India GODelhi or Kolkata: the Mughal north or Bengal's cultural capital
Delhi vs Kolkata sets the national capital against a cultural one. Delhi has eight historical cities on one plain and three UNESCO sites. Kolkata is Bengal's cultural capital: colonial mansions, old coffee houses, the College Street book market and Durga Puja, which falls on 17–21 October in 2026. Their best months overlap in winter, and the Rajdhani links them overnight in about 17 hours.
Delhi
Eight capitals stacked on one plain, and you can walk between them: a 12th-century victory tower, the Mughal tomb that taught the Taj its shape, colonial New Delhi's avenues, and the spice lanes of Chandni Chowk. Most trips to North India start here. Give it two days and it stops being just an airport.
📅 Best time: Oct & Feb–Mar
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 | |
| Delhi | 🟢 20° | 🟩 24° | 🟩 30° | 🟢 36° | 🟧 40° | 🟧 39° | 🟢 36° | 🟢 34° | 🟢 34° | 🟩 33° | 🟢 28° | 🟢 23° |
| 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
| Delhi | Kolkata | |
| Palaces & museums | 25 | 18 |
| Temples & shrines | 12 | 12 |
| Nature | 10 | 8 |
| Markets & shopping | 16 | 13 |
| Areas & streets | 5 | 3 |
| Other | 109 | 49 |
| Hotels | 14 | 13 |
Full guides, the map and festivals in India GO.
Open in India GOImperial north or literary east: who each city suits
Delhi suits a trip that goes further back than the colonial era: the guide counts eight historical capitals on one plain, from a 12th-century victory tower to the Mughal Red Fort, and three UNESCO sites. Colonial New Delhi is only its latest layer. Most trips to North India start here. See the Delhi page.
Kolkata suits a literary, unhurried trip: more than 300 bookshops on College Street, the largest book market in India, coffee houses, colonial mansions and Bengal's sweets, from rosogolla to mishti doi set in clay pots. India's first metro has run here since 1984, ferries cross the Hooghly for ~₹6–10 (August 2026), and the yellow Ambassador cabs are nearly gone, fewer than two thousand by the end of 2025.
Seasons
Delhi's winter is colder than Kolkata's: in January the averages are 8–20°C against 14–26°C, and from November to January smog can push Delhi's AQI past 450 while fog delays trains and flights. Its best months are October, February and March; May and June bring heatwaves above 45°C.
Kolkata is best from November to February, plus October for Durga Puja (17–21 October in 2026). April to September are marked to avoid: heat, then a humid monsoon of about 370 mm a month in July and August with flooding, and Bay of Bengal cyclones are possible in May and October–November. On the main Puja nights the metro runs until about four in the morning.
Both in one trip: February is best in both. October gives Delhi's best weather and Kolkata's Durga Puja, with the cyclone caveat.
Getting between Delhi and Kolkata
Approximate fares, checked in August 2026.
Rajdhani
The Howrah and Sealdah Rajdhanis run nightly, about 17 hours, ~₹3,000–5,000. Howrah is across the river, Sealdah in the city, and since 2025 the Green Line metro connects the two.
Flight
Kolkata's airport (CCU) has had a metro station directly beneath the terminal since August 2025, and a prepaid taxi to Park Street, about 17 km, is ~₹280–370. Delhi's DEL handles domestic flights everywhere; low-cost carriers use its T1.
Getting around and what it costs
Fares are approximate, checked in August 2026.
Delhi
More than ten metro lines at ~₹11–64 a ride, roughly 05:30–23:30, and the women-only coach is always the first in the direction of travel. For the Old Delhi lanes, e-rickshaws take you from the metro exit for ~₹20–50.
Kolkata
The metro (~₹5–30) runs roughly 06:55–22:40, and its tourist card is ~₹250 a day or ~₹550 for three. Autos run fixed routes like shared minibuses, ~₹10–30. The state Yatri Sathi app has no surge pricing and is usually the cheapest cab. Unlike Delhi, the metro has no women-only coach, only reserved seats.
Languages
Delhi: Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu. Kolkata: Bengali, Hindi and English.
❓ FAQ
Which city is bigger, Delhi or Kolkata?
Delhi: about 33.8 million in the metro area, against 15.7 million for Kolkata.
What language is spoken in Kolkata?
Bengali first, then Hindi and English.
How long is the train from Delhi to Kolkata?
About 17 hours on the nightly Rajdhani to Howrah or Sealdah, ~₹3,000–5,000 (approximate, August 2026).
When can I visit both?
February is best in both cities; October works if you want Durga Puja in Kolkata (17–21 October in 2026).