🗺️ North Kolkata in one day: what to see and where entry is by permit

Old Town in North Kolkata starts a couple of minutes from Esplanade metro station. Here, between Eden Gardens and Howrah Bridge, churches, courts, banks, and 18th-19th century mansions stand close together. Most tourists pass through this area by bus and see only the facades from the window.

The route is about four kilometers long (on the map) and runs south to north: from St. John's Church through B.B.D. Bagh to Marble Palace and the Kumartuli workshops. At a relaxed pace you can walk it in three to four hours, and with museums it will take a full day. Some museums are closed on Mondays, so pick a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Entry to the churches is free, and Marble Palace is open only by permission. All points on the route are listed in order, with opening hours and links to official sources.

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The route and how to walk it

💡 In short:

Start at the entrance to St. John's Church grounds, at the intersection of Council House Street and K.S. Ray Road.
It is best to walk from Tuesday to Saturday.
Museum opening hours and entry rules were checked in 09/2026, source: Rabindra Bharati museum schedule.

The route finishes at Marble Palace and Kumartuli, from where you can take a taxi or walk to Shyambazar metro station. Bring water, a hat, and cash: small tickets and tea at street stalls are easier to pay for with money.

Section 1: the church and colonial courts

St. John's Church and its cemetery

St. John's Church was consecrated in 1787 (history of the church). It was built to a design by Lieutenant James Agg, who modeled it on St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The entrance was originally on the east side, and in 1797 it was moved to the west. The altarpiece "The Last Supper" was painted by Johann Zoffany and now hangs in the south aisle.

St. John's Church in Kolkata with columns

In the cemetery you will find the octagonal mausoleum of Job Charnock, who is called the founder of the city (Job Charnock's grave). He died around 1695. Nearby stands the tombstone of Dr. William Hamilton, who died in 1717: according to legend, he cured the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar and obtained for the East India Company the right to free trade in Bengal. Historians credit this achievement to John Surman, who negotiated at the Mughal court.

Small Causes Court

North of the cemetery, on Hare Street, stands the Small Causes Court building. It was built in the late 19th century, and the Ionic capitals of its columns are carved as intertwined snakes and dolphins. A look will take a couple of minutes, but you will walk past it and it is worth looking up.

Metcalfe Hall

At the corner of Hare Street and Strand Road you will see Metcalfe Hall, built in 1840-1844 (history of Metcalfe Hall). The west side of the building resembles the Athenian Tower of the Winds, and it was built in the Greek Revival style for the agricultural society and the city public library. Walk around the building: the main facade faces Strand Road.

Calcutta High Court

On Esplanade Row West stands the Calcutta High Court (1872) in the Gothic style (architecture of the High Court). The design was prepared by Walter Granville. At the main entrance you will find a statue of Sir Edward Hyde, who was Chief Justice from 1813 to 1822.

Town hall and Kolkata panorama

East of the court stands the Town Hall, built in 1813 to a design by Colonel John Garstin (city administration buildings). It houses the Kolkata Panorama museum with interactive exhibits on five hundred years of Bengal's history. Before visiting, check the museum's opening hours on the Town Hall website.

White columned town hall building in Kolkata

Raj Bhavan, the governor's residence

At the end of Esplanade Row stands Raj Bhavan, the residence of the Governor of West Bengal (governor's residence). It was built in 1799-1802 to a design by Captain Charles Wyatt, who took Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire as his model. The residence occupies the northern part of the park and was once the center around which the city grew.

White Raj Bhavan building with columns in Kolkata

The catch: the interior is closed to visitors; you can only view the complex from the surrounding streets.

Section 2: B.B.D. Bagh and the general post office

B.B.D. Bagh on the site of Dalhousie Square

Old Court House Street leads north past the Great Eastern Hotel to B.B.D. Bagh. The name honors three freedom fighters: Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh, who attacked the British official Simpson in the Writers' Building in 1930 and died in the ensuing gunfight (memory of the freedom fighters). Before that, the place was called Dalhousie Square after the Governor-General of India who ruled from 1848 to 1856.

Lal Dighi Pond and St Andrew's Church

At the center of the park lies Lal Dighi, a pond dug in 1712. To the right along the street stands St Andrew's Kirk, built in 1818. It was modeled on the same London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields as St John's Church, but the result turned out better (neighborhoods around the old pond).

Lal Dighi pond and the dome of the Kolkata General Post Office

Old Mission Church

On Mission Row, one of the oldest streets in Kolkata, rises the Old Mission Church, also called Lala Girja (old mission church). It was founded by the Swede Johann Zacharias Kiernander. The church sits deep within the block, so from the sidewalk you can see only the bell tower.

Colonnade of an old church behind a fence in Kolkata

Nilhat House

Behind the church is Nilhat House, a former indigo market. Tea auctions are still held here, and you can attend them only with permission from the brokerage house. You won't be allowed inside without prior arrangement, so just take in the facade from the street.

Writers' Building

The north side of the park is occupied by the Writers' Building, the former headquarters of the British East India Company (Writers' Building). The building was erected in 1777-1780 to a design by Thomas Lyon, and it housed clerks and scribes, hence the name. In 1880, the enormous facade was clad in terracotta tiles, and today it is the most recognizable building in the area.

General post office and the "black hole"

In the northwest corner of the park stands the General Post Office (1864-1868) (history of the General Post Office). It was built on the site of the "Black Hole" of Calcutta, a cramped prison in the first Fort William measuring about 24 square meters. On June 20, 1756, 146 Britons were confined there after the fort was captured by the army of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah (chronicle of the "Black Hole"). By morning, 23 people had survived; the rest died from suffocation and dehydration. Modern historians consider the death toll exaggerated.

Dome of the Kolkata General Post Office on a cloudy day

Philatelic Museum

Next to the post office, on Koilaghat Street, there is a small stamp exhibition (Philatelic Museum). Set aside half an hour for it if you are interested in philately.

Section 3: Howrah Bridge and the waterfront

East Indian Railway Office and Royal Exchange

Netaji Subhas Road runs north from the post office to the headquarters of the East Indian Railway Office. The building's cornice is copied from Rome's Palazzo Farnese, and its fresco panels depict Architecture, Sculpture, Music, and Commerce. Next to it stands the early 20th-century Royal Exchange building.

Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth

On Armenian Street you'll find Kolkata's oldest church, the Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth (the city's Armenian heritage). It was built in 1724 on the site of a wooden church from 1707 that had burned down, and was designed by Kavond, an Armenian from Persia. In 1790, Kachich Arakiel added a clergy house and installed a clock on the bell tower. A little to the east stands the Portuguese Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary.

White Armenian Church with a pointed bell tower

Old Silver Mint

Further north, Strand Road leads to Howrah Bridge and the old Silver Mint, built in the Greek Revival style. It was constructed in the first half of the 19th century to a design by Major W.N. Forbes, and coins for all of Bengal were struck here.

Howrah Bridge

Howrah Bridge, also known as Rabindra Setu, opened in 1943 (bridge specifications). Its span is 457 meters long. Every day around 100,000 vehicles and up to 150,000 pedestrians cross it, which is why it's called one of the busiest bridges in the world.

The catch: at rush hour the bridge is packed with people, and you have to walk slowly.

Howrah Station

Across the bridge, on the other bank, stands Howrah Station, one of the country's largest railway stations (Howrah Station). You don't have to cross the bridge just to see the station on this route. It's where you'll depart for Delhi, Mumbai, or Varanasi.

Nakhoda Mosque

From the bridge, Mahatma Gandhi Road takes you to Nakhoda Mosque on Rabindra Sarani (history of Nakhoda Mosque). It was built between 1926 and 1942, modeled on Akbar's tomb in Sikandra near Agra. The mosque holds about 10,000 worshippers, and its minarets rise 46 meters.

Section 4: Marble Palace and Kumartuli

Marble Palace

Marble Palace was built in 1835 for the landowner Raja Rajendra Mullick (the palace collection). Dozens of types of marble were used in its finishing, and the walls of its halls are covered with European paintings: the collection is said to include works by Rubens and Joshua Reynolds. The palace still belongs to the Mullick family.

How to get in: you need a permit from the tourist information office in the BBD Bag area; get it a day before your visit and keep it with you.

Tagore House in Jorasanko

North of the palace stands the house of poet Rabindranath Tagore in Jorasanko (Jorasanko Thakur Bari) (Tagore house museum). Today it houses a museum of the Tagore family, more correctly the Thakurs, and Rabindra Bharati University. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 to 17:00, the ticket office sells tickets until 16:30, and according to the university website Monday is a day off.

Red Tagore mansion building in Jorasanko with a lawn

Kumartuli, the potters' quarter

The end point of the route on North Chitpur Road: Kumartuli, the potters' district (artisans' quarter). In a maze of narrow lanes, workshops produce idols of Indian gods. The best time to visit is from August to September, when artisans prepare idols of the goddess Durga for the ten-day Durga Puja festival. Nearby stands the old Shiva shrine Buro Shiva, the only surviving terracotta shrine in the city.

Artisan working on a clay statue in Kumartuli

There is nowhere further to walk on the route, so you call a taxi or walk to Shyambazar metro station.

Tours and tickets in Kolkata

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Hours and entry rules

Plan your walk so you reach the museums and churches before 17:00. Opening hours vary across the city's sites, and permits are issued only on working days.

Site	Entry and hours
Tagore House Museum in Jorasanko	tickets at the ticket office, Tue-Sun 10:30-17:00, ticket office until 16:30, closed Monday (as of 09/2026, university website)
Marble Palace	entry only with a permit from the tourism bureau in BBD Bag
Raj Bhavan	interior closed, view from adjacent streets
St. John's Church, St. Andrew's Church, Armenian Church	free entry, open during daylight hours
Kumartuli	free entry, workshops operate during the day

The most complete information about the city's monuments is collected on the official tourism portal of India and the Kolkata municipal corporation website.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How long will the route take?

The walking part without museums will take half a day. With visits to the Tagore House Museum and the Marble Palace, allow a full day. Each church takes fifteen to twenty minutes, and the General Post Office and B.B.D. Bagh park need half an hour. If you take a lot of photos, add another hour.

When is the best time to go?

The most convenient time is Tuesday through Saturday, in the morning. At eight or nine o'clock it is cooler and the streets are empty. Monday is not suitable because the Tagore House Museum is closed. On Sunday churches hold services, so visit them closer to midday.

Do I need a permit for the Marble Palace?

Yes, without written permission you will not be allowed onto the grounds. Come at opening time: inside, a palace staff member accompanies you, and the collection is spread across several halls. The visit takes about an hour.

How do I get to the start of the route?

The nearest metro station is Esplanade, a five to seven minute walk from there. By taxi, ask to be dropped off at the entrance to St. John's Church. A landmark for the driver: Raj Bhavan, which stands two blocks from the start.

What to see in half a day?

Start at St. John's Church, walk through B.B.D. Bag to the General Post Office, and finish at Howrah Bridge. In half a day you'll see the Writers' Building, the "black hole," the riverfront, and the bridge panorama. Save the Tagore museums in Jorasanko and Kumartuli for your next visit.

In short: what's worth booking

The churches, the park, and the streets of North Kolkata are open to everyone without tickets. You need a ticket for the Tagore house museum, and the Marble Palace requires a permit. You should plan your accommodation, and a guide if you want one.

If you want to understand the history: take a guided tour of the city center, Kolkata tours on GetYourGuide.
If you have two days in the city: look for a hotel between Esplanade and BBD Bag, hotels in central Kolkata on Trip.com. In the morning you'll be within walking distance of the route's starting point.

Book your accommodation in advance: during Durga Puja the city center fills up.

North Kolkata on foot: a route through the colonial center and Kumartuli