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Our journeys · Private journey
Tea, Mountains and Rhinos
A luxury journey through Darjeeling, Sikkim and Kaziranga · 10 days · Glenburn, Gangtok, Kaziranga, Guwahati
Starting at $8,699 / person
- Length
- 9 nights
- Route
- Darjeeling · Gangtok · Kaziranga · Guwahati
- Pace
- Slow estate stays and wildlife, with one long connecting day
Per person, two sharing, excluding international flights. Private, on your dates.
Overview
For lovers of mountain air, fine tea and the wildlife of Assam.
Three kinds of tea, three kinds of mountain and one very ancient animal. This journey begins on a working tea estate beneath Kanchenjunga, crosses into Sikkim to the Temi tea garden, and ends on the floodplains of Assam, where the great one-horned rhinoceros still wades through grassland the height of a house. It links the places that most luxury itineraries treat separately, Darjeeling and Kaziranga, and adds Sikkim in between, so you taste Darjeeling, Temi and Assam teas where they grow, and watch the landscape change from cloud-forest to river plain. It is made for travelers who love the slow pleasures of a plantation bungalow, mountain air and good tea, and also want one of Asia's great wildlife experiences. Every stay is a place with a story: a planter's house on a 19th-century estate, a former royal guesthouse in Gangtok, a river lodge at the edge of one of India's finest parks.
Pace: slow estate stays and wildlife, with one long connecting day. Like all of our journeys it is private throughout, with your own car and chauffeur, private guides in each place and someone to call from the first day to the last.
Journey highlights
- Three nights at Glenburn Tea Estate beneath Kanchenjunga
- Darjeeling tea at its source and the Himalayan Railway
- Temi tea, Sikkim’s monasteries and a cooking lesson
- Kaziranga’s rhinos, wetlands and birdlife with a private naturalist
- A Brahmaputra cruise and Assam tea tasting
- A final night in Guwahati before departure
Itinerary
9 nights, stop by stop.
A designed route, not a fixed one. Each stop can be lengthened, shortened or swapped before we confirm your journey.
Days 1–3 · Darjeeling
A Tea Estate beneath Kanchenjunga
Day 1: Up the Teesta Valley
You are met at Bagdogra airport, which connects to Delhi and Kolkata in under two hours, and driven about three hours up the Teesta valley to Glenburn Tea Estate, a beautifully restored colonial planter's house dating from 1859, now a boutique hotel of eight suites on a working 1,600-acre plantation. The estate looks out over the tea terraces to Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world. Arrive in time for afternoon tea on the veranda, and dinner by the fire.
Day 2: From Leaf to Cup
Begin before breakfast with a walk through the plantation as the mist lifts, with pickers working the bushes beside you. Your estate guide shows you how a single bud and two leaves are plucked, then take you through the factory to watch the leaves withered, rolled, fermented and dried. At a private tea tasting, compare first-flush, second-flush and autumn teas from the estate, and learn why Darjeeling is called the champagne of teas.
After lunch, a riverside picnic on the Rung Dung, a snow-fed river that tumbles through forest at the edge of the estate. The afternoon is for the veranda, the garden or the library. Dinner at the estate.
Day 3: Darjeeling and the Himalayan Railway
A drive of about an hour and a quarter to Darjeeling, the old hill station. Rather than join the crowds at Tiger Hill, you start with sunrise from a quiet ridge close to the estate. In town, ride a section of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the UNESCO-listed toy train, on a steam engine chartered privately for your party where available. Visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the zoo, known for its snow leopard and red panda breeding programmes, then afternoon tea at the colonial Windamere Hotel. Return to Glenburn for dinner.
Moments
- Three nights at Glenburn Tea Estate
- Plantation walks, factory visit and tea tasting
- The Himalayan Railway, with private charter where available
Stay · 3 nights
Glenburn Tea Estate
Days 4–5 · Gangtok
Temi Tea and Sikkim’s Monasteries
Day 4: The Road through Temi
A scenic drive from Glenburn into Sikkim, about six hours with stops. On the way, visit Temi Tea Garden, the Temi tea estate, set on a hillside among forested ridges and known for organic tea. Walk the terraces with the estate manager and taste the garden's tea at the source. In the autumn, cherry trees in the gardens bloom pink. Continue to Gangtok and check in to The Elgin Nor-Khill, a heritage hotel that once served as a royal guesthouse, with a spa and an in-house Sikkimese restaurant. Dinner of local dishes.
Day 5: Monasteries and Sikkimese Cooking
A full day exploring Sikkim with a private guide. Visit Rumtek Monastery, about 30 kilometres from Gangtok, the largest monastery complex in the state, and Enchey Monastery and the white Do-Drul Chorten, with its rows of prayer wheels. If the clouds clear, Kanchenjunga rises over the city. Spend the late afternoon with a lesson in Sikkimese cooking, including momos and local butter tea, then dinner at the hotel.
Moments
- Temi tea at its source
- Rumtek, Enchey and Do-Drul Chorten
- A Sikkimese cooking lesson
Stay · 2 nights
The Elgin Nor-Khill
Days 6–8 · Kaziranga
Rhinos, River and Assam Tea
Day 6: From Hills to the Assam Plains
A long travel day. Drive about five hours down from Gangtok to Bagdogra, fly onward to Guwahati, with routing and any connection confirmed against current schedules, and drive about four and a half hours across the Assam plains to Diphlu River Lodge, a luxury lodge on the edge of Kaziranga National Park. Settle into your cottage with a view over the Diphlu river, and dinner under the stars. It is a long day, so nothing is scheduled beyond arriving.
Day 7: Kaziranga’s Grasslands
Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to about two-thirds of the world's greater one-horned rhinoceroses. A tall-grassland and wetland landscape, it also holds elephants, wild water buffalo, swamp deer and a high density of tigers, though tigers are rarely seen in the tall grass.
Day 8: Safaris, Dolphins and the Third Tea
With a private naturalist, take two jeep safaris a day, at dawn and in the late afternoon, through different ranges of the park to see the full variety of habitat. Between drives, take a river cruise on the Brahmaputra, where Gangetic dolphins surface, and visit a tea garden in the Assam plains for a tasting of strong, malty Assam tea, which completes your three-tea journey. In the evenings, dinner by the lodge's fire, with the sounds of the forest at night.
The river cruise and tea-garden visit are arranged around the confirmed safari sessions; the final balance of outings depends on permits, daylight and travel times.
Moments
- Private jeep safaris with a naturalist
- A Brahmaputra cruise, conditions permitting
- A tasting in an Assam tea garden
Stay · 3 nights
Diphlu River Lodge
Days 9–10 · Guwahati
A Sacred Hill and a Farewell
Day 9: Back to the Brahmaputra
A final dawn drive in the park, then a drive of about four and a half hours to Guwahati. Check into a five-star hotel and visit the Kamakhya Temple, one of India's most important Shakti shrines, on a hilltop above the Brahmaputra, with a private guide. A farewell dinner of Assamese cuisine.
Day 10: Departure from Guwahati
A private transfer to Guwahati airport for your flight home, with an assistant to help with luggage and check-in.
Moments
- A final morning safari, where permits allow
- Kamakhya Temple with a private guide
- A final city night before departure
Stay · 1 night
A five-star city hotel
Planning this journey
Planning this journey
For the service and design process, explore private India journeys. For accommodation choices and price considerations, see luxury travel in India.
Three teas, at their source
- Darjeeling: Delicate and floral, grown on steep slopes beneath Kanchenjunga. Spring (first flush) is light and bright, while autumn teas are rounder.
- Temi, Sikkim: Grown organically on Sikkim's only tea estate, with a clean, mellow cup.
- Assam: Grown on the Brahmaputra floodplain, strong, malty and full-bodied, the tea behind the classic English breakfast blend.
What to pack
- Layers for Darjeeling and Sikkim, where mornings and evenings are cool, and light clothing for Assam, which is warm and humid
- Neutral colours for safaris (greens, khakis, browns)
- Comfortable walking shoes for plantation and monastery walks
- A rain jacket, since showers are possible in the hills
- Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens for rhinos and birds
- Sunscreen, hat and insect repellent
Before you travel
- Best season: Late October to November, when the air is clear, the autumn tea is in flush and Kaziranga reopens. March and April, when the spring tea is picked and rhododendrons bloom in Sikkim, is also excellent. Kaziranga is generally closed during the monsoon, so confirm the opening dates each year.
- Winter and fog: From December to January, fog can delay flights at Bagdogra and Guwahati, and the hills are cold.
- Wildlife: Rhino sightings are often a highlight, but wildlife encounters are never guaranteed. Tigers are present but rarely seen in the tall grass.
- Long days: Day 6 involves a long drive, a flight and another drive. We build in a private lunch and rest stops.
- Permits: Foreign visitors need a permit to enter Sikkim, and parks charge entry fees. Your operator arranges these. Confirm requirements for your nationality before booking.
- Booking: The small estate and lodge sell out well ahead, so reserve early for peak months.
- Visa and permit requirements, transport schedules, opening days and individual travel-health advice are checked for your passport, dates and circumstances before confirmation.
Stays
Where you would stay.
Glenburn and Diphlu are small, so availability is limited. Book early for the autumn and spring seasons. Your proposed properties and room categories are subject to availability for your dates.
- DarjeelingGlenburn Tea EstateHero stay3 nights
- GangtokThe Elgin Nor-KhillAlternative: Amritara Luxury Villa Tosca.Supporting stay2 nights
- KazirangaDiphlu River LodgeHero stay3 nights
- GuwahatiA five-star city hotelProperty confirmed in your proposal.Supporting stay1 night
Indicative price
From $8,699
per person, two travellers sharing
- Length
- 9 nights
- Departures
- Your dates, private
- Travel dates
- Advised for your route
- Festive periods
- Priced on request
An indicative starting point in the proposed accommodation, excluding international flights. Your proposal is priced against your dates, rooms and final inclusions.
Included
- A dedicated trip designer who plans and manages every detail, from booking to your return home
- 24/7 in-country support, with a named contact you can reach by phone at any hour
- Private transfers by chauffeured vehicle at every stage, including airport meet-and-greet
- A private naturalist at Kaziranga, and private guides in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Guwahati
- Domestic flight, all accommodation and meals, plus the Sikkim entry permit and park fees
- Experiences as listed, including the tea tastings, the toy-train ride and the river cruise
- Emergency planning and guidance on arranging travel insurance with medical evacuation cover; insurance itself is not included
Not included
- International flights to and from India
- Visas, travel insurance and vaccinations
- Meals not described in the itinerary, and drinks
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and hotel staff
- Festive-period supplements, quoted individually for travel over Christmas and New Year
Questions
Before you enquire.
Is this a fixed departure?
No. This is a private journey designed around your dates. Stays, room categories, transport and experiences are confirmed in your personal proposal.
Are all experiences guaranteed?
Specialist hosts, performances, private venues, park activities and airport assistance depend on availability, permissions and local conditions. Optional activities and spa treatments are priced separately unless explicitly included in your proposal.
What does the from-price cover?
It is an indicative starting point per person, based on two travellers sharing a room in the stays listed, in the proposed accommodation and room categories, excluding international flights. Your proposal is priced against your dates, room categories and final inclusions.
When is the best time to travel?
Choose dates around the route and the experiences that matter to you. Northern city sightseeing, Kerala’s hills and waterways, and central India’s safari parks have different weather and operating calendars. Tell us your preferred dates; we will discuss the tradeoffs and confirm activity availability before finalizing the journey.
Can the hotels be changed?
Yes. The stays listed are the ones we propose for this route, subject to availability when we design your journey. We suggest alternatives of similar character where a property is full, or where a different one would suit you better.
Are the journeys suitable for families?
They can be. Tell us the ages of everyone travelling and we will adjust the pace, rooming and experiences accordingly. Children's pricing depends on ages and room arrangements and is confirmed in the proposal.
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Make Tea, Mountains and Rhinos yours.
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what matters most. We will shape this route, its stays and its pacing around you, and confirm the price against your own design.
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