Region

South Bengal

Base in Kolkata (2–3 nights); day‑trip North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah.

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Key facts · India

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.

South Bengal is the river‑front delta of West Bengal, centred on the Hooghly. Its highlights are Kolkata’s colonial heritage, the Sundarbans mangroves, beach Bakkhali and pilgrimage sites such as Gangasagar.

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

KolkataCity guide
Capital, rail hub, cultural centre.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kolkata →

Day trip

HowrahGuide: planned
Railway complex, botanical garden, river views.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
HooghlyCity guide
Colonial “Little Europe”, pilgrim sites.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Hooghly →
North 24 ParganasRegion
Most populous district, suburban towns.
Open North 24 Parganas →
South 24 ParganasRegion
Sundarbans, Bakkhali beach, Gangasagar pilgrimage.
Open South 24 Parganas →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: Kolkata base, day‑trip Hooghly and Howrah
3 nights: Kolkata base, add day‑trips North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas

Monsoon (June–September) brings heavy rain and flooding; many rural roads become impassable.
Sundarbans tours require a permit and a guide; book through a registered operator.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Hooghly	Kolkata	45 min	check	Train or ferry, 30–45 min each way.
Howrah	Kolkata	30 min	check	Bridge walk or local train, frequent service.
North 24 Parganas	Kolkata	60 min	check	Suburban train to Barasat, then local transport.
South 24 Parganas	Kolkata	90 min	check	Train to Canning, then bus to Sundarbans entry points.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding is not common in South Bengal; carry your bags on trains or use hotel storage.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Kolkata	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go
Hooghly	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	×	×	×	ok	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
South Bengal deltaHooghly basin	cool	cool	warm	warm	warm	wet	hot	hot	wet	warm	warm	cool

cool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

South Bengal delta: Monsoon June‑Sept; winter Dec‑Feb mild (15‑20 °C (68 °F)).Monsoon June‑Sept; winter Dec‑Feb mild (15‑68 °F (20 °C)).

Best travel Oct‑Mar for comfortable heat and lower rain.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU)	Kolkata	Airport express bus or taxi	~45 min door‑to‑door	Main international gateway for the region.
Howrah Railway Station	Kolkata	Local train or metro	~15 min	Largest rail hub, connects to rest of India.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Fish curry, paturi	Kolkata and Hooghly	Seafood common; ask for mild spice if needed.
Puchka (panipuri)	Kolkata street stalls	Cheap snack, vegetarian version available.

Go next

North Bengal

Train ~6 h north from Kolkata

Hill stations and tea gardens.

Southwest Bengal

Train ~4 h west from Howrah

Rural culture, historic towns.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 4, 30 min to 1 h 30
Nights suggested: 2–3 nights
Ways in: 2 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

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Sources

secondaryWikivoyage: South Bengal, revision 5307392 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about South Bengal

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