Kolkata is one of the oldest cities, which was a prime attraction of the British Empire that it was tagged as the Capital of India from 1722 to until 1911. Often while making a list of travelling through cities, we overlook the city of Joy, which is so rich in its culture, heritage, and folk. Kolkata has managed to reinvent itself. The below places which I mentions are Best Places to Visit in Kolkata will surely give you the real essence of this ancient city. Personally, I think doing a city walk would help you feel the city vibes even more.
Victoria Memorial
This ancient structure was built in the fond memory of Queen Victoria. It is currently popular for the museum located inside of it. It is spread over 57 acres of land, filled with 21 landscape gardens, and thousands of visual paintings. Annually it hosts 20 lac visitors. This is one of the most iconic places to visit if you are down in the city.
Location: Victoria Memorial Hall, 1, Queen’s Way, Kolkata
Ideal time to complete the tour: 2-3 hours
Timing:
Garden: 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM everyday
Museum: 10:00 AM to 5:00 M every day, except Monday and National holidays
Cost: Garden: INR 10
Museum: Indians: INR 20 Foreigners: INR 200
School children up to 12 years age in uniform and army personnel in uniform: Free
Mullik Ghat Flower Market
This place is 125 years old, located in the east. This is the largest flower market filled with 1000s of sellers every day. The place looks pretty with vibrant colors during throughout the day. If you love the street life and chaos, then this is the place for you.
Location: Along Strand Road, starting from below Howrah Bridge on the Kolkata side.
Timing: From sunrise until sunset.
Birla Planetarium
Jawaharlal Nehru set up this magical place in the year 1963. This is the largest of its kind in the world. It hosts shows in various languages talking about celestial beings and planet earth. If you are an Astronomy lover, you must visit this place.
Location: Paul’s Cathedral, 96, Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Ideal time to complete the tour: 2-3 hours
Timing:
12:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Cost: INR 40
Mother House
Mother Teresa founded the Mother house or Missionaries of Charity in the year 1950. The members provide free service to underprivileged children who are below the poverty line. The house currently holds about 4,500 sisters who have dedicated their lives to serve these children. There is an area that displays Mother Teresa’s tomb and all of her personal belongings like here saree, sandal, etc. If you want to pay your respect and visit the lovely children of the home, then this place should be on your list.
Location: 54A, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd
Ideal time to complete the tour: 1-2 hours
Timing:
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
(Closed on Thursdays, 22 August, Easter Monday, 26 December)
Cost: Entry free
Prinsep Ghat
This iconic place is built along the riverside of Hoogly. It is famous, as many Bollywood movies have been shot here. The architecture is purely inspired by gothic culture with great pillars. It is even more beautiful to visit at night when the place is dazzlingly lit throughout. You could come here early in the morning and take a boat ride. If you are lucky, the boatman might even sing a traditional Bengali folk song for you!
Location: Fort William, Hastings, Kolkata
Timing:
8 am to 8 pm
Cost: Entry free
Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the ninth oldest and largest museums in India. More commonly known as ‘Jadughar’, the Indian Museum holds the finest collections of Indian artefacts. At present, it hold 35 galleries which are divided into six broad categories namely; Art, Archeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology, and Economic Botany.
Location: 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Fire Brigade Head Quarter, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata
Ideal time to complete the tour: 1-2 hours
Timing: Tuesday to Sunday: March to November: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM,
December to February: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Cost: Indian visitor: INR 10 per head, Foreign visitor: INR 150 per head
Park Street
Finally, for the foodie in you, you must make a visit to Kolkata’s busiest and most lively streets. Park Street is famous for many eateries located one after the other. These restaurants have been run through generations. This place had India’s first legal nightclub and ever since then has a crazy nightlife scene. You can check out Mocambo, Bluefox, Trincas for epic jazz and up-beat music shows too.
Location: Starts from Chowringhee Road to Park Circus
Also Read: Best Places to visit in Hyderabad
If you know any other best places in Kolkata other than which I mentioned above kindly mention in below comments.