A Travelescape guide · 18 stories and guides
Weekends from Kolkata
Day trips and two-night escapes, sorted by how far you want to go.
Kolkata is a good city to leave for a day or two. Within two hours by road or local train are the river villages of the Hooghly and the Rupnarayan: Raichak, Achipur, Bawali, and Sarat Chandra's Deulti. Further north, the Ichamati runs past an old forest of deer and a kingfisher island near the Bangladesh border. Three to five hours south and south-west is the Bay of Bengal: Digha, Mandarmani, Bakkhali and Henry Island at the edge of the Sundarbans, and Sagar Island across the Muriganga. To the west, Purulia and Bankura have low hills, dams and the ruins of the Panchkot kings, best over two nights.
These are the trips Travelescape's writers have made from Kolkata, most of them by Ranita Ganguly, sorted by distance. Start with the three below, or jump to a distance. For the hills to the north, see Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling.
The older guides say when they were written: trains, fares, ferries and stays change, so check before you go.
Start here
Three to begin with
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Raichak travel guide
About 50 to 55 km down Diamond Harbour Road to the Hooghly: distances from Kolkata, Howrah and the airport, the Sealdah train and the ferries across, by Ranita Ganguly. Checked October 2026.
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Deulti Travel Guide
Sarat Chandra's house on the Rupnarayan, 51 km from Howrah by the Kharagpur local, with the 1651 temple at Mellak nearby, by Ranita Ganguly. Checked October 2026.
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Garpanchkot a historic weekend destination Of Bengal
The ruins of the Panchkot kings below Panchet Hill in Purulia: the morning train to Kumardubi, the dams nearby and the forest corporation's stay, by Ranita Ganguly. Checked October 2026.
5 stories and guides
Day trips on the river, up to about two hours
The Hooghly and the Rupnarayan, 30 to 65 km out: a riverside town, Sarat Chandra's village, India's first Chinese settlement and a restored zamindar's house.
2 stories and guides
North to the Ichamati, 75 to 110 km
Deer in an old forest and a kingfisher island near the Bangladesh border: a long day, or one night.
5 stories and guides
The coast and Sagar Island, 130 to 190 km
The Bay of Bengal in three to five hours: busy Digha, quieter Mandarmani, Bakkhali and Henry Island at the Sundarbans' edge, and Gangasagar across the Muriganga.
2 stories and guides
West to Purulia and Bankura, 230 to 270 km
Low hills, dams and the ruins of the Panchkot kings: easier over two nights, and best from November to February.
4 stories and guides
A weekend in Kolkata itself
For visitors, or a Saturday at home: the Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum, the markets and where to eat.
Plan it
Before you go
- Best months
- November to February: dry, with days of about 25 to 30°C. March to May is hot inland (Kolkata averages about 39°C in April). The monsoon, June to September, is wettest in July and August: about 350 mm a month in Kolkata, about 500 mm on the coast.
- Trains
- Two stations, two directions. From Sealdah: Diamond Harbour (for Raichak), Namkhana (for Bakkhali) and Hasnabad (for Machranga Dweep). From Howrah: Deulti on the Kharagpur line, Digha (the Tamralipta Express, about 3 hours 20 minutes) and Kumardubi (for Garpanchkot). Check times on the railway's own sites before you go.
- Government stays
- West Bengal Tourism (WBTDCL) runs lodges at Digha, Bakkhali, Gangasagar, Diamond Harbour, Mukutmanipur and Purulia; book only on its own website, wbtdcl.wbtourismgov.in.
- Gangasagar in January
- The Gangasagar Mela, around Makar Sankranti in mid-January, brings very large crowds to Sagar Island; the ferry from Lot 8 and the roads are at their slowest. For a quiet day trip, go in another week.
- Long weekends
- Digha, Mandarmani and the riverside resorts fill up on long weekends, at Durga Puja and over Christmas and New Year. Book ahead, or go midweek.
Questions
What readers ask us
How far is Raichak from Kolkata?
About 50 to 55 km from the city centre, 2 to 2½ hours by road down Diamond Harbour Road; from Howrah station, about 60 km. Our Raichak guide has the table, the Sealdah train and the ferries.
Which beach near Kolkata should I choose?
Digha, about 185 km and 3 hours 20 minutes by express from Howrah, is the busiest and the best served. Mandarmani, about 180 km, is quieter; Bakkhali and Henry Island, about 130 km, sit at the edge of the Sundarbans.
Can I do Gangasagar as a day trip from Kolkata?
Yes, with an early start: three to four hours by road to Lot 8 at Kakdwip, a ferry of about 30 minutes to Kachuberia on Sagar Island, then local transport to the temple, and back by evening. Our day tour sets it out.
How far is Jhilimili from Mukutmanipur?
About 15 km. Mukutmanipur itself is about 230 km from Kolkata, around seven hours by bus. Our Mukutmanipur and Jhilimili guide has both.