In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · India
Kanpur
कानपुर
Give Kanpur one full day for the 1857 sites and the zoo, or skip it: it is an industrial city with no headline monument and no reason to sleep more than one night.
Kanpur is Uttar Pradesh's largest city and an industrial and rail hub on the Ganges, known in colonial times as Cawnpore. Its sights are the 1857 memorial sites, a large zoo and a handful of temples, spread over a wide, hot plain. Most travellers pass through on the Delhi–Kolkata rail line; a single day covers the historic core, and Bithoor is the one worthwhile half-day out.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- कानपुर
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- Apr–Jun (40°C+ heat), Jul–Sep (monsoon), late Dec–Jan (fog delays)Apr–Jun (104°F+ heat), Jul–Sep (monsoon), late Dec–Jan (fog delays)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–6,000 excl. bed · High ₹6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Tourist helpline (24 h) 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chai at a street stall | ₹10–20 |
| Plate of chaat (pani puri, aloo tikki) | ₹40–80 |
| Biryani at a standing counter | ₹80–150 |
| Thali at a mid-range restaurant | ₹200–400 |
| Auto across the centre | ₹100–200 (check) |
| Metro ride | ₹10–30 (check) |
| Allen Forest Zoo entry | ₹50–100 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KNU · Kanpur Airport
- Small airport with limited daily flights; check schedules before booking.
- LKO · Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, Lucknow
- About 70 km away, far more flights; allow 1.5–2 h by road.About 43 mi away, far more flights; allow 1.5–2 h by road.
Typical fares
- Auto, Civil Lines to Kanpur Central
- ₹100–150, about 15 min (check)
- Taxi, Kanpur to Lucknow airport
- ₹2,000–2,800, about 2 h (check)
- Train, Kanpur Central to Delhi
- from about ₹500 sleeper, 5–6 h (check)
Get around
The Kanpur Metro runs one line from IIT Kanpur via Motijheel to Kanpur Central; extensions are under construction. City buses are cheaper than autos. Autos and Vikram tempos have no meter: agree the fare before you get in. Cycle rickshaws are for short hops only.
See and do
Known for
- 1857 Cawnpore sites (Massacre Ghat, Nana Rao Park)
- Allen Forest Zoo
- Leather and textile trade
- Kanpur Central rail junction
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bithoor | Taxi or auto from the city, about 25 km north along Bithoor RoadTaxi or auto from the city, about 16 mi north along Bithoor Road | About 1 h each way |
| Lucknow | Train from Kanpur Central, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Kannauj | Train or road, about 80 km northwestTrain or road, about 50 mi northwest | 1.5–2 h |
| Prayagraj | Train from Kanpur Central, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
Sleep
- Civil Lines and Mall Road
- Colonial-era core with the museum, Nana Rao Park and most mid-range hotels; best for a short stay.
- Kanpur Central and Cantonment
- Walk to the main station and the Memorial Church; practical for one night with bags.
- Swaroop Nagar
- Restaurant and shopping cluster; a quieter base if you have your own transport.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| How much is it? | कितने का है?kitne ka hai |
| Please take me to this address | इस पते पर ले चलिएis pate par le chaliye |
| Stop here | यहीं रोकिएyahin rokiye |
| Is it vegetarian? | यह शाकाहारी है?yah shakahari hai |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Autos and Vikrams have no meter system: fix the price before boarding.
- Summer heat from April to June regularly tops 40°C; do sights before 10:00 and after 17:00.
- Dense fog in late December and January delays flights and trains; build in slack.
- No lifeguards at Bithoor or the Ganga Barrage: do not swim.
- Some 1857 sites are working memorial grounds: keep voices down and ask before photographing people.
Kanpur is a working industrial city, not a tourist town. Petty theft is rare but touts and unmetered autos are the everyday friction; women travellers report stares in crowded markets. Avoid unlit riverbank areas after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kanpur yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 1857 Cawnpore sites (Massacre Ghat, Nana Rao Park)
- Allen Forest Zoo
- Leather and textile trade
- Kanpur Central rail junction
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kanpur Nagar district official site: kanpurnagar.nic.in/
- Kanpur Metro station information (LMRCL): www.lmrcl.com/kanpur-metro/station-info
- Wikivoyage: Kanpur, revision 5325494 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325494
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/kanpur). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.