Our West Bengal holidays & tours
Our West Bengal holidays explore a state that sometimes slips a little under the radar. Kolkata, the capital of the British Raj, is an intoxicating blend of culture and chaos where a walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide makes for a fascinating and eye-opening experience. To the north, Darjeeling is surrounded by fragrant tea estates where you can hike between villages and ride historic railways, and of course enjoy an excellent brew. And while West Bengal may not be the most obvious place for tiger-watching, wildlife enthusiasts can spot them here, as well as everything from rhinos to crocodiles, dolphins and red pandas – our responsible wildlife tours offer a superb success rate for sightings, while also ensuring that the animals’ wellbeing is prioritised over getting the perfect snap. Sorry, crocs.
Cultural and rural tour of North East India
Holiday with the tribes of stunning North East India.
From
£1199 to £1699
12 days
ex flights
Darjeeling & Sikkim trekking holiday
Trek in Sikkim & Darjeeling
From
£1750 to £2150
12 days
ex flights
Bengal and Bhutan guided tour
World's apart: epic overland trip from Bengal to Bhutan
From
£4295
15 days
ex flights
Bengal and Sikkim tour in India
A Cultural Holiday to Bengal and Sikkim including Darjeeling
From
£2167
10 days
ex flights
Hooghly and Sundarbans river cruise in India
Explore Bengal and the Sundarbans from Kolkata
From
£4395
12 days
ex flights
Lower Ganges river cruise in India
Cruise the lower Ganges through west Bengal - India slowly
From
£1348 to £2935
8 days
ex flights
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
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West Bengal map & highlights
Tailor made tours to West Bengal include a private driver, so you can travel in comfort, and many also include an internal flight so you can reach the north of the state without hours on the road. Flying from Kolkata to Bagdogra Airport, three hours’ drive from Darjeeling, is a treat. The airport is surrounded by lush green tea gardens and on a clear day you can see the great Himalaya range as you fly in. Rail tours that start in Kolkata and take in Darjeeling before travelling to Varanasi and Delhi are another way to explore West Bengal, or join a cruise on the Hooghly River.
Darjeeling
1. Darjeeling
At over 2,000m, this pretty hill station has a pleasant climate, fantastic Himalayan views and plantations growing its eponymous tea. There’s a relaxed feel, making a stroll along the Mall a pleasure. Highlights include the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre, where you can pick up handicrafts, the Mahakal Temple and St Andrew’s Church, built in 1843 and frequented by Scottish soldiers stationed here before Independence.
DHR
2. DHR
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the ‘Toy Train’, is a single track route with UNESCO World Heritage status. Finished in 1881, it was designed to serve the region’s tea plantations. It runs 88km in total, from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, but tourist services take a scenic, circular route pulled by a steam engine, taking in the picturesque Batasia Loop and Ghoom, with its monastery and museum.
Kolkata
3. Kolkata
Humming with life, history, colonial buildings, markets and memorials, Kolkata is not a whistle-stop destination. Spend a few days here, finding your feet and discovering its highlights, from the Victoria Memorial (now a museum) to the shady lanes of the potter’s district, Kumortuli; the flower market at Howrah to the colonial buildings of Dalhousie Square. A sunset cruise on the Ganges brings another perspective.
River Hooghly
4. River Hooghly
A small ship cruise along this tributary of the Lower Ganges, starting in Kolkata, is a relaxing way to see West Bengali highlights often missed on land-based tours. Visit Chandannagar, a city run by the French until 1950 and the brass working village of Matiari. In Hooghly, discover West Bengal’s Muslim culture at the Imambaba mosque and in Kalna, see some of Bengal’s most beautiful terracotta temples.
Sundarbans National Park
5. Sundarbans National Park
The Sundarbans region is a vast wetland of estuarine forests, mangroves and rivers around the Ganges Delta, spanning West Bengal and Bangladesh. It’s home to a rich array of wildlife and birds, including crocodiles, dolphins, turtles, wild pigs, monkeys and spotted deer. The latter is prey for around 100 Bengal tigers, which also hold a fearsome reputation as man-killers. River cruises ensure you spot wildlife safely.
Tiger Hill
6. Tiger Hill
If you can cope with an early start – and we’re talking 4am-ish early – travel from Darjeeling to Tiger Hill in the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary for superb sunrise views of the Himalaya range. It’s a 45 minute drive and pretty chilly up there, but on clear mornings you can see a magical display of colours as the sun hits the flanks of Kanchenjunga and the surrounding peaks.
Our West Bengal holidays reviews
4.8
6West Bengal holidays reviews
Simon Ward08 Feb 2025
We had always wished to visit the living root bridges this trip did not disappoint, an excellent holiday. The time spent with the villagers in Kong Thong was also special.read more
Benn Greenspan28 Mar 2023
It exceeded all our expectations.read more
Geoff Cruickshank16 Dec 2022
We had a great time and are already contemplating another trip to India next year. We would also like to thank Gaurav of the tour operator who arranged parts of the holiday for us. He went way beyond the call of dutyread more
Kwok Ha25 Mar 2019
Thank you Gaurav for arrangement of the whole holiday. I can know some of the culture and the living of the people in North East India.read more
