Places to visit in Kolkata

• Chowringhee and BBD Bagh: Most travellers head south of the iconic Howrah Bridge (the busiest in the world, so no stopping for photos) to Chowringhee and BBD Bagh, formerly Dalhousie Square. The colonial precinct, surrounded by historic structures like Raj Bhawan, St John's Church (the oldest in Kolkata), Black Hole Monument and Jewish synagogues. South of BBD Bagh is the vast, open parkland called Maidan, fringed by the legendary cricketing venue Eden Gardens, Fort William, Nehru Children's Museum, Birla Planetarium, St Paul's Cathedral and the beautiful white marble Victoria Memorial.
• Victoria Memorial: Featuring a blend of Mughal and British architectural styles, Victoria Memorial is probably the most photogenic Kolkata structure. This beautiful gleaming white structure made with white Makrana marbles stands upright with a height of 184 feet. Presently a museum, the Victoria Memorial hall showcases 17th and 18th-century European paintings, Bengal school paintings, several Persian manuscripts, Mughal arms and weapons, ancient textiles, and Queen Victoria's piano.
• Indian Museum: Housed in the 18th Century Asiatic Society building, it is one of the oldest museums globally and considered to be the largest museum in Asia-Pacific related to Indian Heritage. The museum preserves unmatched artefacts and antiques such as fossils, mummies, armour, ornaments, and Mughal paintings. There are six sections with 35 galleries dedicated to different science branches, including Zoology, Botany, Geology, and more. Heaven for science lovers, the museum is incorporated in the list of Institute of National Importance.
• Birla Temple: Also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple, the structure boasts impressive architecture in Rajasthani style, built using white marble and looks like a replica of Lingraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar. It looks stunning in the evening with exquisite lighting.
• Belur Math: If you are looking for a silent place to enlighten your spiritual side, then visit Belur Math is a must. This is the place Swami Vivekananda had spent the last years of his life. Spread over 40 acres of land, there are several temples in its premise, and all of them boasts stunning architecture.
• Alipore Zoo: Also known as the Alipore Zoological Gardens, it happens to be the oldest formally recognised zoological Park in India. Since 1876 and home to numerous variety of animals with the recent newborns, it has been running as a zoo – an Indian Muntjac and a Grant zebra. So, do visit this fantastic place.
• Dakshineswar Kali Temple: This 18th-century temple built by Rani Rashmoni holds great relevance spiritually as well as historically. There are twelve Shiva temples, a Radha Krishna temple within the temple's main temple of Goddess Kali. It is a superb example of Bengali architecture with three-storey building standing at a height of 46 feet.
• Kalighat temple: Settled on the banks of Adi Canal, Kalighat Temple is among the 51 Shakti Peethas in India and receives many devotees all-around the year. The tongue and hands of Goddess Kali are made up of gold, and the temple complex comprises many other temples, names as Soshi Tala, Jor Bangla, Nat Mandir, Harkath Tala and Radha Krishna temple. Here goat sacrifices are still conducted to appease Kolkata's patron goddess.
• Birla Planetarium: Touted as the largest planetarium in Asia and second-largest globally, Birla Planetarium is a single-storey beautiful structure. It was inaugurated in 1962 by Jawaharlal Nehru. It featured celestial models designed by famous astronomers, an electronics laboratory meant for design and fabrication and a vast astronomy gallery, home to beautiful paintings.

High-end shopping/luxury shopping/shopping malls in Kolkata

• South City Mall
• City Centre I
• Quest Mall
• Mani Square Mall
• Forum Courtyard
• Axis mall

Street shopping in Kolkata

• Chowringee: It is the commercial heart of Kolkata with cloth merchants, tailors, electronic shops and for cinema lovers—movie theatres.
• Gariahat Market: It is one of the major shopping hubs in South Kolkata, comprising of each and everything starting with jewellery, home décor items, clothes, fashion wears, exquisite Bengali sarees and more. Do remember to bargain before buying.
• Dakshinapan market: For local shopping, the city's Dakshinapan market on Gariahat Road is the perfect place to go. Various state emporiums and shops sell everything from Santiniketan leather bags and purses, Balucheri saris, handicrafts and furniture.
• Byloom: It collaborates with local artisans to produce Indian weaves, with an exquisite collection of saris – cotton block prints, khadi to traditional silks. The eco-boutique Living Free is a mélange of designer apparel, ceramics, accessories, organic food, wellness products and recycled stationery.
• New Market: No shopping experience is complete without a New Market trip, a Victorian-era shopping arcade in a Gothic building. Divided into specialised sections like spices, electronics, textiles, home decor, toys, cosmetics and artificial jewellery, the market is at its colourful best during Diwali selling diyas and lanterns.
• College Street: Located in central Kolkata is an excellent place to pick up books at throwaway prices.
• Kumartuli: For an earthier experience, pick up clay artefacts at the potters' colony of Kumartuli where Durga Puja idols are made traditionally.

Nightlife/party places in Kolkata

• Tantra: The Park's discotheque Tantra has been the city's premier party spot since ages, besides Someplace Else for its original music and Roxy, both at The Park, as well.
• Sante: The Basement and Princeton Club support the local indie music scene and Sante at Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences in the heart of Kolkata's IT hub, is a great place to unwind with exciting cocktails such as Sunderban Delight—white rum, Cointreau, lime juice and tangy tomato chutney!
• Vault and Privy Ultra: Lounge bars like Vault at Priya Cinema and Privy Ultra Lounge at Elgin have a small dance floor with live DJs playing EDM, hip-hop and Bollywood.
• Nocturne: Nocturne on Theatre Road is another option and comes into its element on weekends.

Prinsep ghat

Rich in Gothic and Greek inlays, Prinsep Ghat is one of the oldest recreational spots in Kolkata. The place is usually crowded on weekends with people strolling along the bank or boating on the river while enjoying a stunning view of Vidyasagar Setu.

Jorasanko Thakur Bari

Tagore lovers can visit the poet's family home Jorasanko Thakur Bari (Rabindra Bharati University campus) for plays and other cultural events. Kolkata has a busy calendar with jazz shows at the Dalhousie Institute and concerts at Max Mueller Bhavan and The Seagull Foundation of the Arts for literature, art exhibitions and other events.

Eco Park

This 480-acre Park is a favourite spot in the city among locals and tourists also. The place is equally entertaining for children and adults. It comprises multiple themed areas such as Herb Garden, Wildflower Meadow, Bamboo Forest, Formal Garden, Tropical Rain Forest, Rabi Aranya, Tea Garden, Fruits Mask Garden. Besides the par also has separate entertainment space like music fountain, Shishu Kendra, Rose Garden, Baul Gram, and Ayurvedic centre.

Sundarbans Tiger Reserve

If you love wildlife and want to add thrill to your trip then visit Sundarbans is a must. Home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, this sizeable coastal mangrove forest area is spread over 4262 sq km. If you are lucky, you might see monitor lizards, Ganges River dolphin in their natural habitat, crocodiles, and Olive Ridley Turtles presently under the conservation program. The winter months are best to visit Sunderbans Tiger reserve, so plan your trip accordingly.

Sabarna Sangrahashala

West Bengal was known for its zamindar culture and to know all about it, you need to Sabarna Sangrahashala that preserves the history, culture, and traditions of influential zamindar families dating back to 10th century. Developed by the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Paribar Parishad, it is run entirely by the family without government aid. The exhibits range from cooking vessels to ivory boxes to documents and stamps.

Shaheed Minar

Built in a mix of Turkish, Syrian and Egyptian style, this monument is an iconic landmark for the city. It has an Egyptian base with a height of 158 feet, a dome in Turkish Ottoman design and a pillar in Syrian style. There are two balconies at the top of the pillar, but prior permission must be reached there.

Chinatown

This area was once home to 20,000 traditional Chinese Indian nationals which has now decreased to only 2,000 people. But it still has the impression and charm of Chinese culture in architecture, culture and especially the food. Several restaurants serve authentic Chinese food.

Cultural tours

The city is also an excellent base for excursions–cultural tours to Bolpur and Santiniketan, and historical trails to Barrackpore where Mangal Pandey ignited the first spark of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. While there, pop by at Dada Boudi biryani opposite the railway station for a quick bite.

Durga Pujo

You must visit Kolkata during Durga Pujo as the city wears a festive look with locals and tourists alike thronging street-side food stalls and decorated puja pandals vie to outdo the other in concept and design.

Durga Puja

The biggest festival of the Bengali community is Durga Puja which commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over a demon king Mahisasur. It marks as the universal resurgence of the power of creation over destruction. Durga is the Goddess of divine power against all evils.  The story goes that Mahisasur, the Buffalo Demon, through years of praying, received the blessing from Lord Brahma, that no power can kill him, which means he is invincible. But once gaining this power, he started ravaging the whole world and killing people. And, finally, he wanted to uproot the Gods too. The Gods, in dismay, combined their powers to create a beautiful maiden, and each placed his or her most potent weapon in one of her ten hands.

It is an extravaganza that unfolds the age-old tradition and culture, and in contrast, it is the time when you can get hold of people in traditional wears. During Durga Puja Festival, the city explodes with more than thousand thematic and colourful pandals (fabricated structure) and reveals several forms of goddess Durga idols, thus pulling in a huge number of people and making it one of the biggest festivals in the world.

Saraswati Puja

In Kolkata, people consider this day to be very fortunate for their children to start writing for the first time and is also marked by young girls wearing colourful sarees and going out on the streets to visit the richly decorated pandals of Goddess Saraswati.