West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDCL) has revised the timing of the open-top double decker bus introduced in Kolkata for a ride through the heritage precincts of Benoy Badal Dinesh Bag (formerly Dalhousie Square) to suit the weather.

The bus will now operate between 4pm and 7.15pm.

The route will remain the same with some minor changes. The bus will drive past the Raj Bhavan (Governor&rsquos House), Curzon Park, Red Road and Fort William to reach Victoria Memorial. Here passengers will get 45 minutes to visit the Memorial. Next stop will be at the Princep Ghat, where there will be a halt for 15 minutes.

Then the bus will go to Babughat where passengers will be taken on a half an hour Ganga River cruise (with light snacks and tea/coffee served on board).

After the cruise, passengers will board the bus for a drive past Eden Gardens, the Maidan, Akashbani Bhavan (All India Radio station), High Court, St John&rsquos Church, the Reserve Bank of India, Old Currency Building (now converted to a museum), the General Post Office and the Writer&rsquos Building.

The package rate has also been modified &ndash Rs 649 per head in the lower deck and Rs 799 per head in the upper deck. The bus ticket includes all entry fees.

WBTDCL has also introduced a similar bus ride in the New Town area on the eastern periphery of Kolkata (usually on Saturdays and Sundays).

Here too, the tour starts at 4pm and concludes by 7.30pm. Passengers have to board the bus at the Biswa Bangla Gate.

The first halt (15 minutes) is at Rabindra Tirtha (with two permanent exhibitions on Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore) from where the bus proceeds to the Seven Wonders Park where you will be allowed half an hour to enjoy the replicas of the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Roman Colosseum, the Great Pyramids, etc. 

Next halt is at Eco Park, where you can enjoy a boat ride in the lake and a ride in the toy train (a replica of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway). As the bus proceeds towards the Mother&rsquos Wax Museum, guests will be served light refreshments. After a brief halt at the Museum, the bus will head to the New Town Coffee House. Depending on your convenience, you may choose to end the tour here or get dropped at the Biswa Bangla Gate from where the tour had started.

Per head ticket price for the New Town tour is Rs 900 tax for the lower deck and Rs 1,150 tax for the upper deck. Ticket price includes light refreshments entry fee for Mother&rsquos Wax Museum, Seven Wonders, boating and toy train ride inside Eco Park.  

For both tours, passengers will have to pay for camera charges (where applicable).

Tickets have to be bought online at https://www.wbtdcl.com/package

Note Please check with WBTDCL (Tel 18002121655) for the latest information before planning. Owing to the pandemic situation, the state-wide election, and the weather, there may be last minute changes. Also, on the tour, it is mandatory to follow safety protocols, such as wearing masks, maintaining distance and use of sanitizers.