7 Days Jagannath Puri Travel guide from Kolkata in 2023

Bhubaneswar is called the city of the temple, and Puri is a famous holy historical place in Odisha, India. We visited this year, and I would like to share my experience. I have done a few little tricks in this Jagannath Puri Travel guide from Kolkata, especially on transport and tourist spots. It helped me to save my budget. Follow this guide; it will help you.

Sealdah Puri Duronto Express is a good train, and the fare is 600 rupees for non-ac and 1100 rupees for AC 3 tires, including meals. The time is 8 pm departure from Sealdah, and Puri arrival is 4:00 am.

Puri Travel Itinerary

• Day 1:  (Bhubaneswar) – Megeshwar temple, Rajarani temple. In the morning and afternoon, we went to Nandankanan Zoo. We reach Dhouli from Nandankan in the evening for a light and sound show.
• Day 2: Dhabalgiri (Dhouli), Udaygiri, Khandagiri, Lingaraj, and catch the train from Bhubaneswar for Puri at @12:45 pm. Evening at the Puri beach.
• Day 3: We visited Raghurajpur, Pipli, Shree Gundicha Temple, Shree Jagannath Temple, Markandeshwar Temple, Shree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Buddhist Temple, Puri Beach, and did some marketing.
• Day 4: Chandrabhaga, Konark, Ramachandi Temple. We visit the flag opening ceremony at Shree Jagannath Temple in the evening.
• Day 5: We Visited Puri Beach, marketing at Swargadwar market.
• Day 6: Chilika Lake, watch dolphins and return to Swargadwar.
• Day 7: Puri local Side seeing and picking up return train from Puri station.

Our 7 Days Puri tour guide

We started our journey with a group of 4 people, boarded from Howrah station, and the Howrah Puri Express left the station around 10:40 pm. The next morning we reached Bhubaneswar at 5:10 am. 

Bhubaneswar, a smart city, is called the city of the temple, and Puri is the most famous holy place in India; it’s also called the glory of Orisa.

After reaching Bhubaneswar, we hired an auto, visited Megeswar and Rajarani temple, and checked in to our hotel. The railway station is 2 km from there and is in a perfect place. The hotel surrounds many temples within walking distance. They have an attached restaurant serving good quality food at a reasonable price.

We reached the hotel, rested, had breakfast, and went for the Bhubaneswar local sightseeing. We visit some temples, Udaygiri and Khandagiri locally. In the afternoon, we hired an Uber for Nandan Kanan. We already booked an entry ticket from the Nandankanan site earlier. We save time because the queue is huge, which I saw. It’s one of Asia’s best and largest zoos, and kids can enjoy it a lot there.

The next day, We visited Pipli, left Bhubaneswar and reached Puri. We spend time at Puri Sea Beach in the evening and return to the hotel. 

The next day, I went to Chilika Lake and returned. You can see dolphins here. It’s a full-day journey. Book OTDC for sightseeing; it’s the best.

On the last day, we did a local side-seeing visit to Sri Jagannath Puri Temple, Markandeswara Temple, Sudarshan Crafts Museum, Gundicha Temple Golden Beach, Buddhist temple, Raghurajpur Gourio math etc. In the evening, we boarded from Puri station to return to Kolkata.

My Puri Packing list 

I always carry extra clothes for the beach, Tharmas, mosquito coil, power bank, Hitting cup, medicine, etc.

Puri expense for four people

Travel	Expenses
Train Fare (total) Kolkata – Bhubaneswar to Puri	4740
Auto fare (Bhubaneswar station to hotel)	200
Bhubaneswar Hotel ( 2 rooms)	1400
Uber at Bhubaneswar (all the temples)	1500
Swargadar to Jagannath temple up down	160
Puri hotel	2400
Jagannath Temple to Markendeswar temple	100
Swargadar, Pipli, Raghurajpur, Gouriya math, others by auto	1000
Swargadar to Konarak  by car	1700
Food	6000
Extra	1000
total	20200
Per person	5050 rupees (Shopping Extra)

Read Daringbadi Tourist Places in Odisha

11 Famous places in Puri Sea Beach and Bhubaneswar near me

There are many places in Puri, but the following places are always in the hype.

1. Dhabalgiri temple
2. Udaygiri and Khandagiri
3. Nandan Kanan zoo
4. Puri sea beach
5. Swargadwar
6. Puri Jagannath temple
7. Pipli and Raghurajpur Artist Village
8. Puri local Side Seen – Gundicha, Buddhist Chinese temple, Sri Gouria Bihara, and others
9. Konark Sun Temple
10. Chandra Bhaga and Ramchandi Temple
11. Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary and Lake

1. Nandan Kanan Zoo

Nandan Kanan Zoo is the 2nd largest zoo in India, famous for its white tiger safari. Tourists mainly came to Puri first and took the package for the side seen like Dhouli, Nandan Kanan, etc. So it’s a full-day tour plan with less time, only a long journey achieved during this travel.

But staying one or two days in Bhubaneswar will help you reach those places very comfortably, and you can spend extra time in those places after we move to Puri. On our first day at Bhubaneswar, we first visited this place.

Read Digha Tour Plan from Kolkata

2. Dhabalgiri Temple 

After 3 hours in Nandan Kanan, we booked another Uber for Dhabalgiri/Dhouli. There is a unique attraction that I should share with you. Light and sound shows happened in the evening based on the entire Dhabalgiri as a frame; they do not use any standard screen. It’s a 45-minute show, and the ticket is just 45 rupees.

The show is based on King Ashoka and the story of how to make the stupa. It’s a unique one. We again booked a cab from Dhouli in the evening and returned to the hotel for dinner and rest.

The next morning, we booked a cab and went to Dhabalgiri again because we could not see the entire Dhabalgiri properly on the last evening. However, the Dhabaliri and stupa looked magnificent in the sunlight. Outside there, we bought some Prasad.

3. Udaygiri and Khandagiri

That same day, we went to Udaygiri and Khandagiri. Both have historical values; Khandagiri means khanda, which means broken, and Giri means hill. In the Khandagiri temple, Jain Tirthankara’s sculpture is made with “Kastipathar.”

The entry fee was 2 rupees only. Beware of monkeys in Khandagiri. I had a terrible experience with them. Many monkeys suddenly jumped on me because a local person gave me some fruits in my hand, and I was very scared.

From Khandagiri, we hired an app cab for the Lingaraj temple, the most famous temple in Bhubaneswar. After that, we reach the station and catch the Dhouli Express for Puri.

4. Puri sea beach

When I reached Puri and passed the beachside road, I waited to reach the hotel, put the luggage in the hotel and ran to the Puri sea beach to enjoy the waves.

Puri is one of the significant holy Dhams in India. Located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, It has one of the finest beaches in the world. It is just a place to witness and participate in colourful festivals. Puri is famous for its annual festival of chariots, the Rath Yatra. The pilgrimage town also abides by artisans and craftsmen who produce unique handicrafts.

But when I reached the hotel, I found it was a budget hotel in Puri Sea Beach. It’s near the beach, and it has a cooking facility.

5. Swargadwar Market

Puri sea beach is also known as Swargadwar. We finished our lunch and went to the beach again in the evening. Moreover, my daughter enjoyed the beach more than us. Lastly, we buy some dinner and go back to the hotel. ‘Chanapora’ is a sweet item, one of the famous local sweets in Orissa. Khaja is also very famous there. In Jagannath temple, “Khaja” is treated as Prasad.

6. Puri Jagannath temple

The following day, we went to the Sri Jagannath temple at 6:30 am. Mobile shoes, etc., have to be put outside of the temple counter. A lot of pandas (priests) guide you inside the temple. There are many temples inside the main temple. You can find many exciting stories about all the temples.

Outside the temple, there is an Orissa Govt store called Banani. You can buy different clothing like Kottke sari, Sambalpuri sari, Kottke bed sheets, etc. Next, we went to the Markendeswar temple by “Riskha” for 60 rupees. After visiting the Markendeswar temple, we moved to Raghurajpur and Pipli by hiring an auto, which cost 1000 rs from there. Both places are very famous in Orissa.

7. Pipli, Raghurajpur, and Puri Local Sightseeing

After, we went to Pipli and had breakfast at a roadside ‘Dhaba.’ You can visit Pipli in Bhubaneswar to Puri on a car journey. We bought handmade and aplic work products like an umbrella, bag, etc., and went to Raghurajpur. Please visit Raghurajpur whenever you do sightseeing for tourist places in Puri. It would help if you appreciated the village because of its talent for crafts and painting. We finished lunch in a Dhaba, had some coconut water, and visited ‘Gunchicha temple.’ The entry fee is 5 rupees only.

8. Puri local Side Seen – Gundicha, Buddhist Chinese temple, Sri Gouria Bihara, and others

Gundicha temple is also known as ‘Jagannath’s Masir Bari“. The temple has lots of a statue of Lord Krishna and other goddesses. It can be added when you visit the Puri mandir tour.

Then we visited the Chinese temple. It’s a small temple, but it’s a unique one. All the props which are used for the Buddhist religion are stored there. You can buy many types of Buddhist sculptures from there.

After that, we reached for “Sri Gouria Bihara” math. The environment is enjoyable, but the road is narrow and damaged. After spending some time there, we returned to the hotel and rested. In the evening, we went to the beach and hired four seated cars for the next day’s Konark tour (which cost 1700 rupees). We spent the rest of the day on the Puri Sea beach and shopped in the Swargadwar market. Our tour ends on this day.

9. Konark Sun Temple

The following day, we first visited the Konark sun temple (entry fee 30 rupees). On the way to the temple, many shops sell Kaju, Pesta nuts, etc. If you wish to buy, you should bargain for the best price. Then, we take a guide ( for 100 rs) to the Konark sun temple. He describes all the engraving designs and details of the (chariot) Rath’s wheel. In March, during those days, Puri’s temperature is very high (38 degrees).

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Konark light and sound show

While in Konark, see the light and sound 3D show. It happened every day. The Program’s name is “Aarunaday.” The show’s time is 7:30 pm, a 35-minute program. The ticket price is 50 rupees. At 6:00 pm, the ticket counter opened every day. The theme is how the Konark mandir was built at that time. There are 250 seats and three languages, Hindi /English / Oriya in the headphone.

English -Kabir Bedi, Hindi – Sekhar Suman, Oriya – Vijay mahanti.

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Note:- Don’t try to swim in the Chandrabhaga River. It’s dangerous. You can rent Scooty for 350 rupees per day. Security deposit 350 rupees. Bike rent is 800-1000 rupees per day. Contact My Puri Bike Rental, ON-ROAD – Bike Rental Company, Puri.

10. Chandra Bhaga and Ramchandi Temple

Next, we visited Chandrabhaga; It’s a beach with beauty. Kushbhadra River and the Bay of Bengal can both be seen nicely. After spending a few minutes there, we went to the Ramchadi temple. After we returned to the hotel, we took lunch and rested.

Again, we visited Jagannath temple at 4:30 pm for the flag uploading ceremony. It happens every day, and many people stay outside to see it. After that, we did some shopping (Utkalika is the govt. registered shop) and bought some sweets to bring back to Kolkata.

11. Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary and lake

If you want to visit the Chilka River, take one day more, as it is a 4-hour journey from Swargadwar. You can find one small temple on the hilltop after boating and seeing the tiny dolphins in the river.

Book a boat (220 rupees) and an AC bus (355 rupees) from OTDC per head for boating. Don’t go for private boats; the boat sounds heavy, and dolphins have fled from the sound. On the way to Chilika, they also visit the Alarnath temple and Chilka nature interpretation centre.

Attention: – There is a trap for the Visitor in Chilka by local people. At a halt, local bikers came and acted as help you. They will say there is a short route for the lake, but don’t leave NH316. The boat charges are almost triple, approximately 4500 rupees, but if you come from the main road (NH316), the boat ride charge is 1800.

The last day of Puri

The last day is homecoming day. We spent all day on the sea beach, taking a bath for a long time and enjoying the waves. Around 5 pm, we check out from the hotel and take an auto to Puri railway station. Duranto Express is a very comfortable train (departure at 8:30 pm); it provides dinner included in the ticket. At 4 am, we came back to Sealdah railway station.

Travel savings plan

At Bhubaneswar, we visit all the tourist spots by Uber cab. Coming from Puri and sightseeing in Bhubaneswar is a huge journey. So better to stay one day in Bhubaneswar. It’s my first money-saving trick for the Puri tour.

Puri Best time to visit

You can visit Puri throughout the year. Mid-April is best in the summer and is the season for the famous Chandan yatra, and June- July is famous for the Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath.

Puri Shopping

We buy a handmade umbrella, a wallet from Pipli, a handmade toy from Raghurajpur, a Kokti saree, a bedsheet, a baby dress, a t-shirt, Salwar, Panjabi, shirt from Puri. Compared to Kolkata, the Puri clothing market is cheap, and the product quality is good.

Puri  food 

Bengali food is available. Sweets are exceptional, like – Chenapora, Khaja, Madanmohan etc.

Puri Khaja shop

Nrusingha Sweets( near Jagannath temple), Kakatua Sweets, and Ganguram (near Swargadwar) are famous for Khaja.

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Not to-do list

If you want to stay in Puri, cooking is a good idea, but If you wish to visit tourist places in Puri Orissa, it will be a hectic job. You may be short of time.

If you go to Pipli, Raghurajpur, do not take the auto. It will take lots of time.

Things to remember:

All-time carry ID proof. Carry food if you have a baby.

Emergency contact numbers
Shri Jagannath Temple	06752-222001
Puri Temple Office	06752-222002
Temple Chief Administrator	06752-223002
Tourist Officer	06752-222664
Town Police Station	06752-222039
Puri Sea beach Police Station	06752-222025
Puri Singhadwar Police Station	06752-252470
Baselisahi Police Station	06752-230191
Baliapanda Police Station	06752-254044
Puri Municipality Executive Officer	06752-222122
Electricity Executive Engineer	06752-223521
PWD Executive Engineer	06752-223433
Water Supply Control Room	06752-222081
Emergency & Immediate Assistance	1800-200-2524

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