In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · India
Digha
দীঘা
Go for 2 nights as a Kolkata weekend beach: swim only between the flags, sleep in New Digha, skip Old Digha's eroded shore.
Digha is West Bengal's busiest seaside resort, about 4 hours by road or 3–4 hours by train from Kolkata. It splits into Old Digha, where the beach has eroded behind a sea wall, and New Digha, about 2 km away, with the wider sand, most hotels and the shops. Two nights covers the beach, the Mohana fish market and one day trip; the peak season is mid-February to mid-April, and monsoon (July–September) brings heavy rain and rough surf.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- দীঘা
- Best months
- Oct–mid-Dec and mid-Feb–mid-Apr (peak); winter (mid-Dec–mid-Feb) is cooler and quieter
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (monsoon, rough sea), May–Jun (heat and humidity)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,200–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services (national) 112 · Digha Police Station +91 3220 266 222 · Digha Mohana Coastal Police Station +91 3220 266 123
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian meal at a rice hotel | ₹35–45 |
| Fish curry with rice | ₹25–35 |
| Egg curry with rice | ₹45 |
| Green coconut (daab) | ₹10–20 |
| Motor-van, Old to New Digha | ₹5 per person |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CCU · Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International, Kolkata
- About 4–5 h by road to Digha; no airport at Digha. Check flight times from your city.
Typical fares
- Motor-van, Old Digha → New Digha
- about ₹5 per person
- Green coconut on the beach
- ₹10–20
- Kolkata → Digha by road
- about 4 h by car; buses from Esplanade, Garia and Howrah
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Cycle-vans and motor-vans cover short hops; a motor-van between Old and New Digha is a few rupees per person. Private cars and auto-rickshaws are available for day trips. Distances are short — most of New Digha is walkable.
See and do
Known for
- New Digha beach
- Digha Mohana fish market
- Casuarina groves between the two beaches
- Bengali seafood and Hinger Kochuri
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarmani | Motor-van or private car east along the coast | About 1 h |
| Shankarpur | Motor-van or car east | About 30 min |
| Contai | Bus or car along NH-116 | About 1 h |
| Haldia | Car or bus via NH-116 and NH-16 | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- New Digha
- Wider beach, most hotels and restaurants, walkable to the bus stand and station area. Best for a first visit.
- Old Digha
- The original resort strip; beach narrowed by erosion behind a sea wall. Quieter, some sea-facing mid-range hotels.
- Shankarpur
- About 10 km (6.2 mi) east; quieter beach and Benfish lodges. Good if you want fewer crowds and better fish lunches.About 6.2 mi (10 km) east; quieter beach and Benfish lodges. Good if you want fewer crowds and better fish lunches.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | নমস্কারnomoshkar |
| Thank you | ধন্যবাদdhonnobad |
| How much is it? | কত টাকা?koto taka |
| Where is the beach? | সৈকত কোথায়?shoikot kothay |
| No, thank you | না, ধন্যবাদna, dhonnobad |
| Help | সাহায্য করুনshahajjo korun |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Swim only where the coast guard allows: much of the beach is marked No Swim, and the sea is rough at high tide and around the new and full moon.
- Do not cross the Old Digha sea wall at high tide.
- Ignore hotel touts at the railway station; their hotels are often far from the beach.
- Carry mosquito repellent; power cuts are common in summer, though most hotels have generators.
- Liquor shops close around 19:00; after that, informal sellers charge more.
Digha is a busy family resort and generally safe, but the sea is the real risk: swim only between the flags, obey the coast guards, and never cross the Old Digha sea wall at high tide.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Digha yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- New Digha beach
- Digha Mohana fish market
- Casuarina groves between the two beaches
- Bengali seafood and Hinger Kochuri
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- West Bengal Tourism: www.wbtourism.gov.in
- Wikivoyage: Digha, revision 5288385 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5288385
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Dighaদীঘা
এই ঠিকানায় যাবেন
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All services (national)112
- Digha Police Station+91 3220 266 222
- Digha Mohana Coastal Police Station+91 3220 266 123
No embassies in Digha; most are in Delhi, with consulates in Kolkata. Check your own country's list.
Bengali and Odia are both understood locally; English works in hotels and larger restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/digha). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.