The Journey of Tea

After welcoming you on arrival at Kolkata Airport, your driver will drive you to the center of Calcutta to your hotel Glenburn Penthouse, facing Victoria Memorial and the Hastings. Upon arrival, you may have time to enjoy the home-made afternoon tea, with a selection of tea from Glenburn Tea Estate (Darjeeling and Assam). Check in for 3 nights. Dinner included at The Penthouse.

Start your morning with a light breakfast before embarking on a guided walking tour of the city. Begin at the vibrant flower market by the Hooghly River, where Kolkata wakes up in a burst of color and ritual. Explore the legacies of European settlers with visits to Armenian and Portuguese churches, a Jewish synagogue, and Dalhousie Square.
Trace the footsteps of empire, from the Writers’ Building—once the nerve center of the East India Company—to the grand Governor’s House and the historic Charnock Mausoleum. Pause at Park Street Cemetery, a quiet resting place for colonial society, before visiting the stately Victoria Memorial.
Lunch is hosted at the home of Bomti, a local art collector known for his warm hospitality and heritage flat on Chowringhee. Savor authentic Bengali cuisine alongside hot cups of Darjeeling tea. In the late afternoon, cruise the River Hooghly aboard a private boat, passing temples, bridges, and the spiritual landmark Belur Math. Return to the Penthouse for a relaxed evening and dinner.

Venture to North Kolkata, the “Black Town,” where Bengali nobility developed a unique culture influenced by colonial presence. Visit the Jain Temple complex, adorned with mosaic tiles and imported chandeliers. Constructed in 1835 by a prosperous Bengali art enthusiast, the Marble Palace showcases an unusual blend of Western paintings, intricate glasswork, and classical sculptures.
Continue to the ancestral home of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Now a museum, the residence reflects Bengal’s intellectual awakening and its role in India’s freedom movement. After a traditional lunch, explore Kumartuli—the potters’ district where artisans sculpt massive religious idols from straw and clay. On the return, visit Mother Teresa’s Motherhouse, a poignant place of reflection and service.
Enjoy your final dinner at the Penthouse.

After breakfast, fly north to Bagdogra. From there, enjoy a scenic 3.5 to 4-hour drive through forested hills and quiet villages toward Darjeeling. Pause for a picnic lunch with Himalayan views along the way. In the late afternoon, arrive at Glenburn Tea Estate and check into your colonial-style suite in one of the plantation’s charming bungalows. As the sun sets, gather around the bonfire for drinks, followed by a four-course dinner shared with fellow travelers and hosts.

The next three days of your Darjeeling tea tour allow you to explore Glenburn and its surroundings at your own pace. All meals and curated experiences are included.
A Day at the Estate – Tea Experience
Spend a full day immersed in tea tourism in India, starting with a guided walk through Glenburn’s lush 1,600-acre plantation. Learn how tea is cultivated, harvested, and processed—from “two leaves and a bud” to a refined cup. Visit the tea processing facility and join a guided tasting to explore the rich variety of aromas and flavors that shift with each season’s harvest. After lunch at the bungalow, unwind with a nature walk or relax on the breezy verandah.
Darjeeling Town Excursion
On another day, visit Darjeeling town. Ride the iconic toy train on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, explore the peaceful Ghoom Monastery, visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and stroll through Chowrasta—a lively square rich in local color.
Riverside Picnic & Community Encounters
Spend time with the local community by visiting Glenburn’s school, where you can join the children for morning assembly. Later, take a scenic two-hour hike to Glenburn’s riverside campsite for a barbecue lunch by the Rangeet River. Optional hikes and forest walks are available to further enrich your Darjeeling tour itinerary.

We shall leave after breakfast, down to Bagdogra to catch your flight to your next destination

OR extension for 2 more nights in Bawali

Extend your India tea tour with a stay at The Rajbari Bawali, a restored 300-year-old Zamindar palace just south of Kolkata. Drive to The Rajbari located one hour drive south of the city. You will be warmly welcomed in the impressive court yard before settling in your room for 2 nights in this unique heritage palace. The Rajbari Bawali is a 300-year-old palace belonging to the Zamindars, newly restored to its former glory, surrounded by crumbling temples and small fish ponds. The property invites you to experience the tradition, local folklore and culture and subtle cuisine of West Bengal. Dinner will be served at the property (included in the price of the option)

During your stay at The Rajbari, we will make you step into the rural hear of Bengal. After a ride on a local tuktuk through the country, our guide will walk you through some village to witness the local daily life of its inhabitants – a rich cultural exchange and interaction with the locals: watch a group of ladies washing pots together in a pond, a monitor lizard swimming nearby, a bit further some children on old bicycles, way too big for them, probably going to school. A group of men chatting and smoking a bidi or a priest performing the morning puja. Every day is similar for hem and so unique for us.
Lunch at leisure.
In the afternoon, we invite you to sail away down the holy waters of the River Hooghly, which is the name of the Ganges here in Bengal. Enjoy some snacks and a drink while witnessing a panoramic view of the mesmerizing sunset amidst a reddish purple skyline. If you like we may stop also at some local temple or embroidery factory on the way.
Later, dinner will be served at the property

Relax the whole morning at the property and right after lunch, a car will drive you to the airport.