Trekking through towering pine forests, witnessing breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, taking a leisurely walk to one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in the hills, and experiencing the thrill of riding a toy train along sharp mountain bends — all these will be possible in a single day soon.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has launched a new daylong charter service in collaboration with the Kurseong forest division, offering tourists a unique blend of heritage rail travel and eco-tourism in Kurseong, popularly known as the “Land of White Orchids.”

“The initiative was taken about six months ago when we tied up with the Kurseong forest division. The new daylong charter service will run from Kurseong to Mahanadi. It will include jungle trails through pine forests, trekking through hilly vegetation, a visit to one of the oldest monasteries in Dow Hill, and the opportunity to see taxidermy wildlife exhibits at the forest museum, all as part of a daylong toy train charter journey,” DHR director Rishabh Choudhary said on Thursday.

The announcement was made during a meeting at the Elysia Building, the DHR headquarters in Kurseong. Devesh Pandey, the divisional forest officer of Kurseong, and tourism stakeholders attended the meeting.

DHR officials shared expansion plans with representatives of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) — one of the largest bodies of tourism stakeholders in the region — as well as local hoteliers and tourism operators.

At the meeting, discussions also focused on exploring options to introduce similar chartered services, including destinations such as Sepoydhura tea estate and Shivkhola, broadening the scope of heritage and nature-based tourism experiences.

The DHR, a Unesco world heritage site, is one of the most iconic attractions for visitors to the hills.