Region

South 24 Parganas

Base in Kolkata (2–3 h drive); spend 2 days visiting Sundarbans, Bakkhali and Diamond Harbour.

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Key facts · India

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

South 24 Parganas is a coastal district of West Bengal, home to the Sundarbans mangroves, quiet beaches like Bakkhali, and river towns such as Diamond Harbour. The area is best visited as day-trips from Kolkata, with a minimum of 2–3 days to cover the highlights.

Where to sleep

1 place in this region

KolkataCity guide
All accommodation and dining variety; day-trip to South 24 Parganas.
Best Nov–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kolkata →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Kolkata 3 nights; day 1: Sundarbans boat tour, day 2: Bakkhali and Diamond Harbour, day 3: Canning and Sagar Island.

Cyclones Aila (2009) and Amphan (2020) caused severe flooding; monitor weather alerts during Apr–Oct.
Monsoon can bring malaria and dengue; use repellents and sleep under nets.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Sundarbans National Park	Kolkata	150 min	unknown	Boat tours require a forest permit; arrange through licensed operators in Canning.
Bakkhali	Kolkata	150 min	unknown	Quiet beach, 2 h drive; ideal for sunset walks.
Diamond Harbour	Kolkata	45 min	unknown	Riverfront town, ferry to Sagar Island (≈1 h).
Canning	Kolkata	45 min	unknown	Gateway to the Sundarbans; local market and river views.
Raichak	Kolkata	60 min	unknown	Riverfront resort area, popular for day‑trip picnics.
Sagar Island	Kolkata	120 min	unknown	Pilgrimage site (Ganga Sagar) and beach; best visited post‑Makar Sankranti.
Baruipur	Kolkata	40 min	unknown	Cultural hub with temples and local crafts.
Falta	Kolkata	50 min	unknown	Small town with historic railway station.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding is not common in this area; carry your bags on local trains or hire a taxi for the day.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Kolkata	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Coastal plainSouth 24 Parganas	hot	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	hot	hot	wet	dry	dry	dry

hot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Coastal plain: Best months Nov–Feb; avoid heavy monsoon Jun–Sep. Temperatures 25–35 °C (77–95 °F); humidity high near the Sundarbans.Best months Nov–Feb; avoid heavy monsoon Jun–Sep. Temperatures 77–95 °F (25–35 °C); humidity high near the Sundarbans.

Best months are also the crowd peaks for pilgrim festivals on Sagar Island.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Kolkata (CCU) airport	South 24 Parganas (e.g., Bakkhali)	Taxi or shared auto, ~2 h 30 min door‑to‑door	~150 km	Check traffic; monsoon can add 30 min.
Kolkata railway station	Canning or Diamond Harbour	EMU local train, ~1 h 15 min	~45 km	Trains run hourly; last service ~22:00.Trains run hourly; last service ~10:00 PM.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

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Go next

Kolkata

Train or road 2 h from South 24 Parganas

Capital of West Bengal, cultural hub.

North 24 Parganas

planned

Adjacent district, similar coastal attractions

Planned.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 8, 40 min to 2 h 30
Nights suggested: 3 nights
Ways in: 2 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

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Sources

officialSouth 24 Parganas District – official
officialWikidata – South 24 Parganas
secondaryWikivoyage: South 24 Parganas, revision 5300350 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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