In the footsteps of the Raj / White Town Walk
Dalhousie Square
The British had sought to build ‘the second city of the Empire’ right here and it is this ‘building’ that we’ll show you in the course of our walk through the ‘European’ areas of what was once the capital of the British Empire in India. There are major plans on to beautify and restore this heritage site with its rich and varied architectural styles.
One of our most popular walks this serves as the perfect introduction to British Calcutta and gives you a sneak peek into what went into the making of the Colonial Capital of India. So prepare to whet your appetite for all things Raj.
Confluence Of Cultures / The Melting Pot Walk
Bow Barracks to Burrabazar
Our city has witnessed many more cultures in its past than most others would even in this globalised present. Here we will trace for you the origins and remains of the varied communities that hung their boots and called Calcutta home. Lets check out why Chinese breakfast still rules Tiretta Bazar, where the Parsis are dwindling in numbers with each passing day and how the Armenians gave the city its oldest surviving Christian church while we pass the Anglo-Indians, the Muslims, the Marwaris, the Biharis and many more that made this city a great melting pot of diverse cultures. This is one of our most popular tours and highly recommended to get an idea of the melting pot that Calcutta is.
Kolkata City Tours
Colonial Calcutta | Bazaars | Rennaisance Bengal | Kali Temples
We set out early morning, much before the rules against bicycles kick in, on an exploration of the old city of Calcutta – through its unique and interesting localities. Comfortable clothing, average biking ability, hugging corners while riding and listening to directions should give you a great exploration of the old city.
In case you want to see much more in far lesser time then we have car and coach based Kolkata city tours for you. In about 4 hours from pickup to drop we can offer you glimpses of our city along the following themes:
Colonial Calcutta
Flit around the city taking in the legacy left behind the former colonial power.
As you explore this side of the city you understand why they said that the sun never sets on the British Empire and how they reached the peak of their prowess and made more than enough show of it.
Rennaisance Bengal
This is why they used to say, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.”
Just like Europe, Bengal had its Rennaisance too, which took it out of the clutches of the ‘dark’ age and threw away the old to create a new world order. Some of the most important proponents of the Bengal soil reached the peak of their individual talents thanks largely to the friction between the East and the West.
Bazaars of the old city.
‘Coz the city emerged from one – Sutanuti
The many Calcutta markets give the city its distinctive character. From its emergence at Sutanuti, a bazaar of cotton thread, Calcutta developed along the lines of its many bazaars and the localities like Kumartulli, Shyam Bazaar, Radha Bazaar, Colootola, and the like. Explore the various markets of the old city from the oldest to the newest.
Myriad Calcutta Cultures
There had been quite a few, as exemplified by the Confluence of Cultures Walk
Hundreds of cultures made Calcutta its cosmopolitan self. Among the most prominent of them being Armenian, Jewish, Chinese, Islamic, Jain, Buddhist coupled with the old influence of the Portuguese, the Scottish, the Greek and so on. We show you the same through a tour of their various worship and cultural centers.
Kali’s Calcutta – Temples and around.
They never said ‘Jai Kali Calcutte-wali’ for nothing.
Calcutta, in a way belongs to Kali, and the fact that city came up along the pilgrimage route between the most sacred place of Kali worship at the Kalighat Temple and one of the oldest at Chitpur Chitteswari Temple, stamps the final seal on it. Explore how Goddess Kali pervades the lives of the people of the city.
The Star Still Shines / Black Town Walk
Sovabazar
The ever-vital hub of traditional Bengali culture, ‘the natives’ area’, Sovabazar is all this and much more. This area contains a fascinatingly cosmopolitan blend of the seemingly incongruous architectural forms (from Islamic to Baroque, from Victorian to Bengali) which made up the old world dwellings of the city’s wealthier Bengalis. No one who wishes to savor the authentic flavor of Bengali culture and cuisine can afford to miss out on this walk.
Join us to learn much more about life in Black Town, to get a glimpse of this time warp called Bengali Calcutta.
Good Morning Calcutta! / A Royal Enfield Motorbike Tour
Old City to Botanical Gardens via Howrah Bridge
The city from a Royal-Enfield-rider’s perspective. Simply because maneuvering through the old town is easier and faster this way, and we love these beasts that have been in production in our country every since WWII. Join us on a discovery of the city through the lens of the riders of the cult bike, Royal Enfield. Do the must see sites of the city with intermittent breaks at various bikers’ stops.
We pick you up at 8am and take you to the nearest biker’s tea stop. After some tea and snacks possibly, we head out to see the various sites of the old city and its Southern extensions.
Via the old Howrah Bridge we may head out to the Botanical Gardens to check out one of the world’s largest Banyan tree. Return back via the new hanging bridge and head straight to lunch at an interesting Calcutta joint. Drop back to the hotel by 12 noon approximately.
Special Instructions
Not for the faint-hearted. Although we ride at slow cruise speeds, the Calcutta traffic may get challenging.
Little Europe Motorbike Tour / Little Europe Motorbike Tour
Barrackpore to Bandel
On regal Royal Enfield motorbikes this tour takes you to all the different European colonies that existed around the Ganges. We start with Barrackpore, once home to British army and site of the beginning of the 1857 revolt and end at Hooghly, once home to the earliest Portuguese settlement, now best remembered for the Bandel Church. Serampore of the Danes, Chinsurah of the Dutch, Chandernagore of the French and Hooghli of the Portuguese. It’s a full day trip that will give you a deeper understanding of the European colonies that neighboured Calcutta.
The Himalayan Sojourn – 15 Days – 1200 kms
Sikkim, Darjeeling, Dooars
Ride with us on classic WWII style Royal Enfield motorcycles through one of the most isolated, picturesque and mountainous regions in the world. The eastern Himalaya is a taste of paradise for adventure-seeking motorcycle travelers. Ride through alpine meadows, glacial lakes, the verdant thickly forested mountainsides; take in the serenity of small villages, terraced fields and Buddhist Gompas. Go off the beaten path to pristine and breathtakingly beautiful scenery, awe inspiring views of snow covered peaks including Mt. Kanchenjunga, and interactions with the warm and hospitable indigenous hill tribes; all combine to give you a unique and matchless holiday experience in the Himalayas. Explore the hidden kingdom of Sikkim and the mist covered mountains of Darjeeling with an intoxicating mix of adventure, culture and history that comes together to give you an experience of a lifetime.
Stop to drink from the pristine water streams,(mountain springs) ride through winding roads that beg to be ridden, interact with the locals and experience their isolated yet contented way of life, savour their fresh organic produce, learn the intricacies of their cuisine and indulge in many more such authentic journeys both within and without.
City Of Learning
College Street - Bengal Renaissance Walk
Calcutta is a city where the east and the west met and this meeting of such great forces could not have been devoid of friction. We will try and give you a glimpse of this in the course of our walk through arguably the largest books bazaar in the world. In the course of this journey you will learn how religions, sciences, societies, technologies and above all individuals underwent a sea change. From the first university of Asia to the hub of all adda, from religious experiments to scientific calculations, from booksellers that deal in old and rare books to eateries that only catered to nationalists – you will see all that went into the awakening of a new order.
Bringing the Goddess To Earth
Flower Market to Kumartuli - Life By The River Walk
Hooghly, a distributary of the Ganges is integral to the very identity of Bengal. It gives and sustains life for the millions that depend on it. From the wrestlers who exercise on its soft clay to the boatmen who ferry people across, from the flower sellers who need the water to keep their produce fresh to the boys who throw magnets and retrieve coin offerings from its bed. Join us in exploring this visual, aural and olfactory riot from the flower bazaar to the clay idol makers’ den, Kumartulli, from the Howrah Bridge to the cremation ghats – it’s the buzz of life.
The Taj of the Raj
Victoria Memorial Walk
Ever since the British cleared a village to create their firing range for the new fort, the Maidan has served as the lungs of the city and played host to many an important monument. Among the most prominent is what was created as a memorial to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India, and a reminder to the achievements of the British rule and its most important proponents. Join us to explore and demystify this beautiful monument and soak in the locality surrounding this temple to Toria Mai – Victoria, the Mother.
Now That’s Entertainment
Park Street - Societies to Cemeteries Walk
Park Street ‘The City That Never Sleeps’ as well as the erstwhile ‘Burial Ground Road’, welcome to the Park Street. If Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj, then Park Street was the capital street of the city, where the rich and the famous lived, dined and made merry. Here, we will traverse down this hugely famous as well as infamous promenade and pay homage to the pleasure capital of the British empire. So, come with us as we take you from one end of the street to the other taking in restaurants, watering holes, hotels, the churches, colleges, stately homes and the burial grounds. Whew! Now that’s some street!
Reminiscence and Resurgence
Chowringhee - Buzzing Calcutta Walk
We will circumnavigate the Grand, an iconic Calcutta landmark which has weathered changing tastes and turbulent times to retain its status as one of Calcutta’s most beloved luxury hotels. Take in the frenzied economic activity that occurs all around its periphery, and find out why savvy shoppers have never given up on New Market, where it was said one could buy anything – from pins to pachyderms. Ponder the loss of such great establishments as Whiteway-Laidlaw, Bourne and Shepherd, and Firpo’s and their ironic replacement by the ubiquitous hawker and his wares. Once known as the most fashionable street and earning Calcutta its epithet as the ‘city of palaces’ you will see how Chowringhee still has a lot of charm on offer.
As The Muezzin Calls / Ramzan Food Walk
Nakhoda Mosque and around
The holy month of Ramazan is extremely special for Muslims for a variety of reasons. It’s a month where they learn to abstain — abstain from excesses – excesses in food, drink, entertainment and everything else that is taken for granted throughout the year. This month makes them pause and reflect about everything that is consumed.
From sunrise to sunset, roza is all about battling hunger and thirst every day. Different people pass their days in different ways with varying levels of activity but everyone is united by that fact that come sunset when the muezzin stands to give the call to prayer (azaan), everyone waits with bated breath to thank the Lord for the enormous bounty he has provided us by way of food.
This is where we trace what goes into the making of the Iftar and all the special goodies that are rustled up for the devout.
Depending on availability the tour may include dates, fried stuff, fruits and sweets.
For reading the article on the Ramzan Walk 2017 in click here The Telegraph, Kolkata on the Ramzan Walk by Calcutta Walks
For further reading check out Explorer Ifte’s articles in The Telegraph, Kolkata and the Wall Street Journal, India.