How do you get to Digha by road from Kolkata?
Digha is about 185 km south-west of Kolkata, typically 4 to 4.5 hours by car via the Kona Expressway, NH 16 to Kolaghat and Nandakumar, then Contai. A RutzIndia.com sedan costs Rs 6,660 Pay Now to Reserve one way and an Innova Crysta Rs 10,550 Pay Now to Reserve, before 5% GST, with tolls paid at actual cost. A two-day weekend by sedan is Rs 18,000 Pay Now to Reserve.
Ask anyone who grew up in Kolkata about Digha and you will hear about childhood summers: sandcastles below the sea wall, jhalmuri on the promenade, a sunburnt drive home with the windows down. Digha is not a luxury beach resort and has never pretended to be. It is a cheerful, crowded, very Bengali seaside town on the Bay of Bengal, a few kilometres short of the Odisha border, and for families in Kolkata it is the easiest weekend by the sea. In recent years it has added a new landmark, the large Jagannath temple complex, and a string of quieter neighbouring beaches, Shankarpur, Tajpur and Mandarmani, have grown up alongside.
A car with a driver suits Digha perfectly. Trains and buses get you there, but a car lets you break the journey at Kolaghat for fish, hop between Old Digha, New Digha and the neighbouring beaches, visit Talsari and Chandaneswar across the border, and leave on Sunday afternoon at exactly the time you choose. This guide covers all of that, plus RutzIndia.com fares.
What to do in and around Digha
- The beaches: Old Digha is the original town beach with its long sea wall and busy promenade; New Digha, a little west, has a wider, gentler beach better for walks and children at low tide.
- Digha Jagannath Dham: the new Jagannath temple complex opened by the state in 2025, built in the Kalinga style and drawing large crowds of pilgrims, especially on weekends and festival days.
- Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre: a small aquarium and research station run by the Zoological Survey of India, popular with children.
- Digha Science Centre and Amarabati Park: a science park and a lakeside garden with boating, good for a late afternoon.
- Shankarpur fishing harbour: about 14 km east, where trawlers unload at dawn and the fish auctions are loud, fragrant and fascinating.
- Udaipur beach and Talsari: a short drive west over the state line into Odisha, where Talsari's beach, backwaters and casuarina groves feel much emptier than Digha.
- Chandaneswar Shiva temple: just across the Odisha border, a major pilgrimage in the Bengali month of Chaitra.
And the food: fried pomfret, bhetki and prawns from the stalls near the sea wall, crab curry in simple hotels, and the famous hilsa at the Kolaghat restaurants on the way down.
Visitor information and local notices from the development authority for the Digha-Shankarpur area are on the DSDA website, and district-level updates are on the Purba Medinipur district site.
The road: Kona Expressway, Kolaghat and Contai
Leaving Kolkata. From central and south Kolkata your chauffeur usually crosses the Hooghly on Vidyasagar Setu and joins the Kona Expressway to Santragachi, then NH 16 (the old Bombay Road) south-west. From the north and the airport side, the route may cross at Bally or use the Dankuni approach before joining NH 16 further west.
NH 16 to Kolaghat. A wide, fast highway to the long bridge over the Rupnarayan river at Kolaghat, about 70 km out. Kolaghat's riverside restaurants, known for fish and particularly hilsa in season, are the traditional breakfast or lunch stop.
Nandakumar to Contai and Digha. At Nandakumar you turn south onto the state highway towards Contai (Kanthi) and Digha. This last section is two-lane and passes through busy market towns, with speed breakers, bus stops and slow traffic, especially on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons when half of Kolkata seems to be on it. Tolls on the highway portion are billed as paid.
Timing tips from our drivers:
- Leave Kolkata by 6 am on Saturday to beat the weekend rush; you will be at the sea by 10.30.
- Leave Digha by 1 pm on Sunday, or after 7 pm, to avoid the worst of the return queue at Nandakumar and Kolaghat.
- For Mandarmani you turn off before Digha at Chaulkhola; see Mandarmani by road.
When to go to Digha
- October to March: the pleasant season, with dry weather and a calmer sea. Winter weekends, Christmas and New Year are packed.
- April to June: hot and humid, but the sea breeze helps; summer vacation crowds arrive in May.
- July to September: the monsoon brings rough, high waves that crash spectacularly against the sea wall. Swimming is dangerous and sometimes prohibited; walks are dramatic.
- Cyclone watch: the Bay of Bengal coast is exposed in May to June and October to November. If the weather office issues a warning, the administration restricts beach access, and we reschedule.
Big dates: Durga Puja holidays, the Rath Yatra period at the Jagannath temple, the Chaitra fair at Chandaneswar and the long weekends around Republic Day and Holi.
Chauffeured options from RutzIndia.com
- One-way drop to a Digha hotel, with a separate pickup when you are ready to go home.
- Weekend round trip with the same car and chauffeur, who stays in Digha and takes you to Shankarpur, Talsari and Mandarmani.
- Same-day return for pilgrims visiting the Jagannath temple, a long but manageable day.
- Airport to beach: flight into Kolkata, straight down to the coast. The chauffeur tracks the flight and allows a free hour of waiting for international arrivals, thirty minutes for domestic.
- Tempo Traveller and mini bus for families travelling together, offices and school groups; see Tempo Traveller in Kolkata.
| Vehicle | Kolkata to Digha one way (185 km) | Same-day return (370 km) | 2-day weekend (500 km floor) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Dzire or similar sedan | Rs 6,660 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 13,320 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 18,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Ertiga / Carens MUV | Rs 7,770 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 15,540 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 21,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Innova Crysta / Hycross | Rs 10,550 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 21,090 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 28,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Tempo Traveller (12 to 17 seats) | Rs 14,430 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 28,860 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 39,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Mini bus (20 to 35 seats) | Rs 24,970 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 49,950 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 67,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
What sits outside these figures: 5% GST, road tolls and parking (added at the receipted amount), and for weekends the chauffeur's overnight allowance of Rs 1,500. Digha is close enough that a weekend rarely crosses the 500 km floor, even with Talsari and Mandarmani thrown in. The cars we send are at most four model years old. If your plans fall through, there is no charge for cancelling 72 hours or more before pickup; within 72 hours we keep 10%, within 48 hours half, and within 24 hours or on a no-show the entire fare, all as described on the cancellation policy page.
Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur or Mandarmani: which beach suits you?
The coast of Purba Medinipur is really a chain of beaches, and a car makes it easy to pick the right one or sample several.
- Digha is for families who like bustle: food stalls, rides, the temple, the aquarium and a crowd of fellow holidaymakers. Hotels range from basic lodges to comfortable mid-range properties.
- Shankarpur, next door to the east, is quieter, with a working fishing harbour and a beach where you may share the sand with drying nets and boats rather than tourists.
- Tajpur, a little further, is known for its red crabs scuttling across a wide, empty shore and a handful of resorts among the casuarinas.
- Mandarmani has the longest drivable-looking beach on the coast and a strip of resorts; it attracts couples and groups wanting a pool and a quiet night. Note that driving vehicles on the sand is restricted, and our chauffeurs do not take cars onto the beach.
A common pattern is to base yourself in one and visit the others by car, a 20 to 40-minute hop each way. That kind of beach-hopping is why a weekend car and driver, rather than a one-way drop, usually makes more sense on this coast.
A relaxed two-day Digha weekend
Day one, Kolkata to Digha (about 185 km plus 20 km local). Out of the city by 6 am, breakfast at Kolaghat, Digha by late morning. Check in, lunch of fried fish, afternoon nap, then the sunset walk along the New Digha beach and an evening at the Jagannath temple.
Day two, around the coast and home (about 60 km local plus 185 km). Early drive to Shankarpur harbour to watch the boats unload, then west to Udaipur beach and Talsari for a quiet swim-free paddle and the backwaters. Lunch in Digha, the aquarium if the children insist, and on the road home by 2 pm.
Stretch it to three days by adding Mandarmani or Tajpur, whose broad, empty beaches suit couples, and loop home via Contai. For the city itself, see our Kolkata road guide; for mangroves instead of sand, read Sundarbans by road.
Tips for a smooth Digha trip
- Hotels: book ahead for winter weekends and holidays; walk-in rates rise sharply.
- Swimming: only where the lifeguards and flags allow, and never in the monsoon surf.
- Parking: street parking near Old Digha is chaotic; your driver drops you and waits at the hotel.
- Cash: carry some for beach stalls, though UPI works almost everywhere.
- Pilgrims: the Jagannath temple has its own entry and queue rules; check at the gate and dress modestly.
- Paying for the car: card or UPI at the time you book online. For longer holidays along the coast into Odisha, ask about our outstation cabs. City transfers are on the Kolkata taxi service page.
For a family reunion, an office beach day or a big school trip, message the travel desk for a single consolidated quote.
