Things to Do in Kolkata: Heritage, Temples, Books, Food & Durga Puja

Visit the Victoria Memorial

The Victoria Memorial, a white marble building completed in 1921 in memory of Queen Victoria, stands in large gardens at the edge of the Maidan. Inside is a museum with paintings, sculptures and galleries on Kolkata's history. The building is lit up in the evening, and the gardens are a favourite place for a walk. It is closed on Mondays.

Time needed

2 hours

Good to know

Closed on Mondays

Good for

Everyone

See the Indian Museum

The Indian Museum, founded in 1814, is the oldest museum in India. Its galleries cover archaeology, art, coins, natural history and an Egyptian mummy, with highlights such as the Bharhut stupa railings and Gandhara sculptures.

Time needed

2–3 hours

Good to know

Closed on Mondays

Walk Park Street and the old cemetery

Park Street is Kolkata's traditional dining and nightlife street, famous for its old restaurants and its Christmas lights. At its end, South Park Street Cemetery, opened in 1767, has grand tombs of colonial-era residents and is one of the oldest non-church cemeteries in the world. St Paul's Cathedral, completed in 1847, is nearby.

Best time

Evening for Park Street; morning for the cemetery

Take in the Maidan, Princep Ghat and the river

The Maidan is a vast open ground at the centre of the city, with Fort William, Eden Gardens cricket stadium and many clubs around it. Princep Ghat, a Palladian memorial on the river, is a popular spot at sunset with views of Vidyasagar Setu. Boat rides on the Hooghly leave from nearby ghats.

Best time

Sunset

Cross Howrah Bridge and see the flower market

Howrah Bridge, a cantilever bridge completed in 1943, is one of the busiest bridges in the world. Below it on the Kolkata side, Mullick Ghat flower market is a sea of marigolds and garlands from early morning. Walk across the bridge, watch the river and take a ferry back. Photography of the bridge itself may be restricted in places.

Best time

Early morning

Good for

Photographers

Take the ferry from Dakshineswar to Belur Math

The Dakshineswar Kali Temple, built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni on the east bank of the Hooghly, is where the mystic Sri Ramakrishna served as priest. Across the river, Belur Math, founded by Swami Vivekananda, is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, with a main temple that blends Hindu, Islamic and Christian architectural motifs. A short ferry links the two.

Time needed

Half a day

Good to know

Belur Math closes in the afternoon for a break

Visit Kalighat Temple

Kalighat Temple, in south Kolkata, is one of the most important Kali temples and a Shakti Peetha. It is busy and intense, with long queues on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Be firm with touts offering quick darshan. Mother Teresa's first home for the dying, Nirmal Hriday, is next door, and the Mother House is in central Kolkata.

Good to know

Avoid touts; go early

Browse College Street

College Street, near the University of Calcutta and Presidency University, is lined with stalls and shops selling new, second-hand and rare books. Upstairs in Albert Hall, the Indian Coffee House has been a meeting place for writers, students and activists for decades. Order an infusion or cold coffee and a cutlet and settle in.

Time needed

2 hours

Good for

Book lovers

Watch the idol-makers of Kumartuli

Kumartuli, in north Kolkata, is the potters' quarter where artisans craft clay idols for Durga Puja and other festivals. The weeks before Puja are the busiest, when workshops are full of half-finished goddesses. Ask before photographing, and be careful not to get in the way of work.

Best time

August to October

Good for

Photographers

See Jorasanko Thakur Bari and the Marble Palace

Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral home of the Tagore family, where Rabindranath Tagore was born and died, is now a museum. The Marble Palace, a 19th-century mansion full of statues, chandeliers and paintings, still belongs to the family that built it; visitors usually need a permit from the West Bengal tourism office.

Time needed

1–1.5 hours each

Ride a heritage tram

Kolkata has run trams since the 19th century, the only city in India still to do so. Services have been cut back sharply in recent years, and only a limited heritage route may be operating. Check what is running; a ride through the Maidan is still a lovely way to see the city.

Good to know

Routes are limited; check before going

Eat Kolkata's street food

Phuchka (the Kolkata version of pani puri), kathi rolls, jhal muri, ghugni and telebhaja are the city's snacks. Kolkata biryani is known for its potato and egg. For meals, try shorshe ilish (hilsa in mustard), chingri malai curry, kosha mangsho and luchi.

Good for

Food lovers

Taste Bengali sweets

Rosogolla, sandesh, mishti doi, chhanar jilipi and nolen gur (date palm jaggery) sweets in winter are essential. Many sweet shops in north and south Kolkata have been in business for generations.

Have breakfast in Chinatown

Early mornings at Tiretta Bazaar in central Kolkata bring a small street breakfast market run by the city's Chinese-Indian community, with dumplings, pork buns and soups. It is over by around 8 a.m. Tangra, in the east, is the city's other Chinatown, known for Indian-Chinese restaurants.

Best time

6 to 8 a.m.

Go pandal-hopping at Durga Puja

Durga Puja, inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021, turns Kolkata into a giant open-air gallery. Thousands of pandals, some traditional and others elaborate art installations, are visited by millions over five days. Go at night, use the metro, and expect huge crowds. Hotels fill up months ahead.

Best time

September or October (dates vary)

Christmas on Park Street and the Book Fair

Park Street is lit up for Christmas and New Year, with crowds and festive food. The International Kolkata Book Fair, usually held in late January or February, is one of the largest in the world.

What are the best things to do in Kolkata?

Visit the Victoria Memorial, cross Howrah Bridge, take the ferry between Dakshineswar and Belur Math, browse College Street, see Kumartuli, visit the Indian Museum and Jorasanko, and eat your way through the city's street food and sweets.

When is Durga Puja in Kolkata?

Usually in September or October, following the lunar calendar. The main days are Saptami to Dashami.

How many days are enough for Kolkata?

Three to four days covers the main sights and food.

What is Kolkata famous for?

Its colonial architecture, Durga Puja, literature and art, the Howrah Bridge, trams, sweets such as rosogolla and street food such as phuchka and kathi rolls.