Best Hotels in Kolkata for Every Budget — 49 Real Picks From £14 (2026)

Kolkata's hotels run from about £14 a night for a real, bookable budget room to roughly £107 at ITC Royal Bengal — and almost every rung of that ladder costs a fraction of the equivalent room in London. This guide covers 49 verified Kolkata hotels: 10 luxury, 10 mid-range and 29 budget properties, each with its live from-price and a direct link to today's rate. Kolkata is India's cultural and literary capital, a city of colonial architecture, trams, bookshops and famously good Bengali food, with a warm and unhurried feel that surprises people expecting the pace of Delhi or Mumbai — so the other half of this guide is about where to base yourself, because the city is large and your neighbourhood shapes the trip.

Jump to your budget: Luxury · Mid-range · Budget stays from £14 · FAQs

Scout's 3 picks: 🏛️ ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata — from ~£107, the grandest and most reviewed five-star in this guide. 🌆 Holiday Inn Kolkata Airport by IHG — from ~£46, the cheapest genuine five-star here and right for the airport side. 💷 The Kei Suites — from ~£14, the cheapest bed in the guide. From-prices are live rates pulled while writing — tap any hotel for today's price on your dates.

Prices here are quoted in pounds as a rough conversion only; hotels charge in Indian Rupees (INR), so the exact sterling figure moves with the exchange rate. UK passport holders need an Indian e-Visa applied for online in advance — it is not issued on arrival, so start it well before you fly. Before booking, read the current UK Foreign Office travel advice for India for entry rules and safety updates, and the official Incredible India tourism site for opening times and festival dates. India drives on the left, like the UK — though almost nobody visiting Kolkata drives themselves, because the metro, app cabs and yellow taxis cover the city cheaply.

One thing to plan for honestly: there is no direct flight from London to Kolkata. Every UK route to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is one-stop, either via Delhi or Mumbai or through a Gulf hub such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, and total journey time is around thirteen to fifteen hours. On weather, October to February is the best window — cool, dry and comfortable. March to June is very hot and humid, and June to September is the monsoon, which is heavy enough to waterlog streets. And the single biggest date in the calendar is Durga Puja in September or October, which is UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage and the best time to be in the city — but rooms sell out months ahead.

Compare live Kolkata hotel prices or search UK flights to Kolkata (CCU).

The Best Luxury Hotels in Kolkata

Kolkata's five-star tier is unusually good value — heritage grandeur on the old colonial streets, ITC and Taj flagships, and modern towers out on the Rajarhat and New Town side near the airport. From-prices are live rates pulled while writing.

1. ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 2,555 reviews · from ~£107/night. The most reviewed and the most expensive hotel in this guide, and the newer of ITC's two Kolkata towers, sitting alongside ITC Sonar on the EM Bypass side. Marriott's Luxury Collection badge, a serious spa and some of the best restaurants in the city. Book it when the hotel is part of the occasion.

2. Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences — Kolkata · 5★ · 2,274 reviews · from ~£57/night. Over two thousand reviews behind it and an Accor badge, which makes this one of the safest luxury bookings here. Residences as well as hotel rooms, so it works for longer stays, and it sits on the eastern side of the city towards Salt Lake. Predictable international standards at a very fair price.

3. Taj City Centre New Town, Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,870 reviews · from ~£51/night. A Taj-group five-star for around £51 is remarkable value, and this one sits in New Town on the airport side, next to the City Centre mall complex. Large rooms, a pool and the food standards the group is known for. Best for business, the convention centre or an early flight rather than sightseeing.

4. The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,617 reviews · from ~£74/night. The most historic address in this guide — the Great Eastern dates back to the mid-nineteenth century and was one of the grand hotels of the British era, restored and reopened under The Lalit. It is right in the old colonial core near Esplanade and BBD Bagh, so you can walk to the heritage buildings. Choose it for the building itself.

5. The Park Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,546 reviews · from ~£63/night. On Park Street, which is exactly where a first-time visitor wants to be, and a long-running fixture of the city's nightlife and restaurant scene. The Park group leans design-led and social rather than formal. The Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum and the Maidan are all close.

6. Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,403 reviews · from ~£49/night. Vivanta is the Taj group's contemporary brand, and this one sits on the EM Bypass, the fast road along the eastern edge of the city that connects the airport side to the south. Fourteen hundred reviews at around £49 is one of the strongest value combinations in the luxury tier. Practical rather than romantic.

7. Holiday Inn Kolkata Airport by IHG — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,338 reviews · from ~£46/night. The cheapest genuine five-star in this guide at around £46, and the obvious answer if you land late or fly out early — CCU is a short hop away. Familiar IHG standards, a pool and a solid breakfast. Not a sightseeing base, but excellent for the flight either side of a trip.

8. The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,239 reviews · from ~£80/night. A modern Marriott-family tower in Rajarhat on the north-eastern edge, close to New Town, the convention centre and the airport. Westin's beds and wellness angle, a big pool and reliably good service. The city centre is a proper drive away, so pick it for business or convenience.

9. JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,119 reviews · from ~£106/night. The second most expensive hotel here at around £106, and Marriott's top full-service brand, on the eastern side of the city. Expect large rooms, a serious spa and several restaurants. Priced within a pound or two of ITC Royal Bengal, so compare the two directly on your dates.

10. ITC Sonar, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata — Kolkata · 5★ · 1,094 reviews · from ~£100/night. ITC's original Kolkata flagship, known for its huge landscaped gardens and water features — unusual space for a city hotel — and for its restaurants. Around £100 puts it in the top three here. A calmer, greener alternative to the newer Royal Bengal next door.

From-prices were pulled on live searches while writing and will move with your dates and the exchange rate. See all Kolkata stays or search flights to CCU.

The Best Mid-Range Hotels in Kolkata

Ten four-star hotels between roughly £41 and £77, split between the central Park Street and Chowringhee belt and the newer New Town and Rajarhat side. In Kolkata this tier regularly overlaps the cheaper five-stars on price, so compare both before you book.

11. Fairfield by Marriott Kolkata — Kolkata · 4★ · 2,590 reviews · from ~£57/night. The most reviewed hotel in the whole mid-range tier, with more feedback behind it than any five-star here. Fairfield is Marriott's value brand: clean modern rooms, a good breakfast, no frills and no surprises. A safe, predictable booking for a first visit.

12. Holiday Inn Express Kolkata Airport by IHG — Kolkata · 4★ · 2,275 reviews · from ~£42/night. Over two thousand reviews at around £42 makes this one of the best value-to-confidence ratios in the guide. It is the Express brand, so rooms are simpler than the full Holiday Inn next door, but breakfast is included and the airport is minutes away. Ideal for the first or last night.

13. Kenilworth Hotel, Kolkata — Kolkata · 4★ · 1,944 reviews · from ~£77/night. The most expensive mid-range hotel here at around £77, and a long-established Kolkata name just off the Park Street area near Little Russell Street. Older in style than the chains but well kept, with a pool and a strong local reputation. You are paying for a genuinely central address.

14. ibis Kolkata Rajarhat - An Accor Brand — Kolkata · 4★ · 1,833 reviews · from ~£41/night. The cheapest four-star in this guide at around £41, with nearly two thousand reviews behind it. ibis rooms are compact and identical everywhere in the world, which is exactly the point. Rajarhat puts you near New Town and the airport rather than the old city.

15. Peerless Hotel Kolkata — Kolkata · 4★ · 1,235 reviews · from ~£45/night. A Kolkata-owned four-star in the central Chowringhee belt near Esplanade, which is one of the best-placed addresses in this tier for walking to the Indian Museum, New Market and the Maidan. Twelve hundred reviews at around £45 is a strong record. Good value rather than glamorous.

16. Lemon Tree Premier, New Town, Kolkata — Kolkata · 4★ · 490 reviews · from ~£53/night. Lemon Tree is one of India's better mid-market chains and Premier is its upper tier, so expect bright contemporary rooms and a pool. New Town is the planned district on the airport side, so this is a business and convenience base. Reliable for the price.

17. Polo Floatel Kolkata — Kolkata · 4★ · 453 reviews · from ~£43/night. The most unusual hotel in this guide: a floating hotel moored on the Hooghly river at Strand Road, near the old business district. Rooms are cabin-sized by definition, but waking up on the river with Howrah Bridge nearby is something no other property here offers. A genuine one-off at around £43.

18. The Astor — Kolkata · 4★ · 362 reviews · from ~£50/night. A red-brick heritage building on Shakespeare Sarani, a short walk from Park Street and the Victoria Memorial, converted into a boutique four-star. Character rather than chain uniformity, with a well-known garden restaurant attached. One of the nicer central choices at around £50.

19. The Rajbari Bawali — Kolkata · 4★ · 171 reviews · from ~£71/night. A restored two-hundred-year-old zamindar mansion set well south of the city rather than in it, which is the important thing to understand before booking — this is a country-house escape, not a sightseeing base. Courtyards, a pool and an atmosphere unlike anything in central Kolkata. Best as a night or two at the end of a trip.

20. Hotel O2 Oxygen — Kolkata · 4★ · 134 reviews · from ~£46/night. A smaller modern four-star at around £46 with a modest review base, so read the most recent feedback before committing. Contemporary rooms and air conditioning that copes with a Kolkata May. A reasonable middle option when the bigger names are full on your dates.

From-prices were pulled on live searches while writing and will move with your dates and the exchange rate. See all Kolkata stays or search flights to CCU.

Cheap Hotels in Kolkata — 49 Real, Bookable Options From £14

Twenty-nine budget properties, from ~£14 to ~£31 a night. Kolkata's cheap end is dominated by independent Indian hotels and small chains like FabHotel and Treebo, built for domestic business travel rather than backpackers, which means functional air-conditioned rooms at prices that look like a misprint from the UK. Air conditioning is the thing to check hardest here — from March to June it is not optional. From-prices are live rates pulled while writing.

21. The Kei Suites — Kolkata · 2★ · 34 reviews · from ~£14/night. The cheapest room in this entire guide at around £14 a night. Thirty-four reviews is a thin base, so read the recent ones and study the photos before booking, but at this price a functional two-star room with a door and air conditioning is a fair trade. Best for a night or two rather than a week.

22. Hotel Q Inn — Kolkata · 1★ · 23 reviews · from ~£18/night. A one-star at around £18 with a small review count. One star in India usually means a simple lodge with the basics and nothing more, so set expectations accordingly. Fine as a cheap central bed if the live page and the recent reviews look right to you.

23. Hotel Aston — Kolkata · 2★ · 21 reviews · from ~£18/night. Joint second-cheapest here at around £18, a small two-star with just over twenty reviews. Simple air-conditioned rooms and not much else. A reasonable gamble for a stopover, and worth checking against Hotel Q Inn on your dates.

24. Kiaan Inn — Kolkata · 3★ · 58 reviews · from ~£21/night. A three-star for around £21 is genuinely good value, and this one has a decent handful of reviews behind it. Expect clean, plain rooms with air conditioning. One of the better cheap all-rounders at the very bottom of the price range.

25. Hotel Bandhan Residency — Kolkata · 3★ · 182 reviews · from ~£22/night. Nearly two hundred reviews at around £22 makes this one of the most dependable very-cheap rooms in the guide. A straightforward independent three-star with air conditioning and a restaurant. If you want a safe budget booking rather than a bargain gamble, start here.

26. Roland Hotel — Kolkata · 3★ · 286 reviews · from ~£22/night. Nearly three hundred reviews at around £22 a night — the strongest review count of anything under £25 here. A long-running independent three-star with a track record rather than a shiny refurbishment. Excellent value for a few nights in the city.

27. FabHotel Sayeeda International - 600m from Park Circus 7 Point — Kolkata · 3★ · 160 reviews · from ~£22/night. FabHotel is an Indian budget chain that brands and standardises independent hotels, so you get a checked minimum standard at a low price. This one sits near Park Circus, a useful and well-connected junction between the centre and the eastern side. Around £22 with a solid review base.

28. Treebo Vedanta, Metropolitan — Kolkata · 3★ · 125 reviews · from ~£23/night. Treebo works the same way as FabHotel — a budget chain applying its own standards to independent properties — and this branch is near the Metropolitan area on the eastern side. Clean linen, air conditioning and wifi as the promise. Around £23 with a reasonable review base.

29. Tatvam Residency — Kolkata · 3★ · 77 reviews · from ~£23/night. A small independent three-star at around £23 with a modest but real review history. Simple rooms, air conditioning and a quiet residential feel. A sensible pick if the better-known cheap names are sold out on your dates.

30. Hotel Great Western — Kolkata · 2★ · 33 reviews · from ~£24/night. A two-star at around £24 with a small review base. The name promises more than two stars deliver, so judge it on the photos and the most recent feedback. Adequate and cheap rather than comfortable.

31. FabHotel Prime Rockstar Suites - Nr Park Circus 7 Point — Kolkata · 3★ · 54 reviews · from ~£24/night. The Prime line is FabHotel's slightly better tier, and this one is also near the Park Circus junction, which is handy for both the centre and the eastern bypass. Around £24 with fifty-odd reviews. Rooms are described as suites, so expect a little more space than the price suggests.

32. Metropole — Kolkata · 3★ · 20 reviews · from ~£24/night. A three-star at around £24 with only twenty reviews attached, which makes it one of the least proven listings here. Read every recent review before booking. At this price it is a fair gamble for a short stay, but not a first choice.

33. The Maureen — Kolkata · 3★ · 52 reviews · from ~£24/night. A small three-star at around £24 with a short but positive-looking review history. The photos show tidy, modern rooms, which at this price band is more than you can assume. Worth a look for a few nights.

34. Hotel Emirates — Kolkata · 2★ · 38 reviews · from ~£26/night. A two-star independent at around £26 with fewer than forty reviews. No connection to the airline despite the name — it is a small local hotel. Basic rooms, air conditioning, and a price that only really makes sense if the cheaper picks above are full.

35. Astoria Hotel — Kolkata · 2★ · 237 reviews · from ~£26/night. Over two hundred reviews at around £26 makes this one of the better-evidenced cheap rooms in the guide despite the two-star grading. A long-standing central budget hotel of the kind Kolkata does well. Functional, well used and reliably reviewed.

36. Wise Owl Comfotel — Kolkata · 2★ · 68 reviews · from ~£26/night. A small two-star at around £26 with a modest review base. The listing shows plain, clean air-conditioned rooms. A perfectly reasonable cheap bed, but compare it against Astoria Hotel and Roland Hotel, which cost the same or less with far more reviews.

37. The Altruist New Town Hotel — Kolkata · 3★ · 21 reviews · from ~£26/night. A three-star in New Town, the planned district on the airport side, at around £26. That location is the appeal here — it is the cheapest way in this guide to stay near the airport and the convention centre. Only twenty-one reviews, so check the live page carefully.

38. The Avenue Hotel Ballygunge — Kolkata · 3★ · 112 reviews · from ~£27/night. Ballygunge is one of the pleasantest parts of South Kolkata — leafy, residential and full of good restaurants — and a three-star there for around £27 with over a hundred reviews is a genuinely good find. Quieter than the centre, with easy metro access north into town.

39. The Lindsay — Kolkata · 3★ · 372 reviews · from ~£28/night. The most reviewed budget property in this guide, with nearly four hundred reviews at around £28. It sits on Lindsay Street right by New Market and a short walk from the Esplanade metro, which is about as central as budget Kolkata gets. Known for its rooftop restaurant and city views. The safest cheap booking here.

40. ANANDALOKE RESIDENCY — Kolkata · 2★ · 127 reviews · from ~£28/night. A two-star with a healthy 127 reviews at around £28. Guesthouse-style rather than hotel-style, which usually means smaller rooms and simpler service but a friendlier front desk. Solid for the price given the review base.

41. Southern Plaza — Kolkata · 3★ · 101 reviews · from ~£29/night. A three-star at around £29 with a hundred reviews behind it. As the name suggests it sits on the southern side of the city, which is the calmer half. Ordinary, comfortable and dependable — exactly what you want from a budget room in this band.

42. Hotel VIP International — Kolkata · 3★ · 27 reviews · from ~£29/night. A three-star at around £29 with a thin review base of twenty-seven. VIP Road is the main artery running from the centre out to the airport, and hotels on it are convenient for flights. Check the exact address and the recent reviews on the live page before booking.

43. The Lake Palm Hotel — Kolkata · 3★ · 52 reviews · from ~£29/night. A three-star at around £29 with around fifty reviews. The name points towards the lakes in South Kolkata, a green and pleasant part of the city near Rabindra Sarobar. Verify the exact location on the live page, because that address would be a real plus.

44. The Ivy House — Kolkata · 1★ · 68 reviews · from ~£30/night. Graded one star but with 68 reviews behind it at around £30, which suggests a small guesthouse that never applied for a proper grading rather than a poor hotel. In India that distinction matters — judge it on the reviews and photos rather than the badge.

45. Hotel Rushabh Home — Kolkata · 3★ · 51 reviews · from ~£30/night. A small three-star at around £30 with fifty-odd reviews. Home-style budget hotels like this one are common in Kolkata and usually mean fewer facilities but more attentive service. Fine for a short stay if the recent feedback reads well.

46. Ra Vista — Kolkata · 3★ · 98 reviews · from ~£31/night. Close to a hundred reviews at around £31, near the top of the budget tier. The photos show a newer, brighter property than most at this price. A good option when the cheaper picks are booked out, though at this level check the four-star ibis price too.

47. Park Prime Kolkata — Kolkata · 3★ · 68 reviews · from ~£31/night. A three-star at around £31 with a moderate review base. Do not confuse it with The Park Kolkata on Park Street — this is a separate, much cheaper property. Comfortable enough for a few nights, with the usual air conditioning and an on-site restaurant.

48. Red Arrow Residency, Kolkata — Kolkata · 1★ · 423 reviews · from ~£31/night. The single most reviewed property in the budget tier — over four hundred reviews — despite carrying only a one-star grading, which again says small guesthouse rather than bad hotel. At around £31 you are paying for the track record. Read a handful of the recent reviews and you will know exactly what you are getting.

49. Pan Asia Continental — Kolkata · 3★ · 20 reviews · from ~£31/night. The joint most expensive room in the budget tier at around £31, with only twenty reviews attached. At this price you are within a tenner of the cheapest four-stars, so compare it directly against ibis Kolkata Rajarhat and Holiday Inn Express before deciding.

From-prices were pulled on live searches while writing and will move with your dates and the exchange rate. Budget rooms are the first to sell out around Durga Puja, when the whole city fills. See all Kolkata stays or search flights to CCU.

What to See and Do in Kolkata

Start with the Victoria Memorial, the vast white marble hall standing in formal gardens on the edge of the Maidan. It is the image of the city, it houses a museum of Kolkata's history, and the gardens alone are worth an hour in the early morning or the late afternoon light. Just north, the Indian Museum on Chowringhee is the oldest museum in India, opened in 1814, and its sprawling galleries of sculpture, fossils and coins are gloriously old-fashioned in the best way.

Then go to the river. Howrah Bridge is a huge cantilever span crossing the Hooghly with no bolts holding it together, carrying an astonishing weight of people and traffic every day, and the Hooghly ferries running underneath it are the cheapest and best way to see the city from the water. Around the Howrah end sits the flower market, busiest at dawn. North of there, Kumartuli is the idol-makers' quarter, a warren of open workshops where clay figures of Durga are built by hand — busiest and most extraordinary in the weeks before the festival.

The city's soul is arguably on College Street, where pavement stalls sell second-hand books by the mile beside Presidency and Calcutta universities, and where the Indian Coffee House has been the meeting place of students, writers and film-makers for generations. Kolkata is India's literary capital and that street is why. Nearby, the Marble Palace is a nineteenth-century mansion crammed with art and statuary, still lived in by the founding family and open to visitors who arrange it properly.

For faith, the Kalighat Kali Temple in the south is one of the most important Shakti pilgrimage sites in India and gives the city its name, while Dakshineswar Kali Temple stands beside the river to the north with its cluster of spires. Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, where Mother Teresa lived, worked and is buried, is a quiet, plain building on a busy street and moving precisely because of that.

Get around the old-fashioned way where you can. Kolkata runs India's only surviving tram network — much reduced from its heyday, and only some routes still operate, but a slow rattle through the streets on one is a genuine experience. Park Street is where the city eats and drinks, with restaurants that have been institutions for decades. And above all, if you can time it, come for Durga Puja in September or October — days of enormous illuminated pandals, sculpted goddesses, crowds walking all night and a city entirely given over to a festival that UNESCO has recognised as intangible cultural heritage. It is the single best time to be in Kolkata, and the hardest time to find a room.

Where to Stay in Kolkata

Park Street and the Esplanade / Chowringhee belt is the best base for a first visit. You are walking distance from the Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum, the Maidan and New Market, you are on the metro, and the restaurants are on your doorstep. The Park Kolkata, The Astor and Kenilworth Hotel sit here, and The Lindsay is the budget answer to the same address.

Salt Lake, Rajarhat and New Town on the north-eastern side is the business and airport belt — newer office parks, the convention centre and the modern chain hotels. The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, Taj City Centre New Town, Lemon Tree Premier and both Holiday Inns are out this way. It is efficient and comfortable, but the historic city is a long drive away, so choose it for meetings and flights rather than sightseeing.

Ballygunge and South Kolkata is the leafy, calm option: residential streets, the lakes, some of the best restaurants and cafés in the city, and a slower pace. The Avenue Hotel Ballygunge and Southern Plaza are the picks here. It suits repeat visitors and anyone who wants quiet evenings within an easy metro ride of the centre.

Sudder Street is the backpacker strip, a short walk from the Indian Museum and New Market, and it deserves an honest description: many of the rooms around there are very basic, old and small. But it is cheap and it is central, which for some travellers is the whole equation. Just book with your eyes open and read recent reviews rather than the photos.

Whichever you pick, remember the practical frame: October to February is the comfortable season, March to June is very hot and humid, June to September is monsoon, and Durga Puja in September or October books out the entire city months ahead. And plan on a one-stop flight from the UK, because there is no direct London to Kolkata service.

Explore more of India

If you are building a wider India trip, our other guides follow the same format — every hotel verified, every price live:

• Best Hotels in Delhi for Every Budget — the capital, and the usual connecting point for UK flights to Kolkata.
• Best Hotels in Mumbai for Every Budget — India's commercial capital on the west coast, and the other common one-stop route.

Kolkata Hotels FAQs

Do UK passport holders need a visa for Kolkata? Yes — UK passport holders need an Indian e-Visa, and it is NOT issued on arrival. Apply online in advance through the official Indian government e-Visa portal, well before you fly. Approval usually comes back within a few days, but leave a comfortable margin. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and have two blank pages. Only use the official government portal — third-party "visa services" charge a large mark-up for exactly the same document.

What currency is used in Kolkata? The Indian Rupee (INR). Every price in this guide is quoted in pounds as a rough conversion only, because that is what UK readers compare against — the hotel itself charges in rupees, and the exact sterling figure moves with the exchange rate. Cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants, but carry cash for taxis, trams, sweet shops and street food.

Are there direct flights from the UK to Kolkata? No — and this is the honest answer people are often given wrongly. There is no direct London to Kolkata service. Every route from the UK to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is one-stop, either via Delhi or Mumbai on an Indian carrier, or through a Gulf hub such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Total journey time is roughly thirteen to fifteen hours including the connection.

When is the best time to visit Kolkata? October to February. That is the cool, dry, comfortable stretch and the season the city is built around. Durga Puja in September or October is the single best time to be here if you can get a room, and December and January are the mildest, easiest weeks for straightforward sightseeing. Outside that window the weather does most of the deciding for you.

What is Durga Puja and when does it happen? Durga Puja is Kolkata's biggest festival, held over several days in September or October depending on the lunar calendar. The whole city builds elaborate temporary pavilions — pandals — housing enormous sculpted idols of the goddess Durga, and hundreds of thousands of people walk between them through the night. UNESCO inscribed Kolkata's Durga Puja on its list of intangible cultural heritage. It is extraordinary, and hotels fill months in advance.

How hot does Kolkata get? Very hot and very humid from March to June, with sticky nights and little relief until the rains arrive. It is draining rather than dangerous if you pace yourself, but air conditioning stops being a luxury and becomes the reason you pick one hotel over another. Sightsee early and late, and use the middle of the day for the Indian Museum, a long lunch or a coffee house.

When is the monsoon in Kolkata? Roughly June to September. Kolkata gets the south-west monsoon and it is heavy — streets can waterlog quickly and traffic slows to a crawl. Hotel rates are at their lowest then, the city is green and the light is beautiful, so it is not a write-off, but pack for real rain and build slack into every plan.

Which area should I stay in for a first visit to Kolkata? Park Street or the Esplanade / Chowringhee belt. You are walking distance from the Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum and the Maidan, on the metro, and surrounded by the city's best-known restaurants. For a first trip that central position is worth paying a little more for.

Where should I stay for business or near the airport? Salt Lake, Rajarhat and New Town, on the north-eastern side of the city. That is where the newer office parks, the convention centre and most of the modern chain hotels are, and it is far closer to the airport than the centre. The trade-off is that the historic city is a long drive away — fine for meetings, less good for sightseeing.

Where should I stay for a quieter, leafier base? Ballygunge and the wider South Kolkata belt. It is residential, greener and calmer than the centre, with some of the city's best restaurants and cafés, the lakes nearby, and easy metro access north into town. It suits repeat visitors and anyone who would rather come home to quiet streets.

What is Sudder Street like? Sudder Street is Kolkata's long-standing backpacker strip, a short walk from the Indian Museum and New Market. Be honest with yourself about it: many of the rooms there are very basic, older and small. But it is genuinely cheap and genuinely central, and for travellers who only need a bed and a door it remains one of the best-value locations in the city.

Is the Kolkata Metro useful for visitors? Yes. Kolkata's metro was India's first, opened in 1984, and the original north-south line runs right through the useful parts of the city — Kalighat, Rabindra Sadan for the Victoria Memorial, Park Street, Esplanade and on north towards Dakshineswar. It is cheap, air-conditioned on newer trains and far faster than the roads. Newer lines have extended it east and across the river.

Can I still ride the trams in Kolkata? Kolkata is the only Indian city with a surviving tram network, and riding one is a genuine experience — slow, rattling, cheap and completely unlike anything else in India. The network has shrunk a great deal over the years and only a limited number of routes still run, so check locally what is operating rather than planning around it.

What are the yellow Ambassador taxis? The yellow Hindustan Ambassador taxi is Kolkata's signature image, and a number are still on the road. Agree the meter or the fare before you set off. App cabs are usually easier, cheaper and less argument, but taking one yellow taxi at least once is part of the trip.

Should I use app cabs in Kolkata? Yes. Uber and Ola both work well across the city, give you a fixed fare and a tracked route, and remove the haggling. Autorickshaws in Kolkata often run fixed shared routes rather than door-to-door, which surprises visitors, so apps are simpler for point-to-point trips.

What is there to actually see in Kolkata? The Victoria Memorial and its gardens; Howrah Bridge and the ferries across the Hooghly; the Indian Museum, the oldest museum in India; the Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples; Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity; College Street's second-hand book market and the Indian Coffee House; Kumartuli, where the clay idols are made; the Marble Palace; and the trams.

What is Kumartuli? A working neighbourhood of idol-makers in north Kolkata, where the clay figures of Durga and other deities are built by hand in narrow lanes of open workshops. It is busiest in the weeks before Durga Puja, when the streets are full of half-finished goddesses drying in the sun. Ask before photographing people at work.

What is College Street? A long stretch of pavement bookstalls near Presidency University and Calcutta University, said to be the largest second-hand book market in the world. It is the heart of Kolkata's literary reputation. Halfway along is the Indian Coffee House, a high-ceilinged first-floor hall where students and writers have argued over coffee for generations.

Is the Victoria Memorial worth visiting? Yes — it is the single most recognisable building in the city, a vast white marble hall set in formal gardens on the edge of the Maidan, built in the early twentieth century. Inside is a museum of Kolkata and colonial-era history. Go early or late for the light, and allow time simply to walk the gardens.

How many days do I need in Kolkata? Three full days is a good measure. One for the Victoria Memorial, the Maidan, the Indian Museum and Park Street; one for the north — Howrah Bridge, the flower market, Kumartuli, College Street and the Marble Palace; and one for the temples at Kalighat and Dakshineswar plus Mother House. Add more if you are here for Durga Puja, because the pandals alone can fill several nights.

Is Kolkata safe for tourists? Kolkata is widely regarded as one of India's more relaxed and welcoming big cities, and visitors generally find the atmosphere unhurried and friendly. The realistic risks are traffic, heat, waterlogged streets in monsoon and ordinary petty theft in crowded markets. Use app cabs after dark, keep valuables close in crowds, and read the UK Foreign Office travel advice for India before you go.

Can I drink the tap water in Kolkata? No — drink sealed bottled or properly filtered water only, and skip ice at street stalls until your stomach has adjusted. Hotels almost always supply bottled water in the room. The food itself is one of the best reasons to come, and busy places with high turnover are usually the safest bet.

What food should I try in Kolkata? Bengali fish curry — especially with hilsa or bhetki — is the heart of it, alongside mustard-heavy preparations, kathi rolls wrapped in paratha, phuchka on the street, and the sweets the city is famous for: rosogolla, sandesh and mishti doi. Kolkata biryani, with its potato and egg, is its own local variation and worth trying at least once.

How much does a budget hotel cost per night in Kolkata? Roughly £14 to £31 a night for the 29 budget properties in this guide, pulled on live searches while writing. The Kei Suites starts around £14, Hotel Q Inn and Hotel Aston around £18, and most of the tier lands between £22 and £30. Those are lead-in rates for the cheapest available room on flexible dates — Durga Puja pushes them far higher.

What is the most expensive hotel in this guide? ITC Royal Bengal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kolkata, at around £107 a night on the searches we ran while writing. That is the true top of this guide's price range. JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata is next at about £106 and ITC Sonar at about £100, while the rest of the luxury tier sits between roughly £46 and £80 — strong value for genuine five-star hotels.

Which side of the road do they drive on in India? The left, as in the UK — but Kolkata traffic is dense and lane discipline is looser than you will be used to. Almost no visitor self-drives, and there is no need to: the metro, app cabs, yellow taxis and the ferries cover everything. Hiring a car with a driver for a day trip is normal and inexpensive.

Do Kolkata hotels charge extra fees? There is no resort fee, but Indian hotel rates carry GST, which varies by room-rate band, and some properties add a service charge or price breakfast separately. Budget rooms are the most likely to exclude breakfast. Always check what is included on the hotel's live page before comparing two similar-looking rates.

Is breakfast usually included in Kolkata? At the luxury and mid-range tiers, usually yes, and often a good Indian and continental buffet. In the budget tier it is inconsistent, with some properties charging a small supplement. Breakfast is cheap to buy locally in Kolkata, so compare the room rate first and add breakfast afterwards if you want it.

Is Kolkata a good first trip to India? It can be an excellent one. It is less frantic than Delhi and less expensive than Mumbai, English is widely spoken alongside Bengali, and the city rewards walking and talking rather than ticking off monuments. Go for the architecture, the books, the trams and the food rather than for headline sights, and it will be one of the trips you remember.

How do I book these exact hotels at the prices shown? Every hotel name in this guide links to its live page on JetMeAway, where you can set your dates and see today's real rate with taxes shown. The from-prices here were pulled on live searches while writing, so your dates will give a different number. We take an affiliate commission from the provider — we never add a mark-up or a booking fee to your price.

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