Plan a Durga Puja 2026 trip to Kolkata: when to arrive, airport and stations, where to stay, metro and cabs, October weather, money, safety and a 3-day plan.
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) over the Hooghly. Photo: Ovjtphoto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The festival builds over about two weeks.
A Kolkata tram among yellow taxis. Photo: Damien Naidoo, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Book early. Puja week is peak season, and hotels and guest houses near the popular areas fill quickly.
Night crowds on the pandal trail in Behala. Photo: Snehangshu36, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Durga Puja falls as the monsoon is retreating. Days are usually warm and humid, nights a little more comfortable, and short showers are possible; in some years heavy rain disrupts a puja day.
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) over the Hooghly. Photo: Ovjtphoto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
This plan uses the ready-made trails in our free Kolkata guide; each trail page has the route, the nearest Metro stations, food stops and live crowd check-ins.
A Kolkata tram among yellow taxis. Photo: Damien Naidoo, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Skim the glossary so you recognise protima, bhog and anjali, and keep our Durga Puja FAQ handy.
Devotees raise flowers for pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami at a Kolkata pandal. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Plan a Durga Puja 2026 trip to Kolkata: when to arrive, airport and stations, where to stay, metro and cabs, October weather, money, safety and a 3-day plan.
Visiting Kolkata for Durga Puja 2026 → Next story: What is Durga Puja? The meaning behind the festival All photo storiesMusic: Rhythm of Dhak a huge membranophone instrument from Bengal and Assam, used in Hindu religious festivals, especially Durga Puja, Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.