East India travel guide 2026–27: Odisha, Kolkata and the Sundarbans

Plan Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar, Chilika, Kolkata and the Sundarbans: when to go, temple rules, how many nights and what our trips cost.

By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read

Why go

East India mixes deep tradition with a lot of water. In Odisha, you get the Jagannath temple at Puri, the Sun Temple at Konark and the lagoon of Chilika. In West Bengal, you get Kolkata, a city of books, sweets and old buildings, and the mangrove forest of the Sundarbans, home of the Bengal tiger.

The region is good value. Hotels and food cost less than in most of India, and crowds stay manageable outside festival dates.

When to go

October to February is the best time. Days stay between 20 and 30°C with low humidity.

March to June gets hot and humid on the coast and in Kolkata, often above 36°C with heavy air.

The monsoon runs from June to September. The Sundarbans get rough and some boat routes stop. Cyclones hit the Odisha and Bengal coast in some years, mostly in May and from October to November. Watch the forecast.

Festivals:

• Rath Yatra at Puri, in June or July, when the deities ride huge wooden chariots through the town

• Durga Puja in Kolkata, in September or October, five days of pandals, lights and crowds

• Konark Dance Festival, in December, with classical dance in front of the Sun Temple

• Kali Puja and Diwali in Kolkata

• Poush Mela at Santiniketan, in December

Month by month

Average night low to day high, from long-term climate averages. Higher places run colder.

How many nights

• 3 nights: Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark
• 4 nights: add Chilika Lake
• 2 nights: Kolkata
• 3 nights: Kolkata and the Sundarbans
• 7 nights: Kolkata, Sundarbans, Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar

Kolkata to Bhubaneswar is about 1 hour by air or 6 to 7 hours by train.

Getting there

Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata are the gateways. Both have flights from all major cities.

By train, Vande Bharat trains connect Howrah to Puri and Bhubaneswar. Overnight trains run from Delhi to both cities.

Puri is 60 km from Bhubaneswar, about 1 hour 30 minutes by road. Konark lies 35 km from Puri along the coast road.

Puri

The stops that appear most often in our East India itineraries:

• Puri
• Bodh Gaya
• Kolkata
• Sundarbans
• Patna
• Ranchi
• Netarhat
• Bhubaneswar

The Jagannath temple is one of the Char Dham. The temple houses Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, carved from wood and renewed every 12 to 19 years in the Nabakalebara ritual.

Only Hindus may enter the temple. Non-Hindu visitors can view the temple from the roof of the Raghunandan library opposite, for a small fee. Phones, cameras, leather items and bags are not allowed inside. Use the lockers at the entrance.

The Mahaprasad, cooked in the temple kitchen in clay pots and sold at the Ananda Bazaar inside, is part of the visit for many pilgrims.

Puri beach is busy and lively in the evening. Swimming needs care. Currents are strong. Swim only where lifeguards stand.

Konark

The Sun Temple at Konark, built in the 13th century, takes the form of a giant chariot with 24 carved stone wheels pulled by seven horses. The wheels work as sundials. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Plan two hours with a guide. The site gets hot in the afternoon. Go early morning or late afternoon. The light and sound show runs after dark.

Chandrabhaga beach sits 3 km away. Ramchandi beach, on the road to Puri, is quieter.

Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar was once home to hundreds of temples, and many still stand.

• Lingaraj temple, the largest, from the 11th century. Only Hindus may enter. A viewing platform outside lets others see the temple
• Mukteshwar temple, small and finely carved, open to all
• Rajarani and Parasurameswara temples
• Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, Jain rock-cut caves from the 2nd century BCE
• Dhauli, where Ashoka is said to have turned to Buddhism after the Kalinga war. A white peace pagoda stands on the hill
• Odisha State Museum and the tribal museum

Raghurajpur, a village of painters near Puri, has pattachitra painters working in every house.

Chilika Lake

Chilika is the largest coastal lagoon in India. Satapada, at the mouth of the lake, is the base for boat rides to see Irrawaddy dolphins. Sightings are common in winter mornings.

Nalabana bird sanctuary, an island in the lake, draws lakhs of migratory birds from November to February. Rambha and Barkul, on the southern side, have quieter stays.

Kalijai temple sits on a small island in the lake.

Kolkata

Kolkata was the capital of British India until 1911. The city still has grand colonial buildings, old Bengali mansions and a strong culture of art, music and books.

• Victoria Memorial and its gardens
• Howrah Bridge, best seen from the river or the Mullick Ghat flower market at dawn
• Dakshineswar Kali temple and Belur Math, across the river from each other. A ferry links them
• Kalighat temple
• College Street, the book market
• Kumartuli, where artisans make clay idols for Durga Puja
• Park Street for restaurants, and the old Chinese quarter at Tiretta Bazaar for breakfast
• A ride on the tram, still running on a few routes

What to eat: kosha mangsho, macher jhol, kathi rolls, puchka, mishti doi, rosogolla and sandesh.

The Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, shared by India and Bangladesh, and a UNESCO site. The Indian side covers about 4,000 sq km of islands and channels.

Most trips start from Kolkata with a 3 to 4 hour drive to Godkhali or Sonakhali, then a boat ride to resorts on Gosaba or Bali islands. Boat safaris run through the channels to watchtowers at Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali and Dobanki.

Bengal tigers live here, but sightings are rare. Most visitors see crocodiles, spotted deer, monitor lizards, kingfishers and other birds. Go for the quiet and the forest. Treat a tiger as a bonus.

Safari permits are needed and we arrange them. The best months are November to February.

What to eat in Odisha

• Dalma, lentils cooked with vegetables
• Pakhala bhata, fermented rice in water, eaten in summer
• Chhena poda, a baked cheese sweet
• Rasagola, which Odisha claims as its own
• Seafood on the coast, especially crab and prawns at Chilika

Our East India packages

Prices start from ₹9,400 per person on twin sharing.

Practical tips

• Carry a cotton stole and wear modest clothes for temple visits
• Leave phones and leather items in the car at Puri and Lingaraj
• Book Rath Yatra and Durga Puja dates months ahead
• Watch cyclone warnings in May, October and November
• Carry mosquito repellent for Chilika and the Sundarbans
• Kolkata traffic is heavy. Use the Metro for longer hops

Tell us if you want to add Bodh Gaya or Darjeeling. Both connect well with Kolkata.