Got 3 Days? Spend 3 Days Exploring Our Beatiful City

Day 1

Bagbazar Ghats: Start the morning watching the sunrise and daily life at the ghats, walking along the street next to an old railway track. Many small ghats are tucked away here. Enjoy a cup of tea at a roadside stall before heading off.

St John's Church: Take a cab to the church, which opens at 10 am. Take your time to explore the nooks of the grounds and admire its architecture and artifacts. Be sure to see the Black Hole monument and Job Charnock’s mausoleum located on these grounds.

The Old Mission Church: At walking distance from St’ John’s, this is the oldest surviving church of the city, and was once visited by prominent literary and administrative figures, including Michael Madhusudhan Dutt, Lady Brabourne, and Lord Linlithgow.

Gurudwara Bara Sikh Sangat: Catch breakfast at the nearby Madras Tiffin House, or head straight to Gurudwara Bara Sikh Sangat via cab or metro. Soak in the sights of life around the oldest gurudwara of the city. Enjoy a glass of sherbet and head to Barabazar to shop and lunch at Zakaria Street.

Day 2

South Park Street Cemetery: Start the day a little late at the cemetery, which opens at 10 am. Enjoy its quiet ambience and learn about some of the earliest inhabitants of the city as you wander past the graves, constructed with pillars and arches typical to British architecture of the period. The oldest grave here dates to 1778.

Fort William: Drive past Fort William on your way to Victoria Memorial. While entry is restricted to civilians without special permission, the Indian Army arranges special entry on ‘Vijay Diwas’ on 16th December. If unable to secure entry, do drive past its gates and stop at Maidan to rest your feet, enjoy the morning sunlight, and a cup of lebu cha, a special kind of lemon tea sold in the city.

Victoria Memorial: Grab breakfast at Park Street’s Trinca’s, or head straight to Victoria Memorial, where you can look at the many historical war artifacts and ancient texts on display and catch a special exhibition if lucky. Rest on its sprawling grounds on a bench next to its many ponds, and finish the day with lunch at Park Street, at Trinca’s or Flury’s, its oldest two restaurants, or a classic kathi roll.

Day 3

Sabarna Sangrahashala: Call ahead at this museum to arrange a visit. Located at the family’s home, this heritage museum includes a wealth of curious artifacts, like the foundation bricks of the city, rare documents, and metal coins. The museum tour is given by a family member himself.

Adi Garia Mahashawshan: Take a cab to one of the oldest cremation grounds of the area, mentioned in epics and texts dating back to the medieval period.

Tripureshwari Mandir: Take local transport to this temple from the cremation grounds. Traveling through Garia, you’ll find parts of the city that are not quite urbanized yet and only later entered city jurisdiction. At the mandir, be sure to see the Vishnu idol dating back to the Sen dynasty, and rest on the grounds.