01 — The camellia garden and the tea
Camellia Suite
from ₹22,000a night · before tax
Singla Bazaar, Darjeeling
Glenmist Tea Estate Homestay
Six suites in a planter's bungalow, the tea at your door and Kanchenjunga at breakfast
About us
Our story
Glenmist is a working tea estate on the slopes above the Rungeet valley, an hour below Darjeeling town. Its two bungalows were built for the estate's managers in the 1890s, with deep verandahs, fireplaces in every room and windows set square to Kanchenjunga. Today they hold just six suites, so the whole house never has more than a dozen or so guests at a time.
We are the family that lives here and runs the garden. Meals are taken together at one long table: Nepali, Bengali and Anglo-Indian dishes cooked from the estate's kitchen garden, with pickles and preserves from the larder and tea plucked a few hundred metres from your cup. There is no menu card; tell us what you love and what you can't eat, and the kitchen takes it from there.
More about us →
6suites
- 6suites
- 2planter's bungalows
- 1,400 mabove sea level
- 1890swhen the house was built
Updates
All updates →
When Kanchenjunga shows itself
The third-highest mountain on earth fills the view from our verandah, when the clouds allow. Here is when to come, and when to set the alarm.
The first flush, and why we still pluck it by hand
Every March the bushes wake after winter and give us the most delicate tea of the year. Here is how a morning's pluck becomes the cup at your breakfast.
A morning in the tasting room
Twelve white cups, a set of scales and a spittoon: what happens when we taste the estate's teas, and how you can join in.
02 — Kanchenjunga, from a private verandah
Verandah Suite
from ₹24,000a night · before tax
03 — Kanchenjunga and the tea terraces
Kanchenjunga Suite
from ₹26,000a night · before tax
04 — Down the valley to the Rungeet river
Rungeet River Suite
from ₹27,000a night · before tax
05 — The garden lawn and the Rungeet valley
Burra Sahib Suite
from ₹29,500a night · before tax
06 — The orchid house and the forest
Orchid Family Suite
from ₹34,000a night · before tax
The Family Table
Dining room · Darjeeling home cooking — Nepali, Bengali & Anglo-IndianBreakfast 7:30am – 10am · Lunch 1pm – 2:30pm · Dinner 7:30pm – 9:30pm
One long table in the Main Bungalow's dining room, where guests and hosts eat together. No menu card: the kitchen cooks the day's meal from the estate garden, the village market and the season.
The Tea Verandah
Verandah tea room · Estate teas, afternoon tea & sundownersAfternoon tea 4pm – 6:30pm · Sundowners 6pm – 7:30pm
The Main Bungalow's deep front verandah, where afternoon tea is served every day with the estate's own teas and something from the oven.
Unwind
Experiences
Days on a working tea estate: the factory and the tasting room, walks to the river and the village, the toy train, and a massage by the wood stove when you come back.
What our customers say
Read all reviews →★★★★★
We came for two nights and stayed four. Waking to bed tea and the mountain turning pink outside the window is something I will not forget, and dinner at the long table felt like being part of the family.
★★★★★
The tasting with the tea maker was the highlight of our trip to India. Nothing was hurried, the house is full of character, and the fires every evening made the cold nights a pleasure.
★★★★★
Very quiet and beautiful. Our suite opened onto the verandah and we had breakfast there every morning watching the clouds move in the valley. The food was the best we had in Darjeeling.
Offers & packages
Book with us, not through an agent
Winter by the fire: stay three nights
Winter by the fire
The First Flush: two nights in the plucking season
The First Flush
Book with us
Why book direct
- Bed tea and breakfast, alwaysEvery rate includes a pot of the estate's tea at your door and breakfast at the family table.
- A tasting with the tea makerBook direct and the estate tasting session is on us, once per stay.
- Free cancellation to 7 daysChange of plans? Cancel up to a week before arrival at no charge.
- Transfers arrangedWe meet you at Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri and drive you up through the tea.
Gallery
What's here
Amenities provided
Key amenities
- Walking tours
- Restaurant
- Yoga
- Airport pick-up
Food & drink
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Room service
- Special diet menus, on request
- Children's meals
Parking & transport
- Airport pick-up
- Airport drop-off
- Car hire
Services
- Luggage storage
- Laundry
- Tour desk
- Power backup
Pool & wellness
- Massage
Family & children
- Family rooms
In the rooms
- Tea & coffee maker
Policies & payment
- Non-smoking throughout
Things to do
- Walking tours
- Garden
- Bonfire
- Yoga
Safety & security
- Doctor on call
More facilities
- wifi-free, free
- parking-free, free
- housekeeping-daily
- shared-lounge
- cashless-payment
- local-culture-class
- security-24h
- Working tea factory
- Tea tasting room
- Library
- Wood fires in every room
- Kitchen garden
- Orchid house
Where we are
Getting here & what’s nearby
Getting to the property
Worth seeing nearby
Frequently asked questions
See all questions →How do we reach Glenmist?
The nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB) and the nearest main railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP); both are about three and a half hours away by road. We arrange a car to meet you at either. The last hour is on estate roads through the tea, so we recommend arriving in daylight.
Are meals included?
Every rate includes bed tea and breakfast. Our Half Board and Full Board plans add dinner, or lunch and dinner, taken at the family table. Afternoon tea on the verandah is served to every guest, every day.
Can you cater for vegetarian, vegan, Jain or other diets?
Yes. The kitchen cooks every meal fresh, so tell us at the time of booking or at check-in and it will be planned for. Allergies are taken seriously; we will talk them through with you.
When is the best time to visit?
October to early December and February to April bring the clearest views of Kanchenjunga. March to May is first and second flush, when the garden and factory are busiest. The monsoon, June to September, is lush and quiet, with fewer mountain views.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out by 11 am. If your train or flight times mean arriving early or leaving late, tell us; we will hold your room or give you somewhere to rest and freshen up.
Meet the team
See all the team →Head of the kitchen
Sushila runs the family table: Nepali home cooking from her own village…
Your hosts
Welcome to Glenmist. Ranjan's family has lived and worked on this estate for…
Find us
Visit us
Glenmist Tea Estate Homestay
Glenmist Tea Estate, Rungeet Valley RoadSingla BazaarDarjeeling 734101
+91 50000 00015