The 15 things to do in Calcutta

Are you planning to stay in Calcutta, India? Discover our selection of the 15 essential activities to do and see!

If you want a total change for your holiday, direction Calcutta ! Now called Kolkatta since 2001, it is the capital of Western Bengal. With its 14 million inhabitants, it is the third city of the country after Dehli and Bombay. A city daunting by its size, population density, culture and architectural heritage, it is unfortunately also known because of its pollution and the misery that reigns there. Visiting Calcutta will bring you your lot of surprises, and one thing is sure: it will not leave you indifferent.

To help you organize your stay more easily, you have listed the 15 best things to do in Calcutta and its surroundings!

1. Victoria Memorial

The Victoria is a huge white marble monument, located in the heart of Calutta. It is one of the most famous monuments of West Bengal, now a museum and a popular tourist destination.

Dedicated to memory Queen Victoria (1819–1901), this memorial not only honors the reign of the British Crown in the Indian subcontinent, but also constitutes a splendid architectural gem of neo-eastern style. This is a must-see place if you want to discover the essence of the Victorian era.

2. Saint Paul Cathedral of Calcutta

Saint Paul Cathedral of Calcutta is a neo-Gothic-style religious building decorated with florentine-inspired windows and frescoes

Monument built in 1847 by the English, it was built to replace the church of Saint John. Saint Paul's Cathedral of Calcutta is located in the southern part of the large green area of the city called "Maïdan", near Victoria Memorial.

3. The New Market

The New Market is a covered market located in the heart of the city that attracts many buyers, good business hunters and tourists. With its large Gothic structure, it is the oldest and most dynamic in all Calcuttien markets.

Its rows of stands with spices, fabrics, traditionally Indian souvenirs and street food vendors make it a must-see if you are looking for what to do on site. Enjoy it to bring back memories to your loved ones!

4. The Museum of Mother Teresa

In Calcutta is the Mother Teresa (Mother House), mother of the poor, orphans and neglected. One can see his grave there, in a large depicted room. Nearby, a museum comes back to his life and presents the few objects that belonged to him: religious objects, shoes, furniture...

By passing the inner courtyard, we arrive at another building that houses Mother Teresa’s room on the floor. Everything has been preserved in the state! It is not possible to enter it, but you will be able to observe the small room in which it lived and turned off in 1997. If you wish, you can very early in the morning attend the Mass which takes place daily in the main chapel.

5. The flower market

Open day and night, the flower market of Calcutta ( Mullick Ghat Flower Market ) is really imposing.

There is a multitude of sellers, the colors are magical and the irresistible scents. It is under the Howrah Bridge and extends along the railway track. Here, the inhabitants buy flowers as an offering to the gods or during marriages...

6. The botanical garden

The botanical garden of Calcutta (Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden) covers 110 hectares!

Stop at the foot of the spectacular banian fig tree: two and a half centuries old, it does not measure less than 420 m of circumference: a micro-forest on its own! The botanical garden greenhouse, or the Palm House, houses dozens of palm varieties, bamboo and other exotic flowers.

7. Science City

Science City , or La Cité des sciences, unique in its kind in India, was inaugurated on July 1, 1997. This is one of the largest Cité des sciences du monde.

Educative, playful and enriching, do not hesitate to visit him if you visit Calcutta with family, children will love!

8. The temple Dakshineswar Kali

Visiting religious temples inspires you? So go to the discovery of Temple Dakshineswar Kali . It is a magnificent Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. During your visit, you can see a statue of this goddess, as well as 12 sanctuaries in honor of Shiva, famous Hindu God. Funny story: in the 1850s, a wealthy widow would have dreamed that Kali asked him to build a temple in Calcutta. Soon dreamed... soon done!

And if you love temples, don't miss the Kalighat Temple Another must to do in Calcutta! A true historic, cultural, sporting and leisure centre in the city of Kolkata, it is good to walk there in the summer due to the freshness and greenery that can be found in this park.

9. Maidan Park

If you want to escape the city brouha and pollution the time of a ballad, go to the Maidan Park Calcutta's lung! The site, which covers 3.2 km from north to south and 1.6 km from east to west, is located in the heart of the city, surrounding Fort William, which you can also visit by the same occasion.

10. The Marble Palace

Why visit Marble Palace Calcutta? For this is one of the most preserved, neo-classical, bourgeois houses in the city! It is still inhabited today by the Mullick family, which built it in the 19th century and has a garden and an ornithological park that must also be seen!

11. Nicco Park

If you come to Calcutta with children, Nicco Park is one of the most exciting visits you can make! This amusement park covers 16 hectares and includes more than 30 attractions to satisfy small and large.

And you are looking to refresh yourself, visit the Wet-o-Wild water park located in the Nicco Park!

12. Tagore House

Still spared from mass tourism, the Tagore house is a former residential palace of the 19th century and today a museum in memory of Rabindranath Tagore. During your visit, you can discover the history of the Tagore family and the impact it has had in the Bengalian renaissance movement.

13. Howrah Bridge

Cross the Hooghly River by borrowing Howrah Bridge ! A true architectural wonder, it has served as a decor for many films since the 1950s and you cannot miss it: it is 705 meters long and is crossed every day by about 80,000 vehicles, more than one million pedestrians and thousands of cattle!

14. The Indian Museum

If you want to spend a half day cultivating you, it’s at Indian Museum We have to go! It is one of the oldest museums in the world and the first large museum built in Asia-Pacific! You can then explore the 60 galleries of the museum, gathered in six sections (Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botanics) and discover Egyptian mummies or ashes of the Buddha!

15. To see and to do also in Calcutta and its surroundings

• Tasting a Thai – Calcutta is the capital of tea in India: it is there that you will enjoy delicious Cai teas, sweet teas based on milk and spices. So why don’t you stop in one of the city’s many tea huts?
• Prakriti Tirtha – Located less than 20km from Calcutta, this is the largest park to date in India
• Prinsep Ghat
• Belur Math
• Birla Industrial and Technological Museum
• Zoological gardens of Alipore
• Taste local food by making a Gastronomic Tour of Calcutta

How to get to Calcutta?

There are numerous flights, at least 13 hours with at least one stopover, to Calcutta from Paris. There are also flights from Nice, Montpellier or Lyon for example. Instead, the province serves cities like Bombay or New Delhi. From these airports, you will then be able to fly to Calcutta very easily. To compare prices of flights to India, consult our partner’s website Ulysses .

Where to stay in Calcutta?

Very good Guest House and hotels are located in the heart of the city, for all scholarships. In the South there are the city's more hupped areas, but also the quietest. If you prefer to be in the city centre, then look for accommodation on Sudder Street: this is the guest houses street par excellence.

Do not hesitate to read our article “ In which quarter house in Calcutta? » to help you! To find your ideal hotel, take a look at this Compare hotels and make your choice!