West Bengal is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Located on the eastern block of the country, it shares its international border with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The ethno-linguistic similarity of West Bengal with these countries is predominantly visible in its culture. The richness of Bengali culture is one major reason for the state becoming a major tourist spot in the country. The local cuisines are wonderful and the ethnic wear simply captivating. The richness of Bengali culture lies in its rich literature, music, dance and various other arts. The conglomerate of all this beautiful art and craft makes West Bengal a wonderful place from tourism perspective.Not only this, the immense geographical diversity of West Bengal also makes it an interesting travel venue. The state can be broadly divided into two natural geographic divisions - the Gangetic Plain and the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan area. From the deltas of Sunderban to the plains of Kolkata and also to the hills of Darjeeling, you can have a view of the topography of mini-India in this state itself. Apart from beautiful landscapes, diverse culture and great historical monuments; the state also offers wonderful shopping avenues. The transportation from and within the state is also frequent and comfortable. So do not wait and watch, get your bags packed and start your travel to West Bengal.
Asansol
Asansol is the second largest city of West Bengal, situated in the Bardhaman District. It serves as an important coal mining commercial center in India. In fact, its claim to fame is its base of coal and steel industry. Situated between Durgapur and Chittaranjan, this city, with about 1,000,000 residents, is one of the 100 fastest developing cities in the world.
Bardhaman
Located at an average elevation of 40 meters above sea level, Bardhaman is one of the important districts in West Bengal. The headquarters of the district has also been christened by the same name. Talking about Bardhaman city, it is situated about 100 km to the north-west of Kolkata, on the Grand Trunk Road (NH-2) and Eastern Railway.
Birbhum
Situated in the northernmost district of Burdwan division, Birbhum is one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The headquarters of the district is located in Suri. The district shares its western border with the state of Jharkhand, while the border on the other directions is covered by the districts of Bardhaman and Murshidabad.
Cooch Behar
If you want to get an experience of the regal age and imperial glory in West Bengal, Cooch Behar is an idyllic retreat. Situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, it is the only planned town in North Bengal region, with remnants of a royal heritage. Once the seat of the princely state of Koch Bihar, ruled by the Koch dynasty; Cooch Behar gained its present status three years after Indian independence.
Digha
Girdled with casuarinas plantations all along the sun-kissed beaches, Digha surely makes way to be one of the most sought after weekend destination locales in West Bengal. Situated at a distance of about 185 kms from the City of Joy, Kolkata, this small beach town has been rightfully described as the 'Brighton of the East’.
Darjeeling
Darjeeling is a beautiful hill-station, situated in the Shivalik Hills of the Himalayas, in West Bengal. It is a picturesque hilltop, with unscathed beauty and interesting tourist spots to boast of. It is internationally renowned for its tea industry and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (nicknamed Toy Train), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is one of the nineteen districts in West Bengal. The district has a city with the same name. Located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges River, the city was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Talking about its origin, Murshidabad was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Purulia
Located in the eastern side of India, Purulia is one of the nineteen districts of West Bengal. It holds an important place in the map of India, thanks to its strategic location. Purulia is located at a promising spot, serving as a gateway, connecting the developed industrial belts of West Bengal with the hinterlands in Orissa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Kolkata
Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. People not only from India, but also from other foreign countries come to visit this city of joy. The city of Kolkata offers its tourists, lots of avenues, in terms of natural beauty, marvelously erected monuments and fun activities.
Durgapur
Durgapur is one of the well-planned industrial cities in West Bengal, situated on the banks of river Damodar. Founded in the late fifties, by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the city falls under the Bardhaman district. The city has an average elevation of 65 meters and sprawls over an area of 154 sq km.
Hooghly
Hooghly, situated on the west bank of Hooghly River, is hardly 40 km from the state capital of Kolkata. The district houses several cities that have a great tourism value. It is also a place of great significance for Bengalis, as it is the birthplace of the eternal Bengali novelist, Sarat Chadra Chatterjee.
Jalpaiguri
Situated in the Terai region of Himalayas, Jalpaiguri is one of the most important districts in West Bengal. The name of the place has been under contention for quite some time now. Some believe that the name Jalpaiguri came from the amalgamation of two words - jalpai meaning ‘olive’ and guri standing for ‘place’, thus meaning 'place of olives'.
Kalimpong
Pristine beauty, charming ambience and inviting location - these features set Kalimpong aside from the other hill stations in the region. Snuggled at an altitude of 1250 m above sea level, in the Shivalik range, it is one of its kinds in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Malda
Malda city of West Bengal is situated on the banks of the River Mahananda. It is one of the biggest cities in West Bengal and famous for the production of mango and silk. The city was earlier named 'English Bazaar', as it came into prominence when an English factory established here, in the year 1771.
Nabadwip
In Bengali, Nabadwip means 'a collection of nine islands'. Just as its name suggests, Nabadwip is a collection of islands, namely Antardwip (Sri Mayapur), Simantadwip, Rudradwip, Madhyadwip, Godrumdwip, Ritudwip, Jahnudwip, Modadrumdwip, and Koladwip.
Raichak
Located on the banks of river Hooghly, Raichak offers to be a perfect weekend getaway, boasting of an enjoyable and satisfying climate. At a distance of just 50 km from the state capital of Kolkata, Raichak is rapidly becoming a promising place to be visited. The place was originally found by the British, who had built a fort on the river bend, to guard against pirates.
Siliguri
The second most important city in West Bengal, after the state capital Kolkata, Siliguri is a rapidly developing as a metropolis in West Bengal. Serving as the gateway to the northeast region of India, it connects the hill towns of Gangtok, Rangpo, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and Darjeeling, to the rest of the country.
Sundarbans
Sunderbans, a mangrove forest spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, is a very popular tourist destination in the traveler’s map. The place derives its name from ‘Sundari’ (mangrove) trees, which are found in the entire forest cover. UNESCO declared Sunderbans as a World Heritage Site, in 1987.
Shantiniketan
Known as Kolkata's quiet sojourn, Shantiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. Calm and peaceful, the place was once called Bhubandanga after a local dacoit. Maharishi Debendranath Tagore renamed it as Shantiniketan, meaning abode (niketan) of peace (shanty).
