Tea Tasting Session at India’s oldest tea boutique Sancha Tea/Aap Ki Pasand

India’s tea story gets a proper introduction at Aap Ki Pasand Tea Gallery, the Daryaganj shop founded by Master Tea Taster Sanjay Kapur in 1981. In about an hour, you taste teas from seven Indian growing regions, along with unusual white, green, black, herbal, and masala teas.

I like the clear sense of place: Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Sikkim, and Kangra teas each offer a different regional character. I also like the freedom to ask the staff to brew another tea from the shop’s selection, with no purchase required.

The only drawback is that one hour goes quickly, especially if you want to taste many of the 100-plus teas or spend time choosing gifts. The shop is open Monday through Saturday only, from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Key points at a glance

• Seven Indian tea regions: Taste teas from Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Sikkim, Kangra, and other Indian growing areas.
• Up to 13 tastings: The session can include a wide range of teas, giving you far more than a single cup of chai.
• Sanjay Kapur’s tea boutique: The shop was founded in 1981 by a respected Indian tea taster and blender.
• Seven masala chai blends: Try combinations with saffron, cardamom, ginger, and other spices from India’s Malabar Coast.
• More than 100 teas to buy: Choose pure teas, spice blends, herbal infusions, flowers, and gift packages.
• A low-cost indoor stop: At $7 per person, this is an inexpensive way to add a focused food and culture experience to a Delhi day.

Why this Delhi tea tasting is more than a cup of chai

Most visitors first meet Indian tea as sweet masala chai served in a small glass or cup. This tasting gives you a broader picture. India produces powerful black teas, delicate white teas, green teas, herbal infusions, and blends built around spices, herbs, and flowers.

The useful part is the comparison. You are not simply handed one attractive cup and told it is special. You can taste how tea changes from one growing region to another, then compare pure leaves with flavored blends. For anyone who drinks tea regularly, this is a far better way to understand Indian tea than buying the first packet with a familiar name.

The shop’s focus is Indian origin. Darjeeling tea is not presented as interchangeable with Assam, and Nilgiri is not treated as just another black tea. The aim is to connect each tea with its growing area, or terroir, meaning the local conditions that help shape its character.

The session is also a practical introduction to shopping. You can taste before spending money, ask questions about the blends, and choose something suitable for your own kitchen. That matters in a shop with more than 100 teas on offer. Without guidance, the selection could feel like too much.

Entering Aap Ki Pasand near Golcha Cinema

The meeting point is Aap Ki Pasand Tea Gallery, also known as Sancha Tea, at 15 Netaji Subhash Marg, opposite Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj. The shop is near public transportation, which helps if you are already exploring Old Delhi and the areas around the Red Fort.

This is a shop-based activity, not a walking tour through tea gardens. You arrive at the boutique and return to the same place when the tasting ends. That makes it easy to fit before or after another Delhi sight, though the scheduled opening window is limited to Monday through Saturday, 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

The location gives the experience a useful local shape. You are tasting Indian tea in a specialist store in New Delhi, surrounded by products intended for both everyday drinking and gifts. It is not a formal museum display, and that is part of its appeal. The tea is there to be brewed, compared, and taken home.

The group can include up to 20 people. That is a reasonable maximum for a small retail space, but the experience may feel less personal if the group is full. If you want to ask detailed questions about brewing or regional differences, go in ready to speak up.

Tasting seven regions of Indian tea

The main idea is regional comparison. India has seven tea-growing regions represented in the shop, and the tasting introduces teas from places including Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Sikkim, and Kangra.

The supplied program does not promise one fixed list of cups for every session. That is worth understanding. You may taste different examples depending on the tea selection available, but the stated plan is to sample a broad range rather than follow one rigid flight.

Darjeeling is perhaps the best-known name in the group. Assam is another major reference point, particularly for drinkers who like a stronger black tea. Nilgiri, Sikkim, and Kangra add less familiar regional names to the comparison. The value comes from tasting them side by side instead of trying to remember the differences from separate cups ordered on separate days.

You can also encounter white and green teas, not only black tea. India is widely associated with black tea, but the boutique makes a point of showing that Indian producers also make delicate white teas and other styles. These may appeal to you if you prefer lighter flavors or want to see a different side of Indian tea production.

One particularly useful feature is the chance to request another brew from the store’s selection. The staff can prepare a tea on the house, so you are not limited to whatever appears first in the tasting. This is where your own taste matters. If you prefer floral teas, ask about lighter options. If you want a strong morning cup, ask about the fuller black teas. The exact choices depend on what is available during your visit.

Seven masala chai blends with real spices

The masala chai section adds a different kind of interest. Instead of comparing leaves by growing region, you compare blends built around spices from India’s Malabar Spice Coast.

The shop offers seven masala chai blends. Ingredients listed for the blends include saffron, cardamom, ginger, and other spices. These are not merely black tea with a generic flavor powder added. The point is to taste several different spice combinations and see how each changes the balance of the tea.

This is likely to be the most familiar part of the session for many visitors, but also the easiest to oversimplify. Masala chai is not one fixed recipe. Cardamom gives a sweet, fragrant lift. Ginger brings heat. Saffron adds an aromatic note and a sense of occasion. A blend with several spices can taste very different from a simpler cup.

You may find the spiced teas more immediately enjoyable than the plain regional teas, particularly if you already like chai. Still, I would try the unflavored teas first if you have a choice. Strong spices can cover the finer differences between tea regions. Once your palate has a baseline, the masala blends make more sense.

The shop also carries Ayurvedic herbal teas for wellness. Treat these as herbal drinks and flavor experiences, not as medical treatment. The information provided describes them as wellness teas, but it does not establish health claims or specific results.

A possible 13-tea tasting in about one hour

The session lasts approximately one hour, yet one tasting included 13 different teas. That tells you something important about the pace. You will likely sample small amounts rather than sit over full mugs of every tea.

A sensible way to approach the hour is to pay attention to three things:

• The type of tea, such as black, green, white, or herbal
• The growing region or blend ingredients
• Your own preference, including aroma, strength, spice, and finish

You do not need to become a tea expert. I would simply keep track of the names you like. With more than 100 products in the store, it is easy to lose the one you wanted after tasting several others.

The staff can explain the regions, tea types, and blends as you go. The experience is built around learning, but it is not described as a technical certification course. You should expect accessible guidance rather than a formal lecture on cultivation, grading, or professional tasting standards.

The pace may be quick for anyone who wants long explanations about each cup. It may also be ideal if you have a busy Delhi itinerary and want a compact activity. At roughly an hour, it gives you a clear introduction without taking half a day.

Choosing tea gifts from more than 100 options

The retail side is a major reason to visit. You can buy pure Indian teas, blended teas, masala chai, herbal infusions, and combinations with real spices, herbs, or flowers.

For gifts, the range is more useful than a single famous tea tin. You can choose a regional black tea for a traditional tea drinker, a floral or herbal blend for someone who prefers lighter drinks, or a masala chai for someone who associates India with spiced tea.

I like that the tasting comes before the purchase. Tea packaging can be attractive, but the flavor is what matters once you get home. Use the staff’s advice, then buy the smallest sensible amount if you are unsure. The experience information does not specify package sizes, so ask in the shop before deciding.

The quoted price is $7 per person. That is strong value if you take part in several tastings and use the session to make a considered purchase. Even without buying anything, you receive a focused introduction to Indian tea for a modest fee. The staff are not described as pressuring you to shop, and the experience specifically allows you to taste without being obligated to purchase.

That makes the activity different from a sales demonstration. The store is still a retail business, so buying is clearly part of the setting, but you can treat the tasting as its own experience.

What the Sancha name adds

Aap Ki Pasand and Sancha Tea are connected with a tea business founded by Sanjay Kapur in 1981. The shop presents itself as India’s oldest artisanal tea boutique and has 11 locations across India.

The important point for you is continuity. This is not a temporary tasting counter designed only for tourists. It is part of a long-running Indian tea business with a strong focus on blending and freshness.

The shop has also been recommended by major travel and media sources, including Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, and Time Magazine. That does not guarantee that every tea will suit your taste, but it helps explain why the boutique has become a recognized stop for people interested in Indian tea.

The experience is most valuable when you treat Sanjay Kapur’s background as a guide to the shop’s purpose. You are there to compare teas and blends, not just to drink a sweet cup and leave.

Timing, group size, and practical planning

You receive confirmation at booking, and the activity uses a mobile ticket. The session starts and ends at the tea gallery, so there is no separate return transfer to arrange.

The listed opening hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Sunday is not included in the stated schedule. Plan the tasting around those hours rather than assuming it operates throughout the evening.

The group maximum is 20 people. A smaller group should make it easier to ask for another brew or discuss a tea in detail. A full group could make the hour feel more like a demonstration, especially in a shop where other customers may also be present.

The cancellation policy is flexible up to a point. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes inside 24 hours are not refunded or accepted. The activity can also be canceled if a minimum number is not met or if weather affects operation, in which case you are offered another date or a full refund.

The weather clause is unusual for an indoor tea tasting, but it is part of the stated policy. Keep it in mind if you are building a tightly timed Delhi itinerary.

Who will enjoy this tea tasting most

I would recommend it most strongly to tea drinkers, food-focused visitors, and anyone looking for a short cultural activity in Old Delhi. You do not need prior tea knowledge. The format works precisely because you can learn by tasting.

It is also a good choice for gift shoppers. Tasting first gives you a better chance of buying tea you will actually use, rather than carrying home a package based only on its label.

Families and mixed-interest groups may find it easy to fit into a day because the session is short. On the other hand, someone who dislikes tea, avoids spices, or wants a long guided tour may get less from it.

The shop is not described as a plantation visit, a cooking class, or a full meal. If you want to see tea cultivation, this is not the right activity. If you want a compact introduction to regional Indian teas in a specialist shop, it makes much more sense.

Should you book the Sancha Tea tasting?

Book it if you want to taste before buying, compare Indian tea regions, or bring home more thoughtful gifts than a standard supermarket box. At $7, the price is low enough to make this an easy addition to a Delhi itinerary, particularly if you can reach Daryaganj during the opening hours.

The strongest reasons to go are the broad selection, the chance to taste as many as 13 teas, the seven masala chai blends, and the freedom to request another tea without being pushed into a purchase. Allow extra time after the formal hour if you expect to shop carefully.

Skip it if your schedule falls on Sunday, if you want a tea garden visit, or if you prefer a long, slow tasting with extensive technical detail. For most curious tea drinkers, though, this is a practical and good-value way to meet India through its cups.

FAQ

Where does the tea tasting take place?

It takes place at Aap Ki Pasand Tea Gallery, also called Sancha Tea, at 15 Netaji Subhash Marg, opposite Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj, New Delhi.

How long does the experience last?

The tasting lasts approximately one hour.

How much does the tea tasting cost?

The listed price is $7 per person.

Which Indian tea regions are included?

The experience includes teas from seven Indian regions, including Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Sikkim, and Kangra.

How many teas can I taste?

The tasting can include a broad selection, and one session included 13 different teas. The exact number and selection may vary.

Can I buy tea at the shop?

Yes. The store offers more than 100 Indian teas and blends, including pure teas, masala chai, herbal teas, spices, herbs, and flowers.

When is the shop open for this activity?

The stated hours are Monday through Saturday, from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.