Kolkata for a long weekend: sights, food and shopping

For many travellers from Bangladesh, Kolkata feels less like going abroad and more like visiting a city you already half know. The language is the same, the sweets are familiar, and yet the trams, the old mansions and the bookstalls make it feel quite different from Dhaka. Three or four days is enough for a satisfying first visit, as long as you plan around the traffic and the weather.

Getting there from Dhaka

You have three ways in, and each suits a different kind of trip:

• By air: the quickest option. The flight is short, so you can leave Dhaka in the morning and be in Kolkata in time for lunch.
• By train: the cross-border train between Dhaka and Kolkata is comfortable and popular when it is running, but services have been paused at times, so check before you plan around it.
• By road: coaches run via the Benapole and Petrapole border. It is the longest option, and the border crossing can be slow at busy times, but it is easy on the budget.

Whichever way you go, you will need an Indian visa. The availability of Indian tourist visas for Bangladeshi passport holders has changed in recent times, so Softway Travels checks the current situation and the documents usually asked for before you book anything.

Day one: Victoria Memorial and the Maidan

Start with the city's grandest building. The Victoria Memorial is a white marble hall set in large gardens, with a museum inside covering the history of Bengal and the British period. Go early in the day, when the light is soft and the gardens are quieter.

From there, walk along the edge of the Maidan, the huge open green in the middle of the city, and head to St Paul's Cathedral nearby. In the late afternoon, Prinsep Ghat on the river is a pleasant place to watch the sunset with the Vidyasagar Setu in the background.

Day two: Howrah Bridge and College Street

The Howrah Bridge is the symbol of Kolkata, and it is at its liveliest in the morning. Walk part of it, then visit the Mullick Ghat flower market just beside it on the Kolkata bank, where garlands of marigolds are sold in great heaps. A short ferry across the Hooghly gives you a fine view of the bridge from the water.

After lunch, head to College Street, the famous book market, where stalls line the pavement for long stretches. Book lovers can lose an afternoon here. Stop for a cup of coffee at the Indian Coffee House, a meeting place for writers and students for generations.

Day three: Park Street food and New Market

Park Street is the city's classic eating street, with old restaurants, bakeries and cafés side by side. Flurys is known for its breakfasts and pastries, and the area is a good place for an unhurried dinner. Kolkata is also famous for its kathi rolls, phuchka and the many sweet shops selling roshogolla and sandesh.

New Market, close by, is the place for shopping. You will find saris, shoes, fabric, bags and dry fruits, with smaller lanes full of stalls all around the main building. A few tips:

1. Look around a few shops before you buy, and bargain politely.
2. Keep your bag in front of you in crowded lanes.
3. Leave space in your luggage, because almost everyone buys more than they planned.

Plan sightseeing for the morning and shopping for the evening. Kolkata's traffic is easier that way, and so are you.

Getting around and when to go

The Kolkata Metro is the easiest way to cross the city quickly. Yellow taxis and app-based cabs are widely available, and a short tram ride is worth doing once for the experience.

The most comfortable months are usually October to February, when the air is cooler. Durga Puja in autumn is a wonderful time to see the city at its most festive, but hotels fill up and the roads are very crowded, so book well ahead. Summer is hot and humid, and the monsoon brings heavy rain and waterlogging.

If you would like flights, a central hotel and transfers sorted in one go, our Kolkata package is a simple place to start. Softway Travels can plan the trip around your dates, check the current visa situation and book it for you.