Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Start from your Kolkata hotel around 8:00–8:30 am and take a taxi or app cab toward the Maidan; allow 20–45 minutes depending on where you are staying and weekday traffic. If driving, drop off near the Victoria Memorial Hall entrance rather than trying to park beside the monument—parking is limited, and the Maidan is much easier to explore on foot. Spend about two hours admiring the marble exterior, gardens, and galleries. Check the current museum opening schedule before setting out, as opening days and ticket arrangements can change; keep extra time for the entrance queue. Walk or take a short cab ride to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where 45 quiet minutes are enough for the Gothic interior, stained glass, and surrounding grounds. Dress modestly and check service timings before entering, particularly on Sundays or major church days.
Continue by taxi to the Indian Museum on Chowringhee, usually a 10–15-minute ride from the Maidan, though traffic around Esplanade can slow you down. Allow roughly two hours here, plus time for security and ticket queues. The archaeology galleries, sculptures, coins, textiles, and natural-history displays are extensive, so choose a few sections rather than trying to cover everything. Afterward, head to Peter Cat on Park Street for a late lunch. It is a short cab ride from the museum, but queues are common and the restaurant may not take reservations, so arriving outside the main lunch rush is worthwhile. Budget approximately ₹700–₹1,500 per person; the chelo kebab is the signature order, with room for a shared side or dessert.
Spend the rest of the day walking along Park Street, one of the easiest places in Kolkata for a relaxed evening of cafés, bakeries, old restaurants, and people-watching. Keep the walk unhurried—this is better experienced as a gradual food-and-coffee wander than as a checklist. Use the main lit stretch and take an app cab back rather than walking far beyond the busy restaurant area late at night. Expect a full but comfortable day; the three heritage attractions involve substantial standing, so comfortable shoes and a short café break between the museum and dinner are useful.
Begin early with Tiretta Bazaar, ideally around 6:30–8:00 am. Its traditional Chinese-Indian breakfast market is a morning-only affair and can be quiet or partly closed depending on the day, so treat it as a bonus rather than a guarantee; budget about ₹150–₹400 per person for dumplings, pork sausages, baos and tea. If the stalls are unavailable, do a short Burrabazar food walk instead, trying local kachori, jalebi or chai. From there, take an app cab to Marble Palace—allow roughly 20–30 minutes in light traffic, considerably longer once North Kolkata gets busy. The mansion is still privately managed, and visits generally require prior permission, so carry identification and do not count on being admitted without confirmation; allow about 1½ hours once inside. Continue by cab or a 10–15-minute walk to Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore. Set aside another 1½ hours for the museum and courtyards, and check the museum’s current opening day and holiday schedule before setting out.
After Jorasanko Thakur Bari, head toward College Street by taxi or auto-rickshaw, usually 15–25 minutes depending on congestion. Spend about 1½ hours wandering among the pavement booksellers and university buildings; prices are often negotiable, and the best finds reward patient browsing rather than a rushed visit. Have a relaxed late lunch at Indian Coffee House, where the service is deliberately unhurried and the atmosphere is part of the experience—coffee, fish fry, sandwiches and simple snacks usually cost around ₹150–₹400 per person. Continue by cab or on foot toward Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth in Burrabazar for the final visit, allowing roughly 45 minutes. Dress modestly, keep your voice low, and verify that the church is open for visitors or worship before arriving, as access can be limited. Keep the evening flexible: the lanes around Burrabazar are fascinating but crowded, with uneven pavements and frequent vehicle movement, so a short walk followed by an app cab back to your hotel is more comfortable than trying to cover too much on foot.
Begin at Kalighat Kali Temple, ideally around 7:00–7:30 am, when the lanes are busy but generally more manageable than later in the morning. Allow about 1½ hours, including the approach through Kalighat’s crowded market streets and the queue for darshan. There is usually no standard entry fee, though special पूजा or faster-darshan arrangements may cost extra; use only official temple counters or clearly identified services, and keep phones and valuables secure. From there, take an app cab or auto toward Birla Mandir in Ballygunge—roughly 20–30 minutes, depending on traffic. The white-marble temple is usually best visited late morning, but opening hours and photography rules can vary, so check locally before setting out; allow 45 minutes.
Walk or take a short auto ride to Gariahat Market, where you can spend about 1½ hours browsing cotton saris, kantha work, handicrafts, household goods, and Bengali snacks. Bargaining is expected at stalls, while fixed-price shops are easier for a relaxed purchase; keep cash in small notes and watch your belongings in the busiest lanes. For lunch, settle at 6 Ballygunge Place, allowing around 1½ hours and roughly ₹600–₹1,200 per person. Order a Bengali thali or regional dishes such as fish preparations, shukto, dal, seasonal vegetables, and a sweet to finish. The market and restaurant are close enough to combine on foot, though the midday heat makes a short cab ride worthwhile.
After lunch, head to Rabindra Sarobar by taxi or auto, usually 20–30 minutes from Ballygunge. Give yourself about 1½ hours for an unhurried walk around the lake and its shaded paths; this is the day’s quietest stretch, so avoid rushing and follow any local restrictions around the water, gardens, or bird areas. If continuing to onward accommodation, station, or airport, leave southern Kolkata after the walk with 1–2 hours for the transfer, plus extra buffer for Kolkata traffic and security queues. An app cab is simplest with luggage; for an airport departure, allow substantially more time during peak evening traffic rather than relying on the fastest map estimate.
No packing list attached yet.