India Kolkata Tours

Two Halves of One City

Kolkata tours split naturally between the colonial south, around the Maidan and Park Street, and the dense old north of mansions, temples and lanes. Trams still rattle between the two, the last such network in India.

Eating Like a Bengali

Street counters hand over kathi rolls and puchka, while sweet shops sell mishti doi and fresh rosogolla by the clay pot. A proper fish lunch, hilsa in mustard if the season is right, belongs on any itinerary.

Timing Around Durga Puja

The city peaks in October, when Durga Puja turns whole neighborhoods into open-air art installations, a tradition now on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. November to February offers the calmest weather for walking.