For travellers who have already covered Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge, there are still plenty of things to do in Kolkata that don’t show up on a first-timer’s list. College Street, Asia’s largest second-hand book market, runs for nearly a kilometre near Presidency University and is worth a slow morning walk rather than a quick stop.
The Maidan, one of the largest urban parks in the world, hosts everything from cricket matches to horse riding at the Kolkata Racecourse, and Eden Gardens sits at its northern edge as one of the oldest cricket stadiums still in regular international use. Science City, on the eastern side of the city, is India’s largest science centre and works well for both children and adults with a free afternoon.
Food is its own reason to return: Kolkata’s street food culture runs from kathi rolls near Park Street to the sweet shops of Bhowanipore, and a proper food walk through North Kolkata’s older neighbourhoods covers more than any restaurant list can. The Kumartuli potters’ quarter, where artisans have built Durga Puja idols by hand for generations, is open to visitors most of the year, not only during the festival season.
The Alipore Zoological Gardens, one of the oldest formal zoos in India, and the Botanical Garden across the river in Shibpur, home to the Great Banyan Tree with a canopy spanning nearly 15,000 square metres, both make for a relaxed half-day away from the busier central districts. Boat rides on the Hooghly River, available from several ghats near Millennium Park, give a different view of both Howrah Bridge and the city skyline at sunset.
Trams still run on a few routes in Kolkata, making it one of the last cities in India with an operating tram network, and a short ride is a genuinely different way to see the older parts of town compared to a car. Shopping at New Market or the more modern South City Mall covers both ends of Kolkata’s retail scene in a single afternoon.
Chandrawanshi Tour & Travels can build a custom day around any combination of these — a car for the day means no fixed schedule. Our full-day local cab hire service is the most flexible option for this kind of exploring, and pairs well with our Kolkata sightseeing bus tour for groups.