Tea Tourism in Glenburn Tea Garden near Darjeeling

Started in 1860 by a Scottish Tea Company Glenburn is one of the oldest Gardens in Darjeeling sprawling across 1600 acres of land. Perched on a slope at an altitude of 3700 feet the garden offers a breathtaking view of Mt Kunchenjungha with two rivers – Rangit and Rong Dong passing through the garden. Apart from the sprawling tea field, The Glenburn has its own forest area along the riverside with more than 100 species of Himalayan birds and some common animals like deer, civet cat, wild boar and Leopard, making it an ideal refuge for nature lovers. The Campsite on the bank of Rangeet River which borders the state of Sikkim gives a unique opportunity to explore the forests and to enjoy a day out with a picnic lunch.

Located conveniently between Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok and Kurseong Glenburn gives multiple options for excursions to all these cities. The garden offers many lucrative activities like short and long day hikes through forests and villages, picnics by the river, fishing and swimming in rivers, camping on the Rangeet River, rafting in Tista River, a Tea garden tour with visiting tea processing and plucking, tea testing, birding tours, Darjeeling and Kalimpong excursions, and of course the ultimate comfort in the heritage Burra Bungalow with the fabulous aromatic tea and delicious cuisine. The serene location of Glenburn FrontGlenburn is also a perfect place for Yoga and meditation.  

The accommodation is provided in the heritage Burra Bungalow with 8 suites – The Planters’ Suite, The Rose Suite, The Kanchenjunga Suite, The Simbong Butterfly Suite, The Rung Dung Suite, The Rungeet Suite, The Camelia Suite and The Singalila Suite. All spacious rooms having century-old furniture made of Spanish mahogany take you back in time to the days of the East India Company while you relax in front of a crackling fire in the privacy of your room. All rooms with privet verandah overlook the sprawling valleys and the Kanchenjunga range beyond. The attached bathroom with old fashioned bathtub and a hand shower reminds the Raj heritage in colonial times. The elaborated cuisines range from interesting local fare and traditional Indian dishes to exotic South-East Asian delicacies, and a variety of European dishes making full use of the fresh Italian herbs, and salad leaves grown in the well-stocked kitchen garden. Apart from the cosy suites Glenburn also has one campsite with two bedroom log cabin on the river Rangeet for the more adventure seekers.

Total Room: 8 double/Twin and 2 bedroom Riverside Log cabin
Facilities: ● Spacious room, ● attached bath with old fashioned but tub and fittings, H&C Water, ● Room Heater, ● Fresh Fruit and flowers in the room, ● in-house kitchen with garden fresh organic Vegetarian food ● Indoor / Outdoor Games, ● Library ● Full-time naturalist, ●  Boutique shop, ●  Internet facilities, ●  Laundry service
Activities: ● Guided Garden Tour (Tea Testing, Tea Processing, Plucking), ● Birding & Wildlife & fishing, ● Excursion to the Glenburn Campsite, ● Hike along the River Rungeet to Manjitar Village in Sikkim, ● Toy train Ride (DHR), ● Picnic Lunch with barbeque by riverside, ● River rafting, ● Excursion or City Tour in Darjeeling/Kurseong, ● Gurkha Cultural dance, ● Special Christmas celebration, ● Herbal Massage

2 nights 3 days in Glenburn tea Garden - Sip nature

Day 1:  Arrival at Glenburn Garden. We ride over the hills along the winding Tista River and within 2hours of the drive, we enter the tea zone of Darjeeling Hills at Peshok. The view of refreshing green carpets on the rolling slopes with the gorgeous Kunchenjungha Mountains shining over the horizon welcomes you to the pristine land of Glenburn Tea Estate. Check-in at the fabulous 150 years old Planters Bungalow and enjoy the serenity of the surroundings. 

Day 2: Today we explore the garden with the manager and experience the process of tea manufacturing with tea plucking, a factory visit followed by tea testing of various blends of Darjeeling flavour. Explore the beautiful estate with its acres of tea fields and private forests either on foot or by jeep. Glenburn is one of the few destinations in India where you can hike all day through the unspoilt countryside and then return to comfort and luxury at night. There is a multitude of bird life, butterflies, and other fauna and flora to enjoy.

The “Pamper” team of Glenburn provides foot massage, reflexology, head massage, as well as full body massages using Darjeeling Green Tea Massage Oil.  Fresh mint and chamomile foot soaks are also provided after a long day’s walk in the tea garden

Day 3: Early morning drive to Tiger Hill for a brilliant sunrise over the World's highest Mountain peaks – Everest and Kunchenzungha. Drive back to the Garden for breakfast. Tour ends with breakfast and a warm farewell from the garden and drives to onward destination with memories to cherish for a long time

Options for Additional Night

Day 4:  To add an adventure you can spend a night down at The Glenburn Lodge, with its two comfortable bedrooms.  Here in the heart of the forest, on the banks of the River Rungeet, you can camp out, walk across the river to Sikkim over a hanging footbridge, play a game of croquet or beach cricket, have a refreshing dip in the river, fish for some local trout, enjoy river rafting or simply take in the sun with a picnic lunch and barbeque.

day 5: On this day you can go for a day visit to Darjeeling Town and enjoy lunch in the Glenerys with a visit to the important places in the town along with an exciting Hill Train Ride.

Day 6: For anyone who wants more relaxation time, a night down by the river Tista for White Water rafting, or a day visit to Kalimpong.

Note:
Flights from Bagdogra tend to arrive at lunchtime, and so guests only get to the Garden by the evening.  Flights from Bagdogra leave at lunchtime so guests have to leave straight after breakfast.  So 2 nights will only give a guest 1 full day at Glenburn.  This is simply not enough, and we recommend minimum 3 nights 4 days stay for a satisfactory Glenburn tour.