Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal state in India. This important and major city in India is famous for its food, cultures and the architectures. For many, Kolkata is the City of Joy. This guide to Kolkata will show you a list of things to do in Kolkata along with some fascinating photos.
The best places to visit in Kolkata are Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Belur Math, College Street and the Indian Coffee House, Kumortuli, Prinsep Ghat and the Indian Museum, with Park Street, New Market and Dacres Lane for food. Go between late September and March, when it is cooler; in October, Durga Puja turns the whole city into a festival. Below are my 25 favourite things to see and do in Kolkata, the first city I ever visited outside Bangladesh.
Top sights
Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Dakshineswar
Plus Belur Math, College Street and Kumortuli
Best time
Late September to March
Durga Puja falls in late September or October
Getting around
Metro, app cabs and yellow taxis
Trams now run irregularly on two routes
Must-eat
Kathi rolls, Peter Cat, Paramount sherbet
And street tea in clay cups
Time needed
2 to 4 days
Two days covers the highlights
For many, Kolkata is the City of Joy. For me, it is a city close to my heart. Seeing the sights was never my first priority; visiting Kolkata itself was the dream.
I fell in love with this city when I was very young.
I am from Bangladesh, and the people of Kolkata speak the same language as we do: Bangla, or Bengali.
Our capital is Dhaka. I was born in Khulna, a divisional city in southwest Bangladesh, not far from the Indian border.
Since childhood, I read stories of Kolkata in the books of writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Sankar.
I grew up listening to the songs of Kabir Suman and Anjan Dutt, who described Kolkata so well that I knew the names of its streets, landmarks and restaurants before I ever went.
As if books and songs were not enough, the films of Satyajit Ray, Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh showed me the city through their lenses. So I knew Kolkata long before I arrived.
People travel to see landscapes, architecture and history, and so do I. But Kolkata was different. I did not go there for any of that; I went because it filled me with romance, like a lover I had never met but was destined to embrace.
No wonder the first city I visited outside Bangladesh was Kolkata. I have lost count of how many times I have been back since, and the city has never bored me. I feel the same excitement every time.
For many, Kolkata is the City of Joy. For me, it is the city of love.
City of 300 years, a great gigantic maze,
Kabir Suman
I find myself here, married to the place,
I find myself here, tethered to the place!
It does not have to be the same for you. Even without any romantic connection to this magical city, you will find so many places to visit in Kolkata that you will not want to leave. Here are my favourites.
My Favourite Places to Visit in Kolkata
1. Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial should be at the top of your list. An angel watches over Kolkata from the top of this white marble building, the most iconic in the city.
Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, proposed it in 1901 to honour Queen Victoria, who had just died, and it opened in 1921.
I am glad they built it, because it let me experience some of that grandeur.
Large gardens surround the memorial, and you buy one ticket for the gardens and another for the museum inside. I always prefer to stay in the gardens and admire the building from outside. They are full of families, couples and tourists, playing, snacking and spending time together with Victoria Memorial behind them. What could be more beautiful than that?
When I went, a light and sound show in the evening told the history of Kolkata, and I found it fascinating. The show was suspended in 2024 and has had occasional breaks since, so check the schedule on the official website before you plan an evening around it. The gardens are open from 6am to 6pm every day.
2. Kathi Rolls at Nizam’s
In India, only Delhi can compete with Kolkata’s food. I am not sure which would win, but either way, we are the winners!
Nizam’s, near New Market, is famous for the kathi roll, a kebab wrapped in a paratha; it is widely credited with popularising it and often called its birthplace. Try the other kebabs too. The restaurant is basic, but do not be fooled: the food is delicious.
Book a walking tour in Kolkata
3. Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Tagore’s House
Rabindranath Tagore (Thakur in Bangla) is one of the most influential Bengalis ever born. The poet, writer and songwriter won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, and many say he wrote everything you need to express any feeling in Bangla. Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the Tagore family home, is where he was born and where he died.
From outside, the house looks brick-red, but inside it is white. It is now the Rabindra Bharati Museum, and you pay a small fee to go in. It is usually closed on Mondays.
4. Street Tea in Clay Cups
You might be used to coffee at Starbucks or Costa, or, in the subcontinent, tea in a restaurant or from a street stall. Either way, it probably came in a china or plastic cup.
In Kolkata, street vendors serve tea in a bhaar, a small clay cup. It looks wonderful, and the tea tastes even better in it. Drink your tea, throw the cup in the bin and come back for another.
5. Food at Dacres Lane
From outside, Dacres Lane (James Hickey Sarani) does not look impressive, but do not let that fool you. It is lined with some of the city’s best cheap restaurants and street food stalls, and you can eat until you burst without breaking the bank. Do not miss the butter chicken and rumali roti at Suruchee.
6. A Film at Nandan
Nandan is the state-run film and cultural centre. Go even if you do not want to see a film, just for the festive mood; there is almost always a cultural programme on.
The architecture, the atmosphere and all the creative people make it special. If you are brave, buy a ticket for a film in a language you do not know. It might fill your senses. Why not try it?
7. Ride a Tram While You Still Can
Kolkata has the only working tram network in India. Horse-drawn trams started in 1873 and electric ones in 1902. They are nothing like the sleek trams of Amsterdam: these are old, slow and full of nostalgia.
When I first went, the trams were already fading, so slow you could jump on while they moved. Since then, the network has shrunk to just two routes, Shyambazar to Esplanade and Gariahat to Esplanade, with a handful of trams running irregularly. In 2026, the new state government asked RITES to plan the restoration of about 70 former routes with new trams, so the story may not be over. If you hear the bell and see one coming, hop on.
8. Take India’s Oldest Metro
Kolkata opened India’s first metro in 1984, and the fares are still among the cheapest anywhere. Many stations are named after poets, actors, politicians and martyrs. Since March 2024, the East-West line has run through a tunnel under the Hooghly between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, India’s first underwater metro, and it is a ride in itself.
I always find a city’s metro fascinating: you see so many local people at once and get a feel for their lives. The stations are elegant in their own way, too.
Do not take photos inside the stations; it was not allowed when I went.
9. Prinsep Ghat and the Hooghly
A ghat is a set of steps leading down to a river. Prinsep Ghat, built in 1841, is one of Kolkata’s favourite riverside spots, with a waterfront promenade of gardens, trees, fountains, birds and ice cream sellers.
You also get a grand view of Vidyasagar Setu, the second Hooghly bridge.
Boatmen fish from wooden boats or wait to row you out on the river. They are not motorboats; the boatmen row them by hand.
You will also see the tracks of the city’s circular railway running alongside.
If you want a beautiful sunset, this is the place in Kolkata.
10. Ride a Yellow Ambassador Taxi
Kolkata’s yellow metered taxis are an icon. Uber or Ola may be more comfortable, but take one of these at least once.
They are Ambassadors, built by Hindustan Motors at its plant near Kolkata until production stopped in 2014. Many of the old Ambassador cabs are now being retired as they pass the 15-year age limit, so ride one while you can; newer yellow taxis are other models.
The cars are roomy, with a bench seat in front that fits more than one passenger. You might see lemons, chillies and pictures of gods hanging at the front for luck. The door might not lock properly, you wind the windows by hand, and there is probably no air conditioning. Insist on the meter or agree the fare first. Despite all that, it is part of the Kolkata experience.
11. The Book Market on College Street
Imagine a street almost a kilometre long, lined with small shops selling nothing but books, some of them just a pile on the pavement. That is College Street, also known as Boi Para.
You will find books in many languages, and plenty of second-hand ones. Most shops close on Sundays.
Even if you do not read, go and see it. I feel peaceful when I see so many books in one place.
12. People-Watching at the Indian Coffee House
After the bookshops, visit the Indian Coffee House on College Street, a historic cafe opposite Presidency University.
It is a huge hall with a high ceiling and whirling fans, buzzing with life. It seems every well-known person from Kolkata has been here at least once. People come to hang out, hold meetings and argue about everything; the coffee and snacks are a bonus.
One of the most famous Bangla songs, Manna Dey’s “Coffee Houser Sei Addata”, is about this place. The singer remembers the lively hangouts here with seven friends and misses those days, but knows the tradition will go on.
The Coffee House has witnessed so many people’s joys and sorrows, dreams and loves.
13. New Market and Its Lanes
Chaotic, overwhelming and full of life: that is New Market, also known as Hogg Market. It is a budget to mid-range market where you can find anything and everything, as long as you search and haggle.
A trip to Kolkata is not complete without a walk around New Market and the streets around it: Mirza Ghalib Street, Marquis Street and Lindsay Street.
14. Park Street and Dinner at Peter Cat
Park Street is the posh street amid the madness of Kolkata. Do not miss the Park Hotel and the Oxford Bookstore.
For me, though, the real jewel is Peter Cat. You will have to queue outside for a table, but do not let the crowd put you off; your turn will come. The atmosphere and the chelo kebab will make you come back.
If you like pastries, Flurys is just a few metres away.
15. Sherbet at Paramount
Thirsty or not, visit Paramount, a sherbet shop near College Street open since 1918, and taste its drinks: kesar malai, mango, grape, rabri, kesaria lassi, cream lassi and more.
If you try one, you will want another. For me, one was never enough!
16. Ride a Hand-Pulled Rickshaw
It looks strange at first: two big wheels, a hood and a seat for two, pulled not by a horse but by a man on foot. Kolkata is one of the last places in the world where they still run, in a few older neighbourhoods. No new licences have been issued for years, and their numbers keep falling.
However it looks, for the pullers it is a living and a tradition handed down from those before them. If you take a ride, pay them well.
When I sat down and the puller lifted the shafts, I thought I would fall out. For the next few minutes, I felt like a king!
17. A Cricket Match at Eden Gardens
Cricket, brought by the British, is a huge part of Indian life, and Eden Gardens is one of its grandest stadiums. Even if you do not understand the game, if a match is on, do not miss it. It is an experience you will never forget.
18. Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge, a cantilever bridge over the Hooghly that opened in 1943, is Kolkata’s other great icon, famous for being built with rivets instead of nuts and bolts. It looks different by day and by night, so see it four ways:
- From a taxi by day
- From a taxi at night
- On foot, walking across
- From a ferry on the river in the evening
19. Kumortuli, the Potters’ Quarter
Kumortuli is where the potters work their magic, sculpting the clay idols for Durga Puja, the biggest festival in West Bengal, which UNESCO added to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2021.
You will see idols of every shape and colour, in all stages of making. Go in the weeks before Durga Puja, when the lanes are packed with them. Some workshops welcome visitors; ask before you step in or take photos.
20. Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Kali is the Hindu goddess of time, change and destruction, usually shown dark-skinned with her red tongue out. Durga is more popular in Kolkata, but visit Dakshineswar Kali Temple to see Kali for a different experience.
Photography is not allowed inside the temple, and when I went, I had to leave my camera, bag and phone outside. To see the goddess Bhavatarini, a form of Kali, you have to queue. When I went, the longer queue took you to the front of the shrine and the shorter one gave a side view, so choose wisely.
The temple stands on the bank of the Hooghly. The main temple has nine spires and three storeys.
21. Belur Math
Sri Ramakrishna (1836 to 1886) was a Hindu mystic who practised different faiths and taught that they are all paths to the same God.
His disciple Swami Vivekananda founded Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, on the bank of the Hooghly. Its main temple blends Hindu, Islamic and Christian styles.
From Dakshineswar, take the public ferry from Dakshineswar jetty across the river to Belur Math. It is cheap (it cost me ₹11) and runs often until evening. Go in the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset and the river breeze together.
22. Mullick Ghat Flower Market
Flowers are central to religious rituals in Kolkata. At Mullick Ghat Flower Market, beside Howrah Bridge, wholesalers bring flowers of every colour to sell. The market runs almost around the clock, but early morning is best. Be careful if you have a pollen allergy.
23. Sunset on the Hooghly
Some of Kolkata’s best sunsets are on the Hooghly. The cheapest way to see one is the ferry between Dakshineswar and Belur Math, with the sky glowing over Vivekananda Setu, also called Bally Bridge.
24. The Indian Museum
The Indian Museum, founded in 1814, is the oldest and largest multipurpose museum in India.
Its galleries hold art, archaeology and natural history, including rare pieces from the Mughal era.
Allow at least half a day; seeing everything takes much longer. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, and some galleries may be closed for renovation.
25. A Meal on a Banana Leaf
If you are brave, walk into a simple local eatery with benches and shared tables. Order bhaat (rice), maach (fish), shobji (vegetables) and daal (lentils), and it will arrive on a banana leaf. It costs very little, and it may be the cheapest full meal you ever have.
How to Group the Sights
Kolkata is big and the traffic is slow, so plan by area:
- Maidan and Park Street: Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum, Park Street, New Market, Prinsep Ghat and Eden Gardens.
- North Kolkata: College Street, the Indian Coffee House, Paramount, Jorasanko Thakur Bari and Kumortuli.
- The river: Howrah Bridge, Mullick Ghat Flower Market and a ferry ride on the Hooghly.
- Up the river: Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Belur Math, linked by ferry, best in the late afternoon.
Best Time to Visit Kolkata
Late September to March is the best time, and November to February is the most comfortable for walking. October can still be hot and humid, but it brings the festivals. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon runs from about June to September.
Kolkata in October: Durga Puja
If you are looking for places to visit in India in October, Kolkata during Durga Puja is hard to beat. For five days, the city fills with thousands of themed pandals, lights, music and food, and people stay out all night. In 2026, Durga Puja ran from 17 to 21 October; it usually falls in late September or October. Expect huge crowds, heavy traffic and higher hotel prices, so book early. For more ideas, see my top 10 places to visit in India.
Best Hotels in Kolkata
Mid-Range to Luxury Hotels
- Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata
- The Oberoi Grand
- Fortune Park Panchwati Hotel
- The Park Kolkata
- ITC Sonar, Kolkata
Budget Hotels
Important Facts About Kolkata
- Kolkata, known as Calcutta until 2001, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.
- Most people in West Bengal are Bengali and speak Bangla (Bengali).
- About 300 million people in West Bengal, Bangladesh and beyond speak Bangla, one of the most spoken languages in the world.
- Rabindranath Tagore wrote the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.
- Kolkata is about 1,500 km from Delhi by road, and a flight to Bhutan or Nepal is shorter than one to Delhi.
Kolkata FAQs
What are the best places to visit in Kolkata?
Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math, College Street and the Indian Coffee House, Kumortuli, Prinsep Ghat, the Indian Museum and Park Street.
What is Kolkata famous for?
Its Bengali culture and literature, Rabindranath Tagore, Durga Puja, its food, and landmarks like Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge. It is often called the City of Joy.
What is the best time to visit Kolkata?
Late September to March. November to February is the most comfortable, and Durga Puja, the biggest festival, falls in late September or October.
When is Durga Puja in Kolkata?
Usually in late September or October. In 2026, it ran from 17 to 21 October.
How many days do you need in Kolkata?
Two days covers the main sights. Three or four days lets you add the markets, the river, Dakshineswar and Belur Math, and plenty of food.
Are trams still running in Kolkata?
Yes, but only on two routes in 2026, Shyambazar to Esplanade and Gariahat to Esplanade, and services are irregular. The state government has started planning to restore more routes.
Can you still ride a yellow Ambassador taxi in Kolkata?
Yes, but many of the old Ambassador taxis are being retired as they reach the 15-year age limit, so their numbers are falling.
What food should I try in Kolkata?
Kathi rolls at Nizam’s, chelo kebab at Peter Cat, sherbet at Paramount, street tea in clay cups, and a fish and rice meal on a banana leaf.
Is Kolkata the same as Calcutta?
Yes. The city’s official name changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001.
Map of Places to Visit in Kolkata
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