6 Days From Kolkata: Sundarbans and Beyond
Six days keeps Days 1 through 4 identical to our 4-day version , Dakshineswar and Belur Math, Chandannagar, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad, then swaps our 5-day version’s free day for a real payoff: a 1-night, 2-day express Sundarbans tour on Days 5 and 6. It is the compressed version, fewer safari sessions than the full trip, but it genuinely fits. For the complete 2-night version, see our 7-day itinerary .
Book these before you go
- Hotel near Park Street or New Market: check listings on Agoda
- The express Sundarbans boat safari: book on Viator
- A private Shantiniketan day trip: book on Viator
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Kolkata |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math | Inside Greater Kolkata, Metro plus a short ferry |
| Day 2 | Chandannagar, the French Strand | About 50-55 minutes each way by local train |
| Day 3 | Shantiniketan, Visva-Bharati | About 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours each way by train |
| Day 4 | Murshidabad, Hazarduari Palace | About 3 hours 20 minutes to 4 hours each way by train |
| Day 5 | Sundarbans, arrival and first safari | About 3-4 hours by road plus a boat transfer |
| Day 6 | Sundarbans, morning safari and return | Same 3-4 hours plus boat transfer, in reverse |
Day 1: Dakshineswar and Belur Math
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple, free entry, roughly 5am-12:30pm and 3-8:30pm
- Belur Math across the river, headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, also free
Day 2: Chandannagar and the French Strand
- Local train from Howrah, about 50-55 minutes, to the Chandannagar Strand and the Institut de Chandernagor museum
Day 3: Shantiniketan, Tagore’s university town
- The Shantiniketan Express from Howrah at 10:00am, the Visva-Bharati campus and Uttarayan complex
Day 4: Murshidabad and Hazarduari Palace
- The Hazarduari Express from Kolkata around 6:50am, entry Rs 25 Indian visitors, Rs 300 foreign nationals, closed Fridays
Day 5: Into the Sundarbans
- Early pickup from Kolkata for the roughly 3-4 hour drive to the Godhkhali or Canning gateway, then a boat transfer into the reserve
- Check in at your lodge or boat, then an afternoon mangrove creek safari, this express package runs on fixed group departures October through March
- Expect the Sajnekhali watchtower or a similar viewing point on the route, tiger sightings are rare on any package length, go for the mangroves and the birdlife
- Overnight at the lodge, roughly Rs 2,400-4,500 per person for this compressed tier depending on room type
- The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve site has the current forest-entry permit rules your operator will handle on your behalf
Day 6: Morning safari and return
- A final morning boat safari through the mangrove creeks before checkout
- The return drive and boat transfer back to Kolkata, plan to arrive in the city by evening
- A late dinner back around Park Street closes out the trip, you have earned a real meal after 2 days of lodge food
Is the 1-night, 2-day express Sundarbans tour worth it over the full version?
It is a real, bookable product, not a corner-cut, and it fits a 6-day trip where the full 2-night version would not. You get fewer safari sessions and less unhurried time in the reserve than our 7-day itinerary delivers, so treat it as the honest compromise it is, not a substitute for the full experience if a 7th day is genuinely available.
What if my flight schedule cannot flex around Day 6’s return time?
Build in a buffer, do not schedule a same-evening flight out of Kolkata on Day 6. Road and boat transfers from the Sundarbans run on their own timetable, weather and tide dependent, and a delayed return has cost more than one traveler a flight. The West Bengal Tourism site and Incredible India both carry current Sundarbans travel advisories worth a check before you fly.
Confirm your specific lodge’s checkout and transfer time before Day 5, some run the return boat earlier than others.