Kolkata (Calcutta)
is where India and England collide
Welcome to Kolkata (Calcutta)
India’s third-largest city is a daily festival of human existence, simultaneously noble and squalid, cultured and desperate, decidedly futuristic while splendid in decay. By its old spelling, Calcutta readily conjures images of human suffering to most Westerners – although that's not a complete picture of this 330-year-old metropolis. Locally, Kolkata is regarded as India’s intellectual, artistic and cultural capital. Although poverty is certainly apparent, the self-made middle class drives the city's core machinery, a nascent hipster culture thrives among its millennial residents and its dapper Bengali gentry frequent grand colonial-era clubs.
Top experiences in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) activities
Private Arrival Transfer: Kolkata Airport to Hotel
After you land, your friendly, professional driver will meet you at the arrivals gate and drive you directly to your hotel in Kolkata. Whether you’re traveling individually, with a partner or in a group, your ground transportation needs can all be covered by this private transport service.When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your Kolkata accommodation details. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. Approximately 24 - 48 hours prior to your arrival in Kolkata, you will be required to reconfirm exact pickup time and place (the contact number will be provided on your travel voucher).Price is per person, based on 3 to 6 adults per car/vehicle.
Mother House, Victoria Memorial, Calcutta University Tour
In the morning, you’ll be picked up at your Kolkata hotel by your guide and taken by private air-conditioned vehicle to Mother Teresa’s Mission and Mother House, locally known as Mother House, where you’ll learn about the significant humanitarian and religious contributions Mother Teresa made throughout the 20th century.Next, head to the Jain Temple, one of Kolkata’s most-visited temples by both locals and visitors alike. Step inside the temple to see the intricate décor including stained-glass windows and pillars inlaid with small mirrors.Then, a 10-minute car ride will take you to the University of Calcutta, one of the top-ranking universities in India. Walk the grounds to see its historical buildings while listening to your guide’s informative commentary about the university’s founding and the notable individuals who’ve attended the school, including laudable economist and 1998 Nobel Prize Winner Amartya Sen.In between sightseeing, enjoy a delectable spread of Indian-Chinese fusion dishes for lunch at the popular multi-cuisine restaurant, Flavours of India. Then, visit the nearby Magen David Synagogue, one of the largest Jewish synagogues in the Asia Pacific open for public worship.Afterward, head to Eden Gardens to see the largest cricket stadium in India. Home of the 2012 Indian Premier League champions, the Knight Riders, this is considered one of the most iconic stadiums in the country. Then, visit the Victoria Memorial, a memorial building dedicated to the UK’s Queen Victoria which now serves as a museum. Inside, see a large collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the era of British rule in India.Finally, stop for a great photo opportunity of the Howrah Bridge, one of Kolkata’s most popular symbols and the sixth-longest cantilever bridge in the world. You’ll then be taken back to your Kolkata hotel.Please note: Victoria Memorial is closed on Mondays. On these days, the tour will visit the Victoria Memorial Gardens instead.
Kolkata Private Tour: Mother House, Temples, Victoria Memorial
After pickup from your hotel in Kolkata, embark on your private tour of places of worship in Kolkata. Head to Belur Math, an architectural beauty that houses the volunteer organization Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Walk around and be in awe of the intricate architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of the unity of all religions.Then, enjoy a 20- to 30-minute boat cruise on the Hooghly River to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, a beautiful Hindu temple built in the traditional nava-ratna, or nine-spires, style of Bengal architecture. Next, drive to the Kalighat Kali Temple, where several pilgrims often go to pay their respects to Kali. Walk inside the temple with your guide and learn about how the temple’s image of the goddess differs from how she is depicted elsewhere.Afterward, you’ll be driven to the Jain Temple, where you’ll find beautiful interior decor such as pillars inlaid with mirrors and intricate stained-glass windows. Stop at a popular restaurant carefully chosen by your guide for a traditional Indian meal.Then head to the Nakhoda Mosque, the principal Islamic mosque of the city that rises impressively in the midst of a bustling commercial district.The rest of the day will show you England’s extensive influence on this region. At the Victoria Memorial, a memorial complex dedicated to Queen Victoria, marvel at the structure’s architectural style, which fuses both Islamic and European architecture. Inside the hall, see paintings and memorials depicting the queen’s reign.Visit St John’s Church, a neoclassical structure featuring a distinctive tall stone spire with a giant clock. Walk along the church’s blue-gray marble floors up to the altar. Then, visit at St Paul’s Cathedral, a beautiful Anglican church built in Gothic Revival style. While the exterior's design is exquisite, the tranquil interior will leave you even more impressed, with its beautifully carved wooden pews, striking stained-glass windows and marvelous Florentine frescoes.Finally, visit Mother Teresa’s Mission and Mother House, or simply Mother House, where Mother Teresa’s large tomb is located. Here, experience the serenity of the place and learn about Mother Teresa’s important religious work throughout the 20th century. Relax in your air-conditioned vehicle on the ride back to your hotel in the early evening.
Kolkata 2-Hour Traditional Bengali Meal in a Private Home
Meet Iti, a warm and welcoming retired British Airways executive who has been on a series of Indian cooking shows to demonstrate how to prepare Bengali cuisine. She lives in the heart of Calcutta in an elegant, modern apartment with a garden terrace.Share with Iti a traditional Bengali tasting menu served on beautiful hand-painted terracotta plates with matching bowls for curries. Dishes may include pulao (fragrant saffron-flavored rice), dal (yellow mung lentils spiked with mango-flavored ginger and cumin), beguni (crispy eggplant fritters), alu jhinge posto (potatoes, zucchini, and yellow pumpkin cooked with a poppy seed paste), chingri malai curry (aromatic coconut cream prawns), bhetki paturi (sea bass coated with a mustard paste and steamed in banana leaves). For dessert, you might try payesh (Bengali style rice pudding flavored with cinnamon and sweetened with date palm sugar) or another of her fantastic dishes. Enjoy a delicious meal while learning about Bengali culinary and cultural heritage.Please note, your host is not a professional chef, rather this experience is a visit into an authentic, local home to meet a local person and share the culture and cuisine together.
Learn to Cook Authentic Bengali Food in a Local Home
Bibi lives in a traditional Calcutta home with her teenage daughter and husband. Bibi, a restaurateur, started her career selling momos (steamed pork dumplings from Darjeeling) at the Nari Seva fair. You'll be greeted with a welcome drink, perhaps ampura sherbet (a refreshing raw mango drink) or, in the winter, apple juice with a hint of ginger. Bibi will teach you about the local cuisine and the dominant spices in Bengali food.Join Bibi in her small kitchen watch her demonstrate how to cook authentic Bengali dishes that centers around a variety of vegetables and the flavors of mustard seed and panch poran (Bengali five-spice). The cooking demonstration will last about 1-2 hours.Once the meal is ready you will join Bibi and her family at the table to sample the dishes. You will enjoy Bengali favorites like shaag bhaja (fried greens), shukto (mixed bitter vegetables), dal (lentils), vegetable bhaja (fried eggplant with crisp fried potato sticks), khao suey (Indian-style Burmese chicken curry and noodle) which are served with papad (crispy wafters made of gram flour), rice and chutney to accent the flavors of the meal. End on a sweet note with a dessert like mishti doi (sweetened yoghurt) or payesh (rice pudding with jaggery, raw sugar made from nectar from the date palm tree). Please note, your host is not a professional chef, rather this experience is a visit into an authentic, local home to meet a local person and share the culture and cuisine together.
Full-Day Custom Private Tour of Kolkata
Your custom tour of Kolkata begins at your suitable timing where your English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel. Enjoy exploring Kolkata in the comfort of a private air-conditioned private vehicle while your local guide gives you recommendations of sites to visit throughout the day.You can visit the famous Victoria Memorial, Flower Market, St. Paul Cathedral Church and other interesting places. Take a tour of the Prinsep Ghat to enjoy a delicious Indian cuisine. You also have the option to visit famous temples in Kolkata like the Kali Temple, Dakshineshwar Temple and more. Peek into the life of great Indian Poet, Rabindranath Tagore.Since this is a custom Private tour, you are free to spend as much time you want at any attractions. The tour lasts for 8 hours.Please note that monument fees and any food purchased during the tour are not included in the tour price.