Four Day Trips from Puri

Puri is well placed for short excursions in three directions. Each of these can be done and dusted between breakfast and dinner, and all four together make a comfortable three-day itinerary.

1. Konark Sun Temple — 35 km

A 45 to 50 minute drive along the coastal road, and the single most rewarding trip from Puri. The 13th-century temple is built as a colossal stone chariot, and the wheels alone justify the journey. Go early: there is little shade, and the carvings reward the low light of morning. Allow two to three hours on site.

2. Raghurajpur Heritage Crafts Village — 16 km

About a thirty-minute drive. Every house in this village is a workshop, and the pattachitra scroll paintings, palm-leaf engravings and papier-mâché masks are made in front of you. Buy directly from the artist whose work you like — it is both better value and the point of coming. Half a morning is enough.

3. Chilika Lake

Asia’s largest brackish-water lagoon, and an easy day trip from Puri. Boats go out to look for Irrawaddy dolphins, and between November and February migratory birds arrive in very large numbers. Start early — the water is calmest in the morning and the light best for spotting.

4. Sudarshan Crafts Museum — 5.6 km

Twelve minutes from the resort, and the right choice for a half-day or an afternoon when the sun is too strong for the beach. Stone carving and sand sculpture in a compact, walkable setting.

Konark and Chilika each want a full morning. Raghurajpur and the crafts museum fit around them.

Getting There

All four are best reached by car, and our front desk can arrange one with a driver who knows the roads. Puri railway station is a short drive from the resort if you are arriving or leaving by train.