What is the best time to visit Kolkata – the cultural capital of India? Here one may name three climatic seasons providing a good experience of visiting this city.
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Three Climatic Seasons in Kolkata
There are three climatic seasons in Kolkata FF. First, it is the extremely hot season happening from April to May with the temperatures ranging from 40 to 43 degrees. Second, it is the monsoon season happening from June to September with the floods on the streets of Kolkata. Third, it is the pleasant winter season occurring from October to March with the comfortable temperature from 11 to 27 degrees.
| Season | Temperature Range | Rainfall | Crowd Levels | Hotel Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (October-March) | 11°C – 27°C | Low to Minimal | High (Peak Season) | Higher rates |
| Summer (April-May) | 30°C – 43°C | Some thunderstorms in May | Low (Off-Season) | Lower rates |
| Monsoon (June-September) | 20°C – 28°C | Heavy (July-August wettest) | Low (Off-Season) | Lower rates |
Winter Season (October-March): The Best Time to Visit Kolkata
During the winter season, there will be good weather conditions with the comfortable temperature from 11 to 27 degrees, sunshine, and the comfortable humidity. During this season, one will be able to visit outdoor sights, heritage sights, and crowded markets of Kolkata without uncomfortable heat, which exists in other months.
This is the period when Kolkata becomes the land of festivals. One will be able to participate in the 10-day long festival called Durga Puja taking place in October and characterized by the colorful pandals spread all over the city. Afterward, there will be Kali Puja and Laxmi Puja taking place in November. There will be Christmas decorations on the streets of Park Street and Bow Barracks and Tangra streets will be decorated for Chinese New Year festivities in late January. Thus, during the winter season one will be able to enjoy various cultural festivals.
Victoria Memorial – the big white marble building with museum and gardens, which is the best to be visited in pleasant winter weather
Howrah Bridge and Mallick Ghat Flower Market – the famous suspension bridge and the biggest flower market in Asia, which is located under the bridge and is the most active in mornings
Indian Museum – the largest and oldest museum in India with Egyptian mummy, antiques, fossils and paintings
Mother House – the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity and the tomb of Mother Teresa
South Park Street Cemetery – the heritage cemetery, which was founded in 1767 and contains 1,900 graves of Europeans
Belur Math and Dakshineswar Kali Temple – picturesque religious sights located opposite the Hooghly River and impressing architecture
The Best Months during the Winter Season
December and January will be the most comfortable months during the winter season with the temperature from 11 to 15 degrees, sunshine and rains, which will create comfortable conditions for visiting all sights.
Evenings will become pleasant and cool and light jackets will be needed, while days will be comfortable for long sightseeing without heat and humidity, so December and January will be the best months if one wishes to have maximum comfort during his/her Kolkata trip.
Summer and Monsoon: The Bad Weather for Visiting Kolkata
Summer season, which starts in April and ends in May, is characterized by severe heat with temperatures from 40 to 45 degrees and high humidity over 80 percent. It becomes really uncomfortable to go out in the daytime as it feels like walking in the oven, and evening hours do not give any relief as the temperature rarely falls below 30 degrees with constant moisture, so this is definitely not the right time for visiting Kolkata if one wants to enjoy sightseeing due to the heat.
June through September is the rainy monsoon season with the heavy rains causing street flooding and travel disruptions in Kolkata. July and August months are characterized by the heaviest rains making sightseeing impossible as it becomes difficult to travel in rainy conditions, though September becomes characterized with the intermittent dry periods marking the end of season. So if one plans to visit Kolkata during the monsoon season, he/she should expect rains and concentrate mostly on indoor activities.
Saving Money during Off-Season
Budget travelers can count on the significant reduction of prices for accommodation during summer and monsoon season due to the great reduction of tourists because of the bad weather. However, one should be prepared to spend his/her time inside during the unbearable afternoon hours or rainy period limiting sightseeing options. So although one saves money on hotels, he/she cannot enjoy his/her trip completely, which is the thing that should be considered before making any reservations.
Preparing for Your Kolkata Trip: Useful Travel Tips
Three-four days are enough to visit the major sights of Kolkata metro area including Victoria Memorial, Indian Museum, Mother House, Howrah Bridge and heritage areas with all sights. Tourists who plan to visit nearby Santiniketan, historical Rajbaris or Sundarban National Park need at least one week of visiting time as these sights require additional time for travel and sightseeing.
Book the Hotel in Convenient Areas: Choose hotels in the area of Sudder Street or Park Street that will provide convenient access to metro stations, restaurants and tourist attractions including Victoria Memorial and Indian Museum.
Arrange Airport Transfer: Book Uber rides or prepaid taxis from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport to your hotel with the travel time of approximately one hour to downtown area.
Use Kolkata Metro: Use the inexpensive and clean metro system with fares starting at INR 5, though the metro has the very limited coverage at the moment with only one operational north-south line.
Organize Sightseeing around Festive Days: If one visits during the Durga Puja in October, it is recommended to book accommodation beforehand as the city becomes overcrowded during this 10-day celebration.
Be Ready for the Difficulties of Local Transport: Be ready to negotiate the fare as meters are rarely used, or use the prepaid taxi stands at the railway stations providing the fixed fare traveling.
Important Travel Tips
Avoid traveler diarrhea eating only in the busy street stalls as there one can be sure that food is fresh and do not eat anything containing the unboiled water or ice cubes as it can make one ill. Also, eat only well-cooked, fried or grilled food. Following these tips helps to avoid Delhi belly that occurs frequently to the tourists throughout India, so one should be very careful what to eat as the street food is tasty, but one should be careful in choosing the place for eating.
Check the change carefully after each transaction as the shortchanging is the common scam aimed at tourists in Kolkata and occurring quite often. Vendors and taxi drivers regularly try to shortchange visitors in some sum hoping in their inattentiveness, so check each currency after leaving the counter or vehicle. This is the important tip that will help to save money as these small sums add up during the trip if one is not careful with each transaction.
Purchase comprehensive travel insurance before visiting Kolkata due to the risk of traveler diarrhea and other health issues. Do not forget to purchase the proper power adapters for the Type C, Type D or Type M outlets with the voltage of 230 V to charge electronic devices during the trip. Also, if one is interested in Kolkata ff or kolkata fatafat result one can visit https://kolkataff.net/ that provides the real-time কলকাতা ফটাফট result updates.
