October and November
The best weeks of the year for everything: sea, forest, hills and temples. Also the most crowded because of Puja, so book rooms a month ahead.
travel guide
Best time to go: a month by month guide near Kolkata
Most trips near Kolkata work between October and February, but not all of them are the same. The sea is best in winter, the western hills are unbearable after March, February is palash season in Purulia, and the monsoon closes some forest and hill roads. Here is the year as we see it from the driver’s seat.
travel guide
What to fit in
December and January
Cool and clear, the best time for Purulia, the Dooars and picnics. Fog on the highways in the early morning, so we leave a little later on those days.
February
Palash season in Purulia and Bankura, the one time the western districts look their best. Rooms at Baranti and Ayodhya Hills go a month early.
March to May
Too hot for the western hills and forests. Use these months for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim and the north instead.
June to September
Monsoon. The sea is rough and bathing is dangerous, forest roads get bad and hill roads can close for landslides. Good for green scenery, bad for a fixed plan.
If you can only travel in summer or the rains
Go north or go short. April and May are for Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, Kalimpong and Gangtok, where the heat is the reason to travel. In the rains, keep it to a day out at Dakshineswar and Belur, Chandannagar, Bandel or Tarakeswar, where a wet road does not spoil the trip. Avoid island crossings and beach driving in the monsoon completely.
travel guide
What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
Puja week, Christmas week and 1 January are the three busiest travel dates of the year here. Book a month ahead or travel just after.
In winter fog, an early start is not always faster. We often leave at 7am instead of 5am and reach at the same time.
Never go into the sea in the monsoon, however calm it looks from the hotel.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
travel guide
Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
travel guide
We pick up from these areas
A day trip works best when the car reaches you early, from your own side of town.
questions
Questions about Best time to go: a month by month guide near Kolkata
Which month is best for Purulia and the western hills?
February for the palash, December and January for the weather. After March that whole belt is too hot for a comfortable trip.
Is the monsoon a bad time to travel at all?
Not for short trips. Temples, river towns and the Hooghly side look better in the rain. It is only the sea, the islands and the hill roads that we ask people to avoid.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
Travel guides
Read next
want a car for it
Tell us the date and we plan the day
Send the date and how many people are going. We tell you which car fits, when the car should start, and the full price in writing before you decide.