Odisha Tour Packages

About Odisha

Odisha (formerly Orissa) is India’s eastern jewel — the ninth-largest state, perched along the Bay of Bengal, with a 480 km coastline and a heritage that traces back over two thousand years. Famously called “the temple city of India”, Odisha holds an extraordinary mix of architectural wonders, beach towns, tribal cultures, wildlife sanctuaries and sacred sites.

From the moment Rabindranath Tagore wrote “here the language of stone surpasses the language of man” about the Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha has been understood as a place where stone, history and spirituality speak louder than the everyday. The state has been ruled by successive Hindu, Buddhist and Jain dynasties — and also held a maritime empire whose trade routes once stretched to Indonesia.

Today, Odisha is best known for its three UNESCO-worthy temple cities — Puri (one of India’s four Char Dhams), Konark (Sun Temple) and Bhubaneswar (700+ temples) — but it also offers Asia’s largest brackish lake, India’s only earth dam, the rare Olive Ridley turtles of Bhitarkanika, and the iconic Rath Yatra chariot festival witnessed by millions every June.

Best Time to Visit

• October – February — the ideal time. Cool, dry, perfect for sightseeing. Migratory birds arrive at Chilika Lake. Pleasant beach weather in Puri.
• March – June — hot (up to 45 °C). Outdoor sightseeing best limited to mornings and evenings. Rath Yatra (June/July) is unmissable for those who can handle the heat.
• July – September — heavy monsoon. Coastal cyclones and floods are possible — generally avoided.

Where to Go in Odisha

Puri — One of the Four Char Dhams

Puri is the spiritual heart of Odisha — home to the world-famous Jagannath Temple and the source of the Rath Yatra chariot festival held every June/July, drawing millions of devotees who pull three massive wooden chariots through the streets of the city.

Highlights

• Jagannath Temple (12th-century, one of the four Char Dhams)
• Puri Beach — golden sand and sunrise/sunset views
• Gundicha Temple — destination of the Rath Yatra
• Markandeshwara & Alarnatha Temples
• Sudarshan Craft Museum — sand sculpture & handloom
• Day-trip to Konark Sun Temple (35 km)
• Day-trip to Chilika Lake
• Raghurajpur — heritage crafts village (Pattachitra paintings)
• Pipili — applique and handicrafts town

Konark — The Sun Temple (UNESCO)

The 13th-century Konark Sun Temple is one of the world’s great architectural wonders — built in the form of a giant chariot of the Sun God Surya, with twelve pairs of intricately carved stone wheels. Even partly in ruins, it remains awe-inspiring.

Highlights

• Sun Temple complex (UNESCO)
• Sun Temple Museum (ASI)
• Konark Dance Festival (December) — classical dancers from across India
• Konark Sun Festival (February) — devotees dip in the sea at dawn
• Ramachandi Temple — sea-side shrine
• Astranga & Kuruma — quiet beaches near Konark

Bhubaneswar — The Temple City

The capital — and the city of 700+ temples. The name itself means “Lord of the Universe”. Each temple represents a different period of Indian architecture, making Bhubaneswar a living museum of religious sculpture.

Highlights

• Lingaraj Temple (11th century)
• Mukteshvara & Rajarani Temples
• Parasurameswara Temple — among the oldest in the city
• Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves — 2nd-century BCE Jain rock-cut caves
• Dhauli Shanti Stupa — site of King Ashoka’s Buddhist conversion
• Nandankanan Zoological Park — one of India’s largest zoos
• Odisha State Museum & Tribal Arts Museum
• Ekamra Kanan Botanical Garden
• Ananta Vasudev & Brahmeswara Temples
• Pathani Samanta Planetarium

Cuttack — The Cultural Capital

Odisha’s second-largest city and former capital — known as the “Silver City” for its filigree silver work. Hosts the legendary Bali Yatra festival (November), commemorating Odisha’s ancient maritime trade with Bali, Java and Sumatra.

Highlights

• Barabati Fort (14th century)
• Cuttack Chandi Temple
• Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary — Olive Ridley turtles & saltwater crocodiles
• Paradip Beach & seaport
• Kadam Rasul Mosque
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthplace
• Bali Yatra (Nov) & Kite Festival (Jan)

Chilika Lake — Asia’s Largest Brackish Lake

One of the largest coastal lagoons in the world and a Ramsar wetland. In winter, migratory birds arrive from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal and the Himalayas — over 160 species. Also home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphin.

Highlights

• Boat tours from Satpada or Barkul
• Kalijai Temple (on an island in the lake)
• Nalabana Bird Sanctuary (October–March)
• Irrawaddy dolphin spotting

Baripada & Mayurbhanj

The erstwhile stronghold of the Bhanj dynasty, Baripada is the gateway to Simlipal National Park — home to tigers, elephants and the rare melanistic black tigers found only here.

Highlights

• Simlipal National Park & Tiger Reserve
• Kichakeswari Temple
• Sri Jagannath Temple, Baripada
• Jaranda Falls
• Mayurbhanj Palace
• Tribal Dhokra art & Sabai-grass crafts

Sambalpur — The Western Heartland

Famous for the Sambalpuri saree — a centuries-old handloom textile prized across India — and home to the massive Hirakud Dam.

Highlights

• Hirakud Dam (one of the longest dams in the world)
• Samaleswari Temple — the city’s namesake goddess
• Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary
• Huma Temple — leaning Shiva temple
• Ghanteswari Temple

Odia Cuisine

Odia food is light, mildly spiced and deeply rooted in temple traditions — Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasad (cooked daily for thousands of devotees) is one of the largest kitchens in the world.

• Dalma — moong dal cooked with vegetables and pancha-phutana spices, no onion or garlic
• Pakhala Bhata — fermented rice in water with curd, served with fried fish and badi-choora; the signature summer staple
• Macha Ghanta — fish-head curry with potato, onion and spices
• Chungdi Malai — creamy prawn curry in coconut milk
• Santula — light vegetable stew with raw papaya, brinjal and tomato
• Kanika — saffron-flavoured sweet rice (an offering at Puri Temple)
• Chhena Poda — caramelised cottage-cheese cake; said to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite sweet
• Chhena Jhili — soft cottage-cheese fritters in sugar syrup
• Chakuli Pitha — Odia-style dosa, eaten with ghuguni or jaggery
• Kora Khai — sweet snack of puffed rice, coconut, jaggery and cardamom

How to Reach

By Air

Biju Patnaik International Airport (BBI), Bhubaneswar is the main hub, with direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. International connections to Bangkok and Singapore are seasonal.

By Rail

Bhubaneswar is the main railway hub, with the iconic Coromandel Express, Konark Express, Rajdhani Express and Nandankanan Express. Puri also has its own major terminus.

By Road

NH-16 along the east coast connects Odisha with West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Our chauffeur-driven fleet is the most comfortable way to do the Bhubaneswar–Konark–Puri Golden Triangle of the East.

Ready to discover Odisha’s temples, beaches and tribal heritage? Use the booking card on the right or message Prithvi on WhatsApp — we’ll plan a Puri–Konark–Bhubaneswar circuit, or extend it to Chilika Lake and Simlipal.