MESMERISING KOLKATA
HIGHLIGHTS
- - Shahid Minar
- - Raj Bhavan
- - Akashbani Bhavan
- - Kolkata High Court Building
- - St John’’s Church
- - Treasury House
- - GPO Building
- - Writers Building
- - Laldighi
- - St Andrew’s Kirk
- - The Flower Market
- - Howrah Bridge
- - Victoria MemorialMaidan or the Lungs of Kolkata
- - Light & Sound show
DETAILS
Company Name: KOLKATA STORY TOURS
Price per person: INR 4500
Departure Point: Your Hotel
Return Point: Your Hotel
Type of Tour: Day Tour
Availability ( Days of the Week ) : Daily
Breakfast at Hotel.
Then our vehicle takes you via 1 ) Shahid Minar, 2 ) Raj Bhavan ( Governors palace ) , 3 ) Akashbani Bhavan, 4 ) Kolkata High Court Building, 5 ) St John’’s Church, 6 ) Treasury House, 7 ) GPO Building, 8 ) Writers Building, 9 ) Laldighi, 10 ) St Andrew’s Kirk ( All of these give you a good feel of both modern Kolkata as well as the by gone era of the British Raj ) . Onward we move to 11 ) The Flower Market ( Asia’s biggest ) & 12 ) Howrah Bridge also known as the Rabindra Setu ( witness the traffic that flows through it ) . From here we will proceed to North Kolkata through the 13 ) Bazaars & trading Zones and reach 14 ) Kumortuli – The clay idol making Hub of Eastern India and definitely one of its kind in the World. If time permits pre lunch, we take you to Chitpur where you see the 15 ) Nakhoda Mosque or to College Street where you witness the College/ University throbs of youth as well as the expansive Book Bazaars. Now we must have Lunch !
For Lunch it can be an elaborate affair or a simple bite and grab. We suggest a sit down affair so you may have some proper rest, assimilate all that has been thrown at you and get into the opinionated debate with your fellow traveller like a true Kolkatan would!
We next take you to the 16 ) Victoria Memorial, whose grounds you may have visited the evening before for the Light & Sound show which is a good introduction to the city psyche and its history in brief. The Victoria Memorial is both to be admired for its view of the facades from the sprawling lawns sprinkled with water bodies and statues of prominent personalities as well as for a tour inside. The tour will take you to further wisdom on the colonial rule, the growth of the city and India in the British times. The Memorial today is a major sponsor and flag bearer of our Art, Culture and Social Commentary.
After the Victorian experience, we ride around the 17 ) Maidan or the Lungs of Kolkata, show you the clubs and race course ground. We end the day’s tour with the 18 ) Light & Sound show in case you have missed it the earlier evening or you may retire to your hotel for dinner and a good nights rest before your next days heady experience.
The trip includes sufficient branded packaged bottled water & chai ( Tea ) . Lunch and Evening Tea can be arranged as extra. The journey will be by Air-conditioned vehicle and you will have the services of a local English speaking, knowledgeable & tourist friendly person to steer the tour for your enjoyment and safety. The tour starts from your hotel and ends there.
Wishing you a Very Happy, Informed & Entertained Exploration Memory!
PRICE DETAILS
A few salient points of your tour are :
1. This will be a day tour of 8 hours for 1 day .
2. The tour will have a pick up from your hotel and drop back to your hotel either by hired car or escorted on local transport for a centrally located hotel. In case of a fringe area / non central hotel, we meet at a prominent place in the heart of the city.
3. Cost of a full day tour ( 6-8 hours ) will be Rs.4500/- per person for a single guest and Rs.4000/- per person for a couple. For multiple guests, above 2 we charge Rs.3500/- per person.
4. The cost of vehicle, entries, tips, parking charges, food and all other charges are either optional or extra.
5. Transportation- Apart from going with local transport you can do the tour by car too. Hotel cars are the most comfortable option.
6. You need to have sensible walking shoes on. Caps are a great idea.
7. For the full day tour, the list of places provided is indicative only. We are forever ready to tailor make the itinerary based on your likes. It may not be possible to touch all points mentioned because of issues pertaining to detailed visit in other places, local conditions affecting your safety, etc.
8. We shall carry 2 complementary Packaged Drinking Water bottles for you and have a hand sanitizer for your use.
9. It is imperative that you follow the instructions of the story teller while being in his company for the sake of your safety and well being. Kindly cooperate in this regard.
10. In case you suffer from any illness / challenges that may be potentially harmful if you take this tour, please refrain from this endeavour. We shall not be responsible for any harm to you , what so ever.
11. In case you are not happy with our service efforts, to the level that merits a 5 star review in TripAdvisor or similar, please let us know by the end of the tour. We shall spot refund the fees of the story teller to you. We are not a completely commercial venture but do this for a cause and we only accept payments when you are delighted.
Please find below a list of some of the places/activities, from which you may attempt to enjoy a few :
1. Asia's Biggest Flower Market for a riot of colours , human tide and much more.
2. A stopover at the banks of the Ganges river ( Hooghly river in Calcutta ) and soak in the sights
3. A walking tour of awe inspiring White Calcutta ( the British palatial establishments of Kolkata )
4. Taking in the "beginning of Calcutta" with a tour of St.John's Church, the 1st Anglican Cathedral of the city.
5. A drive through of Black Calcutta ( The native quarters of Kolkata during British times )
6. A walk in Kumurtuli, the clay idol and sculpture workshops of Kolkata, possibly the biggest in the World
7. A tour to the Chinese Colony of Kolkata, one of the oldest outside the mainland. Getting surprises at every bend.
8. A visit to a local market to see the daily lifestyles of local Calcutta citizens, away from the touristy stuff.
9. Taking in a Tram ride, the only such mode of transport still existing in India.
10. A drive through a Kolkata Slum to feel the resilience of our economically challenged citizens.
11. A drive by of some other prominent places.
12. Mother House, where Mother Teresa has worked and is laid to rest.
13. Kali Temple Premises
14. St.Paul’s Cathedral
15. Government Market for genuine & certified Indian Handicraft and Handlooms to get an idea
16. South Park Street Cemetery
17. Park Street Walk
18. Riding India's first Metro Network
19. Belur Math ( slightly out of proper Kolkata )
Some other things which you could plan when visiting this part of the country are :
1. Visit Sundarbans, the UNESCO World Heritage location which is in the brink of an ecological disaster and home to the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, Estuarine Crocodiles, Dolphins and a lot of other fauna and flora where the people of the Sundarbans struggle daily, betting on their lives, to collect honey, shrimps and crabs. Needs at least 2 Days of sailing the creeks in a boat to really enjoy this place.
2. Visit Shantiniketan, one of the largest Open Air Education campuses n the world, Ashram of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and simultaneously catch glimpses of tribal life, delectable Bengali cuisine, handicrafts and catch a philosophical Baul tune .
3. Should you be inclined with the culinary side of things, take a Bengali Cooking Workshop and while you learn to cook, enjoy a home cooked 4 course dinner in a real Bengali home.
Food - I would introduce you to good , hygienic and local cuisine.
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