North Bengal

North Bengal is the northern part of West Bengal, where the plains of the Terai and the Dooars rise into the Himalaya. It takes in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar, and connects to Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and the rest of the Northeast.

Travellers come for the tea gardens and views of Kangchenjunga from Darjeeling, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are the hills of Kalimpong, the forests of Jaldapara, Gorumara and Buxa in the Dooars, and the palace town of Cooch Behar. Darjeeling tea was the first product in India to receive a Geographical Indication tag.

The best time to visit North Bengal is October to May. The national parks of the Dooars close during the monsoon, from mid-June to mid-September.

Pollen Dots plans customised journeys anywhere in North Bengal, with local hosts and guides. Browse the journeys and stories below, or write to us to plan a journey around what you want to see.