72 Hours in the City of Joy
Colonial relics, riverfront sunrises, and Bengali flavours in three packed days
Trip Overview
Kolkata hands time-pressed travellers a distilled shot of itself: yellow Ambassadors blaring past crumbling colonnades, charcoal smoke curling over sweet-shop lanes, ferries clanging across the broad Hooghly at sunset. This steady weekend plants you centrally, folds postcard sights into living neighbourhoods, and keeps nights open for things to do in Kolkata after dark—catch a play at the 19th-century Minerva or demolish phuchka on Vivekananda Road.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Colonia Core & River Crossing
Where to Stay Tonight
Sudder Street / New Market (The Lindsay or Olde Kings Inn)
Walking distance to day-2 sights and safe for late-night street food
Museums, Mansions & College-Street Coffee
Where to Stay Tonight
Sudder Street / New Market (Same hotel—avoids packing up)
Central for both days’ routes
Temples, Tigers & Twilight Markets
Where to Stay Tonight
Check-out day (Day-use lockers at India Tourism desk inside airport (₹100/hour))
Lets you shop hands-free until departure
Practical Information
Getting Around
Yellow taxis swarm—insist on the meter or tap Ola/Uber. The North–South metro is quickest from College Street to Kalighat. Ferries outrun traffic between Bagbazar and Howrah. Most rides stay under ₹80 ($1) inside the city core.
Book Ahead
Book the heritage walking tour, Marble Palace permit, and any Rabindra Sadan play tickets in advance. Sudder Street hotels rarely fill, yet reserve December–January for sharper Kolkata hotel rates.
Packing Essentials
Pack light layers for cool dawns, shoes that grip wet riverfront stones, small change for temples, a power bank for photo-heavy days, passport photocopies for permits.
Total Budget
$190-250 for 3 days excluding flights
Customize Your Trip
Budget Version
Trade restaurants for street snacks (egg-decker at Fairlie Place, phuchka outside Victoria). Ride the metro over taxis and bunk in Sudder Street dorms—daily spend drops to $40–50.
Luxury Upgrade
Check into Oberoi Grand, hire a private car and driver, upgrade lunch to Thai at Ozora and dinner to Taj Bengal’s Sonargaon, book curated art tours of CIMA and Experimenter galleries—expect roughly $250–300 a day.
Family-Friendly
Swap Marble Palace for Science City, add a morning tram from Esplanade to Shyambazar, pick the early-evening light-and-sound show at Victoria; most Kolkata restaurants will dial down the chilli for kids on request.
Book Activities for Your Trip
Tours, tickets, and experiences in Kolkata