Treks Near Kolkata: Purulia and Bankura Hills for a Weekend, Sandakphu by Overnight Train

Trekking near Kolkata: what is actually within reach

Kolkata sits on the flat Gangetic delta, so there is no trekking near Kolkata in the sense Mumbai or Pune have it. The closest hills are where West Bengal Tourism says the Chotonagpur plateau begins: the rocky, undulating west of the state in Bankura and Purulia districts. Those hills are short (under 750 metres) and better known for rock-climbing courses than long trails. The first proper mountain treks start in the Darjeeling hills, an overnight train ride north. The table below sorts the realistic options by how far you have to go.

Short treks near Kolkata: Susunia and Joychandi Pahar

If you searched for a short trek near Kolkata, these two hills are the answer. Both are day-length outings once you reach the district, both are low, and both are used far more for rock-climbing camps than for long walks. Expect steep, short scrambles on bare rock rather than hours on a trail.

Susunia Hill, Bankura

Susunia rises to 448 metres in north-western Bankura district, about 10 km north-east of Chhatna, which is itself 13 km from Bankura town on the Bankura–Purulia road. West Bengal Tourism names Susunia and Biharinath as the district’s hills for “trekkers and adventure seekers”, and Susunia has long been a rock-climbing centre where Bengal’s mountaineers learn on real rock. There is also a fourth-century rock inscription of King Chandravarman near the hill, said to be the oldest in the state, which makes a good turnaround point for a family walk.

Joychandi Pahar, Purulia

Joychandi Pahar near Raghunathpur is the most train-friendly hill near Kolkata: it is about 1.5 km from Joychandipahar station on the Asansol–Adra section of the South Eastern Railway and about 4 km from Adra Junction. It is a low, rocky hill with a temple on top, a major rock-climbing spot, and the place where Satyajit Ray shot most of Hirak Rajar Deshe. As a workout it is short: the climb to the top is a stair-and-rock effort, not a trek, so it suits a first outing with children or a warm-up weekend before something bigger.

Ajodhya Hills: the best weekend trekking place near Kolkata

The Ajodhya Hills in Purulia are the easternmost part of the Chhotanagpur plateau and the most varied hiking near Kolkata. The highest point is Chamtuburu (Wikipedia gives 699 m in the text and 720 m in its infobox), with Gorgaburu a little lower at 642–677 m. By road, Ajodhya Hill Top is about 290 km from Kolkata via Sirkabad, and about 306 km via Jhalda; by train, Balarampur station is 42 km from the hill top via Matha. West Bengal Tourism describes the hills as “a popular place for young mountaineers to learn the basic course in rock climbing” and lists the same two road approaches, via Jhalda and via Sirkabad.

• Where to stay: there are Forest Rest Houses at Ajodhya hill top and at the Matha range office, which makes a two-night weekend practical.
• Walks from the hill top: Bamni Falls is about 10 km from Ajodhya Hill Top, and the Turga dam and falls are about 18 km away, near Bagmundi.
• Weather: summers in Purulia are hot and dry and the monsoon runs June to September, so the cool, dry months from November to February are the time to walk.

Sandakphu by overnight train: the classic Himalayan trek from Kolkata

Sandakphu, at 3,636 metres the highest point in West Bengal, is the trek most Kolkata walkers build up to. It sits on the Singalila Ridge inside Singalila National Park, which covers 78.6 km² along the borders with Sikkim and Nepal. Getting there is an overnight job: the Darjeeling Mail, for example, leaves Sealdah at 22:15 every night and runs through New Jalpaiguri (check current timings with Indian Railways). The Darjeeling district administration puts NJP 88 km from Darjeeling and Bagdogra airport 90 km away, and Maneybhanjyang, where the walk starts, is about 26 km from Darjeeling by jeep or bus.

The district page puts the full Darjeeling–Maneybhanjyang–Tonglu–Sandakphu round trip at 118 km over four days, including the road sections, and the extension to Phalut (about 3,600 m, where Sikkim, West Bengal and Nepal meet) at 160 km over six days. Sandakphu to Sabarkum is 14 km, about 4.5 hours, on the way to Phalut. A popular alternative descent drops from Sandakphu via Gurdum and Srikhola to Rimbick in about six and a half hours, with buses and jeeps back to Darjeeling.

Season matters more than fitness here. The district recommends April, May, October and November, with November usually driest and clearest, and rhododendrons in bloom from mid-April to early June. It gives temperatures at Sandakphu of about 6–12 °C in April–May and about 1–6 °C in October–November, with occasional snow in early December. Singalila National Park is closed to tourists from 16 June to 15 September for the monsoon.

Further on: Goecha La in Sikkim

From the same NJP train you can reach Yuksom in West Sikkim, start of the trek to Goecha La (4,940 m) for close views of Kangchenjunga. This is not a long-weekend trip. The usual itinerary has eight walking days with stages of 7–17 km, including a rest day at Dzongri, and the altitude gain is fast enough that acclimatisation, not leg strength, is the main risk. Do Sandakphu first.

Permits, huts and fees: what we could and couldn’t confirm

Honest answer: we could not find a current official fee list for any of these treks in October 2026. Here is what the official pages do say, and what to check before you book.

• Sandakphu and Phalut: Maneybhanjyang is the access point for Singalila National Park. The district page says trekkers’ huts at Tonglu, Gairibas, Sandakphu, Phalut, Rammam and Srikhola are managed by the hill council’s tourism department and booked through its Darjeeling office, and that private lodges operate at Meghma, Gurdum, Bikhaybhanjyang and Gairibas. Entry fees, guide rules and camera charges change, so confirm them at Maneybhanjyang.
• Ajodhya Hills: the Forest Rest Houses at the hill top and Matha are run by the forest department; book them before you travel rather than hoping for a room.
• Susunia and Joychandi: these are open hills with no trekking permit we could find, but organised rock-climbing courses are run by clubs with their own fees and rules.
• Goecha La: the route runs through Kanchenjunga National Park in Sikkim; check the Sikkim government’s current permit rules and go with a registered operator.

A 6-week plan to get trek-fit in Kolkata

Training for Sandakphu from Kolkata has one obvious problem: the city is flat. The first day opens with a steep 7 km climb from Maneybhanjyang to Meghma that takes about 3.5 hours, and the following days stay above 2,600 m before the final steep 4 km to the summit. You can’t rehearse that on Kolkata streets, so the plan uses stairs, step-ups and a loaded rucksack instead. Our national guide to how to prepare for a trek explains the reasoning; this is the Kolkata version, with three to four sessions a week, done before 8 AM to beat the humidity.

1. 1

   Weeks 1–2: walking base and leg strength

   Three brisk walks of 45–60 minutes on a flat loop such as Rabindra Sarobar or a New Town park, plus two strength sessions: goblet squats, step-ups onto a sturdy chair or the first stair, and calf raises, 3 sets of 10–12.

2. 2

   Weeks 3–4: stairs and a light pack

   Add your building’s staircase: 20 minutes of continuous climbing, walking down each time, with 4–5 kg in a backpack. Keep two strength sessions and make one walk 90 minutes long.

3. 3

   Week 5: the long day

   Do one 3–4 hour walk with 6–8 kg in your trekking shoes, on a cool morning. If you can, make it a day trip to Susunia or Joychandi for real rock and steps. Stairs go up to 30–35 minutes.

4. 4

   Week 6: taper

   Cut volume by about half, keep one short stair session and one strength session, and sleep well before the overnight train. Pack and walk with the actual rucksack you’ll carry.

Staying safe on Purulia rock and the Singalila Ridge

• Start early. On Sandakphu, the district page advises leaving by 7 AM if you are walking back to Maneybhanjyang in one day, and warns that in winter it gets dark by about 4 PM, which makes the long Phalut–Rammam–Rimbick route hard to follow.
• Respect the altitude. Sandakphu is over 3,600 m. Headache, nausea or unusual breathlessness are reasons to stop climbing and descend, not to push on.
• Treat the water. The district suggests carrying purification tablets even though high springs are usually clean, and tea shops along the route serve basic food at higher prices.
• Dress for cold. Layers, a windcheater, a down jacket, a raincoat and broken-in shoes; add a woollen cap and gloves from October.
• Check with your doctor first if you have heart or lung problems, high blood pressure or you are pregnant, especially before going above 3,000 m.

If your building or office has a gym, Personal Gym Training in Kolkata puts the same coach on your phone there. Training with your trekking group? Group classes in Kolkata cost ₹499 per person for a live session. To build your walking base, see our guide to running tracks in Kolkata, or try cycling in Kolkata for low-impact cardio. Carrying a pack burns more than you think; our TDEE calculator helps you eat enough on the trek. For everything else, see online personal training in Kolkata.