Where to goand how to get there

Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary, Narendrapur

Twenty kilometres out, and the only real forest walk inside the city edge.

20 km · 45 minutes to 1.5 hours from Kolkata, 1.5 to 2 hours from Barrackpore

Bawali Rajbari: a 300 year old house, 31 km out

The closest heritage house day out, and it works even for a lunch.

31 km · 1 to 1.5 hours from Kolkata, 2 to 2.5 hours from Barrackpore

Burul: a riverside afternoon 42 km from Kolkata

Sit on the embankment, watch the ships, go home. That is the trip.

42 km · 1.5 to 2 hours from Kolkata, 2.5 to 3 hours from Barrackpore

Chandraketugarh: a 2,000 year old city under the fields

The oldest thing near Kolkata, and almost nobody goes.

45 km · 1.5 to 2 hours from Kolkata, 1 to 1.5 hours from Barrackpore

Diamond Harbour: where the Hooghly looks like the sea

Under two hours out, a wide river, a fort ruin and a fish lunch.

48 km · 1.5 to 2 hours from Kolkata, 2.5 to 3 hours from Barrackpore

Raichak: a riverside fort and a ferry across the Hooghly

A fort on the water, seven kilometres past Diamond Harbour.

55 km · 1.5 to 2 hours from Kolkata, 3 hours from Barrackpore

Garchumuk: the 58 gate, a deer park and a picnic ground

Kolkata’s picnic ground: open space, water and room for a bus.

55 km · 2 to 2.5 hours from Kolkata, 2.5 to 3 hours from Barrackpore

Deulti and Samtaber: the house Sarat Chandra wrote in

A writer’s house, a river bank and mustard fields, an hour and a half out.

58 km · 1.5 to 2 hours from Kolkata, 2 to 2.5 hours from Barrackpore

Piyali Island: the green stop on the Sundarban road

Mangroves and a boat, without the two day Sundarban trip.

52 km · 2 to 2.5 hours from Kolkata, 3 hours from Barrackpore

Taki: the Ichamati, and Bangladesh on the other bank

A river, a boat, a border you can see, and no ticket.

70 km · 2 to 2.5 hours from Kolkata, 2 hours from Barrackpore

Gadiara: where three rivers meet

Water on three sides, a fish lunch, and a long slow drive.

85 km · 2.5 to 3 hours from Kolkata, 3 to 3.5 hours from Barrackpore

Mousuni Island: tents on the sand, 111 km out

A tent, the sea, and nothing else. Best for people who want that.

111 km · 3 to 3.5 hours from Kolkata plus the crossing, 4 hours from Barrackpore

Henry Island: mangroves and an almost empty beach

Fourteen kilometres from Bakkhali, and a tenth of the people.

119 km · 3 to 4 hours from Kolkata, 4 to 4.5 hours from Barrackpore

Susunia Hill: the nearest real hill to Kolkata

A real climb, an old inscription, and one night is enough.

201 km · 4.5 to 5.5 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Biharinath: the highest hill in Bankura

Forest, a hill and a temple, with hardly anyone else there.

249 km · 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Baranti: a lake, a hill and two days of nothing

Water in front, hills behind, and nothing to do on purpose.

262 km · 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Garpanchkot: ruined temples under Panchet hill

Ruins, forest and a hill in one place, and no ticket queue.

266 km · 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Ayodhya Hills, Purulia: waterfalls, a plateau and mask villages

The big one in the west: three days, waterfalls and empty roads.

367 km · 7 to 8 hours from Kolkata, 7 to 8 hours from Barrackpore

Murguma: the quiet side of the Purulia hills

A reservoir ringed by hills, a homestay, and no phone signal to speak of.

366 km · 7 to 8 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Joypur Forest: sal trees an hour from Bishnupur

Real forest at 159 km, and the temples of Bishnupur next door.

159 km · 3.5 to 4.5 hours from Kolkata or Barrackpore

Jhilimili and Belpahari: forest, falls and elephant country

Deep forest at 234 km, with rules about driving after dark.

234 km · 5 to 6 hours from Kolkata, 5.5 to 6.5 hours from Barrackpore

Two day trips from Kolkata that actually work

One night away, under 250 km, and nobody spends the holiday driving.

Three day trips from Kolkata: where three days is enough

Three days opens up Purulia, Odisha and the forests. Five hours is fine now.

Best time to go: a month by month guide near Kolkata

October to February for almost everything. Here is the rest of the year.

Best time to visit Darjeeling, month by month

October to December for views, March to May for weather, monsoon for risk.

639 km

Planning a family trip with children and elderly parents

Fewer places, more breaks, and one honest look at what your group can do.

Planning a group, school or office trip

One vehicle beats three cars. Fix the pickup list before the date.

Trips across India from Kolkata: how we plan them

Flight or train for the long leg, our car at both ends, hotels if you want.

Planning a trip abroad from Kolkata

Start the passport and visa work first. Everything else follows.