Plan Marble Palace ahead: closed Mondays, ask about a permit

Sudder Street near the Esplanade is Kolkata's classic budget base, with many guesthouses in colonial-era buildings and New Market a short walk away. The heritage Elgin Fairlawn at the corner of Madge Lane has stood in a building from 1783 and is filled with antiques. Its own site mentions a planned restoration, so…

New Market, officially Sir Stuart Hogg Market, opened in 1874 on Lindsay Street near Dharmatala and still holds well over a thousand stalls under one roof for clothes, accessories, spices and more. Reach it from the Esplanade side, compare prices at several stalls and expect to bargain. Many shops close on Sundays…

Dakshinapan is an open-air complex on Gariahat Road with around 140 shops, mostly state emporiums selling handloom, handicrafts and textiles from across India. Look for Bengal weaves such as jamdani, kantha and taant saris. Ask whether a jamdani is handloom or jacquard, because they use different techniques and the…

Kolkata's international film festival is organized by the West Bengal Information and Cultural Affairs Department and runs late in the year, with recent announcements placing it in the winter months. Nandan, the state film centre on AJC Bose Road, is its main centre, so base yourself nearby and drop into screenings…

Kali Puja is celebrated around Diwali and worship in Kolkata continues around the clock, with pandals to visit and crowded lanes. Choose a handful of famous pandals plus a few neighborhood ones rather than chasing them all. Agree a meeting landmark with your group, because phone networks struggle in crowds, and keep…

Every January Kolkata hosts the Dover Lane Music Conference, which began in 1952 as a three-night program by music lovers in the Dover Lane area. It is usually held in the third week of the month, and the organizers say it draws more than 4,000 listeners each night. Expect leading maestros and percussionists in Indian…

Trams are one of the city's signature rides, and only a couple of routes still run, mostly from the Esplanade terminus. Sit by a window and let the traffic crawl past for a slow tour. Check at the Esplanade terminus which routes are running that day, since services have shrunk over the years. When you get off, look at…

At Howrah Station, touts may tell you the ticket office is closed or your train is full and steer you to a private agency. Walk to the official Indian Railways counter inside the station, or book ahead on IRCTC. For a taxi, use the prepaid booth run by the Howrah police, which issues a prepaid slip, or an app cab…