Things to do in Darjeeling — sunrise, the toy train, monasteries and tea
Things to do in Darjeeling: Tiger Hill at sunrise, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Batasia Loop, monasteries, Chowrasta, the zoo and a tea estate.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
Darjeeling tea gardens — how the tea began, the four flushes, and the estates you can see
Darjeeling tea gardens: first planted in 1841, the four flushes from March to November, Happy Valley (1854) near town and Makaibari (1852) near Kurseong.
Tea made Darjeeling what it is: the town grew around the gardens, and the toy train was built partly to carry their crop. Here is the story in short, and the gardens a visitor can actually reach.
Photos: Sourabh.biswas003 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Sourabh.biswas003 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
How it began
Archibald Campbell, posted here by the East India Company to build a hill station, planted the first tea bushes in 1841, from seed of the Chinese plant. He planted again at Lebong in 1846, and in 1852 the Company laid out three experimental gardens, at Tukvar, Steinthal and Alubari. The Chinese variety did better on these cool, cloudy, well-drained slopes than the Assam plant. The first gardens run for profit followed in 1856; by 1866 there were 39, and by 1885 about 100.
The four flushes
The top two leaves and the bud are plucked from March to November, in four seasons that the trade calls flushes. By Wikipedia's account, the first flush after the winter rest makes a light, floral tea, and the second brings the muscatel note the tea is famous for. The monsoon flush grows fast and is plainer, often used for blending, and the autumn flush is like a quieter second flush. Most Darjeeling tea is made black, though some estates now make green, white and oolong tea too.
Gardens to see
- [Happy Valley Tea Estate](/places/happy-valley-tea-estate), about 11 minutes from the town on our routing: founded in 1854, Darjeeling's second oldest, at about 2,100 m. It reopened to visitors in 2008, with its first factory kept as a museum.
- Makaibari Tea Estate, about 78 minutes away near Kurseong: founded in 1852; its factory of 1859 was the first in the district, and in 1988 it was certified organic, before any other tea estate in India.
- The gardens on the road to Mirik, about 94 minutes away, run through tea country all the way to Mirik Lake.
We have no verified visiting hours, tours or charges at any garden; ask before you go.
The name on the packet
Darjeeling tea is a registered geographical indication: only tea from certain estates in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts may carry the name. One Wikipedia article dates the registration to 2004, the town's article to 2005.
Plan it
Copy the Kurseong and Makaibari day or the three-day plan, which includes Happy Valley, and read things to do in Darjeeling.
Places around Darjeeling
The Darjeeling guide →
St Andrew's Church, Darjeeling — the town's oldest church
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway — the toy train and its loops
Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling — the Himalayan plants below the town
Chowrasta, Darjeeling — the town square on the Mall
Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling — the Shiva shrine on Observatory Hill
Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling — the white Japanese stupa on Jalapahar
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling — the school founded after Everest
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling — the high-altitude zoo
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Questions people ask
Which tea garden can I visit in Darjeeling town?
The Happy Valley Tea Estate, about 3 km north of the town and about 11 minutes by road on our routing. Only one estate in Darjeeling is older than this one, founded in 1854, and Wikipedia says it reopened to the public in 2008 with its old factory kept as a museum. We have no verified hours.
What are the flushes of Darjeeling tea?
The leaves are plucked from March to November in four flushes. Wikipedia says the first flush, after the winter rest, gives a light, floral tea; the second flush gives the muscatel flavour the tea is known for; the monsoon flush is plainer and often blended; and the autumn flush is like a softer second flush.
When did tea come to Darjeeling?
Archibald Campbell planted the first tea in Darjeeling in 1841, and the East India Company laid out experimental gardens at Tukvar, Steinthal and Alubari in 1852. The first gardens run for profit opened in 1856; by 1866 there were 39 and by 1885 about 100. Darjeeling tea is now a registered geographical indication.