Are you looking for a weekend itinerary to Kolkata? Look no further!
Kolkata is a Mega City with a rich heritage and culture. It is also called the ‘City of Joy’ and ‘the intellectual capital of India.’ And once you visit it, you will know why it got these names.
A significant thing that will capture your attention is that time stands still in this city. The entire city embodies the 1980s and 90s vibe of India. The yellow Ambassador taxis, tramcars, the abundance of street vendors, and many such things make us experience a yesteryear India. When I was musing why it is so, I got an answer from a local. He told me that the city believed in the philosophy – “If it is not broken, then don’t fix it!”
It has a lot to offer, so planning a weekend getaway can be overwhelming – which places to visit? Where should you eat? All this can feel like a lot. Do not fret – Here below, I have a detailed itinerary, along with some tips from my experience.
Day – 1
Since this is a two-day itinerary (& I am calling it a weekend one), let’s say it is Saturday morning – you have reached Kolkata by train at the Howrah Railway Station or by flight at the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport. In any other Indian city, a rideshare app (Uber or Ola) would be your best option for transportation, but here in Kolkata, there is another one – the yellow Ambassador taxis. You can find them lined up outside the railway station and airports. Hire them for your drop-off.
Pro Tips –
- The prices are reasonable and cheaper than most rideshare apps.
- Most of these taxis (I encountered) do not have AC. However, that will not be a problem because you can roll down the window and enjoy the city during the drive.
Notable points –
- This old-time car started appearing on Indian roads in the 1950s and has been a staple of Indian streets for over five decades. It is fondly called the ‘King of Indian Roads.’
- The production of Ambassador cars was seized in 2014.
- And since the stop of its production, it has gained a classic status and is slowly becoming a collector’s car.
- It is one of the sturdiest cars to be produced, as the car’s body is entirely metal.
- Kolkata is the only city in the World where you would see so many of these cars functioning as taxis.
Your Next stop should be at the hotel/accommodation you have booked. If you are interested in a heritage boutique and want details, it will be my next post (wait for it!).
Pro Tip: Most hotels have check-in time from 12 pm to 4 pm on the day of your arrival. However, if you have arrived early, you can go to the hotel, check-in, and drop your luggage in their cloakroom. You can also freshen up in their lobby restroom – this is definitely better than any public restroom. (I was surprised when I learned not many people knew this!)
Now we start –
Flury’s Bakery & Cafe –
Your first stop should be for breakfast, and I have a fantastic recommendation: Flury’s on Park Street, Kolkata. This legendary and iconic bakery/cafe is close to being a century old – it opened in 1927. This place is famous for its all-day breakfast, bakery, and high tea.
My recommendation – order the famous ‘English breakfast.’ Both vegetarian and meat options are fantastic.
Next, we head over to ‘Victoria Memorial and Gardens.’ You can hire the yellow ambassador taxi or request a rideshare (Ola/Uber) to get here from Flury’s.
Please note: There are certain areas in Kolkata where autos (as called in certain parts of India) or more famously known as TukTuks across the world, are not allowed. Though this might be a cheaper mode of transportation, they are not always available, especially in these tourist-heavy spots.
Victoria Memorials and Gardens
This beautiful marble building and its surrounding grounds are worth a visit. This palace was commissioned after the British Queen’s passing in 1901 and was opened to the public in 1921 (Yes! It is more than 100 years old). Though called Victoria Memorial, Queen Victoria never lived here or visited this building or India.
The Gardens are open for a longer duration than the museum. The gardens open at sunrise and stay open until sunset. These gardens are a good place for a stroll or a picnic.
The museum has a lot of art and statues from the British era. The museum spreads over two floors; several exhibits are also on the first floor (many visitors seem to miss this). They also have rotating and shorter exhibitions, like the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose exhibit when I was there in April 2023.
Notable Points –
- Fees
- The entry fees for both the garden and museum for Indian citizens in INR 30
- The entry fees for both the garden and museum for citizens of India’s neighboring countries is INR 100
- The entry fees for both the garden and museum for citizens of all other countries is INR 500
- Timings
- Gardens – 5.30 am to 6 pm
- Museum – 10 am to 5 pm | Closed on Mondays and National Holidays.
Pro Tip – The museum runs free tours at the start of every hour. You can see the posters or ask a security guard for directions. I highly recommend this! It is so informative and beats walking around the museum pointlessly. There is no audio assistance like in many other museums (like the MET in NYC or Louvre in Paris), so this is the best option.
This visit will take you an average of 2-3 hours, and this is how you should spend your Saturday/first day morning. Now it’s afternoon, and we head out for lunch.
6 Ballygunge Place
There are several branches of this restaurant. I visited the one at Dr. Amiya Bose Sarani. I recommend this place because the interior and decor in this restaurant were terrific.
Do not miss this restaurant if you are looking for some tasty traditional and yummy Bengali food. It is so delicious! Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian (meat) options are excellent. When I visited this restaurant, it was a special day – Bengali New Year called Pohela Boishakh; so they served a buffet as the place was packed. It was excellent! The deserts – Mishti doi & Rasgulla require special mentions. (Yes! I have a sweet tooth)
On a regular day, I recommend picking the Thali (an Indian assortment of dishes) – you will not go wrong with this. It is the best way to taste multiple dishes and forgo the pain of à la carte.
Our next stop is –
Kumartuli –
Kumartuli is the traditional potter’s quarter, where you get to see the making of clay statues. It is in northern Kolkata, a little distance from the above attractions. Again a hired taxi would be a suitable mode of transportation to get here.
Just taking a walk around Kumartuli would be a fantastic experience. You can see the Karigars (artisans) working on the clay statues. This area is a labyrinth of small winding streets with hundreds of workshops. Don’t worry – google maps works amazingly, making it easy to navigate.
Please note: There is an extensive and well-connected public transport system in Kolkata. However, most of the destinations are written in only Bengali. So it is tough to navigate this system unless you know the language.
One of the first things that pop up when you are researching Kolkata is the famous Durga Puja which happens during Navratri/Dusshera, a Hindu festival approximately in the months of Sept-Oct. The Hindu warrior goddess – Durga is worshiped during this festival. If you visit the city during this time, you will see all across the city; there are pandals (makeshift tents) for worship. Here statues of Goddess Durga are established for prayer. These statues are supplied from Kumartuli. Artisans work on Goddess Durga statues throughout the year and prepare for the festival. However, there are other sculptures here as well.
Fun fact: As of 2021, “Durga Puja in Kolkata” is now given UNESCO Cultural Heritage status.
If you finish all these activities well before 5 pm, you can head to your hotel (you will be within the check-in time now) for some rest. Or you can visit the New Market Area in Kolkata because your next activity starts nearby. In this ‘New Market,’ you will find several hundred street vendors and shops lined up by the road. Both branded and local products are available. So if you are in the mood for some shopping and wish to pamper yourself, go right ahead!
Food Tour – A Chef’s Tour
One of the things I love to do when I am visiting a city is take food tours. Trust me; this is the best way to experience local foods, meet locals, and discover hidden gems. That being said, it doesn’t always work out. I have been on a few underwhelming food tours (I am talking about you, Chicago – story for another day!). So it is crucial to pick the right tour. I was glad this one was a success, and I had so much fun. The tour starts at the Esplanade Metro station, a walkable distance from the New Market.
I honestly can’t recommend this enough. The guide is impressive, with a lot of information and fun facts about Kolkata. You get to experience local gems and try some fantastic food (I am salivating just thinking about that Mutton Gosh). Another notable aspect was that we roamed around Kolkata on different modes of transportation – subway, bus, and even a hand-pulled rickshaw. If you are interested to know more about this, please click here.
Notable points –
- The tour costs $35 or around INR 2800 per person. Trust me; it’s worth it.
- And the tour lasts for about 4 hours. 5 pm to 9 pm.
- The only call out is this tour is not suited for vegetarians or people with food restrictions. You will enjoy it more if you are open to many experiences.
After such a hectic day, and with your stomach full from that amazing food experience, it is time to call it a night. Head back to your hotel and relax for the night because your day starts early tomorrow!
Day – 2
Howrah Bridge –
This Sunday starts early. Make a note of the sunrise the previous night and set your alarm accordingly. Make sure to arrive at the Howrah Bridge 15 mins before sunrise. The views from the bridge are spectacular, and also it gets crowded as the day progresses, so this is the best time. Enjoy the sunrise and take a walk across it.
Though it is still popularly called Howrah Bridge (its old name), its new and actual name is Rabindranath Setu. This bridge connects Kolkata city with Howrah city. The best thing to do is cross the bridge on foot. Depending on where you start your walk – on one side of the Bridge is Asia’s largest flower market – Mulick bazaar, and on the other is the buzzing Howrah Railway station and bus station. This bridge is a good spot for people-watching.
Mullick Ghat Flower Market
At the southeast end of the Howrah Bridge, on the Kolkata side, is Asia’s largest Flower market – Mullick Ghat Flower Market. This 130-year-old flower market is always packed with vendors selling flowers in the morning. People from all over the city and nearby villages travel here to sell flowers. An exciting game would be to try to name as many flowers as you can (honestly, it was so hard! I realized how bad my flower knowledge is).
Pro tip: This is also a fantastic spot to get a picture of the Howrah Bridge as it stands tall over the Market.
Next to this Market is the Jagannath Ghat, built in the 1760s; it is one the most unique and picturesque sites in Kolkata. From the Ghat, you can admire the full view of the Howrah Bridge or the peaceful waters of river Hooghly or the ghats/railway station on the other side of the bank.
Both these activities should take you about 2 hours. Once it is completed, return to your hotel to refresh, bathe, and have breakfast. Most hotels include breakfast in their package, so you can avail of that or have breakfast at a local eatery (you can’t go wrong anywhere you choose because Kolkata is truly an eater’s paradise!). Head out around 10.30 am when you finish the morning chores.
India Coffee House
This is one of the most iconic cafes in Kolkata. Once, it was Albert Hall, and in 1942 it was converted into a coffee house. This place became a meeting spot for all the intellectual people of Kolkata – like writers, artists, and poets. Numerous renovation offers have been declined over the years to maintain the yesteryear feel of the place. It certainly retains the old-world charm. Over the years, many of Kolkata’s and Bengal’s famous personalities, like Amartya Sen and Satyajit Rey, were found hanging out in this cafe. This cafe is renowned for its “adda” sessions – long talks.
The best thing to do here is to buy a coffee or snacks and do some people-watching. You will be baffled when you realize how cheap the food here is. You can grab a chair and hang out even if you don’t purchase anything.
Second-hand Book Bazaar –
As you descend the stairs from the India coffee house, you will notice that you are surrounded by vendors selling books. You can go left or right, but books will engulf you. You are in Kolkata’s historic College Street, India’s most prominent and World’s largest second-hand book market. You will find every book ever published in India on these streets (this might not be true, but it’s an exciting saying!). While browsing through these stores, carefully look; if you are lucky, you might find copies of some first-edition books.
Lunch at Bhojohari Manna
This is another famous and must-visit restaurant for authentic Bengali cuisine. With over ten branches in Kolkata and several others across the country (India), you can pick the one closest to your location. The meat and seafood dishes here are to die for. Especially do not miss the dish – Mutton Dak Bungalow; it is their flagship dish.
Jorasanko Thakurbari – Rabindranath Tagore House
The next stop will be at Rabindranath Tagore’s house – Jorsasanko Thakurbari. Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali philosopher, writer, and painter. He is the author of India’s National Anthem – Jana Gana Mana, and also the first Indian, first Asian, and first non-European to receive a Nobel prize. He got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
Built-in 1785, this ancestral palace belonged to the Royal Tagore family, now State-owned. There is a large genealogy tree in the museum, do not miss it! This place has now been converted into a museum, with a university attached. This is the house Tagore was born in 1861 and also passed away in 1941. The museum has extensive collections of photographs, paintings, books, and documents. Several galleries within the museum are dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore, other prominent family members, and the Bengal Renaissance. There are also several Asian galleries (Japanese, Chinese, etc.) showcasing his travel in those regions. This is a well-curated museum where one can spend 1-2 hours.
Notable points –
- Even if you don’t know much about Tagore, this is a place you must visit to get a glimpse into this fascinating part of Indian history.
- The cost is very minimal. Costs INR 20 for Indians and INR 50 for foreigners.
- Photography is not allowed inside the museum; it is only permitted in the courtyard.
- There is also a light and sound show done once in Bengali and once in English daily in the evening. These tickets are different from the museum tickets.
Prinsep Ghat
As the day starts to cool off, head to the Prinsep Ghat, a riverfront strip on the banks of the River Hooghly. This is a local recreation spot. I was here on a Saturday evening and found it packed with families, couples, and youngsters hanging out. You can either stroll along the river’s banks or sit on a bench while enjoying the local food bought from a street vendor. Any Bengali food you can think of will be found here. I recommend eating Jhal Muri and Fuchka (the Bengali version of Pani Puri; this is tangier). I loved this experience because in the rest of India, in the name of modernization, when we find people either glued to their televisions or drinking at bars, this is the plain old Indian way of spending a weekend – out for a picnic with your loved ones.
Boat Ride on the River Hooghly
There are several options in Kolkata to go on a boat ride. You can choose one of the umpteen river cruises offered in the city. These use motorized boats to go around the river, running for a few hours at sunrise or sunset.
The other option is to take the traditional smaller wooden boats. You can find these wooden boats near Prinsep Ghat. These are shorter rides, for about 20-30 minutes. These boats are decorated with lights and rowed by a person. They are safe, and also floating jackets are provided for extra safety. Also, this boat ride is an excellent spot to enjoy the view of the mighty Hooghly River and the Vidhya Sagar Setu (the 2nd Hooghly Bridge).
This concludes Day 2 – Sunday in Kolkata. So now, you either head back to your hometown in the evening, rest for the night, and head out Monday morning.
This is a closely curated two-day weekend plan from my personal experience. Not all of you may agree to this or be engaged in visiting these places. Below, I am providing a few other recommendations that might interest you or work as alternatives to the above list.
- Kalighat Kali Temple – if you want to visit a traditional and auspicious Hindu temple. This is one of the prominent Shakti Peetas. But beware, this place can get extremely crowded, and there are a lot of scammers around the temple who will offer to get you a quick darshan/visit to the temple. They give you a brief glimpse but try to extort money from you.
- St. Paul’s Cathedral – This Gothic-style church completed its construction in 1847. It is the very first Episcopal church in the Eastern part of the globe. Both inside and outside, the church is beautiful and breathtaking. The exterior of the church will also make for a beautiful photo op.
- Indian Museum – the oldest museum in India; opened in 1814. It is an exciting place to spend an afternoon. There are many galleries and well-preserved artifacts. The only drawback is there is no audio assistance.
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple – another famous Hindu temple. This temple has several other deities inside the temple. And you will also have to cross the river to get to this temple.
- Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity – This has Mother Teresa’s tomb inside the Mother Teresa Memorial home, which celebrates the mother’s life.
- South Park Street Cemetry – Abandoned many years ago (In 1830, to be exact), this cemetery is not maintained by the Archeological Department of India. This place has a lot of Gothic-styled tombs. The best way to explore this cemetery is to join the volunteer tour.
- Ramakrishna Mission Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House and Cultural Centre – Another museum dedicated to the famous Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda. This is also a great place to explore history.
Please let me know your thoughts or comments on this itinerary. Follow my site for more travel tips.
Excellent a good start.eagerly waiting for more .