East India

A region of great range, from the colonial atmosphere of Kolkata, the Buddhist holy site of Bodh Gaya and the temples of Odisha to the tea gardens of Darjeeling and the islands of the Andamans.

This region follows the concept of East India commonly used by travelers, assigned by whole state: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, plus the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (most flights and ferries depart from Kolkata and Chennai). Sikkim belongs to Northeast India but is often included in the same itinerary as Darjeeling.

Highlights: in Kolkata, the Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge and Tagore's House; in Bihar, Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, along with the ruins of Nalanda and Rajgir; in Odisha, the Konark Sun Temple, the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the ancient temple complexes of Bhubaneswar; in Darjeeling, the tea gardens, the Himalayan narrow-gauge toy train and sunrise over Kangchenjunga; the Sundarbans mangroves, home to Bengal tigers; and in the Andamans, some of India's loveliest beaches and dive sites.

Classic itineraries: 2–3 days in Kolkata plus 3 days in Darjeeling (which can connect to Sikkim); the Buddhist pilgrimage route of Bodh Gaya–Nalanda–Rajgir in 3–4 days; the Odisha temple triangle in 3 days; and the Andaman islands in 5–6 days.

Getting there: Kolkata is the main gateway. To reach Darjeeling, fly to Bagdogra or take the train to New Jalpaiguri and change to a car. The Andamans are reached via Port Blair.

Good to know: landslides are common in the hills during the rainy season; some temples are not open to non-Hindus; and island trips depend on the monsoon.

Destinations

Itineraries