Calcutta Backpackers

About Calcutta Backpackers

Calcutta Backpackers is a four-star hotel on P.B. Road in the Kumar Gardens part of Behala, south Kolkata. The name suggests a simple stop, yet the property is rated four stars and lists a full range of facilities, from air conditioning and Wi-Fi to a bar, room service, parking and breakfast. It suits travellers whose plans centre on the Kalighat temple, the southern stretch of the Blue Line and the sights of south-central Kolkata, and who prefer a residential setting to the busy centre.

The stay is hotel-standard rather than hostel-style. Four stars bring the services a longer trip usually needs: laundry, luggage storage, a shuttle, parking, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a bar. Breakfast can be taken in the room, and room service covers late arrivals who would rather not go out again. Expect a functional, well-equipped base for a city trip rather than a heritage building or a garden retreat, and settle the details that matter to you at the time of booking.

Location and neighbourhood

The hotel stands on P.B. Road in Behala, a largely residential district in the south of the city, and the wider area is associated with Kalighat, 3.1 km away. Kalighat Kali Temple is one of the Shakti Peethas, and the present temple dates from 1809. Beside it stands Nirmal Hriday, Mother Teresa's first home for the dying, opened in 1952. Tolly's Nullah, the old Adi Ganga channel, runs through this part of south Kolkata, and the Kalighat painting tradition takes its name from the neighbourhood.

Few of the sights sit on the doorstep. The nearest metro is Mahanayak Uttam Kumar at 1.8 km, with Rabindra Sarobar at 2.2 km, so a short auto-rickshaw ride or taxi usually comes before any train. The temple is 3.1 km away, the Victoria Memorial 5.7 km and Park Street 6.9 km, which works out at roughly 25 to 40 minutes by road depending on traffic. Treat each outing as a ride rather than a walk and the day stays simple.

Mornings here begin early, with queues forming at the Kalighat temple well before the day warms up. Evenings are quiet and local, with traffic easing on the residential streets after the office rush. Festival weeks change the mood: during Durga Puja, usually late September or October, processions and crowds slow every road, and Kali Puja on the new-moon night of Diwali brings late noise and traffic. Check the current year's dates and allow extra time for cross-city journeys.

Rooms and facilities

For business travellers the practical points are a desk, Wi-Fi and room service, with express check in and a concierge among the services listed. Families tend to value the air conditioning, a bath, breakfast in the room and the laundry service, which helps with children's clothes on a longer stay. Late arrivals should arrange the shuttle in advance and confirm that reception will be staffed at their arrival hour, since timings are best agreed directly with the property.

Kolkata's heat shapes the room. Air conditioning and a fan both appear on the facilities list, and a bath is welcome after a humid afternoon. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July, and streets can flood after a downpour, so keep bags off the floor and leave slack in any plan. Laundry and dry cleaning are useful in the damp months, when clothes dry slowly indoors.

Ask about the specifics that decide a stay: which room categories have a balcony, how breakfast is served and where the bar sits within the property, how far the shuttle runs and at what hours, and whether parking needs reserving. The hotel also lists a currency exchange, car and bike rental, a salon and a banquet hall, all worth confirming when you book. Check-in and check-out times are best agreed with the hotel in advance.

Getting there

The airport, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International at Dum Dum, is 21.5 km away in a straight line and 60 to 100 minutes by road, depending on traffic on the northern approach. A shuttle from the property removes the guesswork at the end of a long flight, so request one when booking. The Yellow Line metro now reaches Jai Hind Bimanbandar station, and services are still expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current timings before relying on it.

Howrah station, on the west bank, is 9.9 km away and 35 to 55 minutes by road. Sealdah, on the east side of the centre, is 9.1 km and 30 to 50 minutes. Kolkata station at Chitpur handles some long-distance trains and services to Bangladesh. Cross-river traffic over Howrah Bridge can be slow at peak hours, so build in time and keep luggage manageable if you switch to the metro partway.

The Blue Line is the workhorse. Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station is 1.8 km from the hotel and Rabindra Sarobar 2.2 km, both on the north-south route that opened in 1984 as India's first metro. From there, trains run through Park Street, Maidan and Rabindra Sadan, handy for the Victoria Memorial and the Maidan. Green Line services under the river and the newer lines are still being extended, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours.

Food and sights near Calcutta Backpackers

Kalighat Kali Temple, 3.1 km away, is the closest sight and the reason many visitors choose this side of the city. Go early, expect queues and touts, remove your shoes and follow the photography rules at the entrance. The Victoria Memorial, 5.7 km away, holds a museum in white Makrana marble on 64 acres of grounds, closed Mondays and some national holidays. Both are reached most easily by taxi or auto-rickshaw from the hotel.

St Paul's Cathedral, consecrated in 1847, stands 5.7 km away near the Victoria Memorial and pairs naturally with it. Prinsep Ghat, 6.5 km away, has a Palladian memorial built in 1843 on Strand Road beneath Vidyasagar Setu, and is best in the hour before sunset. The South Park Street Cemetery, opened in 1767 and 6.9 km away, is a quiet, overgrown Georgian burial ground that rewards an hour of slow walking.

Food is part of the trip. Nizam's near New Market is credited with the original kathi roll, and Kolkata biryani, phuchka and mishti doi are easy to find across the centre. On Park Street, Flurys, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas are long-standing names, and Indian Coffee House on College Street is a landmark in itself. Nearer the hotel, the Kalighat painting studios are worth a look, and New Market covers shopping.

• Kalighat Temple (3.1 km)
• Victoria Memorial (5.7 km)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (5.7 km)
• Prinsep Ghat at sunset (6.5 km)
• South Park Street Cemetery (6.9 km)

A day from Calcutta Backpackers

Start early and go straight to Kalighat, 3.1 km away, before the queues build and the day heats up. Shoes come off at the temple and photography is restricted, so carry little. Afterwards, return to the hotel for breakfast and a cool hour. To avoid the road, take an auto-rickshaw to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar metro station, 1.8 km away, and ride the Blue Line north towards the centre.

Spend the afternoon at the Victoria Memorial, 5.7 km away, allowing 20 to 40 minutes by road. The museum closes on Mondays and some national holidays, so check before setting out, and the grounds reward a slow walk. St Paul's Cathedral, also 5.7 km away, is close enough to combine with the same trip. Return by metro from Rabindra Sadan or Maidan to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, then take a short ride back.

Head to Prinsep Ghat, 6.5 km away, for the hour before sunset, when the river and Vidyasagar Setu look their best. The South Park Street Cemetery, 6.9 km away, suits an earlier, cooler slot rather than dusk. Dinner on Park Street is 6.9 km away, roughly 25 to 40 minutes by road, or eat nearer the hotel and keep the evening short before an early temple start the next morning.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for the Christmas season, when Park Street and Allen Park are lit from mid-December to New Year. Availability tightens across the city at those times. Weekday traffic is heaviest in the morning and late afternoon, so schedule airport runs outside those windows where possible. Confirm check-in and check-out times, shuttle arrangements and payment methods directly with the property before you travel.

November to February is the easiest season here: December and January highs sit in the mid-20s Celsius, February is pleasant and the air is dry. March warms into the low 30s, April and May often pass 35 Celsius with evening storms, and the monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July. Winter mornings can be hazy with poor air quality, which matters if you plan long walks or early temple queues.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food; cards and UPI are widely accepted in hotels, malls and restaurants. Yellow Ambassador taxis are metered, so insist on the meter, or use an app cab. Drink bottled or filtered water. At Kalighat and other temples, dress modestly, remove shoes and expect touts near the entrance. For anything that changes, from metro hours to temple rules, check the official body, such as Metro Railway Kolkata or West Bengal Tourism.

Calcutta Backpackers: questions

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