Hills6 days
Darjeeling and hills circuit
Tea gardens, monasteries, toy train and sunrise over Kanchenjunga.
- Darjeeling
- Kalimpong
- Kurseong
- Mirik
- Sandakphu
State · East
West Bengal
Himalayan tea hills to mangrove tigers, all with art and sweets
Kolkata's colonial grandeur and art, Darjeeling's toy train and tea, Sundarbans mangroves, Shantiniketan's culture and terracotta temples of Bishnupur, with Bengal's famous sweets and fish.
- Best time
- October to March (Darjeeling: March-May, Oct-Nov; Sundarbans: Nov-Feb)
- Allow
- 7–12 days
- Getting there
- Kolkata (CCU), Bagdogra (IXB) for hills, Cooch Behar and Balurghat airports; Howrah, Sealdah, NJP rail
- Permits
- None for Indians in most places; Sundarbans needs a forest permit via registered operators; Singalila trek and some border areas need permits; foreigners need permit for the Sundarbans and Singalila
- Capital
- Kolkata
- At a glance
- 23 districts · 61 places · 5 off the beaten track
Must-see
The unmissable West Bengal
01
Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
Marble Raj-era monument with garden and museum of the city.
02
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
UNESCO toy train through tea hills with Kanchenjunga views.
03
Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
Mangrove delta, home to Royal Bengal tigers, by boat.
04
Shantiniketan
Tagore's university town with Poush Mela and Baul music.
05
Bishnupur
Terracotta temples and Baluchari saris.
06
Dooars forests
Elephants and rhinos in Gorumara and Jaldapara.
07
Murshidabad
Nawabi capital with Hazarduari Palace and ruins.
08
Digha and Mandarmani
Sea resorts and beaches on the Bay of Bengal.
Tourist circuits
Ready-made routes
Join the dots: each circuit links places that make sense together.
Wildlife3 days
Sundarbans delta
Boat safari through mangrove channels with Royal Bengal tigers.
- Godkhali
- Sajnekhali
- Sundarbans
- Bonnie Camp
Heritage4 days
Heritage Bengal
Nawabi palaces, terracotta temples and Gour-Pandua ruins.
- Murshidabad
- Bishnupur
- Gour-Malda
- Kolkata
Wildlife4 days
Dooars wildlife
Elephants, rhinos and bison in foothill jungles.
- Gorumara
- Jaldapara
- Buxa
- Lataguri
Culture3 days
Culture and Tagore
Poetry, Baul songs and terracotta crafts.
- Shantiniketan
- Bolpur
- Sriniketan
Beach3 days
Seaside and coast
Weekend beaches with seafood and red crabs.
- Digha
- Mandarmani
- Tajpur
- Bakkhali
District by district
Every district, place by place
23 districts. Open any to see what's worth your time — gold tags mark lesser-known places.
AlipurduarHQ Alipurduar · 3 places · 1 offbeat
Northern Dooars district near Bhutan.
- WildlifeBuxa Tiger ReserveForest of elephants and Bhutan-border trekking.
- OffbeatJayantiOffbeatPeaceful river village by Buxa.
- NatureRajabhatkhawaForest gateway to the reserve.
BankuraHQ Bankura · 3 places
Terracotta temples and red-soil forest.
- HeritageBishnupur TemplesTerracotta temples with Hindu epics in clay.
- NatureSusunia HillRock hill with ancient inscriptions.
- NatureMukutmanipurLarge dam and green lake.
BirbhumHQ Suri · 3 places · 1 offbeat
Tagore's Shantiniketan region.
- CultureShantiniketanTagore's open-air university town.
- SpiritualTarapithFamous Tantric Kali temple.
- SpiritualKankalitalaOffbeatShakti Peeth on the Bakreshwar side.
Cooch BeharHQ Cooch Behar · 2 places
Royal town with palaces.
- HeritageCooch Behar PalaceItalianate Raj-era royal palace.
- SpiritualMadan Mohan TempleFamous temple in town.
Dakshin DinajpurHQ Balurghat · 1 place
Northern plains and Bangladesh border district.
- HeritageBangarh archaeological siteAncient ruins of Kotivarsha.
DarjeelingHQ Darjeeling · 4 places
Queen of Hills with tea and monasteries.
- Must-seeTiger HillSunrise point over Kanchenjunga.
- HeritageDarjeeling Himalayan RailwayUNESCO toy train.
- CultureHappy Valley Tea EstateTea tour and tasting.
- AdventureSandakphuTrek with Everest views.
HooghlyHQ Chinsurah · 3 places
Old European settlements on the river.
- HeritageHooghly ImambaraIndo-Islamic imambara with giant clock tower.
- HeritageBandel ChurchOld Portuguese church.
- HeritageChandannagarFormer French colony with Strand.
HowrahHQ Howrah · 3 places
Industrial gateway to Kolkata.
- HeritageHowrah BridgeFamed cantilever bridge across the Hooghly.
- SpiritualBelur MathRamakrishna Mission headquarters.
- NatureBotanical GardenHuge banyan tree and gardens.
JalpaiguriHQ Jalpaiguri · 3 places
Dooars forest and tea belt.
- WildlifeGorumara National ParkRhinos, elephants and gaur.
- WildlifeChapramari Wildlife SanctuaryElephant corridor.
- NatureLataguriGateway to Gorumara.
JhargramHQ Jhargram · 3 places · 2 offbeat
Red-soil forest and Santhal district.
- HeritageJhargram PalaceRoyal palace.
- NatureKankrajhorOffbeatForest picnic spot.
- OffbeatBelpahariOffbeatHill villages.
KalimpongHQ Kalimpong · 4 places · 1 offbeat
Hill town with orchids and Buddhist monasteries.
- NatureDurpin Dara HillHill with Kanchenjunga views.
- SpiritualZong Dhog Palri PhodangTibetan monastery.
- OffbeatRishop and LavaOffbeatForest villages reachable by road.
- NatureOrchid nurseriesFlower trade centre.
KolkataHQ Kolkata · 4 places
City of Joy with colonial, cultural, foodie charm.
- HeritageVictoria MemorialMarble Raj-era museum with gardens.
- SpiritualDakshineswar Kali TempleRiverside temple of Ramakrishna.
- CultureCollege StreetBook-lover's market.
- CultureKumartuliIdol-makers' quarter.
MaldaHQ Malda · 2 places
Mango and ruins district.
- HeritageGour-Pandua ruinsMedieval Bengal capital ruins.
- HeritageAdina MosqueOnce among India's largest mosques.
MurshidabadHQ Berhampore · 3 places
Last Nawabi capital of Bengal.
- HeritageHazarduari PalacePalace with a thousand doors.
- HeritageKatra MosqueLarge Mughal-era mosque.
- SpiritualJain temples at JiaganjOrnate temples on the Bhagirathi.
NadiaHQ Krishnanagar · 2 places
Chaitanya's Mayapur country.
- SpiritualMayapurISKCON temple and pilgrimage hub.
- CultureKrishnanagar clay dollsFamed clay artists.
North 24 ParganasHQ Barasat · 1 place
Suburban belt around Kolkata.
- HeritageBarrackporeColonial cantonment with Gandhi memorial.
Paschim BardhamanHQ Asansol · 2 places
Coal and steel belt.
- NatureMaithon DamLarge reservoir.
- SpiritualKalyaneswari templeFamous Maithon-side temple.
Paschim MedinipurHQ Midnapore · 1 place
Rural forest and temple district.
- HeritageMidnapore PalaceOld royal house.
Purba BardhamanHQ Bardhaman · 2 places
Rice-growing plains with old temples.
- HeritageCurzon GateColonial arch in Bardhaman.
- HeritageKalna temple complex108 Shiva temples in concentric circles.
Purba MedinipurHQ Tamluk · 3 places
Coastal Digha district.
- BeachDighaPopular beach resort.
- BeachMandarmaniLong drivable beach.
- BeachTajpurQuiet beach with red crabs.
PuruliaHQ Purulia · 3 places
Plateau, hills and Chhau dance.
- HillsAyodhya HillsPlateau with waterfalls and forest.
- CultureChhau mask makersFolk masks and martial dance.
- NatureMurguma DamLake in the hills.
South 24 ParganasHQ Alipore · 4 places
Sundarbans delta south of Kolkata.
- WildlifeSundarbans Tiger ReserveMangrove forest with tigers.
- WildlifeSajnekhali WatchtowerBirds and mangrove views.
- BeachBakkhaliQuiet seaside.
- SpiritualGangasagarIsland at the Ganga mouth for Makar Sankranti.
Uttar DinajpurHQ Raiganj · 2 places
Northern district with a bird sanctuary.
- WildlifeRaiganj Bird SanctuaryAsia's largest heronry.
- WildlifeKulik Bird SanctuaryOpen-bill storks and herons nesting.
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Eat
Signature flavours
- Macher jhol (fish curry)
- Mishti doi and rosogolla
- Kolkata kathi roll
- Shorshe ilish
- Luchi-aloor dom
Heritage mansions in Kolkata, tea-estate bungalows in Darjeeling, jungle lodges in Dooars, homestays in Kalimpong.
Festivals
When to time your visit
- Durga Puja — September-October
- Poush Mela, Shantiniketan — December
- Kolkata Book Fair — January-February
- Gangasagar Mela — January
Insider tip
Book Sundarbans and Dooars safaris through licensed operators, and avoid Durga Puja week for travel unless you want the festival crowds; Darjeeling clouds clear best in Oct-Nov.
Our detailed guides
Related journeys
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Start planning Free trip plannerCompiled from public tourism information and our own knowledge; permits, entry rules, district boundaries, timings and prices change — approximate, verify before travelling. Last reviewed 2026-11-09.