India GOBangalore or Kolkata: a mild plateau or Bengal's cultural capital
Bangalore vs Kolkata pits a modern southern city against an old eastern one. Kolkata is Bengal's cultural capital: colonial mansions, the College Street book market, sweets and Durga Puja. Bengaluru (Bangalore) sits on a plateau at about 900 m and has no month marked to avoid. Winter suits both; from April to September only Bengaluru is off the avoid list.
Bengaluru
India's tech capital keeps its older selves in plain sight: a rock-cut cave temple under a hill, a palace modelled on Windsor Castle, and the market lanes of Malleswaram and Gandhi Bazaar. Filter coffee and dosa at dawn, craft beer and bookshops after dark, and a plateau climate that stays mild all year.
📅 Best time: Nov–Feb
Kolkata
Bengal's cultural capital: colonial mansions, yellow Ambassador taxis, old coffee houses and the College Street book market (the largest in India). A literary, unhurried city of sweets and India's grandest Durga Puja.
📅 Best time: Nov–Feb (+Durga Puja Oct)
When to go
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Bengaluru | 🟩 28° | 🟩 31° | 🟢 33° | 🟢 34° | 🟢 33° | 🟢 30° | 🟢 28° | 🟢 28° | 🟢 29° | 🟢 28° | 🟩 27° | 🟩 27° |
| Kolkata | 🟩 26° | 🟩 29° | 🟢 34° | 🟧 35° | 🟧 36° | 🟧 34° | 🟧 32° | 🟧 32° | 🟧 33° | 🟢 32° | 🟩 30° | 🟩 27° |
🟩 Best time · 🟢 Good time · 🟧 Better avoid. Figures are IMD daytime highs.
What the guide covers
| Bengaluru | Kolkata | |
| Palaces & museums | 17 | 18 |
| Temples & shrines | 10 | 12 |
| Nature | 10 | 8 |
| Markets & shopping | 20 | 13 |
| Areas & streets | 3 | 3 |
| Other | 135 | 49 |
| Hotels | 13 | 13 |
Full guides, the map and festivals in India GO.
Open in India GOBook rows or a plateau city: who each suits
Kolkata suits a literary, unhurried trip built around the old city: College Street and its book market, the largest in India, the old coffee houses, colonial mansions. Its sweets are a reason to time the visit: nolen gur sandesh, made with the first date-palm sap of winter, exists for only about three months a year, and mishti doi is set in clay pots. Across the Hooghly, Howrah station is a ferry ride away.
Bengaluru suits a trip without a weather window: no month is marked to avoid. Mornings are filter coffee and dosa, evenings craft beer and bookshops, and between them a rock-cut cave temple under a hill and a palace modelled on Windsor Castle. See the Bengaluru page.
Seasons: winter for both, Bengaluru for the rest
Kolkata's season is November to February, and October joins it for Durga Puja: 17–21 October in 2026, and 5–10 October in 2027 by the guide's projection. April to September are marked to avoid: average highs of 35–36°C in April and May, then 277–372 mm of rain a month from June to September, with flooding. Bay of Bengal cyclones are possible in May and in October–November. On the main Puja nights the metro runs until about four in the morning.
Bengaluru's wettest months are September and October, at about 208 and 186 mm, with heavy showers and local flooding, yet none of its months is marked to avoid. It is driest from November to February.
Both in one trip: November to February.
Getting between Bengaluru and Kolkata
The guide lists no train or bus for this pair, so plan on a flight: Bengaluru's Kempegowda International (BLR) has direct flights from all major Indian cities, and Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU) is the gateway to eastern India.
Kolkata's airport end is easy: since August 2025 a metro station sits directly beneath the terminal (Yellow Line, change to the Blue Line for the centre, ~₹5–25), and a prepaid taxi to Park Street, about 17 km, costs ~₹280–370. Bengaluru's end takes longer: BLR is 40 km north of the city, and the guide advises leaving 2.5–3 hours for the airport run because of traffic. Fares here are approximate, checked in August 2026.
Getting around and what it costs
Fares are approximate, checked in August 2026.
Kolkata
Metro ~₹5–30, roughly 06:55–22:40; a tourist card is ~₹250 a day. Autos run fixed routes like shared minibuses at ~₹10–30. The state Yatri Sathi app charges no surge and is usually the cheapest cab. Street cabs often claim the meter is broken, so take prepaid or an app.
Bengaluru
Vayu Vajra airport coaches (~₹150–380) run all night and have luggage bays; in heavy traffic they are about as fast as a taxi (~₹800–1,600). In town, Namma Metro costs ~₹10–90 a ride and autos booked through Namma Yatri start at ~₹36 for 2 km.
Languages
Kolkata's languages in the guide are Bengali, Hindi and English. Bengaluru's are Kannada, English, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.
❓ FAQ
Which city is bigger, Kolkata or Bangalore?
Kolkata: the guide gives a metro population of about 15.7 million, against 13.2 million for Bengaluru.
When is Durga Puja in Kolkata?
In 2026 it falls on 17–21 October; for 2027 the guide projects 5–10 October. The centre closes to cars on the main nights, when the metro runs until about four in the morning.
Is there a train from Bangalore to Kolkata?
The guide does not list one for this pair; flying is the practical option. Check rail options on IRCTC.
When can I visit both?
November to February, the best months for both cities.