West Bengal's capital on the Hooghly, known for colonial buildings, temples and Bengali food.
FamousCityHeritagePilgrimageRiver
Kolkata was the capital of British India from 1772 to 1911 and still has the marble Victoria Memorial, the country's largest museum and the Howrah Bridge. It suits travellers who like history, books, street food and festivals, and it is cheap to get around by metro. Durga Puja in autumn is the biggest draw, but the city is very crowded then.
Trip planner
Plan from your city
Photos
Victoria Memorial, KolkataHowrah BridgeHooghly River with Howrah BridgeHowrah Bridge seen from the river side
Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.
Best time to go
When
What to expect
October to March
The best time. Weather is pleasant and the festival season, including Durga Puja, falls here. Temperatures over these months range from about 12 C to 35 C.
April to June
Hot and humid, with highs of about 38 to 39 C. Sightseeing in the middle of the day is tiring.
July to September
Monsoon. The city is green but rain makes moving around slower, and it is less popular with visitors.
Sights and activities
1
Victoria Memorial
A white Makrana marble hall built between 1906 and 1921 in memory of Queen Victoria, now a museum with 25 galleries. It stands in large gardens beside the Maidan.
Distance
About 4 km from the city centre; Maidan and Rabindra Sadan metro stations are about 1 km away.
Entry
Gallery about 50 for Indians, 100 for SAARC visitors, 500 for other foreigners; gardens about 30
Timings
Gallery 10 am to 6 pm, closed Mondays and national holidays; gardens open daily from about 6 am to 6 pm
A 705 metre cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, opened in 1943 and also called Rabindra Setu. The large Mallik Ghat flower market sits at its eastern end and starts very early in the morning.
Distance
About 2 km from the city centre, next to Howrah railway station.
Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, on the west bank of the Hooghly. The temple mixes Hindu, Christian and Islamic building styles. Photography is not allowed inside.
Distance
About 4 km north of Howrah station; a ferry runs about every half hour to and from Dakshineswar.
Entry
Free
Timings
6.30 am to 11.30 am, then 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm (October to March) or 4 pm to 9 pm (April to September); museum closed Mondays
Long-distance buses arrive at Esplanade terminus in the city centre. Kolkata is on National Highway 19.
By train
Kolkata has two main stations, Howrah (HWH) across the river and Sealdah (SDAH) in the city. Both have express trains from all over India. Howrah is about 11 km from the Victoria Memorial.
By air
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is about 20 to 22 km from the city centre, roughly 1 hour by taxi.
Where to base yourself
Stay around Park Street and Chowringhee in central Kolkata, close to the metro, the Indian Museum and the Victoria Memorial.
Getting around
Metro: fares run from 5 to 30 rupees by distance; trains run from about 6.45 am to 10.30 pm, every 5 minutes at peak times.
City bus: a one-way ticket costs about 13 rupees.
Airport bus: WBTC buses from the airport cost about 50 to 80 rupees and run until about 10.30 pm.
Yellow taxi (no AC): prepaid from the airport costs about 280 to 370 to Park Street and 350 to 450 to Howrah station; city taxis start at about 64 rupees plus about 25 per km.
AC prepaid taxi from the airport: about 500 to 650 to Park Street and 600 to 750 to Howrah station; a night surcharge of 150 to 250 applies from 11 pm to 5 am.
Ola and Uber: about 380 to 680 from the airport to Park Street before surge, which can reach 3 to 4 times during peak hours and festivals.
Ferry: boats cross the Hooghly from several ghats, including Howrah and the Dakshineswar to Belur Math run.
Tram: a few heritage tram routes still run in limited areas.
Often combined with
Places people usually visit on the same trip, and how long it takes to get between them.
Hostels and simple guesthouses around Chowringhee and BBD Bagh
₹800 to ₹1,800
Mid-range
2 to 3 star hotels around Park Street, Ballygunge and New Town
₹2,000 to ₹4,000
Luxury
4 and 5 star hotels on Park Street and in New Town
₹4,500 to ₹12,000
Food
Rice and fish are the base of Bengali meals. Park Street is the main restaurant street, and street stalls and sweet shops are everywhere. A meal at a simple restaurant costs about 160 rupees and a mid-range dinner for two about 1,100.
Try these
Macher jhol (Bengali fish curry eaten with rice)
Phuchka (crisp shells filled with spiced potato and tamarind water)
Rosogolla (soft cheese balls in sugar syrup)
Sandesh (milk-based sweet)
Kolkata biryani
Indian-Chinese dishes, which began in this city
Vegetarian food, sweets and North Indian meals are easy to find. Many Bengali kitchens cook fish, so ask before ordering.
Daily costs
Budget level
Stay per room
Food per person
Local transport
Budget
₹1,500
₹500
₹100 per person
Mid-range
₹3,000
₹1,100
₹900 per vehicle
Luxury
₹8,000
₹2,200
₹2,500 per vehicle
Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.
Permits and documents
No permit is needed for Indian visitors. Carry a photo ID for hotel check-in.
Safety
By day
Central areas are busy and well used by visitors. Traffic is chaotic, so take care crossing roads, and watch your belongings in crowded markets and stations.
At night
Park Street stays active in the evening. The metro stops at about 10.30 pm and airport buses at about the same time, so plan a taxi for late returns; prepaid taxis add a night surcharge.
Solo women
No specific official advice was found online. Use prepaid or app-based taxis after dark and stay in the central hotel areas.
Roads
City roads are congested and slow at peak hours. During Durga Puja taxis are scarce at the airport and app fares surge heavily, so book ahead.
Emergency numbers
112 (all emergencies)
Practical
Mobile network
All the main networks (Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL) work in town.
ATMs and cash
ATMs are easy to find in town.
Fuel
Petrol costs about 110 rupees a litre; pumps are found across the city.
Medical
Hospitals are easy to find across the city. In an emergency dial 112, or 108 for an ambulance in most states. Kolkata is a state capital with large hospitals.
