7 Days From Kolkata on a Budget (Trip Costs)
Seven days from Kolkata: the full circuit, priced end to end
Seven days is the full circuit, and the one worth budgeting for properly if the Sundarbans is on your list at all. Days 1 through 4 repeat the 4-day version exactly, the free Dakshineswar and Belur Math pair, Chandannagar, Shantiniketan, Murshidabad, for a combined spend well under INR 1,800. Days 5 to 7 then give the Sundarbans the full 2 night, 3 day treatment it actually needs, INR 4,000 to 17,500 depending on tier, not the compressed express version in the 6-day itinerary . This is the trip where the extra day and the extra spend buy you 2 real safari days in the mangroves instead of 1.
Book these before you go
- Hotel near Park Street or New Market for Days 1 to 4: check listings on Agoda
- The full 2 night Sundarbans boat safari package: book on Viator
- A private Shantiniketan day trip: book on Viator
- Hazarduari Express tickets for Murshidabad: book ahead on IRCTC
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Kolkata | Cost per person (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math | Inside Greater Kolkata, Metro plus a short ferry | Free entry, roughly INR 50 to 100 transport |
| Day 2 | Chandannagar, the French Strand | About 50 to 55 minutes each way by local train | Well under INR 20 each way |
| Day 3 | Shantiniketan, Visva-Bharati | About 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours each way by train | Roughly INR 150 to 300 each way, reserved class |
| Day 4 | Murshidabad, Hazarduari Palace | About 3 hours 20 minutes to 4 hours each way by train | Roughly INR 100 to 370 train fare, plus INR 25 to 300 entry |
| Day 5 | Sundarbans, arrival and first safari | About 3 to 4 hours by road plus a boat transfer | Part of the INR 4,000 to 17,500 package, all 3 days |
| Day 6 | Sundarbans, full day deep in the reserve | Based at the lodge, boat transfers only | Included in the Day 5 package price |
| Day 7 | Sundarbans, final safari and return | Same 3 to 4 hours plus boat transfer, in reverse | Included in the Day 5 package price |
Day 1: Dakshineswar and Belur Math, free entry both
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple, free entry, roughly 5am to 12:30pm and 3 to 8:30pm, the Blue Line Metro’s northern terminus
- Belur Math across the river, headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, also free, roughly 6am to 12pm and 3:30 to 8:30pm
Day 2: Chandannagar, under INR 20 each way
- Local train from Howrah, about 50 to 55 minutes, second-class fare well under INR 20, to the Chandannagar Strand
- The Institut de Chandernagor museum for French-era artifacts and photographs, a small entry fee
Day 3: Shantiniketan, roughly INR 150 to 300 each way
- The Shantiniketan Express from Howrah at 10:00am, arriving Bolpur around 12:15pm
- The Visva-Bharati campus, the Uttarayan complex, and the Sonajhuri weekend haat if the season lines up
Day 4: Murshidabad, roughly INR 100 to 370 train fare plus entry
- The Hazarduari Express from Kolkata around 6:50am, arriving by roughly 10:10am
- Hazarduari Palace, INR 25 Indian visitors, INR 300 foreign nationals, 9am to 4:30pm, closed Fridays, ticket covers the Nizamat Imambara and Madina Mosque too
Day 5: Into the Sundarbans, the big spend begins
- Pickup from Kolkata for the roughly 3 to 4 hour drive to the Godhkhali or Canning gateway, then the boat transfer into the reserve
- Check in and settle at your lodge, then an afternoon mangrove creek boat safari
- This full 2 night, 3 day package runs roughly INR 4,000 to 6,500 budget and standard tiers, INR 6,500 to 8,500 for a 3-star AC tier, up to INR 10,500 to 17,500 for a luxury lodge, all bundling hotel, meals, boat, permit and guide; picking up from Canning rather than central Kolkata trims a little off the low end
- Overnight at the lodge, no further spend needed beyond the package price and whatever snacks you bring
Day 6: A full day in the reserve, no extra cost
- A genuine full-day boat safari through the mangrove creeks, included in the price already paid, this is the day the extra night over the express version buys you
- The Sajnekhali watchtower or a similar viewing point, plus a real chance to spot spotted deer, saltwater crocodiles and birdlife even when the Royal Bengal tigers, an estimated 96 of them across the reserve as of 2026, stay hidden
- Second night at the lodge, again covered in the package total
Day 7: Final safari and return
- One more morning boat safari before checkout, often the best light of the trip, included in the package
- The return drive and boat transfer back to Kolkata, arriving in the city by evening
- A final Bengali thali dinner back around Park Street or New Market, INR 400 to 900, to close out the week
Is the full 2 night, 3 day Sundarbans package worth the jump from INR 2,400 to as much as INR 17,500?
Yes, if the mangroves and the boat experience are why you’re going at all. The extra day and extra spend over the 6-day itinerary’s express version buys roughly one more full safari day, meaning more time in the creeks and a genuinely better shot at wildlife, not just tigers. Stick with the express tier only if a 7th day truly isn’t available.
How do I keep the Sundarbans package near the lower end of INR 4,000 to 6,500?
Book a fixed group departure rather than a private boat or private car, pick up from Canning rather than central Kolkata if your schedule allows the extra local transfer, and travel outside the Durga Puja and peak winter weekends when lodge rates firm up. Each of those choices trims cost without cutting a day off the trip itself.
Confirm your lodge’s exact pickup point and time before Day 5; some tours leave from a hotel near Park Street rather than the airport or station, and getting it wrong costs you time you already paid for. The West Bengal Tourism site and Incredible India both carry current Sundarbans and Bengal travel advisories worth a check before you fly.