Where to Stay in Kolkata, India

a man that is standing in the water with a surfboard

The Best Area to Stay in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta)

Vying with Delhi to be India’s second largest metropolis (after Mumbai), the ‘City of Joy’ features overwhelming contrasts: historic and modern, hopelessly crowded yet steadfastly friendly, and with a nouveau riche in fancy apartments alongside unfathomable slums. The traffic – and its noise and pollution – may at times be even more intolerable than the heat, humidity, and rain, but the former capital of the British Raj does claim broad streets and expansive gardens lined with lovely colonial-era buildings (many of them abandoned). Bengalis view their city as India’s intellectual and literary center, yet residents of Chennai may dispute Kolkata’s pretensions of also being the national hub of arts and culture.

While the spacious modern outer suburbs of Kolkata offer shopping malls and high-end hotels, there exists uncomfortable contrast with the inner city where millions reside amidst countless markets and temples as well as manually operated rickshaws now banned elsewhere in India. Often serving as just a transit point for distant places like Darjeeling and Nepal, exploring Kolkata merits time (as its road network remains much the same as during colonial rule) and booking suitable lodging (to reduce potential disadvantages).

The intensity or liveliness (depending on perspective) is most apparent along Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru) Road, where entrances to high-end hotels are regularly obscured by busy markets, though the area is very convenient for numerous colonial-era attractions and the metro system. Budget-priced hotels can be found around BBD Bagh, the commercial district past the northern end of Chowringhee Road and alongside the huge Hooghly River. The longstanding backpacker hangout of Sudder Street is a little more refined these days, but still packed with very beneficial tourist facilities rarely seen elsewhere, and is also located near the metro.

Stretching southeast from the notable Chowringhee Road lies Park Street, considered the city’s most prestigious region for boutiques, eateries, and bars. The inner southern outskirts surrounding Ballygunge are also upscale. To flee the inner-city traffic congestion, pollution, and destitution, the satellite city of Salt Lake City (Bidhan Nagar) possesses the added advantage of housing a wonderful shopping complex. To prevent lengthy taxi rides and ensure a swift departure, many mid-range and premier hotels are placed near the airport in an area referred to as Rajarhat or New Town.

The Best Places to Stay in Kolkata

a patio area with tables, chairs and umbrellas

Best Area in Kolkata for…

    • Best Area in Kolkata for Sightseeing: Chowringhee Road (named after Jawaharlal Nehru)
      Many sights within the city center are located along or within walking proximity of Chowringhee Road. This primary thoroughfare extends alongside the Maidan park, home to the magnificent cathedral, relics (such as the fort), and numerous sporting facilities. The road leads a small distance north to the BBD Bagh district (the former colonial hub featuring narrow lanes dotted with crumbling buildings), and south to the Indian Museum, the country’s largest and oldest establishment. (Created only about 300 years ago, Kolkata does not offer any pre-colonial sights.)
    • Best Area in Kolkata for Shopping: Park Street
      The sidewalks along Chowringhee Road contain stalls, while the spacious New Market extends across numerous blocks behind the road. Much more relaxed and enjoyable is shopping along the surprisingly stylish Park Street which is packed with inviting bookshops, dazzling jewelers, trendy boutiques, western-style supermarkets, and bistros as elegant as many in Europe. The less prestigious shops and stalls along lanes departing Park Street are the places to negotiate over the silk saris and terracotta items for which Kolkata is renowned.
    • Best Area in Kolkata for Families: Salt Lake City (Bidhan Nagar)
      This outlying community around halfway between the airport and downtown offers highly unusual attributes for Kolkata: expansive roads, actual sidewalks with shade, and minimal traffic flow. Families would appreciate escaping the overcrowding, congestion, and air pollution of the core urban area and enjoying the lovely outdoor plaza featuring a cinema, game arcade, and plenty of dining selections (including familiar fast meals). Other highlights are the metro (which should soon link to downtown and the airport) and proximity to several family-friendly facilities like the Wet O Wild water recreation area.
    • Park Street in Kolkata is renowned for its food scene.

Removed from the remainder of India and taking great pride in their Bengali culture, much of the local cuisine is distinctive, so some menu choices may be unfamiliar. Kolkata is renowned for its intensely spicy fish and shrimp curries, tangy street snacks, and local variations of staples such as paratha (flatbread) in the Indian diet. Bengali food can be enjoyed in an air-conditioned, comfortable setting along Park Street within the inner city. Other options spanning this remarkably upscale road range from trendy tapas bars to western-style pizza joints, and meat-lovers will appreciate the fashionable bistros serving kebabs and burgers.

  • Ideal Area in Kolkata for Transportation: Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru) Road
    Running parallel to Chowringhee Road (the main thoroughfare through the city center) is the metro, India’s first public transit system. While affordable and efficient, services have limited usefulness so far for visitors – and even most residents. (By 2025, the metro is expected to connect several major train and bus stations and the airport.) The area around Chowringhee Road is just across the river from Howrah Railway Station, the largest of the three major city terminals. For hassle-free flight connections and to avoid the crowded city center, numerous hotels are dotted around the airport, about an hour from downtown by taxi.

a city street filled with cars and motorcycles

    • Best Area in Kolkata for Nightlife: Park Street
      .

English-style pubs and trendy nightclubs can be located along or just off Park Street, a remarkably sophisticated area extending off the overcrowded Chowringhee Road in downtown. Unlike other cities in India, numerous places for a drink, meal, or dance are almost adjacent, so it`s possible to check out a few bars and clubs within walking distance of each other and then, perhaps, return to a nearby hotel unsteadily. Also, check out performances of Bengali music and dance, especially during the several local festivals.

    • Most Vibrant Area in Kolkata for Culture and Atmosphere: Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru) Road
      .

This heavily trafficked urban avenue is crammed with vehicles, and its sidewalks are hopelessly overrun with marketplace stalls, but it embodies the true essence of what makes this captivating metropolis so mesmerizing. On the other side of Chowringhee Road, Maidan, one of the world`s most expansive city parks, is where families seek respite from the traffic, couples like to be affectionate, and boys play impromptu games of cricket.

  • Most Romantic Locale in Kolkata: Sudder Street
    To put it frankly, this may be one of the rare instances where the terms `Kolkata` and `romantic` have ever appeared jointly in a sentence. Nearby are the wildlife-filled Sundarbans mangroves and the picturesque hill town of Darjeeling accessible within a few hours by bus and/or plane, so very few head to Kolkata specifically for a honeymoon or intimate getaway. However, for some peace and quiet while still close to inner-city attractions and visitor amenities not often found elsewhere, there is no better place in Kolkata than Sudder Street.
  • Best Area in Kolkata for First Timers: Sudder Street
    The noise, traffic, congestion, and poverty commonly found in major Indian cities can still be overwhelming even for frequent visitors to India. With the sole exception of the traffic (which is relentless everywhere), these issues may be minimized by lodging and exploring in and around Sudder Street, quietly situated within the inner city. This area also provides important facilities rarely accessible elsewhere in Kolkata, such as currency exchange services and agencies selling train tickets, as well as cafés and bars serving excellent western cuisine.
  • Safest Area in Kolkata: Salt Lake City (Bidhan Nagar)
    Many of the potential threats common to large Indian cities can be substantially reduced by staying in this modern satellite town, where streets are broad and well-lit, sidewalks exist, and most residents reside in middle-class housing complexes. In reality, the main danger elsewhere in Kolkata may simply be crossing the busy roadways. Always remember: pedestrians do not have the right of way in India, except (usually) at a red traffic signal.

The 7 Best Neighborhoods in Kolkata for Tourists

a swimming pool with a dog in it

1. Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru) Road

The heart of the city center is crowded and active. There are sidewalks packed with markets stalls, as are the nearby backstreets. The main attraction is its close proximity on foot to outstanding sights from the colonial era such as the Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as the former colonial hub at the adjoining district of BBD Bagh. (Created by the British as their original capital, Kolkata does not boast any pre-colonial attractions.) Adding to the appeal of staying along or just off Chowringhee Road is its convenience to the expanding metro service and extensive parks nearby.

2. BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square)

Extending north from Chowringhee Road, this area of old Calcutta is home to the initial fort (now vanished) and Chinatown (now primarily populated by Muslims). The narrow lanes are jam-packed with abandoned colonial-era structures and new developments, part of an increasingly redeveloped commercial zone alongside the Hooghly River. Dominated by the stunning Writers` Building, BBD Bagh (still recognized by its old name of Dalhousie Square) demonstrates contrasts, epitomized by slums only 50m from the entryway to the luxurious 5-star LaLiT hotel.

3. Sudder Street

Situated close to Chowringhee Road but with its own identity, this hostel popular with backpackers has welcomed budget-focused travelers since the Hippy Trail era of the 1960s. While some sidewalks may have homeless individuals, the location is more invitingly clean, safer, and less crowded than downtown. It still provides essential services for all travelers—for example, money changers, agencies selling train tickets, and pizza joints—and charming colonial-era lodging among adequate and some questionable cheaper options. Another major plus is one of the city’s prime attractions nearby: the Indian Museum.

4. Park Street (Mother Teresa Sarani)

Branching away from Chowringhee Road at a sharp angle, the facilities along Park Street are as appealing and refined as anywhere in Asia. This one-way road and, to a lesser extent, the backstreets are lined with globally prestigious quick-service eateries, English style pubs, trendy nightclubs, and restaurants that offer pizzas rather than parathas. Still known (and likely will always be) simply as Park Street, the shopping is among the finest in India – from western-style supermarkets to tantalizing bookshops and gorgeous boutiques selling silk saris.

5. Ballygunge & South Kolkata

The outer suburbs extending inward from the south between Park Street and the Rabindra Sarobar lake and gardens environs are frequently encompassed under the general designation ‘Ballygunge’, named since colonial times after the namesake principal road running through it. Sections vary enormously from affluent commercial districts with trendy bars in office blocks to zones of chic boutiques and fancy flats alongside slums. Locales closer to Chowringhee Road are convenient to the expanding metro, and the entire area is within a brief taxi ride of the numerous attractions in the city center.

6. Salt Lake City (Bidhan Nagar)

Unlike the capital of Utah, this satellite community located about 45 minutes northeast of downtown by taxi contains an assortment of government buildings and mid-range housing options. The angular design means an address such as `DD-21 DD Block, Sector 1` conveys little significance to drivers, so landmarks provide far more usefulness in navigation. Positioned conveniently midway between the airport and downtown, Salt Lake City (as referenced more commonly) presents genuine rarities such as expansive streets, shaded sidewalks, and minimal traffic flow. Additional advantages comprise the outdoor (though misnamed) City Centre Mall, public transportation, and family-oriented attractions like the Wet O Wild water park.

    • The

Lowell

    • (luxury) and the

AKA Times Square

    (midrange) hotels are options.”

7. Rajarhat/New Town

A number of vague terms are applied to portray the area located between Salt Lake City and the airport. All hotels situated here are conveniently found near the airport; situated far from the crowds, pollution, and poverty within the inner city; and offer substantial gardens as well as other facilities rarely feasible elsewhere. Some hotels (such as the Novotel and Westin) are remote, while others (like the Holiday Inn and Ambuja Neotia Vista) are encircled by decent places serving Indian cuisine, as well as spots for drinking and shopping.

• Sky Harbor International Airport lies just 3 miles southeast of downtown. The free PHX Sky Train connects the terminals to the 44th Street PHX Sky Train Station, which offers connections to Downtown, Cepho, and Tempe through Valley Metro Rail. Alternatively, a taxi or car rental may be preferable.

FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

about me

ComfyUI_00005_

Welcome to my travel website! I’m Mary Howard, an American who has been exploring the world full-time for 8 years.

Together with my husband, Intan, we often find ourselves in our second home, Bali, but our adventures take us to exciting destinations all over the globe.

Join us on our journey!

social

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube Email

Search