Getting to the Dooars: Trains, Buses and Cars

The gateways: NJP, Bagdogra and Siliguri

Everything starts at Siliguri, the town on the narrow Siliguri Corridor where roads and railways from the rest of India meet those of the Northeast. New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the main railhead, about 6 km from the town centre, with direct trains from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Patna, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Bagdogra airport (IXB), 12–15 km west of Siliguri, has flights from Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities. Siliguri Junction, near the bus terminus, handles some of the Dooars line trains.

The Dooars spread east from here for about 200 km along the foot of the hills, from the Teesta to the Sankosh. Lataguri and Murti, the bases for Gorumara, are 75–90 km away; Madarihat, for Jaldapara, about 125 km; Alipurduar about 160 km; Jayanti and the Buxa road head at Santalabari about 180–190 km. Most visitors travel east along the line of parks and back, or enter from Siliguri and leave from Alipurduar, which has its own trains to Kolkata.

By train on the Dooars line

The Dooars line is the railway that runs from Siliguri and NJP east along the foothills to Alipurduar, first built as the Bengal Dooars Railway in the 1890s to carry tea. It crosses the Teesta at Sevoke, then runs through Bagrakote, Oodlabari, Damdim and New Mal Junction in Malbazar, climbs gently to Chalsa, crosses the forest between Gorumara and Chapramari, and continues past Nagrakata, Banarhat, Binnaguri, Birpara, Madarihat, Hasimara, Hamiltonganj and Rajabhatkhawa to Alipurduar Junction. For long stretches tea gardens and sal forest come right up to the track.

The line is single-track and services are few, perhaps a handful each way a day, including express trains from Kolkata such as the Kanchankanya Express from Sealdah, and local passenger and intercity services from Siliguri and NJP. Journeys are slow by road standards: about two to two and a half hours from NJP to New Mal Junction, and four to five hours to Hasimara or Alipurduar. Fares are low, ₹40–450 depending on class. Trains slow down in forest sections because elephants cross the line, and accidents here have killed elephants, most notoriously near Chapramari in 2013.

Timetables change, new services are added and others suspended, so check the current timetable on the Indian Railways site or app before you plan a day around a train.

By bus from Siliguri

Buses leave from the Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus on Hill Cart Road in Siliguri, run by North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) and private operators. Buses towards Malbazar, Maynaguri, Birpara, Alipurduar, Falakata and Cooch Behar run through the day, more often in the morning. Fares are ₹100–150 to Lataguri or Malbazar, ₹150–250 to Madarihat and ₹200–300 to Alipurduar.

Buses for Lataguri usually take the route via Jalpaiguri and Maynaguri, or via Sevoke and Malbazar, and drop you on the highway in about three hours; tell the conductor where you want to get off. Buses to Madarihat take about five hours via Malbazar, Chalsa and Birpara. They are crowded, sometimes slow and very cheap. Luggage goes on the roof or under your feet, so travel light. Overnight NBSTC and private buses also run from Kolkata's Esplanade to Siliguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.

By reserved car or shared jeep

A reserved car is the fastest option, and with four people sharing it is not much more expensive than the train plus local transfers. Prepaid counters at Bagdogra and taxi stands at NJP and Siliguri quote by destination. Small cars cost less than SUVs; drivers expect a tip and you pay for their return trip. These are indicative 2025–26 fares for a small car.

• NJP or Bagdogra to Lataguri or Murti: ₹3,000–3,800, 2–2.5 hours
• NJP to Samsing or Suntalekhola: ₹3,500–4,500, about 3 hours
• NJP to Jhalong or Bindu: ₹4,000–5,500, 3–4 hours
• NJP to Madarihat for Jaldapara: ₹4,000–5,000, about 4 hours
• NJP to Jayanti or Santalabari for Buxa: ₹5,500–6,500, about 5 hours
• Lataguri to Madarihat: ₹3,000–3,500, 2–2.5 hours

Moving between the parks

Shared jeeps are a hill habit and only partly useful here. They run up the side valleys from the Chalsa and Metali area to Samsing and towards Jhalong and Bindu, mostly in the morning and leaving when full, for ₹40–150 a seat. In the plains you will use buses, autos and the train instead.

Gorumara, Jaldapara and Buxa sit in a line along the foothills, so the most efficient trip moves east without doubling back. A common plan is two nights at Lataguri or Murti for Gorumara and Chapramari, a train or car to Madarihat for two nights at Jaldapara, and, with more time, a night at Chilapata and two at Buxa or Jayanti before leaving from Alipurduar. Detours to Samsing and Jhalong are easiest from Murti or Chalsa.

Roads in the region have improved, but the National Highway between Siliguri and Assam carries heavy truck traffic, and some forest stretches have speed limits for wildlife. Driving after dark through forest roads is discouraged; elephants cross often and drivers prefer to finish before dusk.

Three ways in, from cheapest to quickest

Here is how the same first day looks for three different budgets, starting with a morning arrival at NJP and ending at a Lataguri homestay in time for an afternoon Gorumara safari.

The cheapest: take an auto from NJP to Siliguri Junction or stay at NJP for a Dooars line train to New Mal Junction, ₹40–150 in an unreserved or second class seat, then an auto or shared car to Lataguri for ₹400–600 for the vehicle. Total for two people, around ₹700–900, and about four hours with waiting. It depends entirely on a train that suits your arrival, so check the timetable first.

The middle way: an auto from NJP to the Tenzing Norgay bus terminus, ₹200–300 reserved, then a bus to Lataguri for ₹100–150 each. Total for two, around ₹500–600, and four to five hours door to door. Buses run more often than trains, which makes this the most flexible budget option.

The quickest: a small reserved car from NJP or Bagdogra straight to your homestay, ₹3,000–3,800 for up to four people, about two hours. If you land at Bagdogra after noon, this is usually the only way to reach the afternoon safari slot.

Bhutan, Assam and onward travel

Hasimara is about 20 km from Jaigaon, the Indian border town opposite Phuentsholing in Bhutan. Travellers who want to visit Bhutan cross here with the documents, permits and fees that Bhutan currently requires; rules for Indian nationals have changed several times in recent years. There is no crossing for travellers at Jhalong, Bindu, Buxa or Jayanti, even where Bhutan is across the river. For Assam, the main line trains from New Alipurduar and New Cooch Behar continue to Guwahati. Check current status before you travel.

Leaving the Dooars, you do not have to go back to Siliguri. Alipurduar Junction and New Alipurduar have direct trains to Kolkata, and the Kanchankanya Express runs back to Sealdah along the Dooars line itself. Cooch Behar, with its palace and temples, is about an hour south of Alipurduar by bus. If you are flying out of Bagdogra, allow a full day from Jayanti or Buxa, or break the journey with a night in Madarihat or Lataguri.