Sundarbans itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in the Sundarbans

1. 01

   Day 1: A long day on the water

   Leave Kolkata very early to reach Godkhali or Sonakhali by mid-morning, cross by ferry to Gosaba and board your launch for Sajnekhali. Collect your forest guide, spend an hour at the Mangrove Interpretation Centre, then cruise to Sudhanyakhali for the watchtower and pond. Lunch is on the boat. Return by late afternoon to catch the last ferry and the three-hour drive back. This is rushed and best done only if an overnight stay is impossible.

Plan 02

2 days in the Sundarbans

1. 01

   Day 1: Gateway and first landings

   Drive to Godkhali, cross to Gosaba and reach Sajnekhali by late morning. Visit the interpretation centre, crocodile pond and watchtower, then take the afternoon boat to Sudhanyakhali. Return to the Sajnekhali lodge or your boat for the night.

2. 02

   Day 2: Canopy walk and the creeks

   Start early for Dobanki, about two hours by boat from Sajnekhali according to the reserve, and walk the 400-metre canopy path. Return along the creeks for lunch, stop at a Bonbibi shrine and make for the jetty and road by late afternoon.

Plan 03

3 days in the Sundarbans

1. 01

   Day 1: Gosaba and Sajnekhali

   Travel from Kolkata to Godkhali and cross to Gosaba. Look around the island, with its Hamilton and Tagore history, then continue by boat to Sajnekhali for the interpretation centre and enclosures. Overnight at the lodge or on the boat.

2. 02

   Day 2: Towers and canopy

   Spend the day on the water: Sudhanyakhali, Dobanki's canopy walk and other landings, led by your forest guide. Return for the night at Sajnekhali.

3. 03

   Day 3: A village or the far west

   Choose between a slower morning on Bali island with a homestay breakfast and village walk, or a longer boat to Netidhopani for the ruins, tower and terrapin colony. Head back to Godkhali by afternoon for the road to Kolkata.

Pacing

Pacing a Sundarbans trip for parents and children

• Choose a package with a covered, seated upper deck and ask about toilets on the boat; conditions are basic and journeys long.
• Break the journey: stay a night near the gateway instead of doing Kolkata to the forest and back in one day.
• Skip the watchtower stairs and the muddy trails if mobility is limited; Sajnekhali's interpretation centre and walkways are the easiest stops.
• Carry sun protection, water, snacks, any medicines and a light jacket for winter mornings on the water.
• Boarding ferries and launches involves gangways and uneven decks; ask boatmen for a steadying hand and wear non-slip shoes.
• Nearest large hospitals are far away. Carry a basic medical kit and keep your operator's emergency contact handy.

Sundarbans with elderly parents: the full guide →