Kumartuli Retreat
Hotel
Day 1
Kolkata: City of Ghats and Books - 5 Days (Victoria Memorial, Kumartuli, College Street, Howrah Bridge & Belur Math)
Five days on foot, by ferry and by tram. Five days with a local guide who knows the north Kolkata lanes, a heritage hotel and the river launch rather than the road.
The Monsoon Ledger
Runs this trip
Walking / cultural tour
Five days on foot, by ferry and by tram
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Victoria MemorialThe Victoria Memorial was built between 1906 and 1921 for a queen-empress who never visited India, and it is now the best museum of the… KumartuliKumartuli's workshops build the Durga idols from Hooghly clay and straw all year for one October week, after which they are immersed in… Belur MathBelur Math was designed by Vivekananda to look like a temple, a church and a mosque at once, depending on the angle you approach it from.
Itinerary
The Victoria Memorial was built between 1906 and 1921 for a queen-empress who never visited India, and it is now the best museum of the Raj anywhere.
Kolkata, Victoria MemorialHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer, then the Maidan in the evening
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationKumartuli Retreat
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- Victoria Memorial entry
LANDMARKS Victoria Memorial Maidan Park Street Start point Kolkata, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) 00:00 - 23:59Kumartuli's workshops build the Durga idols from Hooghly clay and straw all year for one October week, after which they are immersed in the river.
Kumartuli, College Street, Howrah BridgeHow the day runs
- 8:00 AM — Kumartuli, where the Durga idols are made
- 11:30 AM — College Street, the largest second-hand book market in the world
- 5:00 PM — Howrah Bridge and the flower market beneath it
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKolkata Courtyard
Included Activities
- Guided north Kolkata walk
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Kumartuli College Street Indian Coffee House Howrah Bridge Mullick Ghat flower market Belur Math was designed by Vivekananda to look like a temple, a church and a mosque at once, depending on the angle you approach it from.
Kolkata, Belur MathHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — the launch up the river
- 11:00 AM — Belur Math and Dakshineswar across the water
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKolkata Courtyard
Included Activities
- River launch
- Temple visits
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Belur Math Dakshineswar Hooghly river Chandannagar was French until 1950 — three years after the British left — and the street signs, the church and the Residency are still there.
Kolkata, ChandannagarHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — the local train north up the Hooghly
- 11:00 AM — the strand, the church and the old Residency
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationKolkata Courtyard
Included Activities
- Rail tickets
- Museum entry
- Hotel night in Kolkata
LANDMARKS Chandannagar strand Sacred Heart church Dupleix House Kolkata has the only surviving tram network in India, running since 1902, and it is down to a couple of routes.
KolkataHow the day runs
- 9:00 AM — the Indian Coffee House and a tram ride
- 1 hrs1:00 PM — to the airport
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
LANDMARKS Indian Coffee House Kolkata tram New Market
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1Victoria Memorial entry
- Day 2Guided north Kolkata walk
- Day 3River launch
- Day 3Temple visits
- Day 4Rail tickets
- Day 4Museum entry
- Day 4Hotel night in Kolkata
- Day 1 · 1 nightKumartuli Retreat
- Day 2 · 3 nightsKolkata Courtyard
- Day 1Kolkata to Victoria MemorialTransfer, then the Maidan in the evening
- Day 4Kolkata to Chandannagar9:00 AM — the local train north up the Hooghly
- Day 5Kolkata to Kolkata1:00 PM — to the airport
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Kolkata Courtyard
Hotel
Days 2–4
What you'll eat
4 breakfasts and 1 dinner across 5 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.
- DinnerServed on day 1
- BreakfastServed on days 2–5
5 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.3/5
Based on 19 reviews
Review summary
Food4.2/5
Guide4.1/5
Itinerary4.3/5
Transport4.2/5
Accommodation4.2/5
Tour operator4.1/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
P
Priya Nair – Lucknow2026-06-27 · Verified booking
West Bengal done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Recommended.
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5
M
Meera Iyer – Kolkata2026-06-27 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. No hesitation recommending them.
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5
T
Tom Bergman – Lisbon2026-06-27 · Verified booking
Well paced over 5 days with enough free time to not feel herded. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Solid operator.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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2
P
Priya Nair – Chandigarh2026-06-27 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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5
D
Daniel Okafor – Toronto2026-06-27 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Good value for what's included.
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4
P
Priya Nair – Nagpur2026-02-27 · Verified booking
Well paced over 5 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Worth every rupee.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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5
V
Vikram Bose – Indore2026-02-27 · Verified booking
West Bengal done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Would send friends their way.
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4
S
Sameer Khan – Lucknow2026-02-27 · Verified booking
West Bengal done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Good value for what's included.
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Questions people ask
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