West Bengal

October to March is the most comfortable stretch across Kolkata and the southern plains, with mild temperatures well suited to city sightseeing and Sundarbans boat safaris. Darjeeling and the northern hills have their own rhythm, with March-May and October-December offering the clearest skies and best views of Kanchenjunga, since the monsoon (June-September) brings mist and landslide-prone roads. If you want to experience Durga Puja, aim for September or October, but book well ahead, since Kolkata becomes extremely crowded and accommodation fills up fast during the festival. Avoid the peak summer months of April-May in the plains, when Kolkata's heat and humidity can be draining for extended outdoor sightseeing.

A full week lets you comfortably combine the state's three distinct regions: two to three days in Kolkata for the Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, and its colonial-era neighbourhoods, two to three days in Darjeeling for the tea gardens, the UNESCO-listed toy train, and Tiger Hill sunrise views, and two days for a Sundarbans boat safari in search of the Royal Bengal Tiger and its mangrove ecosystem. Given the distances and different terrains involved, trying to fit all three into less than a week tends to feel rushed. If time is limited, it's more rewarding to pick one or two regions and explore them properly rather than skim all three.

West Bengal is best known for Kolkata's colonial-era architecture and rich literary and artistic culture, shaped by figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray, along with landmarks such as the Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge. In the north, Darjeeling is celebrated for its tea gardens, views of Kanchenjunga, and the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, often called the toy train. In the south, the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous as the last major stronghold of the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger, while Durga Puja each autumn remains Bengal's grandest and most iconic cultural celebration.

Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is the state's main gateway, with strong domestic and international connectivity and easy access to the Sundarbans by road and boat. Bagdogra Airport (IXB), near Siliguri, is the closest airport for Darjeeling and Kalimpong, from which it's roughly a two-to-three-hour drive up into the hills. Because Kolkata and Darjeeling are geographically far apart, a trip covering both regions typically means flying into one city and either flying or taking the train (via New Jalpaiguri) to reach the other, rather than trying to connect them by road.

Kolkata is very comfortable for group and senior travel, with wide colonial-era boulevards, accessible museums, and a well-developed hotel and transport network. Darjeeling involves hilly terrain and some uneven walking around the market and viewpoints, but its main sights are reachable by car, making it manageable for most travellers at a relaxed pace. Sundarbans boat safaris are low-effort physically since most wildlife viewing happens from the boat itself, though the humid climate and multi-hour cruises suit travellers comfortable with a full day on water; more strenuous hill treks around Darjeeling are better suited to active, mobile groups.