Red Panda Safari in India (7N/8D)
From $2,480£1,870€2,220A$3,560C$3,510
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 itinerary is completely customisable, including accommodation that is not on our list. Speak to our safari specialists and they will design a fully bespoke journey around a family adventure, extra time with the trackers or a serious wildlife photography expedition.
About This Red Panda Safari
This red panda safari in India takes you high into the Eastern Himalaya above Darjeeling, to the Singalila Ridge. Here, in forests of oak, magnolia, rhododendron and bamboo, lives one of the world's most enchanting animals: the red panda, with its russet coat and ringed tail. Singalila National Park is one of the best places on earth to see it in the wild, and on clear mornings the ridge looks out to the snows of Kangchenjunga.
You spend four nights on the ridge at Red Panda Outpost, a converted family teahouse high on the ridge, where local trackers search the bamboo each morning and guide you to the pandas on foot. Before and after, you stay at Glenburn Tea Estate, a planter's retreat founded in 1859 above the Rungeet river, with the vintage Land Rovers of Manebhanjan carrying you up the ridge between them. A VIP welcome at Delhi airport, chauffeur-driven private SUVs and domestic flights make every transfer effortless.
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 Darjeeling's zoo has returned captive-bred red pandas to Singalila to strengthen the wild population. 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
Delhi (1 night), Glenburn Tea Estate in the Darjeeling hills (2 nights) and Singalila National Park on the Singalila Ridge (4 nights), with Bagdogra as your gateway by air.
What You Will Experience
- Wild red pandas in Singalila National Park, found each morning by local trackers who know the ridge intimately.
- Four nights on the Singalila Ridge at Red Panda Outpost, giving you the best chance of unhurried sightings.
- Himalayan birds, from the satyr tragopan to the blood pheasant, in forests of rhododendron and bamboo.
- Views of Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, from the ridge.
- The vintage Land Rovers of Manebhanjan, which have carried travellers up the ridge for generations.
- Glenburn Tea Estate, a planter's retreat founded in 1859, with tea plucked on the slopes below your verandah.
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.
Red Panda Safari in India 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 each of Days 4 and 5, a full day on Day 6, and a final morning on Day 7. If time allows during the day and park permits are available, we can add further tracking sessions at an additional cost.
Day 1: Arrival in New Delhi
A VIP representative meets you at the aircraft and guides you swiftly through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs. Your chauffeur drives you to your hotel, where you can rest and enjoy a quiet dinner before tomorrow's flight east.
Day 2: 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 to Bagdogra, in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya. Your chauffeur drives you up through the tea gardens to Glenburn Tea Estate, set above the Rungeet river. Settle into your suite in one of the restored planter's bungalows and take afternoon tea on the verandah as the hills fade into evening.
Day 3: 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 vintage Land Rovers for the climb up the ridge through forests of oak, magnolia and rhododendron. Red Panda Outpost stands 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, around a warming bukhari stove.
Day 4: Singalila National Park
The trackers set out at first light to search the bamboo thickets where red pandas feed. When one is found, you walk out with your guide, usually for an hour or two, to watch it resting in the canopy or foraging quietly, often allowing long, unhurried views. The rest of the day is for birding along the ridge, where satyr tragopans and blood pheasants move through the undergrowth.
Day 5: Singalila National Park
Another morning with the trackers, perhaps finding a different panda in a new stretch of forest. Between sightings, walk the ridge trails with your naturalist in search of yellow-throated martens, barking deer and Himalayan black bears, and watch the light change on Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain on earth.
Day 6: Singalila National Park
A final full day on the ridge, based at Red Panda Outpost. Photographers may return to a favourite panda with the trackers, while others walk the forest trails around the lodge with a naturalist, looking for Himalayan monal and kalij pheasant among the rhododendrons. Evenings are spent by the stove, sharing stories of the day.
Day 7: Singalila to Glenburn Tea Estate
Drive: about 5 hours
Drive: about 5 hours. After a last morning with the trackers, descend by Land Rover to Manebhanjan and return to Glenburn. Arrive in time to walk among the tea bushes and join a tasting of the estate's own teas, followed by a candlelit farewell dinner.
Day 8: 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. Please carry your passport, which is needed for park permits. Nights are cold for much of the season, and power comes from solar panels and a generator. Red pandas are wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed, which is why we plan four nights on the ridge.
Where You Stay
Every hotel and lodge for this journey is listed below by destination, each with a label that describes its style. In Delhi you may choose any hotel; 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.
Delhi (Day 1)
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Colonel's Retreat (Boutique).
A family-run guest house in a townhouse in Defence Colony, on quiet, tree-lined avenues in central Delhi. It was begun some twenty years ago by a retired army colonel and is now run by his son and daughter-in-law, with dinner served on the roof terrace.
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ITC Maurya (Luxury).
A landmark of the Diplomatic Enclave, known for its restaurants, among them Bukhara, long celebrated for its north-west frontier cuisine, and Dum Pukht. It offers established comfort and polished service in the heart of the capital.
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The Oberoi, New Delhi (Luxury).
Opened in 1965 on Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, overlooking Humayun's Tomb on one side and the Delhi Golf Course on the other. Its interiors take their inspiration from Lutyens' New Delhi, and it has a wellness sanctuary, indoor and outdoor pools and several restaurants.
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Roseate House (Luxury).
A contemporary hotel of 216 rooms in Aerocity, about 4.5 km from the international airport, which makes it a practical first or last night. It has a rooftop infinity pool, a spa and a fine dining restaurant, Kheer.
Darjeeling (Days 2 and 7)
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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 3 to 6)
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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 | $2,480£1,870€2,220A$3,560C$3,510 |
|---|---|
| Two guests sharing, total for two | $4,960£3,740€4,440A$7,120C$7,020 |
| Solo traveller | $4,170£3,140€3,730A$5,980C$5,900 |
| Single supplement | $1,690£1,270€1,510A$2,420C$2,390 |
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
- Tea Tasting at Glenburn: learn how Darjeeling's famous flushes are plucked, rolled and graded, then taste the estate's finest teas.
- The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway: ride the UNESCO-listed "toy train" on its narrow-gauge track through the hills of Darjeeling.
- A Picnic by the Rungeet: walk down through the tea gardens to a riverside lunch beside the Rungeet.
- Dawn Birding near the Outpost: walk the forest trails around Red Panda Outpost at first light with a naturalist, listening for the calls of pheasants and laughingthrushes in the bamboo.
Something Else in Mind? Our safari specialists can arrange any activity you would like, depending on the destination and your accommodation, such as an extra day with the trackers, a dawn birding walk for Himalayan pheasants, or a one-to-one wildlife photography session in the bamboo forest.
Dining & Reservations: in Delhi, our private concierge secures reservations at the finest restaurants the city has to offer, including hard-to-book tables, and arranges private dinners for special occasions. Share your tastes, whether a celebrated tasting menu or classic Mughlai cuisine, and we will arrange every detail.
Popular Fauna
- Mammals: red panda, Himalayan black bear, yellow-throated marten, barking deer, leopard cat and Himalayan serow
- Birds: satyr tragopan, blood pheasant, Himalayan monal and kalij pheasant
Sightings vary by season and are never guaranteed.
Birds of Singalila National Park: Species Checklist
The Singalila Ridge is one of the finest places in India for Himalayan birds, from pheasants in the rhododendron to parrotbills in the bamboo. These are among the species our naturalists record 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: a high-altitude park of about 78.6 sq km on the Singalila Ridge in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. Rising from about 2,300 metres to almost 4,000 metres through forests of oak, magnolia, rhododendron and bamboo, it is one of the best places in the world to see wild red pandas.
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
- Seven nights of handpicked accommodation, with breakfast in Delhi and full board at Glenburn and Red Panda Outpost
- VIP meet and greet on arrival at Delhi Airport
- All transfers in comfortable, chauffeur-driven private SUVs, with vintage Land Rovers on the Singalila Ridge
- Domestic flights: New Delhi to Bagdogra and Bagdogra to New Delhi
- Four days of panda tracking with expert local trackers and a naturalist in Singalila
- Tea tasting at Glenburn Tea Estate
- All park entry fees, permits and conservation levies
Not included: international flights, visa fees, travel insurance, personal gratuities, premium alcoholic beverages, camera fees, additional tracking sessions beyond those listed (arranged on request, subject to permit availability), and experiences marked “on request”.
Possible Extensions
Golden Triangle: begin or end your journey with Delhi, the Taj Mahal at sunrise and the palaces of Jaipur.
Keoladeo Birding: from October, add the wetlands of Keoladeo National Park, alive with cranes, storks and migrant waterfowl.
Red Panda Safari in India FAQs
When is the best time for a red panda safari in India?
March to May and October to early December. Spring brings rhododendrons into flower along the ridge, while autumn offers the clearest views of the Himalaya. Singalila National Park closes from mid-June to mid-September for the monsoon.
What are my chances of seeing a red panda?
Red pandas are wild and can never be guaranteed, but Singalila is one of the most reliable places in the world to see them. With four nights on the ridge and experienced local trackers, your chances are excellent.
How comfortable is Red Panda Outpost?
It is a simple, cosy lodge rather than a luxury hotel, chosen for its setting and its trackers. Each of the six rooms has its own bathroom, a bukhari stove warms the house, and home-cooked meals draw on the village recipes of the Darjeeling hills. Glenburn Tea Estate provides the luxury at either end of your stay.
Is this red panda tour suitable for families?
Yes, for families who enjoy the outdoors. Walks to the pandas are usually an hour or two at a gentle pace, though the ridge lies at almost 3,000 metres and nights are cold. Our safari specialists will advise on the best timing and pace for your group.
How do I book a private red panda tour in India?
Speak with our safari specialists, who will curate this itinerary around your dates, interests and pace. Every journey is private and bespoke, and we recommend booking six to nine months ahead, as Red Panda Outpost has only six rooms.