Kolkata is warm, literary and food-obsessed. Ride a yellow taxi past colonial buildings, take the ferry across the Hooghly, and eat your way through fish curries, kathi rolls and mishti.
Highlights
- Victoria Memorial
- Howrah Bridge and the flower market at dawn
- Kumartuli potters’ quarter
- College Street book market and Indian Coffee House
- Durga Puja pandals in October
What to eat
- Kathi rolls
- Kosha mangsho
- Shorshe ilish (hilsa in mustard)
- Rosogolla and mishti doi
Where to stay
Park Street and central Kolkata for restaurants and transport.
Getting there
International airport (CCU); trains to everywhere in the east.
Tips
- Durga Puja (October) is spectacular but very crowded.
- Use the metro and app cabs.
- Winter is the most comfortable season.
Best time to visit
Oct-Mar. See what else is good in October and our best time to visit India guide.
Temples and shrines near Kolkata
- Dakshineswar Kali Goddess Kali as Bhavatarini
- Tarapith Goddess Tara, a tantric Shakti Peetha
Places to see in and around Kolkata
85 places within 40 km. Tap I’ve been to add them to your India passport.
- Victoria Memorial Monument, 3 km
- Indian Museum Museum, 2 km
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple Temple, 9 km
- Fort William Fort, 3 km
- Kalighat Kali Temple Temple, 6 km
- Tipu Sultan Mosque Mosque, 1 km
- St. Paul's Cathedral Temple, 3 km
- Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden Garden, 8 km
- Maidan Garden, 2 km
- Nakhoda Masjid Mosque, 1 km
- Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary Temple, 1 km
- Jorasanko Thakur Bari Palace, 2 km
- Lok Bhavan Palace, 1 km
- Marble Palace Palace, 1 km
- Belur Math Monastery, 7 km
- Alipore Central Jail Museum, 5 km
- Basilica of the Holy-Rosary Church, 39 km
- Alipore Zoological Gardens Zoo, 5 km
- St. John's Church Church, 1 km
- Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth Church, 1 km
- Shaheed Minar Monument, 1 km
- Chandraketugarh Ancient site, 36 km
- Rabindra Sarobar Lake, 7 km
- Netaji Bhawan Museum, 4 km
And 61 more on our West Bengal map.
Food to try in and around Kolkata
West Bengal favourites to look out for.
- Rosogolla
- Sandesh
- Luchi
- Chutney
- Ambal
- Joynagar Moa GI: sweet
- Bardhaman Sitabhog GI: sweet
- Bardhaman Mihidana GI: sweet
- Banglar Rasogolla GI: sweet
- Sundarban Honey GI: speciality
- Darjeeling Tea GI: tea or coffee
- Malda Laxman Bhog Mango GI: fruit
The full food passport, state by state.
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