Top places to visit in Kolkata

• Eco Park New Town

  park · 4.3 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate

  Huge urban eco-tourism park with a lake, themed gardens and replicas of world wonders.

• Victoria Memorial

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · entry ₹500

  Kolkata's iconic white-marble monument to Queen Victoria, set in formal gardens, now a museum of British-Raj paintings, sculpture and the city's history.

• Dakshineswar Kali Temple

  temple · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  A grand 1855 riverside Kali temple associated with the saint Ramakrishna, its nine-spired bhakti architecture drawing thousands of devotees daily.

• Science City

  Museum · 4.4 rating · about 2.5 h · entry ₹80

  India's largest science centre, with a Space Theatre, dynamotion hall and interactive galleries — a hugely popular family and school attraction.

• Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu)

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h · free entry

  The thundering cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, an engineering icon of 1943 and the city's enduring symbol, best seen from the flower market and ghats below.

• Kalighat Kali Temple

  temple · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · check the fee at the gate

  One of the 51 Shakti Peethas and the temple that gave the city its name, a 1809 shrine to Goddess Kali at the heart of intense, age-old devotion.

• Indian Museum

  Museum · 4.3 rating · about 2 h · entry ₹500

  India's oldest and largest museum (1814), a vast colonnaded treasury of Egyptian mummies, Buddhist stupa railings, fossils, art and antiquities.

• Belur Math

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry

  The serene riverside global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, whose unique temple blends Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs into one harmonious design.

• Park Street & Park Street Cemetery

  Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  Kolkata's buzzing food-and-nightlife boulevard, paired with the atmospheric 1767 South Park Street Cemetery of grand colonial tombs amid banyans.

• St. Paul's Cathedral

  church · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate

  A graceful Gothic-revival Anglican cathedral of 1847 near the Maidan, with airy white interiors, stained glass and a tall fluted spire.

• Marble Palace

  Heritage · 4.2 rating · about 1 h · free entry

  A lavish 1835 neoclassical mansion of a Bengali merchant, crammed with European sculpture, paintings and chandeliers — visited by permit, a window into old Calcutta wealth.

• Indian Botanic Garden

  garden · 4.3 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate

  Historic Shibpur gardens home to the world's widest banyan, the Great Banyan Tree.

Things to do

• Kumartuli Idol-Makers Walk Cultural · 2 h · from INR 800 per person
• North Kolkata Heritage & Food Walk Cultural · 3 h · from INR 1,200 per person
• Hooghly River Sunset Cruise Activity · 1.5 h · from INR 600 per person
• Durga Puja Pandal-Hopping Tour Cultural · 5 h · from INR 2,000 per person
• Heritage Tram Ride & Park Street Cultural · 2.5 h · from INR 500 per person
• Victoria Memorial & Maidan Heritage Walk Sightseeing · 2.5 h · from INR 800 per person
• Belur Math & Dakshineswar Day Tour Cultural · 5 h · from INR 1,500 per person
• Kalighat & Mother House Spiritual Tour Cultural · 4 h · from INR 1,200 per person

Day trips and tours

• Kolkata City Highlights Tour 9 h · from INR 1,800
• Heritage & Food Walking Tour 4 h · from INR 1,200
• Belur Math & Dakshineswar Temple Tour 5 h · from INR 1,200

Where to stay in Kolkata

• Park Street about INR 4,000 per night

  Trendy commercial area with restaurants, bars, and shopping

• Salt Lake about INR 3,500 per night

  Modern residential area with business hotels

• Sudder Street about INR 1,500 per night

  Budget backpacker area with historic accommodation

Hotels

• The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 24,000 per night
• Taj Bengal 5-star · INR 11,000 to INR 22,000 per night
• ITC Royal Bengal 5-star · INR 10,000 to INR 20,000 per night
• The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata 5-star · INR 8,000 to INR 18,000 per night
• The Park Kolkata 5-star · INR 8,000 to INR 15,000 per night
• Hyatt Regency Kolkata 5-star · INR 7,000 to INR 15,000 per night

Where to eat

• Arsalan Mughlai, Biryani, Awadhi · about INR 450 per person
• Peter Cat Anglo-Indian, North Indian, Continental · about INR 700 per person
• Flurys Bakery, Continental, Cafe · about INR 550 per person
• 6 Ballygunge Place Bengali · about INR 800 per person
• Mocambo Continental, Anglo-Indian · about INR 750 per person
• Bhojohori Manna Bengali · about INR 450 per person
• Nizam's Mughlai, Street Food · about INR 200 per person
• Oh! Calcutta Bengali, Seafood · about INR 1,100 per person

Getting to Kolkata

Airport: Calcutta (CCU)

How visitors arrive in Kolkata

• Train to Howrah or Sealdah By train from across India · common

  Howrah and Sealdah are the major long-distance and suburban stations of the city. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Flight to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport By air · common

  The international airport is well connected within India and to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Southeast Asia and the Gulf. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Intercity bus or car By road from North-East India, Bangladesh · possible

  Buses from Bangladesh, the North-East, Bihar, Odisha and Sikkim reach Esplanade and other termini; national highways radiate from the city. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

From the airport to the centre

• State-run AC airport bus

  State-run air-conditioned buses wait outside the arrival gate at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport; the guide warns touts may claim they do not run. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Prepaid taxi or app cab

  Prepaid taxis and app-based cabs serve the airport. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Ignore touts who say the airport buses have stopped; they wait outside the arrival gate. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

From the railway station to the centre

• Metro at Howrah and Sealdah unconfirmed

  Howrah Maidan and Sealdah metro stations, both on the Green Line, connect to Howrah and Sealdah railway stations; prepaid taxi counters are outside the stations. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Getting around

• Auto Rickshaw

  Auto rickshaws in Kolkata often ply specific routes, and yellow metered taxis are the other common hired transport.

  Get Ola · Get Rapido

• Metro

  Kolkata's Blue Line metro runs the north-south length of the city through its middle, with Green, Purple and Orange lines also operating.

  Metro Railway Kolkata

• Ride Hail

  Get Uber (India) · Get Ola · Get Rapido

• Walking

Safety and scams to avoid

• Pre-paid taxi "broken meter"

  Airports, train stations, popular squares

  Driver insists meter is broken, quotes ~3x the fair price; or detours via "shopping" stops earning commission.

  How to avoid it: Use pre-paid taxi counter at airport, or Uber/Ola/Rapido apps. Insist on meter or agree price upfront.

Best time to visit Kolkata

• Jan 25°C
• Feb 30°C
• Mar 36°C
• Apr 39°C
• May 38°C
• Jun 34°C
• Jul 32°C
• Aug 31°C
• Sep 30°C
• Oct 30°C
• Nov 28°C
• Dec 25°C

More in India

• New Delhi
• Agra
• Jaipur
• Panaji
• Mumbai
• Varanasi

Frequently asked questions about Kolkata

What are the top-rated places to visit in Kolkata?

The highest-rated places in our Kolkata guide are Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Belur Math, Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu), Kalighat Kali Temple.

Where should I stay in Kolkata?

Our guide covers these areas to stay in Kolkata: Park Street, Salt Lake, Sudder Street.

How do I get around Kolkata?

Ways to get around Kolkata covered in our guide: Auto-rickshaw, Metro, Ride-hailing app, Walking.

What scams should I watch out for in Kolkata?

Scams reported to us for Kolkata include Pre-paid taxi "broken meter". Each is explained in the guide, with how to avoid it.

What is the weather like in Kolkata?

Average daytime highs in Kolkata run from 25°C in Dec to 39°C in Apr.

Which airport is nearest to Kolkata?

The nearest airport to Kolkata has the code CCU.