Park Street
First-timersRestaurants and bars.
Kolkata city guide
Things To Do In Kolkata
The former capital of British India: grand colonial buildings, the Howrah Bridge, a riverside flower market, book-lined College Street and the greatest festival in India, Durga Puja.
14
Hostels in the city
8.0
Average, from 361 reviews
1911
Capital until then
2021
Durga Puja on UNESCO's list
€1
A kathi roll
The city of joy
Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, was the capital of British India until 1911, and its colonial buildings, from the Victoria Memorial to the crumbling mansions of north Kolkata, are the grandest in the country.
It is also India's intellectual and artistic capital, home to Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray and the coffee house culture of College Street. Its food, especially its sweets, is famous across India.
Each autumn, Durga Puja, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, transforms the city. Three days is right.
Where to stay
Stay around Park Street or Sudder Street, the traditional backpacker area.
Sudder Street
BudgetThe backpacker area.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Kolkata
Kolkata, the capital of British India until 1911, is India's cultural capital: a city of colonial grandeur, Bengali literature, art, football and food.
The Victoria Memorial, a white marble monument to Queen Victoria set in gardens, holds a museum of the city's history. The Howrah Bridge, a huge cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, carries tens of thousands of people a day; see it at dawn from the flower market at Mullick Ghat beneath it.
Kumartuli is the potters' quarter, where artisans sculpt clay idols of gods for festivals. Durga Puja, in September or October, UNESCO-listed in 2021, transforms the city with thousands of elaborate pandals, temporary shrines.
College Street is lined with second-hand bookstalls, and the Indian Coffee House, above them, is a historic meeting place. The Mother House holds the tomb of Mother Teresa.
Take the metro under the Hooghly, India's first underwater metro, or a ferry across the river. The yellow Ambassador taxis and hand-pulled rickshaws are disappearing but still seen.
The Sundarbans, the mangrove delta home to Bengal tigers, is a multi-day trip.
Free things
Free things to do in Kolkata
The Maidan, the Victoria Memorial's gardens and the Howrah Bridge are free, and so is the flower market at Mullick Ghat.
Kumartuli, College Street and the ghats along the Hooghly are free to wander. The Mother House is free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Kolkata
Bengali food is subtle and fish-loving: macher jhol, fish curry, and shorshe ilish, hilsa fish in mustard sauce, are classics. Kolkata is the home of the kathi roll, flatbread wrapped around kebabs, and puchka, crisp shells with tamarind water.
The city's sweets are famous: rosogolla, sandesh and mishti doi, sweet yoghurt. A meal is €1.50 to €6.
Nightlife
Going out in Kolkata
Park Street has Kolkata's bars and restaurants, some with live jazz and a long history. Clubs are in hotels and south Kolkata.
A beer is €3 to €5.
Getting around
Getting around Kolkata
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is about 45 minutes from the centre. Trains from Howrah and Sealdah stations reach Delhi, Varanasi and the Darjeeling hills.
The metro covers the centre, including the line under the river. Uber, Ola and yellow taxis cover the rest; trams still run on a few routes.
Costs
What Kolkata costs
Kolkata is cheap. Dorms start around €6 and a careful day is €18 to €28.
The Victoria Memorial is a few euros, and a ferry across the Hooghly pennies.
The currency is the rupee (INR), at roughly 95 to 100 rupees to the euro; prices here are euro equivalents. UPI phone payments are everywhere, and some apps now accept foreign cards; carry cash for small shops, autos and markets.
Safety
Staying safe in Kolkata
Kolkata is generally safe. Crowds during Durga Puja are enormous; watch your belongings.
The monsoon, from June to September, brings heavy rain and flooding.
Women travellers often face staring and comments, and sometimes groping in crowds; dress conservatively, use women's carriages on metros and trains, and book cabs through apps. Drink only bottled or filtered water, and be wary of raw salads and ice; stomach upsets are common.
Most visitors need an Indian e-Visa, applied for online before travel. Since 1 April 2026, all foreign nationals flying in must also submit the free e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before landing; screenshot or download the QR code, as it cannot be retrieved later.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Kolkata
The delta and the hills.
Sundarbans
Mangrove forests and tigers.
Chandannagar
A former French colony.
Darjeeling
The hill station.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Durga Puja is the city's great festival.
Staff pick
17–21 October
Durga Puja
Durga Puja, the vibrant Hindu festival celebrating the goddess Durga, is a stunning spectacle of elaborate decorations, traditional rituals, and cultural performances. Held annually…
Hostels
Where to stay in Kolkata
The top-rated places to stay in Kolkata right now, live from Hostelworld.
Guten Tag Kolkata
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Bubble Beds
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
Calcutta Backpackers
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Hotel Bengal
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
Social Safari Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
City Central Hostel
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
Suitcase Stories
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
Bohemian Backpackers Kolkata
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Offbeat CCU Bunkers
Dorms from €8 a night
See dates and book
Bunk & Bond
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Zostel Kolkata
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Kolkata Seven Inn
See dates and bookWhen to go
October to March. Durga Puja is in September or October.
Jan
Book Fair
Feb
Good
Mar
Warming
Apr
Hot
May
Hot
Jun
Monsoon
Jul
Monsoon
Aug
Monsoon
Sep
Durga Puja
Oct
Durga Puja
Nov
Good
Dec
Christmas on Park Street
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Summers are hot and very humid.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in rupees locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Kolkata travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When is Durga Puja?
In September or October; the city fills with thousands of pandals.
What is Kumartuli?
The potters' quarter, where clay idols are made for festivals.
What should I eat?
Kathi rolls, puchka and Bengali sweets.
Is there really an underwater metro?
Yes, under the Hooghly, India's first.
How many days do you need?
Three.
When is the best time to visit?
October to February.
How do I get to Darjeeling?
By overnight train to New Jalpaiguri, then a jeep or the toy train.
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