Happy Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling

One of Darjeeling's oldest tea gardens, founded in 1854, on the hillside just below the town. You can walk down through the tea bushes and tour the factory to see how the leaves are withered, rolled, fermented and dried into the famous 'champagne of teas', then taste and buy them.

The factory works from about March to November; tours don't run on Mondays or when there's no plucking. It's a steep walk of about 30 minutes from the centre of Darjeeling, or a short taxi ride.