3 km · 10–15 min
Shared or private taxi); walkable in 30–40 minutes uphill for the fit
From Darjeeling railway station
₹80–₹150
3.5 km · 10–15 min
Taxi
From Bagdogra Airport (IXB)
₹2,200–₹2,800
90 km · 3–3.5 hours
Private taxi to Darjeeling town, then local transfer

Nearest airport

From Bagdogra Airport (IXB)

approximately 90 km, 3–3.5 hours by road.

Nearest railway station

From New Jalpaiguri (NJP)

approximately 90 km; Darjeeling railway station – approximately 3 km within town.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park FAQs

What is the entry fee for Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park?

As of 2026, entry costs ₹110 for Indian and SAARC nationals and ₹180 for other foreign nationals, plus a ₹10 still-camera fee. Children under 6 years enter free.

Which day is the zoo closed?

Thursday. The park is otherwise open daily from 08:30 to 16:00.

Does the zoo ticket also cover the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute?

Yes, in practice, since the zoo and HMI share the same Birch Hill compound gate and the ticket is checked again at the HMI turnstile — but confirm current inclusions at the counter, as arrangements have varied over time.

What are the zoo's flagship conservation species?

Snow leopards, bred here since 1983, and red pandas, bred since 1994, form the two main captive-breeding programmes, run under Central Zoo Authority coordination. The zoo also holds Himalayan wolves, Siberian tigers, and several high-altitude pheasant species.

Written by Traveliac Editorial Team (West Bengal Field & Heritage Desk); reviewed by Traveliac Standards Desk. Facts last checked 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places