Victoria Memorial
White marble British memorial to Queen Victoria, with a garden, now a city history museum. Galleries open 10:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays and national holidays; foreigners pay Rs 500, garden extra. Expect queues.
3 to 5 daysHow long to stay
Budget to luxuryRough cost
Friends, Couples, Families, SoloWho it suits
West BengalEast India
Is this for you?
If you want a big city with real character, this is it. Kolkata is slower and more argumentative than Delhi or Mumbai, full of old buildings from British rule, bookshops, street food and a long habit of arts and festivals. It's hot and crowded for much of the year. You'll love it if wandering is your idea of a good day, and you should skip it if you only want to tick off sights.
When to go
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
What to do
Park Street dinner
One source points you to the restaurants around Park Street, in the centre. It's an easy first-night dinner.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Kumartuli
The potters' quarter, where artists shape clay idols (statues of gods) for festivals like Durga Puja. Our one source says walk its narrow lanes with a guide or a patient sense of direction.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
College Street
A long street of new and second-hand bookstalls near the old university, by one source's account. Take it slowly.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Marble Palace
An old mansion you can enter only with a West Bengal Tourism permit from BBD Bag, 24 hours ahead. Free entry, no photos. This is from one source, and guides disagree on closed days, so ask when you collect it.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Indian Museum
India's oldest big museum, closed Mondays and national holidays. We couldn't confirm the foreign visitor fee or exact hours, so check at the gate or on the museum website.
Street food trail
One source: kathi rolls (egg or meat in flatbread) at Nizam's near New Market, Mughlai court food at Park Circus, fuchka (crisp filled shells), rosogolla (syrupy cheese balls), Chinese-Indian in Tangra, old Chinatown.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Durga Puja
Kolkata's biggest festival, with huge shrines called pandals to walk between at night. In 2027 it starts on 5 October, but calendars disagree on the last two days. Book early, expect rain and slow roads.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
What to eat
Plan your days around meals here. Bengali fish and mutton, rolls off the griddle, an old Jewish bakery and sweet shops with fierce loyalties all share one city.
Chelo kebab
Buttered rice with kebabs and egg, the plate that made Peter Cat famous. Have it at dinner on Park Street.
Kathi roll
A flaky paratha, a griddled flatbread, wrapped round grilled kebab. Kolkata's street lunch, and Nizam's claims it first.
Kolkata biryani
Fragrant rice and meat cooked together. For many locals Arsalan is the benchmark. A filling lunch.
Kosha mangsho
Mutton cooked slowly in a dark, thick onion gravy. A Bengali dish for a long lunch with rice or luchi, a puffed fried bread.
Mishti doi
Sweet, caramel-coloured yoghurt set in clay pots. Finish a meal with it at an old sweet shop.
Vegetarian
Shorshe ilish
Hilsa, Bengal's favourite river fish, in mustard sauce. Bony, so take your time. Have it with rice at a Bengali place.
Where to go
Balaram Mullick & Radharaman MullickBhowanipore
Mishti doi and baked rasgulla from a 2026 award winner for Bengali sweets.
Cheap eats, vegetarianBhojohori MannaSeveral branches
Home-style Bengali plates, from kosha mangsho to shorshe ilish.
Mid-rangeNahoum & SonsNew Market
A Jewish bakery from the early 1900s. Go for plum cake and lemon tarts.
Cheap eatsNizam'sNew Market
A kathi roll at the shop that claims to have started it all.
Cheap eatsPeter CatPark Street
Chelo kebabs at an old Park Street favourite. Expect a wait at dinner.
Mid-range
Getting there
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport is about 17 km out, roughly 30 to 60 minutes by taxi to Park Street. Delhi is 2 hours 10 to 2 hours 30 by air, or around 17 hours overnight into Howrah on a Rajdhani, a fast, comfortable express. Howrah and Sealdah are the main stations; trains for the hills, Odisha and Shantiniketan leave from Howrah.
Where to stay
Salt Lake Newer hotels in a business district. You'll need a taxi to reach the old sights.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Sudder Street Central and long a backpacker favourite. It suits a tight budget.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Worth knowing
Safety
Check dates before booking Durga Puja, the goddess Durga's festival: it starts on 5 October in 2027, but calendars disagree on the last two days. Roads slow, hotels book out, October is fairly wet.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Permit
Get your Marble Palace permit from West Bengal Tourism at BBD Bag 24 hours ahead; entry is free and photos aren't allowed. Guides disagree on closed days, so ask when you collect it.
Opening
Don't plan the Victoria Memorial galleries or the Indian Museum for a Monday or national holiday. Both are closed.
1 more to know
Safety
Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or zipped bag at bus terminals and railway stations. One source reports theft and pickpocketing there.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
