Best places to visit in Odisha
25 curated destinations in Odisha, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.
When to visit Odisha
Curated places in Odisha that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.
January, February, November and December put the most of Odisha in peak season. March the fewest, with 0.
All 25 destinations in Odisha
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Belghar (Kandhamal)
Odisha
Sal-forest plateau of Kondh hamlets and elephant tracks
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Bhitarkanika National Park
Odisha
Mangrove creeks packed with 6 m saltwater crocodiles
Peak: Dec to Feb
-
Bhubaneswar
Odisha
Temple city of 700 shrines plus the Khandagiri Jain caves
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Chandipur (Balasore)
Odisha
The sea walks out up to 5 km at low tide and returns
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Chandragiri (Jirang Tibetan Settlement)
Odisha
Tibetan refugee camps and a gold-roofed monastery in the Gajapati hills
Peak: Oct to Feb
-
Chilika Lake (Satapada)
Odisha
Asia's largest lagoon: dolphins and migratory birds
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Daringbadi
Odisha
'Kashmir of Odisha': pine forests, frost, coffee gardens
Peak: Nov to Jan
-
Debrigarh (Hirakud Reservoir)
Odisha
Gaur and leopard on the Hirakud reservoir shoreline
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Deomali
Odisha
Odisha's highest peak at 1672 m above a sea of cloud
Peak: Oct to Feb
-
Duduma Falls (Machkund)
Odisha
Machkund river hurls itself 175 m off the Eastern Ghats plateau
Peak: Oct to Dec
-
Gopalpur
Odisha
Sleepy colonial beach town, quiet alternative to Puri
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Gupteswar Caves (Koraput)
Odisha
Limestone cave shrine above the Sabari river in old sal forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Khandadhar Falls
Odisha
A 244 m horsetail fall in the Bonai hills near Rourkela
Peak: Oct to Dec
-
Khiching (Kichakeswari Temple)
Odisha
Bhanja capital where a black chlorite temple was rebuilt stone by stone
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Konark
Odisha
13th-century Sun Temple: a UNESCO stone chariot in rock
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Koraput
Odisha
Eastern Ghats coffee town of tribal markets and mist
Peak: Oct to Feb
-
Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands)
Odisha
Ex-poacher guides row you into Chilika's winter clouds of waterbirds
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Nrusinghanath (Gandhamardan Hills)
Odisha
A 1413 AD hill shrine below Gandhamardan's chain of cascades
Peak: Aug to Nov
-
Puri
Odisha
Jagannath Temple pilgrim town with a long, easy beach
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Ranipur-Jharial (Soma Tirtha)
Odisha
Roofless circle of 64 yoginis and a brick tower on bare rock
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri (Diamond Triangle)
Odisha
Odisha's Buddhist diamond triangle of hilltop monasteries
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada)
Odisha
Mahanadi squeezed into a 22 km gorge of mugger and gharial
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Simlipal National Park (Baripada)
Odisha
Sal forest tiger reserve with the 400 m Barehipani falls
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Talasari Beach (Chandaneswar)
Odisha
Casuarina-backed sand where the Subarnarekha meets the sea
Peak: Nov to Feb
-
Taptapani
Odisha
Sulphur hot spring in the Ganjam hills above Berhampur
Peak: Nov to Feb
By theme in Odisha
Offbeat (21)Spiritual (8)Wildlife (7)Heritage (6)Waterfalls (5)
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Odisha?
Across the 25 curated destinations in Odisha, January, February, November and December are the months with the most places in peak season. March has the fewest, at 0.
How many places are worth visiting in Odisha?
This catalogue lists 25 in Odisha, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are offbeat (21), spiritual (8), wildlife (7), heritage (6) and waterfalls (5).
What kind of places are in Odisha?
21 offbeat, 8 spiritual, 7 wildlife, 6 heritage and 5 waterfalls. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.
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