Puri · How to Reach

Puri sits at the far end of a short branch line on the Odisha coast, about 60 kilometres south of the state capital, Bhubaneswar. That makes it a terminus rather than a through-town — trains and roads run to Puri and stop — which is convenient in one way (you arrive right in the centre) and worth planning around in another (there is no passing traffic to hop onto).

By train. The main station is Puri (station code PURI), a terminus a short auto-rickshaw ride from both the temple and the beach. Because it is a major pilgrimage destination, Puri is well connected by direct trains to a long list of cities, including several premium services to and from the region's big hubs, plus overnight expresses to more distant metros. The town is a common terminating point for pilgrim-heavy routes, so seats can fill fast around festivals and holidays — book ahead when you can. Live timetables, fares and seat availability change constantly, so check current trains in the search box on this page rather than relying on a fixed schedule. If you cannot get a direct train to Puri, Bhubaneswar (station code BBS) is the region's largest railway hub, and it is an easy onward hop of about 60 kilometres by road.

By air. Puri has no airport of its own. The nearest is Biju Patnaik International Airport (BBI) in Bhubaneswar, about 60 kilometres away and roughly a 1.5-hour drive on the Bhubaneswar–Puri road. It is Odisha's main air gateway, with domestic flights to all the major Indian metros and a limited number of international connections. From the airport, pre-paid taxis, app-based cabs and hired cars run down to Puri; some travellers also take a short taxi to a Bhubaneswar station and continue by train. Confirm current routes and timings before you build a tight schedule around a single flight.

By road. Puri is linked to Bhubaneswar by a good highway, and the drive is straightforward — expect roughly 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic. A second, more scenic option is the Puri–Konark Marine Drive, a coastal road of about 35 kilometres that hugs the shoreline between Puri and Konark; many visitors use it as a sightseeing route rather than a straight-line commute. State and private buses connect Puri with Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Konark and towns across Odisha, and long-distance buses reach neighbouring states. Self-drive and hired car-with-driver are both easy to arrange and make sense if you plan to combine Konark, Chilika and the craft villages.

Getting around once you arrive. Puri is compact and walkable in its core. Auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, battery-powered e-rickshaws and app cabs cover the town, and the two anchors most visitors shuttle between — the Jagannath Temple and the beach at Swargadwar — are only a couple of kilometres apart. For day trips, the standard approach is to hire a car or auto for the day; a common single-day loop covers Konark via the Marine Drive, and a separate day handles Chilika or the craft villages. Agree fares before setting off, or use a metered app, to avoid haggling. Around the temple, expect dense pedestrian crowds and heavy vehicle restrictions on the immediate approach streets, especially on festival days.