Discover Bengal & Eastern India

The best time to visit Calcutta (Kolkata) and Odisha is from October to March. For visiting Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland – plan your trip between October and early December or from February to April.

The Central Zone of Kaziranga National Park is best for tiger sightings, while the Western Zone offers some of the best opportunities to photograph the one-horned rhino in its natural habitat.

Charter the two-bedroom MV Rudra Singha houseboat for an exclusive private river cruise on the Brahmaputra. Choose from 1-night to 3-night itineraries and journey from the lush tea gardens of Dibrugarh to the wilds of Kaziranga National Park.

When visiting Darjeeling, hop aboard the charming Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, affectionately known as the ‘Toy Train’. Given heritage status by UNESCO, this narrow-gauge train operates with the original steam engine and navigates challenging terrain through remarkable engineering feats like loops and zigzags. While the journey from New Jalpaiguri is a seven-hour adventure, many travellers prefer the shorter, scenic stretch from Darjeeling to Ghoom. This two-hour round trip offers stunning vistas and the opportunity to explore Ghoom Monastery before returning by road.

Enjoy sumptuous views of the Victoria Memorial, affectionately known as the Taj of the Raj, from your elegant Royal Bengal Suite at the Glenburn Penthouse Calcutta, an award-winning boutique hotel.

Food in Bengal and Eastern India is diverse and reveals the rich culinary heritage of the region. In Calcutta (Kolkata), must-try dishes include macher jhol (fish curry), chingri malai curry (prawn curry), and for those with a sweet tooth – the rasgulla is not to be missed. Street food favourites are phuchka (pani puri) and kathi rolls. Darjeeling offers a blend of Nepali, Tibetan, and Bengali cuisines with momos (dumplings), thukpa (noodle soup), and undoubtedly the Darjeeling Tea. In Odisha, try chhena poda (cheese dessert) and dalma (lentil and vegetable stew). Assam is known for Assam Laksa (fish noodle soup), khar (savoury dish with raw papaya), and the traditional Assamese thali.

Embark on a tailor-made Nagaland tour designed to showcase India’s forgotten northeastern province and come face-to-face with the notorious Konyak tribe – the legendary headhunters of Nagaland.

One of the must-do activities on an Assam private tour is a jeep safari through the picturesque Kaziranga National Park and search for the endangered one-horned rhinos and the elusive tiger.

Tailor-make your private Colonial Bengal Tour by combining a journey through history with a river cruise on the Brahmaputra or the Lower Ganges. Darjeeling is of particular interest to those who seek to discover India by Rail and is a popular extension to our classic India’s Golden Triangle private tour. Calcutta, Darjeeling and Sikkim can also be combined with a journey through Bhutan.