Top 5 Places to Visit in Kolkata

The city of Joy, Kolkata is a vibrant 350 years old metropolis and is the capital of West Bengal. Formerly known as Calcutta, it was India’s capital under the British Raj. Food, Art, Culture, Music, Shopping, Poetries and so much more, Kolkata is blessed with everything that a traveler is looking for. So deep dive into the old world charm with our luxury travel specialists. Here are the top 5 places to visit in Kolkata that will definitely give you travel inspiration for your next getaway.

1.Iconic Howrah Bridge:  One of the best places to visit in Kolkata is Howrah Bridge. Constructed over Hooghly River, the bridge is 705M long and 30M wide built-in 1943. It was renamed Rabindra Setu in June 1965 after the first Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.  Get the spectacular view of the bridge on a ferry ride in the evening when the bridge is lit up. A perfect romantic evening on the water.

2.Flower Market: Asia’s biggest flower market Mullick Ghat flower market is about 161 years old, you will see around a pile of red Hibiscus, beautiful yellow/orange Marigold and a variety of other different flowers, many of which are even exported all the way to Europe. The market starts as early as 03:00 AM local time when more than 2000 flower sellers gather to make a trade. So embark on an early morning walk to this market, get the best deal of the day and take with you some beautiful flowers.

One of the best places to see in Kolkata – Mullick Ghat Flower Market

3.Idol Makers At Kumartuli: It is a very unusual place as you can see narrow lanes filled with idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Kumartuli is traditionally a potter’s village, “Kumar” means “Potter” and “Tuli”  means “Locality” which is almost 300 years old. Today hundreds of artisans live here and create beautifully hand-crafted idols.  You can see how they start with ropes made out of coconut fiber, clay and bamboo sticks. Walk down the lane to see the idols in the making.

One of the places to see in Kolkata – Kumartuli

4.Victoria Memorial: Built in the honor of Queen Victoria during the British rule this wonderful structure and houses a museum inside. You will see beautiful gardens spread around the building. There is a lake just ahead of the memorial which is a perfect spot for photography and to spend some picnic time.  In the evening you can also enjoy decorated horse carriage ride usually drawn by a single horse and the ride is also called as Victoria ride.

Victoria Memorial

5.College Street: World’s largest second-hand book market, also known as ‘Boi Para’ (book-mart) where you will find countless books ranging from fiction & non-fiction, Rare Editions, Photography magazines, Foreign publications and so many more and also you can visit some very old bookstores around. This is a book lover’s paradise that welcomes with a comforting smell of old books. Do you love to read while you travel? Then shop some amazing books here and you are good to go.

Enjoy a virtual tour of the above top 5 places to visit in Kolkata on Bespoke India Holidays Youtube channel and to know more about Kolkata tours click here.