Region

Eastern India

Base in Kolkata, then add one of Sikkim, Odisha or the Sundarbans — not all three in one trip.

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Key facts · India

Best months: Nov
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Eastern India runs from the Bay of Bengal to the Himalayan foothills: four states — West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Sikkim — with Kolkata as the air and rail hub. Distances and slow roads matter more than queues, so pick one shape of trip: a coastal-and-delta run (Kolkata, Sundarbans, Odisha temples and Chilika), a hill run (Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim), or a plateau run (Jharkhand waterfalls and tribal markets). Two of the three is a full two weeks.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

KolkataCity guide
Air and rail gateway; Bengali food, colonial core, Durga Puja in autumn.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kolkata →
BhubaneswarCity guide
Temple city; base for Konark, Puri and Chilika.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bhubaneswar →
DarjeelingCity guide
Tea hills and Himalayan views; access via Siliguri / New Jalpaiguri.
Best Mar–May, Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Darjeeling →
GangtokCity guide
Sikkim capital; monasteries and high valleys.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Gangtok →

Day trip

RanchiCity guide
Jharkhand plateau base for waterfalls and tribal markets.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ranchi →

Night sequences

7 nights: Kolkata 3 + Sundarbans 2 + Kolkata 2
10 nights: Kolkata 3 + Odisha (Bhubaneswar/Puri) 4 + Kolkata 3
12 nights: Kolkata 3 + Darjeeling 3 + Sikkim 5; exit by air from Bagdogra or by road back to Siliguri

Kolkata + Sundarbans + Odisha + Sikkim in one week is four travel days and no rest.
Monsoon (June–September) brings flooding and landslides; coastal Odisha and the Bengal delta are worst hit.
May–June heat on the plateau and plains regularly tops 40 °C.May–June heat on the plateau and plains regularly tops 104 °F.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Sundarbans	Kolkata	240 min	unknown	Road plus boat; most visitors go on a two-night package with a guide.
Konark and Puri	Bhubaneswar	90 min	unknown	Sun Temple plus beach; a full day by car.
Chilika Lake	Bhubaneswar	120 min	unknown	Bird season is roughly November–February; dolphin boats leave from Satapada.

Bags between cities

Left-luggage and hotel storage are normal in Kolkata; hill roads to Darjeeling and Sikkim are slow, so travel light.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Kolkata	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go
Bhubaneswar	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go
Darjeeling	×	×	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	ok	go	ok
Gangtok	×	×	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Ranchi	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Coastal Bengal and OdishaKolkata, Puri, Chilika, Sundarbans	best	best	ok	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best	best
Jharkhand plateauRanchi, Netarhat, Latehar	cool	cool	ok	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	cool	cool
Sikkim and Darjeeling hillsGangtok, Darjeeling, high valleys	cold	cold	ok	best	best	wet	wet	wet	wet	best	best	cold

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Coastal Bengal and Odisha: Tropical: mild, dry winters; heavy monsoon June–September; cyclone risk in spring and late autumn.
Jharkhand plateau: Continental: cooler winters than the coast, intense heat in May–June, strong monsoon.
Sikkim and Darjeeling hills: Alpine by altitude: spring and autumn are the clearest; monsoon brings landslides; winter snow up high.

Best months overall are October to March. Durga Puja in Kolkata (September or October) is the region's biggest event — book beds and trains months ahead.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
CCU (Kolkata, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International)	Kolkata city	Taxi or app cab	~45–75 min	The main gateway to the region; allow extra time in traffic.
Delhi	Kolkata	Flight ~2 h 15; train overnight	flight ~2 h 15	Howrah and Sealdah are the region's biggest rail terminals; book sleeper or AC classes early.
Bhubaneswar (BBI)	Bhubaneswar city	Taxi or auto-rickshaw	~20–30 min	Domestic flights link Kolkata, Delhi and other Indian cities.
Bagdogra (IXB)	Siliguri / Darjeeling / Gangtok	Taxi or shared jeep	~3 h to Darjeeling, ~4 h to Gangtok	The air gateway to the hills; New Jalai is the rail alternative. Hill roads are slow and landslide-prone in the monsoon.
Dhaka (Bangladesh)	Kolkata	Maitree Express train or AC bus via Benapole	train ~8–9 h	Both countries need visas; confirm current services and border posts before booking.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Indian Railways online booking (IRCTC)

buy

Book long-distance trains as early as the window opens; festival dates sell out fast.

State bus services (WBTC, OSRTC and others)

check

Cheap and frequent on main routes; comfort and frequency vary by state.

App cabs in cities

buy

Reliable in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Siliguri; shared autos and cycle-rickshaws elsewhere.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Kolkata biryani, rolls, fuchka, jhal muri	Kolkata street stalls and restaurants	Biryani here comes with potato and often egg; street food peaks in the evening.
Roshogolla, sandesh, mishti doi	Kolkata sweet shops	Sweets are sold by weight; eat mishti doi chilled.
Bengali fish curry, shukto, prawns	West Bengal	Rice-and-fish is the daily staple; lunch is the main meal.
Odia salt-water fish and dalma	Odisha, especially the coast	Temple towns such as Puri are largely vegetarian.
Lithi and sattu	Jharkhand	Plateau staples; roadside stalls are the usual source.
Darjeeling tea and momos	Darjeeling and Sikkim	Tea garden tours run in season; momo stalls are everywhere in the hills.

Go next

North-Eastern India

planned

Fly Kolkata to Guwahati or Imphal; bus via Bangladesh for Tripura

Similar hill landscapes and cultures to Sikkim.

Central India

planned

Train west from Kolkata or Bhubaneswar

Parts of Odisha's landscape continue into Central India.

Himalayan North

planned

Fly or train to Delhi, then onward

Nepal is also reachable by train from Kolkata to the border towns.

Southern India

planned

Flight from Kolkata to Chennai or Bengaluru

A separate trip; the climates and food are different.

Western India

planned

Flight from Kolkata to Mumbai

Mumbai is the usual next stop for a multi-region trip.

Plan your trip to India Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialIncredible India — official tourism site
officialWest Bengal Tourism
officialOdisha Tourism
officialSikkim Tourism
officialIndian Railways (IRCTC)
officialIndia Meteorological Department
secondaryWikivoyage: Eastern India, revision 5335538 (CC BY-SA 4.0)