Things to do in Puri
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Puri
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The best window, pleasant days and peak prices, with the Konark Dance Festival on 1 to 5 December.
Usually good after the rains, but October sits in the peak Bay of Bengal cyclone season, so keep plans flexible.
Hot and humid, sightseeing becomes an early morning and evening activity, with a smaller pre monsoon cyclone risk.
Monsoon, heavy rain and rough seas, with Rath Yatra in July bringing well over a million people to a small town.
What's on
- Rath Yatra June or July, on the second day of the bright half of Ashadha; the return Bahuda Yatra about nine days later
The deities ride giant chariots about 3 km along Bada Danda to Shree Gundicha Temple, open for anyone to see.
- Konark Dance Festival 1 to 5 December
Classical dance performed against the Sun Temple at Konark, in the best weather of the year.
- International Sand Art Festival 1 to 5 December
Sand sculpture at Chandrabhaga Beach, held alongside the Konark Dance Festival.
Best things to do in Puri
Shree Jagannath Temple
Puri's great 12th century temple, but entry is restricted to Hindus, so others plan around the avenue and the rooftop view.
Raghunandan Library
The rooftop opposite the main temple gate is the accepted viewpoint over the temple for visitors who cannot enter.
Golden Beach
Puri's Blue Flag managed beach, with a marked bathing zone and lifeguards on a coast with strong undercurrents.
Swargadwar Beach
The pilgrim bathing beach by the cremation ground, powerful to witness at sunrise but not a leisure swimming beach.
Shree Gundicha Temple
The quiet garden temple where the deities stay for a week during Rath Yatra, at the far end of Bada Danda.
Loknath Temple
A lived in local Shiva temple west of the centre, busiest on Mondays and around Shivaratri.
Sudarshan Crafts Museum
A compact museum and workshop for Odisha stone and wood carving, founded by master sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo.
Where to stay in Puri
Puri beachfront
luxury resort base
Home to the Taj resort, a short walk from the beach and a calm return after temple days.
Baliapanda
families, groups and resort quiet
A few kilometres south of the temple, with large resort grounds, pools and sea views.
Swargadwar
pilgrims and budget travellers
A short ride from both the beach and the temple, with the town's budget hotels and everyday eating.
Think twice about
- Swargadwar cremation ground stretch for a beach stay
It is a working cremation ground with constant crowds and ceremonies. Visit respectfully, but sleep and swim elsewhere.
Best restaurants in Puri
Jaatra
The Taj's specialty table, Odia cooking in dialogue with Indonesian and Southeast Asian food, Puri's one splurge dinner.
Wildgrass Restaurant
A garden restaurant known for Odia thalis built around dalma, plus tandoori fish and prawns, on VIP Road.
Bhojohori Manna
Bengali rice, fish and vegetable comfort food from a well known Kolkata name, a reliable family lunch in Puri.
Honey Bee Bakery & Pizzeria
The traveller cafe on Chakra Tirtha Road, bakery goods, pizza and coffee in Puri's most international room.
Ananda Bazaar
Where Mahaprasad from the temple kitchen is sold to devotees, inside the temple and so open only to those who can enter.
Chung Wah Restaurant
Puri's best known Chinese kitchen, soups, noodles and prawn dishes praised by generations of Kolkata visitors.
Dalma Restaurant
A no frills VIP Road spot named for dalma, the lentil and vegetable dish at the heart of home style Odia cooking.
Original Nrusingha Sweets
The local answer for khaja, the ghee fried temple pastry, bought fresh and packed to carry home.
Outdoor things to do in Puri
Konark Sun Temple
A UNESCO listed 13th century temple built as the sun god's stone chariot, open to every visitor with a ticket.
Chilika Lake
Boat trips from Satapada on Asia's great brackish lagoon, where Irrawaddy dolphins are often seen near the sea mouth.
Raghurajpur Heritage Crafts Village
A village of working Pattachitra studios where you watch the painting being made and buy directly from artists.
Pipili
The applique town on the Bhubaneswar road, a bright 30 minute shopping stop for Chandua hangings, bags and umbrellas.
Chandrabhaga Beach
A wide, quieter beach near Konark for walking and watching the sea, and home to the December sand art festival.
Ramchandi Temple
A small temple where the Kushabhadra River meets the sea, a scenic 20 minute stop on the Konark road.
Lingaraj Temple
Bhubaneswar's great 11th century Shiva temple, viewed by non-Hindus from a platform outside on a Puri day trip.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Twin hills of ancient Jain rock cut shelters that anyone can walk through, the hands on history stop near Bhubaneswar.
Best hotels in Puri
Taj Puri Resort & Spa
A 90 room beachfront Taj resort opened in 2025, with spa, pool and Kalinga inspired design, the town's top stay.
Sterling Puri
A large resort with a big pool and gardens a few kilometres from the temple, trading a walk in for space and quiet.
HOTEL PUSHPA (Berries Group of Hotels)
A long running budget hotel near beach and temple, basic rooms and an in house restaurant at a backpacker price.
Is Puri expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹6,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₹18,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Taj Puri Resort & Spa: weeks ahead
- Jaatra: a few days ahead
- Book months ahead for Rath Yatra week, when trains and hotels sell out.
- Book the Taj resort and the Jaatra dinner ahead in the November to February peak.
Is Puri safe?
- Swim only in the marked, lifeguarded zone at Golden Beach and obey red flags everywhere.
- Maoist extremist activity affects southwest areas of Odisha; Puri is on the east coast, away from that area.
- Emergency number in India is 112.
- In the October to November cyclone peak, check the weather forecast daily and change plans on an official warning.
Puri travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Decline fast track darshan offers from touts outside the temple and follow the official queue.
- Leave phones, cameras and leather at the official cloakroom, not a stranger's shop counter.
- Agree boat route, duration and price at Satapada before setting off.
Getting around Puri: public transport and more
- The nearest airport is at Bhubaneswar, about 60 km and roughly 90 minutes by road.
- Puri has its own railway station, and special trains run for Rath Yatra.
- Use cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws in town, and agree the fare before you get in.
- Hire a car for Konark, Satapada and Bhubaneswar days, with the full day price agreed in advance.
Who Puri suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Puri your trip
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