India tour packages offer you a memorable sojourn to Kolkata (or Calcutta) where the culture is so profoundly rich that you will love every bit of your stay. This article takes you onto a tour of some of the best attractions that a foreigner will love in Kolkata.
A Kolkata/Calcutta trip with an India tour package is going to give you many reasons to enjoy your holiday. Foreign tourists have a special penchant for this city which was once the capital of India during the British regime. So, the British left plenty of remnants in the city in the form of forts, museums and landmarks.
Here are 6 such famous attractions. Every foreign tourist must check them out in Kolkata:
1. Victoria Memorial: Victoria Memorial is painted on the posters of Kolkata on numerous occasions. It is easy to spot owing to its magnificent design and astonishing size. It is located near the Esplanade region in Kolkata and is a monument which was built in 1906 by King George V in the memory of Queen Victoria. Pristine white in color and with a landscaped garden in its premise replete with pools, trees and pebbles, the place is a charmer.
2. Indian Museum: India tours comprise of visits to several monuments. Indeed, you will find a monument or two in almost every city you visit during your tour. However, the special thing about Kolkata’s Indian Museum is that it is the largest museum in Asia. It is open to tourists from early morning around 10 am till 5 pm in the evening. Photography is permitted, though extra charges have to be doled out for carrying a camera inside.
3. St. Paul’s Cathedral: The most popular church in Calcutta is situated near the famous Park Street area, not too far away from Victoria Memorial and Indian Museum. St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the mid 19th century and its Gothic architectural style is as much a delight to the eye as it is to the soul. India tour packages can be designed to include this cathedral in the itinerary. It is visited in huge numbers by the locals during the Christmas season.
4. Zoological Garden: The Zoo or the Zoological Garden situated in the Alipore region has often drawn flak from some critics for not being well-maintained. However, recently, it catapulted into popularity, following the implementation of ‘adopt an animal’ scheme which permits the citizens to adopt an animal of their choice. The scheme has triggered a mass hysteria amongst the locals and hundreds have queued up to play foster parents to a chimp, elephant or even a tiger. The Alipore Zoo is the oldest zoo in India. Fresh ideas are being rolled out to revive its old charm.
5. Botanical Garden: Under an India tour package, you can also head over to Botanical gardens in the Shibpur region. It is a colossal area of green trees & shrubs and is famed for the 200-year old Banyan tree which is titanic in size. The garden is one of the oldest of its kind in the country.
6. Howrah Bridge: The poster boy of Calcutta is the iconic Howrah Bridge which is beautiful and impressive, apart from being the lifeline of the traffic-prone city.