Darjeeling Red Panda Safari Extension (6N/7D)
From $2,350£1,760€2,100A$3,370C$3,320
Prices are per person, twin share, private departure, and are rounded. They are estimates and vary with the accommodation you choose and the season. Contact us for a final price.
This extension can be added before or after any of our tiger journeys, and every element can be tailored. Speak to our safari specialists to adjust the length, lodges and pace, or to add extra days in the field for serious wildlife photography.
About This Red Panda Safari
High on the Singalila Ridge in the eastern Himalaya, moss-draped forests of rhododendron, oak and bamboo shelter one of the world's most endearing mammals. The red panda, sometimes called the fire fox, spends much of its life in the canopy, a flash of russet among the branches. This Darjeeling red panda safari takes you into Singalila National Park, one of the finest places anywhere to see it in the wild, with the snows of Kangchenjunga on the horizon.
Your journey begins and ends at Glenburn Tea Estate, a planter's retreat founded in 1859 above the Rungeet river, where tea is plucked on the slopes below your verandah. In between, the famous vintage Land Rovers of Manebhanjan carry you up the ridge to Red Panda Outpost, a converted family teahouse deep in red panda country. Each morning, local trackers search the bamboo thickets for pandas, then guide you to them on foot, often for remarkably close views.
This is travel that gives back. Red Panda Outpost is run on a community-tourism model, with local trackers and villagers at its heart and no single-use plastic, and Darjeeling's zoo has returned captive-bred red pandas to Singalila, where several have since raised cubs in the wild. Your journey also contributes to TOFTigers, winner of a Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award in 2025. The finest months are March to May and October to early December, and every departure is private and bespoke, curated around your dates and interests.
Destinations Covered
Glenburn Tea Estate in the Darjeeling hills (2 nights, Days 1 and 6) and Singalila National Park on the Singalila Ridge (4 nights), with Bagdogra as your gateway by air from Delhi.
What You Will Experience
- The red panda in the wild, tracked on foot through bamboo and rhododendron forest with expert local trackers.
- Four nights on the Singalila Ridge, giving you the best possible chance of a sighting.
- The vintage Land Rovers of Manebhanjan, a slow, spectacular climb through oak and rhododendron forest to Red Panda Outpost.
- Rare Himalayan birdlife, including the satyr tragopan and blood pheasant.
- Glenburn Tea Estate, an 1859 planter's retreat with views towards Kangchenjunga.
- Conservation in action, from Darjeeling's red panda breeding programme to a lodge that shares its profits with the community.
Design your journey with a safari specialist
Every journey is private, bespoke and curated around you: share a few details and one of our safari specialists will be in touch within 24 hours.
Thank you
Your enquiry is with our safari specialists, who will be in touch within 24 hours to begin shaping your bespoke, curated journey.
Darjeeling Red Panda Safari Extension Itinerary: Day by Day
Time in the field included: four days of panda tracking on foot with local trackers and a naturalist: a morning on Day 3, a day on Day 4, a full day on Day 5 and a final morning on Day 6. If time allows during the day and park permits are available, we can add further tracking sessions at an additional cost.
Day 1: New Delhi to Glenburn Tea Estate
Drive: about 3 hours from Bagdogra, after a flight of about 2 hours
Drive: about 3 hours from Bagdogra, after a flight of about 2 hours. A morning flight takes you from Delhi to Bagdogra, in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya. You are met on arrival, and your chauffeur drives you up through the tea gardens to Glenburn Tea Estate, perched above the Rungeet river. Settle into your suite in the restored planter's bungalow, then take afternoon tea on the verandah as the light fades over the hills.
Day 2: Glenburn to Singalila National Park
Drive: about 2.5 hours to Manebhanjan, then about 2 hours by vintage Land Rover
Drive: about 2.5 hours to Manebhanjan, then about 2 hours by vintage Land Rover. After breakfast, drive through Darjeeling to Manebhanjan, the gateway to Singalila National Park. Here you board one of the famous vintage Land Rovers for the slow climb up the ridge through forests of oak, magnolia and rhododendron. By mid-afternoon you reach Red Panda Outpost, high on the Singalila Ridge at about 2,865 metres (9,400 feet): a traditional wooden teahouse, lovingly converted, with six rooms, each with its own bathroom, gathered around a warming bukhari stove.
Day 3: Singalila National Park
Your trackers set out at first light to search the bamboo thickets where red pandas feed. When one is found, they call the lodge, and you walk out, usually for an hour or two, to watch it resting in the canopy or foraging on bamboo. Red pandas can be surprisingly relaxed, allowing unhurried views and superb photographs. The rest of the day is for birding along the ridge, where satyr tragopans and blood pheasants move through the undergrowth.
Day 4: Singalila National Park
Another day with the trackers. Between sightings, walk the ridge trails with your naturalist, looking for yellow-throated martens, barking deer and Himalayan black bears. On clear mornings, the view stretches across to Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain on earth. Evenings are spent by the fire, sharing the day's sightings.
Day 5: Singalila National Park
A final full day in the forest around Red Panda Outpost. For keen photographers, it is a chance to return to a favourite panda with the trackers. For others, a gentle walk on the trails near the lodge with a naturalist brings the chance of satyr tragopan, blood pheasant and yellow-throated marten.
Day 6: Singalila to Glenburn Tea Estate
Drive: about 5 hours
Drive: about 5 hours. After a final morning with the trackers, descend by Land Rover to Manebhanjan and return to Glenburn. Arrive in time for a tasting of the estate's own teas, followed by a candlelit dinner in the bungalow.
Day 7: Glenburn to New Delhi
Drive: about 3 hours to Bagdogra, then a flight of about 2 hours to Delhi
Drive: about 3 hours to Bagdogra, then a flight of about 2 hours to Delhi. After a leisurely breakfast on the verandah, your chauffeur drives you to Bagdogra for your flight to Delhi and your onward journey.
A note from our planners: Singalila National Park closes from mid-June to mid-September for the monsoon. Red Panda Outpost sits at about 2,865 metres on the Singalila Ridge, so nights are cold for much of the season. Power comes from solar panels and a generator, and a central bukhari stove keeps the house warm. It is a simple, cosy lodge, chosen for its trackers and its setting in the heart of red panda country. Red pandas are wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed, which is why we plan four nights on the ridge. Please carry your passport, which is needed for park permits.
Where You Stay
Every hotel and lodge for this extension is listed below by destination, each with a label that describes its style. On the ridge there is only one place to stay, and Glenburn Tea Estate is the finest at either end. Our safari specialists will gladly arrange a stay that is not on this list. Every property is handpicked and has been used by us over many years.
Darjeeling (Days 1 and 6)
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Glenburn Tea Estate (Luxury).
A working tea estate above the Rungeet river, run by a family of planters for more than a century. Two bungalows of four suites each have verandas facing the Kanchenjunga range, and guests can walk through the plantations and watch the tea being picked.
Singalila Ridge (Days 2 to 5)
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Red Panda Outpost (Eco-Luxury).
A converted family teahouse of six rooms on the Singalila Ridge, within easy reach of Singalila National Park. It is a simple, warm base in the mountains, with a resident naturalist and trackers who know the bamboo forests well.
Prices
| Two guests sharing, per person | $2,350£1,760€2,100A$3,370C$3,320 |
|---|---|
| Two guests sharing, total for two | $4,700£3,520€4,200A$6,740C$6,640 |
| Solo traveller | $3,960£2,970€3,540A$5,690C$5,600 |
| Single supplement | $1,610£1,210€1,440A$2,320C$2,280 |
Estimated prices, per person, based on two guests sharing one room, one safari vehicle and one car. A solo traveller pays the per-person price plus the single supplement. Prices vary with the accommodation you choose and the season, and are rounded. Contact us for a final price. See what is included
Tailored Leisure & In-Lodge Experiences
- Darjeeling by Toy Train: a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it winds through the hill town.
- Red Panda Conservation Centre: a visit to Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, whose breeding programme returns red pandas to Singalila.
- Tea Tasting at Glenburn: discover how Darjeeling's celebrated teas are grown, plucked and processed, then taste the estate's finest flushes.
- Riverside Picnic: walk down through the estate for a picnic lunch on the banks of the Rungeet.
Something Else in Mind? Our safari specialists can arrange any activity you would like, depending on the destination and your accommodation, such as a dawn birding walk through Glenburn's forest, an extra morning with the trackers, or a one-to-one photography session with your tracker.
Popular Fauna
- Mammals: red panda, Himalayan black bear, yellow-throated marten, barking deer and clouded leopard (rarely seen)
- Birds: satyr tragopan, blood pheasant and kalij pheasant
Sightings vary by season and are never guaranteed.
Birds of Singalila National Park: Species Checklist
Between red panda sightings, the forests of the Singalila Ridge offer superb Himalayan birding. These are among the species our naturalists see most often; sightings vary with the season and altitude.
- Pheasants and partridges: Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Kalij Pheasant, Hill Partridge
- Parrotbills, fulvettas and babblers: Fire-tailed Myzornis, Brown Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, White-browed Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Whiskered Yuhina
- Laughingthrushes and sibias: Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Spotted Laughingthrush, Hoary-throated Barwing, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-tailed Minla
- Tits and sunbirds: Rufous-vented Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Green-backed Tit, Black-throated Bushtit, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Green-tailed Sunbird, Mrs Gould's Sunbird
- Robins, flycatchers and fantails: White-browed Bush Robin, Golden Bush Robin, Himalayan Bluetail, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Fantail, White-throated Fantail, Rufous-breasted Accentor
- Finches and thrushes: Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Scarlet Finch, Red-headed Bullfinch, Gold-naped Finch, White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Spotted Nutcracker
- Woodpeckers, pigeons and raptors: Darjeeling Woodpecker, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Himalayan Griffon, Mountain Hawk-Eagle
National Parks & Wildlife Reserves
- Singalila National Park: the highest national park in West Bengal runs along the Singalila Ridge above Darjeeling, between about 2,300 and almost 4,000 metres. Its forests of rhododendron, magnolia, oak and bamboo blaze with colour in spring and shelter red pandas, black bears and rare pheasants, with views across to Kangchenjunga.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway: the narrow-gauge "toy train" of the Darjeeling hills, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1999 and now part of the Mountain Railways of India.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Six nights of handpicked accommodation on full board
- Personal meet and greet on arrival at Bagdogra
- Domestic flights: New Delhi to Bagdogra and Bagdogra to New Delhi
- All transfers in comfortable, chauffeur-driven private SUVs, and vintage Land Rover transfers within the park
- Four days of panda tracking with an expert naturalist and local red panda trackers
- Singalila National Park entry fees, permits and conservation levies
Not included: international flights, visa fees, travel insurance, personal gratuities, premium alcoholic beverages, additional tracking sessions beyond those listed (arranged on request, subject to permit availability), and experiences marked “on request”.
Darjeeling Red Panda Safari Extension FAQs
Where is the best place to see red pandas in India?
Singalila National Park, near Darjeeling in West Bengal, is one of the most rewarding places in the world to see red pandas in the wild. Its forests of bamboo, oak and rhododendron on the Singalila Ridge are ideal red panda habitat.
When is the best time for a red panda safari?
March to May and October to early December. The park closes from mid-June to mid-September for the monsoon.
What are my chances of seeing a red panda?
Red pandas are wild, so sightings can never be guaranteed. Local trackers search the forest each morning, and four nights on the Singalila Ridge give you the best possible chance.
How fit do I need to be?
A moderate level of fitness is enough. Walks to a sighting usually take an hour or two on forest trails at around 2,900 metres, and your guides set an unhurried pace.
What is the accommodation like?
You begin and end at Glenburn Tea Estate, a luxurious planter's retreat. On the ridge you stay at Red Panda Outpost, a simple, cosy teahouse lodge in the heart of red panda country.