West Bengal was once the centre of British India. The state after Independence and partition has still maintained its cultural charm along with the architectural remnants of the colonial India. West Bengal has many things to offer to a traveler with the Himalayan mountains to a beautiful coast, beautiful buildings and monuments with colonial architecture, delicious Bengali cuisine, festivals and music, hill stations and tea plantations, and a rich cultural experience.
We will try to highlight destinations and experiences that would appeal to different types of travelers. You would need many days to explore these places in the state. If you are traveling to and exploring India, West Bengal definitely needs to be a part of your itinerary and you would definitely keep on coming back to explore more ☺.

Following are some of the places and experiences we have listed. Based on your interests and time we could curate a personalized itinerary for you.

KOLKATA
The capital city or the city of joy as made famous by Dominique Lapierre’s novel of the same name. Once the commercial capital of India has now transformed into the cultural capital of the country. With buildings of colonial architecture, tram car network the city still maintains its old world charm while bridging the gap with modernity with the Howrah bridge, a swanky international airport and many new development projects underway. In spite of these steps, the culture and tradition of a Bengali in the city remains intact esp. when it comes to food, mishti, cricket and football, movies, music and festivals esp. Durga Puja.
Best Time To Visit: October to March
Places To Visit: Howrah Bridge, Mother Teresa House, Jorasanko Thakurbari, Park Street, Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, St. Pau’s Cathedral, Kalighat Kali Temple, Science City Kolkata.
How To Get There: By Air (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport), Rail and Road.

SUNDERBANS NATIONAL PARK
Sunderbans is the largest mangrove jungle in the world, and the only one to have the mighty Royal Bengal Tiger. The national park spreads over 102 islands (half of which are inhabited) extending into the neighbouring Bangladesh. As it is only accessible by boat it is quite an adventure to explore the national park over water.
Best Time To Visit: October to March
How To Get There: It is 100 km South East of Kolkata and is well connected by rail and road.

SHANTINIKETAN
Shantiniketan is also a popular center for traditional handicrafts such as batik, pottery, weaving, and embroidery. The best time to visit is during one of the many festivals such as the three day Poush Mela (usually in late December), with its live Bengali folk music, and Holi (celebrated as Basanta Utsav). Alternatively, try to catch the Bondangar Haat (village market) that’s held every Saturday. One of the main attractions in Shantiniketan is the Uttarayan complex where Tagore lived. It now has a museum and art gallery.
Best Time To Visit: October to March
How To Get There: It is 160 km North West of Kolkata and is well connected by rail and road.
Bishnupur:
Bishnupur is known for being the birthplace of terracotta. The main attraction here are the terracotta temples and pottery that are available throughout the town. The temples were built during the 17th and 18th centuries by Malla dynasty rulers. During this time, there was a revival of Hinduism with devotion to Lord Krishna, after a prolonged period of Islamic dominance. The result was unique temple architecture that unusually blended Bengali-style curved roof with Islamic domes and arches, and Odia-style duel(sanctum).
Best Time To Visit: October to March.
How To Get There: It is 140 km North West of Kolkata and is well connected by rail and road.

DARJEELING
The source of the best Tea in the world is this beautiful hill station on the foothills of Himalayas. Covered with Tea plantations and the resulting aroma of the tea leaves, and a stunning view of majestic Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, Darjeeling is really blessed. Along with that there are many beautiful monasteries, local markets, bakeries, handicrafts, and Tibetan and Nepalese food. Before being developed by the British in the mid-19th century, Darjeeling was part of the kingdom of Sikkim and was also temporarily ruled by invading Gorkhas from Nepal. The culture here is totally unique to the hills and completely different from that of rest of the state.
Best Time To Visit: April-May, September-October
Places To Visit: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Singalila National Park, Tiger Hill, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Observatory Hill, Happy Valley Tea Estate, Japanese Peace Pagoda, Neora Valley National Park, Mirik, Rock Garden.
How To Get There: The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport 68 km away, and the nearest railway station in New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Siliguri 72 km away by road.

KALIMPONG
Kalimpong is a less touristy hill station destination around three hours from Darjeeling. The town is located on a ridge overlooking the Teesta river across the state of Sikkim.
The business capital of the state is known for many ancient pilgrim centers, forts, museums, lakes, and islands. Moreover, this place also boasts of local handicrafts.
Best Time To Visit: April-May, September-October
Places To Visit: Deolo Hill, Dr. Graham’s Home, Kalimpong Cactus Nursery, Pine View Nursery, Jaldhaka River Valley, Tharpa Choeling Gompa, Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa, Tongsa Gompa.
How To Get There: The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport 79 km away, and the nearest railway station in New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Siliguri 77 km away by road.

DOOARS REGION AND JALDAPARA NATIONAL PARK
You don’t have to go all the way to Kaziranga National Park to see one-horned rhinoceros. Jaldapara National park has about 50 of these wild rhinos. Apart from the rhinos the sanctuary has a wide variety of wildlife including elephants and tigers.
Best Time To Visit: October to May. The top months for rhino watching are March and April when the new grass comes up.
How To Get There: The best way to get there is to take a train to Birpara or to Hasimara, both of which are around 20 km from the sanctuary. Cabs are available from these stations to take you to the sanctuary. The nearest airport is around 140 km away in Bagdogra, near Siliguri and one can take a bus or cab from there to reach Jaldapara.

MURSHIDABAD
Murshidabad was the capital city of the Bengal region during the Mughal empire, and the last capital before British rule. This influence is reflected with the presence of numerous palaces and mosques with marvelous Mughal architecture. Intriguing stories of treachery draw tourists to Murshidabad as well. It was nearby that Nawab Siraj Ud-Daulah lost his reign to the British in the 1757 Battle of Plassey, after the British bribed Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of the Nawab’s army at Kathgola Palace in Murshidabad. The grand Hazarduari Palace is the main attraction though, with 1,000 doors. It is now converted into a museum with an exquisite collection of regal memorabilia.
Best Time To Visit: October to March.
How To Get There: It is 200 km North of Kolkata, on the eastern bank of Hooghly River, and is well connected by rail and road.

BARRACKPORE
This is where the British set up their first military barrack or cantonment in India in 1772, hence the name. With various stories, relics and monuments fro the Raj era, the city is a delight for the history buffs as this was also the scene of an incident widely credited with starting the Indian Mutiny or the War of Independence of 1857.
Best Time To Visit: October to March.
How To Get There: It is located 35 km North of Kolkata.

MANDARMANI AND DIGHA BEACHES
If you want to spend leisure time in a beach resort and avoid the crowds then you should head to Mandarmani beach. A fishing village with a long stretch of beach is extremely tranquil and unpolluted. However, not far way is the more popular Digha beach, which you could visit as well.
Best Time To Visit: October to March.
How To Get There: It is located 180 km South West of Kolkata.

HOOGHLY RIVER
The river, a tributary of Ganges is the lifeline of West Bengal. It is recommended to do a river cruise here. While the shorter duration cruises are more popular, there is 7-day cruise from Kolkata to Farakka with the return journey by rail. This stretch is most interesting due to its British, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Danish heritage — all of these countries established 18th century trading posts there and you’ll get to see the remnants of them, as well as markets, temples, and old mosques.
Best Time To Visit: October to March.

Apart from these there are other notable places to visit in West Bengal such as Mayapur (pilgrim city), Pandua and Gaur, Purulia, Bankura, Midnapore, Kamarpukur, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Royal Rajbari Heritage Homes, Handicraft Villages and many more.