Kolkata itinerary: 1 to 4 days
Plans for one to four days in Kolkata, day by day: St. Paul's Cathedral, the Victoria Memorial, Eden Gardens and Howrah Bridge first, then Fort William, the Indian Museum, the Maidan and the old north Kolkata mansions, and Belur Math, Dakshineswar, College Street and Science City as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Kolkata in 1 day
Day 1
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
Gothic Revival cathedral of 1847 on the Maidan, with stained glass and an old chapel.
Victoria Memorial Hall
White marble museum of 1921 on the Maidan with galleries, a garden and paintings of the Raj; closed on Mondays.
Eden Gardens
Cricket ground established in 1864 and one of the largest in the world, best seen during a match or on a ground tour.
Calcutta High Court
The oldest high court in India, a red Gothic-style building of the 1870s, seen from outside on weekdays.
B. B. D. Bagh
Former Dalhousie Square, the colonial centre of Calcutta, with Writers' Building, the GPO and a tank; the area is a business district.
Howrah Bridge
Cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, opened in 1943, one of the busiest in the world and the symbol of Kolkata.
Kolkata in 2 days
Day 1
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
Gothic Revival cathedral of 1847 on the Maidan, with stained glass and an old chapel.
Victoria Memorial Hall
White marble museum of 1921 on the Maidan with galleries, a garden and paintings of the Raj; closed on Mondays.
The Indian Museum
The oldest and largest museum in India, founded in 1814, with Egyptian mummies, fossils and Indian art; closed on Mondays.
Fort William, India
Large 18th-century fort on the Hooghly, now an army base, with limited public access.
B. B. D. Bagh
Former Dalhousie Square, the colonial centre of Calcutta, with Writers' Building, the GPO and a tank; the area is a business district.
Howrah Bridge
Cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, opened in 1943, one of the busiest in the world and the symbol of Kolkata.
Day 2
Calcutta High Court
The oldest high court in India, a red Gothic-style building of the 1870s, seen from outside on weekdays.
Maidan
Vast open green space in central Kolkata with clubs, grounds and monuments, used for walks and sports.
Eden Gardens
Cricket ground established in 1864 and one of the largest in the world, best seen during a match or on a ground tour.
Marble Palace
Neoclassical mansion of 1835 in north Kolkata with statues, paintings and chandeliers; entry by free permit on most days.
Kolkata in 3 days
Day 1
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
Gothic Revival cathedral of 1847 on the Maidan, with stained glass and an old chapel.
Tipu Sultan Mosque
Mosque near Esplanade, built in 1832 by the family of Tipu Sultan, with a gold-tipped dome and tall minarets.
Raj Bhavan
The governor's residence of West Bengal, a large colonial building of 1803, visited on guided access days.
General Post Office, Kolkata
Domed colonial post office of 1868 on the site of the original Fort William, with a lofty central hall.
B. B. D. Bagh
Former Dalhousie Square, the colonial centre of Calcutta, with Writers' Building, the GPO and a tank; the area is a business district.
Howrah Bridge
Cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, opened in 1943, one of the busiest in the world and the symbol of Kolkata.
Day 2
Victoria Memorial Hall
White marble museum of 1921 on the Maidan with galleries, a garden and paintings of the Raj; closed on Mondays.
Fort William, India
Large 18th-century fort on the Hooghly, now an army base, with limited public access.
Eden Gardens
Cricket ground established in 1864 and one of the largest in the world, best seen during a match or on a ground tour.
The Indian Museum
The oldest and largest museum in India, founded in 1814, with Egyptian mummies, fossils and Indian art; closed on Mondays.
Day 3
Nakhoda Masjid
Kolkata's largest mosque, a red sandstone building from 1926 modelled on Akbar's tomb at Sikandra.
Marble Palace
Neoclassical mansion of 1835 in north Kolkata with statues, paintings and chandeliers; entry by free permit on most days.
Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Ancestral home of the Tagore family and birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore, now a museum and part of Rabindra Bharati University.
Kumortuli
Potters' quarter in north Kolkata where craftsmen make clay idols of gods, busiest before Durga Puja.
Belur Math
Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission on the Hooghly, with a temple that blends Hindu, Christian and Islamic styles.
Kolkata in 4 days
Day 1
The Great Banyan
Huge banyan tree in the botanic garden, one of the largest trees in the world by crown spread.
Prinsep Ghat
Riverside ghat of 1841 on the Hooghly with a Palladian memorial, popular for evening walks and boat rides.
Fort William, India
Large 18th-century fort on the Hooghly, now an army base, with limited public access.
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
Gothic Revival cathedral of 1847 on the Maidan, with stained glass and an old chapel.
Birla Mandir, Kolkata
White marble Hindu temple of Vishnu and Lakshmi on Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, opened in 1996 with carved towers.
Writers' Building
Long red-brick administrative building in B. B. D. Bagh, built for East India Company clerks, best seen from outside.
Day 2
Science City Kolkata
One of the largest science centres in South Asia, with an exhibition hall, dome theatre, aquarium and a hands-on gallery.
College Street
Long street of second-hand bookstalls and publishers near the universities, known for its huge book market and old coffee houses.
Nakhoda Masjid
Kolkata's largest mosque, a red sandstone building from 1926 modelled on Akbar's tomb at Sikandra.
General Post Office, Kolkata
Domed colonial post office of 1868 on the site of the original Fort William, with a lofty central hall.
Calcutta High Court
The oldest high court in India, a red Gothic-style building of the 1870s, seen from outside on weekdays.
Eden Gardens
Cricket ground established in 1864 and one of the largest in the world, best seen during a match or on a ground tour.
Day 3
Tipu Sultan Mosque
Mosque near Esplanade, built in 1832 by the family of Tipu Sultan, with a gold-tipped dome and tall minarets.
Shaheed Minar, Kolkata
Tall column of 1828, the Ochterlony Monument, rising from the Maidan, with a city view from its top.
The Indian Museum
The oldest and largest museum in India, founded in 1814, with Egyptian mummies, fossils and Indian art; closed on Mondays.
Maidan
Vast open green space in central Kolkata with clubs, grounds and monuments, used for walks and sports.
Victoria Memorial Hall
White marble museum of 1921 on the Maidan with galleries, a garden and paintings of the Raj; closed on Mondays.
Raj Bhavan
The governor's residence of West Bengal, a large colonial building of 1803, visited on guided access days.
Marble Palace
Neoclassical mansion of 1835 in north Kolkata with statues, paintings and chandeliers; entry by free permit on most days.
Day 4
Jorasanko Thakur Bari
Ancestral home of the Tagore family and birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore, now a museum and part of Rabindra Bharati University.
Kumortuli
Potters' quarter in north Kolkata where craftsmen make clay idols of gods, busiest before Durga Puja.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Large Kali temple on the Hooghly, founded in 1855 and linked to the saint Ramakrishna, with twelve Shiva shrines in its courtyard.
Belur Math
Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission on the Hooghly, with a temple that blends Hindu, Christian and Islamic styles.
Howrah Bridge
Cantilever bridge over the Hooghly, opened in 1943, one of the busiest in the world and the symbol of Kolkata.
Watch: Kolkata in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Kolkata
October to March is the best time, with pleasant, dry days and cool evenings. Summer from April to June is hot and humid, and the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain and floods. Durga Puja in September-October and Kali Puja in October-November are the best-known festivals, with huge crowds. January has the Kolkata Book Fair.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kolkata on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kolkata on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kolkata on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Kolkata with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for India from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kolkata
- Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum and other museums are closed on Mondays, so use Mondays for walks, ghats and the Maidan.
- Fort William is an army base, so entry needs permission or an arranged visit; check before planning it.
- The metro is the quickest way across the city; taxis and ride-hailing apps handle short hops through heavy traffic.
- Dress modestly for temples, mosques and Belur Math, and expect to remove shoes at the entrance.
- Durga Puja is the city's big festival, usually in September-October, when pandals fill the streets; book hotels and plan extra time for crowds.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- B. B. D. Bagh: Pinaki1983, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belur Math: K.vishnupranay, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Birla Mandir, Kolkata: Rajkumar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Calcutta High Court: Samual Bourne, Public domain
- College Street: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple: Knath, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eden Gardens: JokerDurden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort William, India: William Wood (fl. 1827–1833), Public domain
- General Post Office, Kolkata: Schwiki, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Howrah Bridge: Apoorva Karlekar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jorasanko Thakur Bari: Tanmoy Bhaduri, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kumortuli: P.K.Niyogi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maidan: unknown author, Copyrighted free use
- Marble Palace: Souvik pal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nakhoda Masjid: Sumit Surai, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Prinsep Ghat: Moinak, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Raj Bhavan: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Science City Kolkata: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shaheed Minar, Kolkata: Arnab Dutta, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata: Ankitesh Jha, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Great Banyan: Aritro Mukherjee IN, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Indian Museum: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0
- Tipu Sultan Mosque: DeepanjanGhosh, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Victoria Memorial Hall: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Writers' Building: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
