Kolkata tour in private car with guide & lunch for immersive cultural experience

From $105.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

Select Date and Travelers

You can select up to 15 travelers in total.

Adult (13-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15

Child (6-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15

Book online or call: +1 437 970 2890

Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Private

2 Adults x $155.00

$310.00

Approx Total

$310.00

Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Hotel pickup and drop-off
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Lunch
Private car

Drinks

Overview

The City of Joy Experience is a day tour where guests will discover why Kolkata is indeed the City of Joy. The experience commences at the Mausoleum of Job Charnock, the founder of British Kolkata and covers St Johns Church, the iconic Writers Building, the magnificent Governor’s house, Shahid Minar, India’s oldest museum and the legendary Victoria Memorial. The experience ends after a scenic 30 minute boat ride over the River Ganges. This tour is organized by Five Senses Tours, a private limited company recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and a member of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). The tour has been designed to support local livelihoods by way of employment of local guides, and supporting local businesses in line with the mission of the company to ensure travel dollars stay where they are spent.

Itinerary

Job Charnock's Mausoleum

8AM- Hotel Pick up We will start at the Mausoleum of Job Charnock the founder of modern Kolkata. In 1690 Charnock bought the villages of Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata from Bengal Subedar Azim Usman and over time Kokata became the capital of East India Company. A recent High Court ruling has discredited him as the founder of Kolkata after looking at evidence of the existence of the city in earlier times!

45 minutes
St. John's Church

We will visit St John’s Church which was built in 1787 by architect James Agg. This majestic stone and brick structure became the principal Cathedral of Calcutta in 1815. A highlight of his Church is the “Last Supper” painting on its walls.

30 minutes
Writers' Building

Our next destination is the iconic Writers Building which had a very humble beginning. Built in 1777, it was meant for the lower bureaucracy of East India Company. Today this Greco-Roman masterpiece is the seat of the West Bengal state government. Our guide will narrate to you all the landmark events which took place in India’s freedom struggle with the Writers Building as the backdrop. We will see this building from outside.

30 minutes
Raj Bhavan

The Governor’s House is a remarkable building which was built for Marquess of Wellesley who came to Kolkata as the Governor General of East India Company in 1798 and found his rented accommodation unsuitable! Built in 1803 by the famous English architect Charles Wyatt, the Governor’s House follows a Neoclassical style with distinct Baroque overtones. The building became the residence of the Viceroy of India after the Crown took over the reins of India from East India Company. Today it serves as the office and residence of the Governor of the state of West Bengal and hence we will see it from outside.

30 minutes
Shaheed Minar

The Shaheed Minar was built in 1848 with a blend of Egyptian, Syrian and Turkish design styles. Originally it was called the Ochterlony Monument and was built to honour Major General Sir David Ochterlony’s triumph against the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1825. Today this monument commemorates the sacrifice of Indian freedom fighters.

30 minutes
Indian Museum (Jadu Ghar)

We visit India’s largest and oldest Museum. The Indian Museum was built by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1814 with Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist as the founder curator. It has a magnificent collection of relics, ornaments, fossils, skeletons, antiques, armors and paintings of different eras.

1 hour
Victoria Memorial Hall

After lunch, we visit the legendary Victoria Memorial built by George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of India. Dedicated to Queen Victoria, this architectural gem built in marble is a great place to experience the essence of Victorian-era set in the middle of the hustle and bustle of modern Kolkata.

30 minutes
Howrah Bridge

We take a boat ride over the holy River Ganges and over the next 30 minutes we explore the City of Joy from its waters. We pass through the iconic Howrah Bridge before this magnificent experience of Kolkata comes to an end. 8PM- Drop back to hotel

30 minutes

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Free Cancellation

June 12100% refund

June 13No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

11 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

11
4 stars

0
3 stars

0
2 stars

0
1 star

0

We perform checks on reviews

We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 11 reviews with 5 stars

Great tour of Kolkata and Bengal

Published on Mar, 2025

This visit was part of our third private tour with 5 Senses (first tour, So. India for a month; second No. India for 5.5 weeks; third East and South India, one month). You might have guessed that we are very happy with the company. All three tours were fantastic, this one no exception. Kolkata is a vibrant city and worth a visit. In addition to the normal tourist sites, local guide Dev also helped us find ayurvedic massage studios. Like all major Indian cities, air pollution is a real problem--consider wearing a good mask when outdoors. Bishnupur is an interesting site with terra cotta temples, and is often paired with a visit to Kolkata. It took 3.5 hours to drive there, but 5.5 hours to return because we got back to the outskirts of Kolkata after 19:30, when they let the trucks in and traffic becomes miserable Try to get home before that happens. The Sundarbans--the largest mangrove forest in the world--are a couple of hours outside the city. We spent two nights there. It was a nice break from the urban environment. There is wildlife, but don't count on seeing tigers. The primary strength of 5 Senses is its people. The owner, Mr. Narayanan, is a great travel planning partner (he’ll work with you to craft exactly the trip you want) and he is super-responsive during trips if any problems arise. I am confident that Narayanan will fix it if it needs fixing—he has helped us several times in that way, and he has done it quickly. The state-based “cultural ambassadors” he has recruited (the guides who accompany you for days, across multiple sites) are excellent and soon become friends. For this month-long tour, I’d particularly like to call out Kannan (Tamil Nadu) and Mohan, and Chandra Shekar (Karnataka). If you are touring other parts of the country, we highly recommend Balwinder (Punjab and Rajasthan) and Vivek and Ram Sewak (Varanasi, Khajuraho and environs). It is basically a fool’s errand to try to price shop local tour operators—there are too many variables, including the type of accommodation, the quality of guides and the quality of transport (both of which can’t be assessed ahead of time). That said, over the course of the three tours, we feel that 5 Senses has been very good value for money. And I can say for certain that you would pay three times as much for the same Smithsonian or Nat Geo or other corporate tour, plus you’d be on a bus with many other folks and stuck with the group schedule. With 5 Senses you’re in your own car deciding where and when you want to go, where you want to eat, and when you want to take it easy. My advice to friends looking for a private tour in India is “don’t bother contacting other companies, just talk to 5 Senses. You won’t regret it.”

Excellent tour. Brilliant guide.

Published on Jan, 2024

Had a great guide ( Mr. Parmananda )with historic knowledge of city Kolkata. A senior citizens who knows history in and out @ the back of his mind.

Take a day off and get to know Kolkata

Published on Dec, 2023

A full day might be long however the city is big and places of interest are plenty. Small walks in between refreshing and boat tour lovely but short. I recommend 45 min. Delicious lunch. Professional and friendly guide.

Excellent Experience!

Published on Dec, 2023

The tour was great! Param was very informative and an excellent tour guide! We enjoyed the whole day!

5Senses does it AGAIN!

Published on Dec, 2023

I had a long layover in Kolkata and 5Senses worked with me to arrange a tour that would fit my schedule. My Cultural Ambassador Anirban (“tour guide”) met me at the airport, we hopped in the car and it. It takes about an hour to get into the city so this definitely beat taxi or Uber. Anirban took me to several locations of cultural significance and I truly got a feel for Kolkata, the cultural capital of India. Anirban was clearly knowledgeable and personable. I would definitely do this if you want a guided way through a very complex city.

Compare Similar Experiences

Current

Kolkata tour in private car with guide & ...

7 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$105 / Person

Kolkata Heritage Tram Tour

2 hours to 3 hours

Free Cancellation

388

From
$60 / Person

Bengali Nights Kolkata Food Tour with 13 ...

4 hours

Free Cancellation

214

From
$35 / Person

Kolkata Full Day Sightseeing Including M ...

7 hours to 8 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$82 / Person

Explore Kolkata- Private Full Day Tour

8 hours

Non Refundable

From
$100 / Person

Private Full Day Sightseeing Tour of Kol ...

8 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$70 / Person

Confluence of Cultures - Bow Barracks to ...

2 hours to 3 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$35 / Person

British Raj Heritage walk in Kolkata wit ...

3 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$65 / Person

Private Calcutta Tour

7 hours to 8 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$58 / Person

Experience Kolkata in 2 Days like never ...

15 hours to 16 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$165 / Person

Taj Mahal and Agra Day-Trip from Kolkata ...

17 hours to 18 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$484 / Person

Kolkata: Full-Day Spirituality & Temples ...

Likely To Sell Out

8 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$77 / Person

Private Guided Day Trip to Santiniketan ...

11 hours to 12 hours

Free Cancellation

From
$165 / Person

Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought