Palampur Tea Gardens

Tea was planted in the Kangra valley from the 1850s and Palampur became its centre, with gardens on the gentle ground below the Dhauladhar, which rises abruptly to over four thousand metres a short distance behind, so the tea rows sit with a wall of snow peaks directly above them. Kangra tea, given a geographical indication, is lighter and more floral than the better-known Indian teas, and production is smaller, having never fully recovered from the 1905 earthquake. Estates and a cooperative factory receive visitors for tasting and processing tours, and the roads through the gardens are walked and cycled.

What you actually see

• The tea rows - gardens laid out below the Dhauladhar wall.
• The mountain backdrop - snow peaks rising abruptly behind the plantings.
• The processing factory - withering, rolling and drying of Kangra tea.
• The tasting rooms - the lighter Kangra leaf compared with other Indian teas.

When to go

March to June for the first flush and picking, and September to November for clear mountain views; the monsoon here is heavy. Factory activity follows the plucking season.

Honest expectations

Estates are working farms and visits generally need arranging in advance. Kangra tea is a small industry and facilities are modest compared with Darjeeling. The Dhauladhar is often cloud-covered.

Nearby

Baijnath temple lies east; Bir Billing is southeast.